Thursday, January 28, 2010
Janice does Japan
Chances are, if you're reading this, you know my Mom - or you've at least met her once or twice. You know she's a trip. I have spent many a moments since we moved here, whenever I encounter something unique to this place, imagining my Mom in the situation and how she would react. Well, in about 25 hours she will be arriving here. In Japan. My Mom. Picture it, will ya'? They find loud talking and laughing in public disrespectful. They're small, quiet people. They're friendly, though, so she's got that in common with them. I just try to imagine her in certain situations and it often makes me smile - or actually laugh. That's all - I just wanted to leave you with a thought that might make you smile :-) Here's to Janice! In Japan!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Amy at 180
Today, Adam got on the scale and asked me, "How much do I cost?" "You weigh 30 pounds," I said. "Okay, now your turn. How much do you cost, Mommy?" Crap. 180. 55 pounds.
We had appointments up to our ears this week and they all went very well. Tuesday started with the MFM specialist, who told us both babies were now head-down and she did not think it was likely that either of them would turn at this point. However, after "Baby A" delivers, there is no telling how "Baby B" may react to the sudden extra space...She told us that the babies were really stretched out and taking up all of my uterus...as if I needed to be told that. She also told us that "Baby A" weighs about 5 lbs 11 oz and "B" is weighing in at 5 lbs 6 oz. Of course, the ultrasound estimate isn't the most accurate and may be off by as much as a pound, but they believe, based on all data, that the babies are growing well and thriving and are at healthy weights. Upon leaving, I asked her when I should make an appointment to see her again and she replied, "I don't think you will. I think we'll have babies." Did anyone else see that freight train coming?
Alan and I left there and headed up to Labor and Delivery for a quick look-see. Unfortunately, all labor rooms were full so I couldn't see one. Here's another prayer request: Pray that doesn't happen when I actually show up in labor! It was a little bit of a deja vu, though. When I showed up in labor with Adam, I swear I was put in a storage closet until a room freed up. There were a lot of babies born on that full-moon night. I digress...Anyway, we did get to see my delivery room - the OR! I will deliver, no matter how the babies are presenting on ultrasound, on an operating table. This is just a precaution so that if, say, "Baby B" decides to start doing flips after "A" is born and things get complicated, they can immediately do a c-section. I'll already be prepped and ready and have been advised to take the epidural so that I can actually be awake to see the birth, should it go to a c-section. Otherwise they would have to put me to sleep. After confirming some other stuff, Alan headed to work and I headed to my non-stress test. Not much happened there. Babies moved great, heartbeats sounded strong.
Thursday I had an appointment with my OB and it looked like the babies had not dropped yet and I wasn't really dilated yet. It is looking like Janice might make it in time! We're hoping so...
I thought I would use this opportunity, in case I don't get the chance to do another one of these before the babies arrive, to list a few things I've learned during this pregnancy. Here are 10:
Here's Adam seeking shelter under the 33-week belly from an approaching air-strike. You can tell he's totally ready to take them on, though, right?
That's the East China Sea in the background.
We had appointments up to our ears this week and they all went very well. Tuesday started with the MFM specialist, who told us both babies were now head-down and she did not think it was likely that either of them would turn at this point. However, after "Baby A" delivers, there is no telling how "Baby B" may react to the sudden extra space...She told us that the babies were really stretched out and taking up all of my uterus...as if I needed to be told that. She also told us that "Baby A" weighs about 5 lbs 11 oz and "B" is weighing in at 5 lbs 6 oz. Of course, the ultrasound estimate isn't the most accurate and may be off by as much as a pound, but they believe, based on all data, that the babies are growing well and thriving and are at healthy weights. Upon leaving, I asked her when I should make an appointment to see her again and she replied, "I don't think you will. I think we'll have babies." Did anyone else see that freight train coming?
Alan and I left there and headed up to Labor and Delivery for a quick look-see. Unfortunately, all labor rooms were full so I couldn't see one. Here's another prayer request: Pray that doesn't happen when I actually show up in labor! It was a little bit of a deja vu, though. When I showed up in labor with Adam, I swear I was put in a storage closet until a room freed up. There were a lot of babies born on that full-moon night. I digress...Anyway, we did get to see my delivery room - the OR! I will deliver, no matter how the babies are presenting on ultrasound, on an operating table. This is just a precaution so that if, say, "Baby B" decides to start doing flips after "A" is born and things get complicated, they can immediately do a c-section. I'll already be prepped and ready and have been advised to take the epidural so that I can actually be awake to see the birth, should it go to a c-section. Otherwise they would have to put me to sleep. After confirming some other stuff, Alan headed to work and I headed to my non-stress test. Not much happened there. Babies moved great, heartbeats sounded strong.
