Fans in the neighborhood...

On David's day off, we decided to go eat Indian food and then head to the park. For some reason, he is using the spicy food labor induction folk lore tale to his advantage...He told me that he thought we would just eat Indian food for lunch every Monday, until the baby came....Okay, whatever makes him happy....As we were walking to the restaurant a woman on her bike stopped us and was trying to talk to us about Evessa..We haven't really had that happen in a long time...David told me it had been happening more lately...Then we got to the restaurant and two families were eating lunch in there and as soon as we walked in, they started to do the Osaka Evessa cheer...It was so weird and funny. Their daughter ran over and was bowing and shaking David's hand...She got a picture with him...Also, she is on the little girl cheerleading squad, so she was very excited. She actually left the restaurant, ran to the store across the street and bought a signing board for David to autograph. He signed that and her hat...Originally, I thought she bought the hat for him and started laughing thinking about him having to wear the hat to be nice...but it was actually hers....It was so weird...I was embarrassed...I had my UGGS on, greasing hair, no make-up/red face, and my velour sweat suit on...YUCK....I try to look cute at the games, but not around the neighborhood...I am not sure why I care...They mostly want pictures with him, not me :).

No progress...

I went to my weekly doctor's appointment and it did not go as well as I had been dreaming about...Words like high, hard,and more walking were used and when you are waiting to go into labor, those are NOT the words that you want to hear. You want dilated, effaced, thinning, soft, etc....Maybe next week! I got to meet my new doctor...She was really nice and her English was great, so I feel very comfortable. Baby P is estimated to be 8 lbs 3 oz at this point, but it could be way off....We will see SOON, hopefully! Once I am done with today, only 11 days left!!!!

The baby shower/celebration that was supposed to happen on Sunday happened yesterday! It was a last minute thing but turned out to be really fun! We had pizza (which is a real treat here because it is expensive), cake, waffle desserts, nikumans, presents, and girl talk....I got a few cute outfits for the baby and a necklace and earring set for myself....The ladies were sooo generous!

Off to walk this baby out!

Umm...I think I am retaining a little H2O....

Basketball & Weekend Update..

David's team won both games this weekend, AGAIN!!! He scored 25 in the first game and 17 in the second...He has been doing so well lately and so has his team...They are on a roll!!

Dana and I went to Costco on Saturday...Woo hoo for us...I still swear by the hot dog meal...It is so good!

On Sunday, I watched the game at Dana's house...Two girls were going to do a little "baby shower/celebration" for me on Sunday, but they got in a girl fight, so three of us just watched the game and had dessert, which Kumi brought. The girl who didn't come is Thai and she was going to cook Thai food (which I love and have not had since moving here)...I told her to make it extra spicy :)...So sad..Hopefully, she will cook for me some day... We started playing with Dana's Mac. These are probably the funniest pictures I have ever seen...No explanation necessary!!!!
UPDATE: As I was going through these pictures, I started laughing again so hard, that contractions started happening...Maybe I just need to keep staring at the really bad ones to induce labor!!! Ha Ha!

Wrapping things up...

Finish teaching at the YMCA-check
Finish Japanese class-check
Finish Pathophysiology-1 week left!!! whoop whoop!!!

After next week, all my responsibilities are done...Or others might like to say, "They are just starting."

This weekend.....

David leaves today for Takamatsu, which is about 2 hours away on the bullet train...We just need to get through this weekend and then he will be home for 3 weeks in row, which I am very happy about and feel very lucky about! He has all of the train routes and timetables figured out, if something happens, which I am sure it won't.

MY MOM FINALLY BOUGHT HER TICKET!!! My mom will be arriving on the 8th of April, which I am so excited about! She will be our first visitor from America ever...How sad is that?? We have lived here for almost 3 years in total and she is the only one to come, and it is because I am having a baby...YES, this is a guilt trip for the rest of you.....I am hoping for the baby to come before she gets here, so I can get the most help out of her visit, sorry mom!!! Then...we just have to get Emily on the ball....

Update

I had my 37 week appointment on Wednesday and YES, a little bit of progress was made...It doesn't really mean anything at this point, but it felt good to know that things are happening...After the appointment (these doctors have a way of getting things moving), a lot of stuff started happening, but it has slowed down now...so the waiting game is back on...It was a long, long appointment that was kind of annoying actually, but what can you expect, when you don't speak the language....

