MORE pics from Japan

Me chowing down on Takoyaki (Octupus Balls), YUM!

#1 Fan!!!

Basketball shots of David. Dana has such a nice camera, so she emailed me the shots that she took. Of course, now, I am begging David for one. Mr. Practical is not having it. He says I have a perfectly good camera at home that takes nice pictures. I know I do, but I can't get shots like these, unless I follow him around on the court. Maybe I will try that next time. Some things require extreme measures, :)!

Teammates Waki and Nile

Teammates Ryan and Lynn

16 weeks!

Officially 4 months. For some reason, 4 months means I really am pregnant. 3 months still meant first trimester to me; 4 months is definitely pregnant. I am feeling good, just like I did in the first trimester, except for the headaches; however, I am now pretty sure they are related to my eyes and not the hormones. The baby (he/she) is about the size of an avocado, YUM! Here is my first blog belly shot! I am nervous for what is to come. I appreciate my jeans more each day.....

PS. Kohls has the lowest priced baby clothes ever!! Yes, I, for sure, have enough clothes to last me the first 6 weeks in Japan....Then I guess more shopping will ensue :)......

PPS. Oh and I just read a research article stating that pregnant women, who eat hot dogs once a week or more during pregnancy increase their chances by 50% of having a child, who will develop brain tumors in childhood.....Almost had a heart attack, as I was on my way to microwave my third hot dog, this week... I thought as long as they were thoroughly cooked they were fine. Nope.....it is all about the nitrates and nitrites! Hmmmm.....I am going to have to do some careful planning in the upcoming weeks regarding my trips to the Target food court for lunch. Sick, I know...

I am now all settled back in YC from my trip to Japan. I did not want to come home at all. I was seriously considering staying and just quiting my classes, but I know that it will be so worth it to get these classes done. I am already looking forward to my next trip to Japan on November 20th!!!

Yesterday, I had Nate's 3rd birthday party at my parents' house for the Palmer's side. It was so fun to watch Nate ask about his presents all day. It was torture to him, I am sure! We had a BBQ, opened presents, and had Dirt Cake. A favorite from my childhood. It turned out well and I hope that everyone had a great time!

This morning my mom and I got to watch David's basketball game on the computer. It was so nice to see him alive and moving, instead of just looking at pics from our trip, which I didn't take very many. Too bad the connection isn't good enough for us to watch the games live, boo!

Last night

Last night I went to David's game, which was great because I have not seen him play basketball, since, Jan 09. It was so good to see him out on the court doing what he loves and doing it well. He ended up with 19 points and 8 rebounds. BTW, they won!

I went with Dana and her two boys, Jaylen and Elijah. They are Lynn's kids. David played with Lynn in Osaka, for two years, so it was also good to catch up with her! It's like things never changed, except she is now showing me around, instead of me showing her around!

The fans are still as wonderful as ever. I saw many of the old ones from the previous seasons. They were very excited that we came back to Osaka. Took my first picture with a fan. Apparently, David told one of them that I am expecting and now all of them know. It was the first thing that every single fan said to me. How news spreads fast? I know when this baby comes, they will go CRAZY!!!! I also remembered that noone likes to hug. I would go in for the hug and end up giving a side hug/pat on the back, while shaking a hand. They are so used to shaking hands with foreigners. They don't know the crazy girls that hug everyone instead. I think Dana and I threw them for a little loop. It was funny!

WARNING: Maybe TMI for sensitive folks.....Funny side note.... I totally forgot about the toilets here. A hole in the ground that you squat over. Can't wait until I am 8 months preggo doing that. I am not quite sure how that looks or if it will even work out! YIKES, the joys of giving birth in a foreign country. However, since my stomach is not big, I decided to give a try and see if I still got it. It took a long time for me to perfect the skill last time we lived here. You know what, YEP, I STILL GOT IT!!!! And, boy was I relieved.

Well, hello!

Please note that this is from 10.16.09, not 08.09.
Since my life has "unofficially" started in Japan, I decided it was time to officially start my blog.


This is the first of 2 vacations that I will be taking to Japan. Then, I will move over in December after Christmas. This first vacation has been and will be a busy one. I am not sure if it can even be considered a vay-cay. Things to achieve in the next 6 days.

1. Get hair straightened DONE (Fri)
2. Go to doctor DONE (Fri)
3. Go to 2 basketball games (Sat & Sun)
4. Get Women and Children's Handbook from Ward Office (Mon)
5. Apply for new Alien Registration Card (Mon)
6. Start visa process (Mon)
7. Go to another doctor (Mon)

I have gotten 2 of the 6 things done so far; however, the doctor's visit was not as successful as we had hoped. We are still looking for one. Today, I spent the morning going through a list of every hospital and clinic in the Osaka area that has an English speaker (or so they say). I called every single clinic on the list that specializes in OB-GYN. If anyone is wondering how I have been weeding out prospective doctors, please read below....

1. I call and ask if they speak English or if English is okay.
Option #1: If the receptionist understands and responds in English, we are good to go. (This did not happen once).
Option#2: The receptionist understands and asks me to wait a second. I respond with yes. (All of this is taking place in Japanese). We are still go to go!
Option #3: The receptionist responds with yes, but then does not say anything else at all. I request English again, and she does not understand. Conversation is over. On to the next doctor.
Option #4: We never get past the do you speak English part. She continues to respond with Mush Mushi. I hang up. On to the next doctor.
Option #5: They respond with "No". Conversation is over. On to the next doctor.

2. At this point, I am waiting on hold for the English speaker to come to the phone. Once that occurs, we have a few more options.
Option #1: The doctor answers the phone in Japanese and I have to ask once more if English is okay. He responds in Japanese. In my mind, I am screaming, "I want English, damn it!" If we can move into English, we are still good to go.
Option #2: The doctor answers the phone in English. Sign me up, we are good to go! Unless of course, the doctor explains that he only does prenatal care and does not do deliveries. He then gives me the names of hospitals in the area that I can call to discuss the delivery. Um....no thanks! I can't even find a doctor!

3. So now I have an English speaker on the phone. We have made progress, but I need to find out if the clinic meets my criteria. I know I am sounding picky, but I am not asking for a lot. Question #1: Is the baby delivered at the clinic or hospital? Right answer is CLINIC. We move on to question #2. Can the father be present during the birth? Right answer is YES. We move on to question #3. Can the baby sleep with me after the birth? Right answer is YES. If the conversation goes this smoothly, I am very very excited. Also, these questions allow me to gauge the doctor's English ability. We are moving on the question #4......How much does it all cost? Health insurance does not cover normal pregnancy related costs; however, the government does reimburse you after the birth and typically, the reimbursement covers the costs. This allows me to gauge the out-of-pocket expenses that we will incur. After all the phone calls and research, I found 3 places where I was actually able to speak to the doctor and he answered the 3 questions correctly. Two of the places are very very expensive and one, I forgot to ask for the price....so at this point, I am not sure what we will do, but will be seeing some on Monday as well!

Here is an old pic to catch everyone up to speed!