Thursday I had an appointment with my OB and it looked like the babies had not dropped yet and I wasn't really dilated yet. It is looking like Janice might make it in time! We're hoping so...
I thought I would use this opportunity, in case I don't get the chance to do another one of these before the babies arrive, to list a few things I've learned during this pregnancy. Here are 10:
- EVERYTHING is different when comparing a singleton pregnancy to a twins pregnancy. Since I've had one of each, I feel like I can make a pretty accurate comparison. I know each pregnancy can vary with the same woman, but every single thing from the first day I found out I was pregnant has been different. Every. Single. Thing.
- There really is no limit to what your body can accomplish. Considering I didn't gain twice as much weight as I did with Adam (thank God), yet twice as much had to develop and thrive and fit - and do it in less time than with one baby - it's pretty friggin' amazing. People say, "You look great! I was that big with one baby!" Yeah. Well, that may be another story...the point is that I have double going on in this amount of space: two heads lodged in my pelvis and lungs, four legs kicking, four arms punching, two placentas, two amniotic sacs...TWO! It's amazing. As for my reasonable weight-gain, I owe all the credit to a book and a friend who recommended it: When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads by Dr. Barbara Luke and Tamara Eberlein. I did what it said, even when I didn't feel like eating another bite and it has paid off. This book would be a great resource, even for a singleton pregnancy and I can't thank MJ enough for recommending it.
- It isn't polite and is actually a little offensive to immediately ask if someone who's having twins or multiples did IVF. It's really none of your business, either way.
- Stretch marks breed like bunny rabbits. Remember that blog I wrote when I was so disappointed about my first one? Yeah. That was nothing. And they itch like hell. Damn them.
- There is no blissful second trimester with a multiples pregnancy. Your husband should learn this right away, so as to dispell any romantic thoughts he might have about that. It will be easier for him to deal with the sooner he knows.
- If you find out your pregnant with twins, it would be a good idea to go ahead and buy lots of Maalox and pillows. Even white rice is going to give you heartburn and surrounding yourself with pillows is your only hope of getting any sleep. That is, if the heartburn lets you...or the calf and thigh cramps, potty trips, hip pain, difficulty breathing...
- Trust me, you have never witnessed fear like that you witness when you tell your husband "twins." Especially if you have to tell him over Skype.
- If you're going to include an older child in choosing names for a baby, be prepared to consider names from popular animated movies or cartoons.
- It's a really strange feeling to not recognize or relate to your own feet. These aren't mine.
- When given the challenge, your husband can really step it up. Tonight, Alan made chicken parmesan, coating the chicken with crushed reduced-sugar frosted flakes instead of corn flakes, because that's all we had. Let me tell you: It was gooooood. Another night, in an effort to help me sleep better, he slept with his back pressed to my back for support and to keep me from rolling over. It didn't work, but he was trying to help.
35 weeks
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Because I just didn't get it together last year...
Caveat: This blog isn't creative. Or very funny, really. I literally copied and pasted.
Last year was a little crazy. When the holidays rolled around, I wasn't prepared. To be honest, I wasn't even sure what day it was on most days, so the fact that Christmas was right around the corner was unbeknownst to me. Just ask my in-laws and brother-in-law, who still haven't received their gifts. We aren't so terrible that we didn't get them anything - they're bought, just not shipped. Here's hoping I get that done this week...Anyway, since I did a rush-job on the card and letter, it didn't get out to everyone it usually does. Here's what we sent out, in case you care but didn't receive it. I hope you enjoy it almost as much as if it came delivered to your mailbox, addressed personally to you.