My doctor told me that she just resigned, so she will not be working after March 31st and I will meet the new doctor, who speaks English at my next appointment, which David had been planning on going to, but cannot, because we had to change the day to when the other doctor is working. So...David doesn't get to go this time....My doctor informed me that if I deliver in March, she will be in charge and if I deliver in April, the new doctor will be in charge.  So, I get a new doctor within two weeks of delivering or if there is an emergency, I get a doctor, who I don't know.  WWWAAAHHH!!!

Also, they had questions about my birth plan...which I was hoping wouldn't happen...I thought they might just read over it and say okay...Oh no....questions galore...and of course....every other time I have been there the midwife speaks English very well, and this time to discuss the birth plan, the midwife who helped me, did not speak any English....IT TOOK FOREVER to go through and explain my wishes and have her explain their policies to me......AGHHHH! We had my health book out, a medical dictionary out, and an Japanese to English baby book out, trying to understand each other....Of course, last week the other midwife told me to keep the English version of the birth plan with me, so I didn't have it to compare with the Japanese version, which would have made things much easier, because I had no idea what the midwife was talking about, because I can't read the Japanese version.

Baby P grew some, not as much as past weeks, but he or she was just measured last week, so the growth should be lower..I, on the other hand, grew more in one week than I have in past weeks, ha ha ha, BOOOO!!! 

Also, I finally learned what a contraction feels like.  The doctor was getting ready to do the ultrasound and I was having one. Thank god she said something because this whole time I thought it was the baby moving....I know it sounds dumb, but as a first time pregnant lady, I had no idea what to expect and the movies make it look so painful from the get go...It is not really like that...I have been having contractions without pain (Braxton-Hicks) for months now, and have been having contractions with pain for about a week....I really thought the baby was balling up on one side of my stomach....Well...now I know and am just waiting for them to be close enough together to time!

And....I have been walking, walking, walking........

Yes, it is my final answer....

At 37 weeks and 5 days, I am going with BOY...I have changed my mind so many times over the last 4 months regarding the sex of our baby, but now, I am ready to guess...I just want it documented (this blog will be turned into a family book) somewhere that I thought it was a BOY....I asked David what he thought and he said, "Well..since we have a girl named picked out and no boy name, it will probably be a girl." I am thinking the exact opposite and I reminded him that the girl parts would have been already developed when we decided on the girl name...Just had to remind him of that :)...And, we do actually have boy names picked out...We just need to narrow down the list...It has been the same for the last 2 months, I think...Two months ago, David kept saying, "Oh...we have time." Well, we have not really made any progress and time is running low....In Japan, we have to register the birth within 14 days of the baby being born...so we will have a little time if we are still undecided....It may be Baby P forever.....

Quick little write up...

David would be so embarrassed if he knew that I posted this...It is a write-up from the sports section of an English newspaper over here.....He did so good on Sunday.....He was electrifying.....

David Palmer scored 30 points and Lynn Washington had 23 in the host Osaka Evessa's 105-85 drubbing of the Kyoto Hannaryz.

Palmer shot 10-for-12 from the field, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range, and was 7-for-8 at the charity stripe in 25 electrifying minutes, helping Osaka improve to 22-16.

Underwears or Shorts...

So ....at one of my last appointments I got my list of things to bring to the hospital. I went shopping and found out that the shorts on the list are basically special postpartum underwear...I went to the store, the clerk showed me what I needed and I bought them, wondering if they were any different from granny panties, becasue, man o man, they are the largest pairs of underwear that I have seen in a very long time....maybe ever....Once I got home, I ripped into the package to see what was so special....The are high-tech...I swear!!! They are like an adult diaper cover!!! They have velcro at the crotch and they have waterproof lining...I am not sure what all the fancy things are for, but I am sure they will help with something at some point! I know you all are jealous!!! I also invested in a pair of postpartum underwear that had belly support..Underwear with a girdle...excellent I will take them all!!! Got home tried on the large and could not get them past my knees...Needless to say, they went right back to the store and I just bought another set of granny panties...These women are sooooo small!!! Check them out!!!! I am taking orders if anyone wants me to bring some home!!!!

The Nursery...

David and I decided it was time to finish the rest of the preparations for the baby, since he or she could come at anytime now...We set up the "nursery" and did my belly cast....The nursery consists of a mini-Japanese size crib, a blanket, waterproof pads, and a sheet..I know it probably seems sad to everyone else, but we love it and over here there is just no room to have much more.....Plus, I want the baby in bed with me anyway, but David insisted on having the crib set up...So...here is Baby P's first nursery......It makes me laugh!!!

Basketball Update...

Time-out

Kumi, me, and Dana

David's team had two home games this past weekend...They won both, which is always great! He played well in the second game (30 pnts, 6 reb) and solid in the first (11pnts, 8 reb).  He won Man of the Match and they actually had a prize this time.  When we lived here before, every home game that the guys won had a Man of the Match with a prize of $200-$300.  David won a couple of times and it was always so exciting. Apparently this year, they still give out the Man of the Match award, but if a sponsor does not sign up to give a prize, then there isn't one. Last time David won it, there was no prize, BUT this time, he won some cash...We just don't know how much!!! Go David! Dana, Kumi, and I had a girls' night dinner afterwards!

Some recent pictures...

Jaylynn at the park

Heading to a "team"dinner...This is the team van that the guys ride around in all of the time!

Us at the All-You Can Eat/Drink (bummer for me) dinner

There wasn't any dessert offered, so of course, Dana and I headed to Outback Steakhouse after the All-You-Can Eat dinner for some dessert....It was disgusting, but so delicious!

David's team

My hospital..The only reason why this picture makes me laugh is that when I think I don't want to walk anymore or when I start getting tired...I look up and literally, it is always right there...Like a beacon of light...with the cross and all!

We made it!!!

BIG MAMA at 37 weeks!!!  Definitely looking it!!!!!

We are now 37 weeks, which is officially full-term...Baby P/Champ can come at anytime from this point forward..Let me tell.you..I will be doing all of the "natural" labor induction methods from this point forward...I have had a very easy pregnancy, but am ready (or as ready as a first time mom thinks she can be) to meet this little one.  Kanpai to 37 weeks!!!!!

At my last appointment (36.5 weeks) the baby had grown some more..... He or she is weighing in at 7lbs 4oz which was my birth weight at 40 weeks....He or she is measuring 38-39 weeks, so a little ahead of schedule...Please, come soon!!!!! All of my appointments will be weekly from this point forward...I know it is exciting, but it is kind of annoying for me. I have to walk to the train station, change trains, and then walk to the hospital (15 minutes) and do it all in reverse....It is good to walk though. The doctor asked me if I was walking each day and I told her "yes, about 45 minutes to an hour".  I was feeling good with that response.  She said that it should be 2 hours each day! I haven't gotten that much exercise, since I played volleyball in high school...Time to get going at 9 months pregnant!!!  

I turned in my very anal birth plan, which was accepted very openly by the midwife...I thought there might be problems but she even showed me (literally, on the floor) a few different positions that women labor in, instead of the "flat on the back one" that I would like to avoid...I was so relieved that they allow "different" ideas, because here, you never know what will be okay.  I, of course, had one of David's team workers translate the birth plan into Japanese, so there is no confusion regarding what I want....Poor Masaki knows much more about me then he ever wished.....

So....cheers to being 37 weeks....3 left to go!!!!

Milestones....

For the first time yesterday, a man stood up on the subway for me....I was flattered, happy, and felt like a huge cow, because it is now obvious that I am pregnant..ha ha...like it hasn't been for some time.  I took the seat immediately!

Here are some pictures that my friend, Dana, took of David and I last week... 35 weeks!

Benten...our neighborhood...

It was finally sunny....cold, but sunny...which meant I could play with my new camera, FINALLY!!!

My parking lot...There is Goldenrod in her gold glory...

Students on their way home from school

A slice of home...minus the Slurpees

Typical looking alley in Japan...Traditional houses....

Vending machines with cigarrettes...

Newer traditional Japanese house..This house is a castle compared to the others...

Vending machines with beer

Neighborhood playground...where is the grass???

Older traditional style Japanese home

Me in my too small jacket...:(

1 month left!!!

I have one month left, officially!!!! We are nervous....but excited, of course!

Spring....where are you??

I need the spring to arrive desperately.....I can't stand riding my bike in the rain, with the wind whipping my face shivering, with my toasted marshmallow jacket unbuttoned over my stomach because it recently stopped fitting...Rain drops get on my eye glasses....My hands turn purple...And, I just hate being wet, cold, and in the wind......WHERE ARE YOU NICE WEATHER???? I asked that my jacket get me through February and the Japan weather system get me through the rest of the pregnancy...My jacket held its promise...It is time for the weather to step up its game.