TRAVEL: We took a few trips this year, as usual. We started off the year in Texas, where we had spent the holidays last year. It was a great visit and Adam even got a chance to try out his new fishing pole from Santa – and catch a big catfish! February allowed Alan the opportunity to go to the Daytona 500. I’m pretty sure he packed his mullet wig, so hopefully there aren’t many pictures. In April I sneaked away to California for a girls’ weekend and enjoyed the sun and sand of Huntington Beach. I had a great time catching up with some college girlfriends and hijacking the mic from the piano man at the hotel bar. In May we took a short drive north, to Fort Collins, Colorado, to participate in the Colorado Marathon (Alan) and Half-Marathon (me). Alan ran a personal best, leaving all the trash-talking cadets in the dust. That’s what they get for calling him “old”! The best part of that weekend was that we tricked talked a few friends into running their first half-marathon. We just told them about the free beer at the finish – they were easy. Thanks, Dave, Chris & Sherry for a great time and congrats on amazing finishes! Also, thanks to Grandma Sissy for making the trip to care for Adam – I’m sure it was total work and she didn’t enjoy any of it ;-). June was road-trip month. After driving to Omaha (where we would be living for a little while), we headed to North Carolina to visit Alan’s sister and her (recently-more-adorable-with-the-addition-of-our-nephew) family. After soaking up some baby time, we headed down to Texas for a few days to visit my family. On the way back to Omaha we even managed a stop in Altus, Oklahoma, to visit our good friends Chris & Sherry. Adam was especially excited about this stop because it meant he got to reunite with his first best bud, Cole. In August, Alan had to go TDY to Kadena, so Adam and my Dad and I headed to Texas for a longer visit. When Alan returned to Omaha, we hopped in the car and hit the road again, this time heading to Tennessee to spend some time with Alan’s parents. We had fun visiting Dollywood and Gatlinburg and riding the local “trolleywoods,” as Adam called them. About a week after returning from that trip, we headed to Disney World to let Adam have a little fun. The highlight of his trip was getting to meet Woody and Buzz Lightyear, which he waited patiently in line for an hour to do. It was priceless. Finally, about a week after returning from Disney, we took our BIGGEST trip of the year. At the end of October, with a short stopover in Hawaii to visit our best man, we took a one-way trip to Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan, where we will be residing for the next few years. It was a long and “Daytonized” trip, with plenty of chaos (imagine Alan rolling two luggage carts stacked with 10 bags and a dog) and complication (“Miss, you need come get dog. We think something wrong.” Yeah, that’s called diarrhea), but we’re here and safe and are feeling at home. The island is beautiful and the people are wonderful and we’re hoping some of you will take full advantage and come see us! Our house is small, but our doors are always open. No, really. They aren’t locked.
WORK: Obviously, Alan’s assignment at the Air Force Academy ended this summer. He played a big part in the USAFA graduation this year, which kept him busy for the months of April and May. In February he received a call offering him the job at Kadena AB, in Okinawa. We happily accepted since we had been hoping to go overseas. That began the adventure that is moving overseas. It was an 8-month ordeal, during which we sold our home, lived in two different apartments and a borrowed home in Omaha (thanks Brian & Carol!) while Alan got requalified, but worth it now that we’re “home.” We also received great news this year, as Alan was selected to be promoted to Lt Colonel. We’re all very proud of him for working hard and earning that promotion. As for me, I have the same job I’ve had for the last three years. Most of the time it’s the most rewarding job on the planet, but some days the tips are lousy ;-).
HEALTH: In March, I celebrated my two-year anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I can hardly believe it’s been two years since we had to endure that. All test results look great and I feel incredibly lucky to call myself a survivor. Adam turned three this year and, apparently, got the memo about how three-year-olds should act. He’s definitely a handful and a ball of fire, but we enjoy him every day. He also started preschool when we got to Okinawa and is already telling me what time it is! I guess I should mention that in early July I got food poisoning from Popeye’s, but when I couldn’t shake it a week later, I got suspicious. It turned out that the “food poisoning” had evolved into something entirely different – as was evident by the TWO PINK LINES! You have to watch out for that Popeye’s…After a lot of other symptoms during the first trimester (non-typical weight-gain and size, incredible sickness), we had another suspicion confirmed – TWINS! Of course, Alan was still TDY to Kadena when I found out, so I had to tell him over Skype. I’m pretty sure he’s never looked so terrified before/during/after any deployment. It’s a lot to take in, but we have wonderful sources of advice and we’re looking forward to their arrival in February. We’re also looking forward to the three months of help we’re going to get from my Mom, who is coming to stay with us then. Again, all work and no play for her. So far the pregnancy has been healthy, despite all the traveling and chaos. And, no, we are not finding out the sexes!
I think that just about covers everything. I can’t believe I did it in less than two pages! Although we’re far away, there are plenty of easy ways to keep up with us. I’ve included all of our new info below. Take care, keep in touch and we wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2010.
Much love,
The Daytons
Last year was a little crazy. When the holidays rolled around, I wasn't prepared. To be honest, I wasn't even sure what day it was on most days, so the fact that Christmas was right around the corner was unbeknownst to me. Just ask my in-laws and brother-in-law, who still haven't received their gifts. We aren't so terrible that we didn't get them anything - they're bought, just not shipped. Here's hoping I get that done this week...Anyway, since I did a rush-job on the card and letter, it didn't get out to everyone it usually does. Here's what we sent out, in case you care but didn't receive it. I hope you enjoy it almost as much as if it came delivered to your mailbox, addressed personally to you.