Not to mention I want to play with my new camera and I am not taking it out in the rain!

Happy Birth-day Baby Austin!!!

CONGRATS TO TWO OF MY MOST FAVORITE PEOPLE, SARAH AND JASON!!!!! I can't wait to meet him and hold him and love him!!!!!!

34 weeks!!!

Only 6 weeks left to go!!!!

Baby P is doing well.  He or she grew like a weed in the last two weeks, if the ultrasound machine is correct at estimating his or her size. I am not going to lie and say it doesn't make me nervous, because it does.....Apparently, this kid put on 2 lbs in the last two weeks.  The approximate weight at this point is 6 lbs 4 oz, which is a normal sized baby; however, I still have 6 weeks to go.  The doctor and nurse both said, "WOW".  Japanese babies, on average, weight 6 lbs 6oz, when they are born, just as a reference point. The doctor also told me that the "other American" delivered at 35 weeks and her baby was 7 lbs 8 oz.  I don't know if there is something in the water here or what. I also managed to ask about the amount of weight that the "other American" put on and the doctor said 22 pounds.....hmmmmmm, I guess it is possible!  The size of the baby's head and femur puts him or her at about 37 weeks; however, these are only estimates and they are not excellent indicators of when the baby will come or of the baby's size...I am just hoping the measurements are flat out wrong....I may be giving birth to David, if they are accurate...No wonder I am gaining so much weight, ha ha ha! Actually, I have doing fine (pat on my back).

At my most recent appointment, I was asked if I had the taxi service's phone number on hand, which I don't...I was asked if I had packed my hospital bag, which I haven't...I was asked if I had any friends, who speak Japanese and English, in case my labor coach doesn't, which I don't...WHEW, time to start getting organized.....I gave them David's team's manager's phone number. He will be in for the shock of his life if he ends up interpreting my delivery........POOR POOR MAN!!!

I was also given a list of things that I must bring...so, I guess it time to do some shopping and they informed me that the homework that David and I completed and turned in (about our feelings and lifestyle) will be discussed at my next visit, which I think is because I asked so many questions this time....My doctor just waits for me to whip out my list and we go one by one down it until I am done.....And, the visit was FREE!!! They are so good to me!

34 Weeks!!!

This is what I get to wake up to sometimes. A baby on my one side of my stomach...Scary...FYI: This is NOT what my stomach typically looks like!!! My belly button is pushed over to the left side.

More pics....

Here are some pictures from my surprise dinner..I had to share them because I was so happy and the dessert was amazing!!!!

The infamous dessert platter, YUM!

Kumi, Dana, me, and Cherry at dinner!

David's team

Kumi and I at the basketball game

My birthday weekend...

I love my birthday :)...The weekend was not as friend-filled as the last couple of years have been :(, since I was living in Sacramento with all of my friends, but it was still great!  The nice wishes that I got from everybody made me sooo happy! THANK YOU!!! I did miss my annual champagne brunch, which wouldn't have been nearly as fun this year....So..everybody mark your calendars for Champagne Brunch 2011...We will have catching up to do, since we missed a year....The birthday festivities went as follows:

Saturday (27th)

Surprise birthday dinner with 3 friends

I had no idea that it was dinner for me until we got there and at the end, a huge plate filled with different desserts, a candle, and a "Happy Birthday Michelle and baby" chocolate sign, was brought out.  It was really nice!

Sunday (28th)

Birthday treats and presents in the morning

David's basketball game in the afternoon

Indian dinner with friends in the evening

Birthday party at our house at night (if I can even call it that)

Monday (1st)

 Fondue!!!

My birthday morning!!!

I look a little (well...a lot) scary...don't judge...I had just woken  up.

Rebecca and I at dinner

My birthday party

A bunch of guys talking and arguing about......BASKETBALL, what else??

Fondue on Monday

So sad...chocolate is all gone...can't believe Mr. Stoic actually gave a facial expression

Last but not least...A picture of a birthday treat from my brand spanking new Canon XSi!!!!!

Basketball World

UPDATE:  David's team played the number one team (Okinawa) this weekend and they won one and lost one...BOOO!!! David played really well in the first game...32 points and 14 rebounds...He got Man of the Match....They lost the second game and he played okay...His team is in third, jockeying for 2nd place...