Greetings! I hope 2009 was as blessed for your family as it was for ours. Actually, since you are likely receiving this in 2010 – I hope 2010 is blessed so far, too! I’m making an effort to be as brief as possible with this update, but chances are this isn’t your first letter from me, so you know me better than to expect a short one :-). It has been a pretty exciting year around our house (we have actually had 5 physical addresses in two states and two countries this year alone), but these are the highlights.
TRAVEL: We took a few trips this year, as usual. We started off the year in Texas, where we had spent the holidays last year. It was a great visit and Adam even got a chance to try out his new fishing pole from Santa – and catch a big catfish! February allowed Alan the opportunity to go to the Daytona 500. I’m pretty sure he packed his mullet wig, so hopefully there aren’t many pictures. In April I sneaked away to California for a girls’ weekend and enjoyed the sun and sand of Huntington Beach. I had a great time catching up with some college girlfriends and hijacking the mic from the piano man at the hotel bar. In May we took a short drive north, to Fort Collins, Colorado, to participate in the Colorado Marathon (Alan) and Half-Marathon (me). Alan ran a personal best, leaving all the trash-talking cadets in the dust. That’s what they get for calling him “old”! The best part of that weekend was that we tricked talked a few friends into running their first half-marathon. We just told them about the free beer at the finish – they were easy. Thanks, Dave, Chris & Sherry for a great time and congrats on amazing finishes! Also, thanks to Grandma Sissy for making the trip to care for Adam – I’m sure it was total work and she didn’t enjoy any of it ;-). June was road-trip month. After driving to Omaha (where we would be living for a little while), we headed to North Carolina to visit Alan’s sister and her (recently-more-adorable-with-the-addition-of-our-nephew) family. After soaking up some baby time, we headed down to Texas for a few days to visit my family. On the way back to Omaha we even managed a stop in Altus, Oklahoma, to visit our good friends Chris & Sherry. Adam was especially excited about this stop because it meant he got to reunite with his first best bud, Cole. In August, Alan had to go TDY to Kadena, so Adam and my Dad and I headed to Texas for a longer visit. When Alan returned to Omaha, we hopped in the car and hit the road again, this time heading to Tennessee to spend some time with Alan’s parents. We had fun visiting Dollywood and Gatlinburg and riding the local “trolleywoods,” as Adam called them. About a week after returning from that trip, we headed to Disney World to let Adam have a little fun. The highlight of his trip was getting to meet Woody and Buzz Lightyear, which he waited patiently in line for an hour to do. It was priceless. Finally, about a week after returning from Disney, we took our BIGGEST trip of the year. At the end of October, with a short stopover in Hawaii to visit our best man, we took a one-way trip to Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan, where we will be residing for the next few years. It was a long and “Daytonized” trip, with plenty of chaos (imagine Alan rolling two luggage carts stacked with 10 bags and a dog) and complication (“Miss, you need come get dog. We think something wrong.” Yeah, that’s called diarrhea), but we’re here and safe and are feeling at home. The island is beautiful and the people are wonderful and we’re hoping some of you will take full advantage and come see us! Our house is small, but our doors are always open. No, really. They aren’t locked.
WORK: Obviously, Alan’s assignment at the Air Force Academy ended this summer. He played a big part in the USAFA graduation this year, which kept him busy for the months of April and May. In February he received a call offering him the job at Kadena AB, in Okinawa. We happily accepted since we had been hoping to go overseas. That began the adventure that is moving overseas. It was an 8-month ordeal, during which we sold our home, lived in two different apartments and a borrowed home in Omaha (thanks Brian & Carol!) while Alan got requalified, but worth it now that we’re “home.” We also received great news this year, as Alan was selected to be promoted to Lt Colonel. We’re all very proud of him for working hard and earning that promotion. As for me, I have the same job I’ve had for the last three years. Most of the time it’s the most rewarding job on the planet, but some days the tips are lousy ;-).
HEALTH: In March, I celebrated my two-year anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I can hardly believe it’s been two years since we had to endure that. All test results look great and I feel incredibly lucky to call myself a survivor. Adam turned three this year and, apparently, got the memo about how three-year-olds should act. He’s definitely a handful and a ball of fire, but we enjoy him every day. He also started preschool when we got to Okinawa and is already telling me what time it is! I guess I should mention that in early July I got food poisoning from Popeye’s, but when I couldn’t shake it a week later, I got suspicious. It turned out that the “food poisoning” had evolved into something entirely different – as was evident by the TWO PINK LINES! You have to watch out for that Popeye’s…After a lot of other symptoms during the first trimester (non-typical weight-gain and size, incredible sickness), we had another suspicion confirmed – TWINS! Of course, Alan was still TDY to Kadena when I found out, so I had to tell him over Skype. I’m pretty sure he’s never looked so terrified before/during/after any deployment. It’s a lot to take in, but we have wonderful sources of advice and we’re looking forward to their arrival in February. We’re also looking forward to the three months of help we’re going to get from my Mom, who is coming to stay with us then. Again, all work and no play for her. So far the pregnancy has been healthy, despite all the traveling and chaos. And, no, we are not finding out the sexes!
I think that just about covers everything. I can’t believe I did it in less than two pages! Although we’re far away, there are plenty of easy ways to keep up with us. I’ve included all of our new info below. Take care, keep in touch and we wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2010.
Much love,
The Daytons
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Priceless.
You have to love kids. They love the simple little things in life. You know, you're so excited about you're child's first Christmas...and he's so excited about the wrapping paper. It's their nature and don't we all wish we could just get back there sometimes?
Cost of shoes: Who knows? They're old and worn and we were throwing them out.
Adam trying to fill the shoes: Priceless
Cost of a whoopee cushion: Probably somewhere around $2 (plus shipping from Grandpa)
The joy a whoopee cushion never fails to bring: Priceless. Especially if he uses it while I'm on Skype and the person I'm talking to doesn't know it's a whoopee cushion.
Cost of a cool, new RC helicopter: $30 (plus shipping from Grandma & Grandpa)
The thrill of chasing it around and trying to crash it or torture Rosie with it: Priceless
Cost of old-school headband and wristbands for Alan's "Paulie Bleeker" costume: 800 yen
Adam using them to further his "maniac" persona: Priceless.
Mastercard is right - some things you just can't buy.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Holidaze
Man, December flew by, didn't it? Earlier this month we had our '80s-themed Christmas party with Alan's squadron. Initially I was really worried (and ticked, to be honest) about having to dress up. Little did I know, dressing like we did in the '80s is way too easy here. We had no trouble at all dressing the part, even pregnant (one guy actually asked if "that" was part of my costume!). Alan was "Maverick," of course. It actually ended up being a lot of fun because everyone was a really great sport and participated. There was crimped hair, lots of neon and leggings, blue eyeshadow...and one guy who dress as "80 years old," which was super creative. Here's us on that night, and a crazy guy that did the Risky Business bit. Trust me, you didn't want our front-row seats for that one.:
Adam had a blast getting in the spirit this year. He had plenty of opportunity to make a complete mess while attempting to decorate goodies. Here, he's making a Christmas tree out of a waffle cone, green icing, and all sorts of candy:
And here he is doing a really great job decorating sugar cookies:
Then, of course, came Christmas morning. Adam was soooo excited about Santa this year. Despite our constant efforts to teach about the real meaning of Christmas (he does know it's Jesus' birthday) and the unimportance of gifts, he just wanted to know if Santa was coming, like any other three year old. We even wrote a letter and took it to the "special" drop box at the post office. His list was long, but mostly consisted of anything Toy Story. Early in November we had ordered a real, working Buzz Lightyear and pull-string Woody from Amazon.com, but as of December 23rd had not received it. So we were frantically working on a backup plan. But, lo and behold, Alan went to the post office on CHRISTMAS EVE (!!!) and there was the Disney box. It was a Christmas miracle! Christmas morning, for the first time in his life, Adam didn't wake us up first - he went straight out to see if Santa had come. Actually, he had probably been preoccupied with the thought of Santa not coming for most of the night - we had to have a "naughty or nice" conversation after a bad showing at church on Christmas Eve. Anyway, Alan and I awoke to the voice of Buzz Lightyear from down the hall. Here was his joy:
He didn't notice or care that there was a whole pile of wrapped presents also under the tree (Damn! Think of the money we could have saved!) - Buzz and Woody were it, as far as he was concerned. Don't mistake his inexperience for unselfishness- he was very excited at this new revelation of more presents:
It was a memorable Christmas Day in a new country. We had a fantastic, beautiful dinner with friends and were picturing how different our life will be come next Christmas.
For New Year's Eve we were invited to another theme party. This was a "Hollywood" theme - you were supposed to dress up as a movie character. Seriously? How creative can these people expect a pregnant woman to be? Alas, Alan saved the day with the suggestion of Juno. So we went as Juno and Paulie Bleeker. I actually won third place in the costume contest! There were no pictures, sorry, so here's what we looked like if you've never seen the movie:
That sums up our holiday season. I hope yours was jolly. What exciting things we have to look forward to in 2010. It's sure to be a year filled with surprises. Happy New Year!
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