Karri and I had the opportunity to go to the EnoSpa on Enoshima Island yesterday for some massages! A side note that it can be a hunt to find a good massage here. The base offers massage but all fully clothed. BOOO! I was also looking for prenatal massage as, in my condition, I can't get a regular or shiatsu massage. There are curtain areas on my body that are off limits like pressure on my ankles which can lead to premature labor.
Karri really worked hard to make all of the arrangements. Since the spa only speaks Japanese a friend of hers booked the appointments and made sure that they had a special table for my belly. We didn't have strait forward directions there so, it took us longer to get there than expected. The spa was kind enough to call. (Somone who knew Engrish asked if we were still coming) We felt horrible to push back our appointment to 12:00 but they said it was OK. The spa itself is fairly easy to find. We were just scared Gaijin drivers! We definitely felt like VIPs. Because of our appointment, they reserved a parking spot in their garage for us. An employee flagged us down from the road and waved us into the garage. Normally there is no parking for the spa. However, there is public parking on the island. The place itself seemed very shi shi overlooking the ocean.
Because we were on a time restraint and because I'm pregnant, we couldn't really enjoy the onsen part. We went strait up to the appointment massage area after washing. Once in the room, I laid down not on a western massage table, but a soft futon on a raised floor. The futon had a cushy reclined pillow with a hole for by belly. It felt so good to lay on my front side again! My masseuse was very gentle and used all natural grape seed oil and hot towels. After the massage, I showered again and was invited to sit in the lounge covered with a warm towel and served raspberry herbal tea and dried fruit. HEAVEN!
The base price was 9000 yen for the massage but after all of the spa fees (I had to become a member, access to all the floors of the spa, first time fee etc.) it ended up being about 13000 for the whole thing. Which isn't too different from a good massage in the states.
I can't wait to go there again when our little mango is out and we are both healthy so I can try all of the other services. It's perfect for an all day date. They have a swimsuit area and tradition onsen. They also have a relaxation room, shiatsu massage level, and eateries. I wouldn't mind getting a shiatsu again and I really miss onsen.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
A Window
So, I was going through our old picture files and came across these gems.
How did it go by so fast? Here is a window into our future! If you're interested in seeing more baby pictures of Joshua or, our early married life in San Diego click here
How did it go by so fast? Here is a window into our future! If you're interested in seeing more baby pictures of Joshua or, our early married life in San Diego click here
Friday, June 27, 2008
Yogi
A good friend of mine, Karri is the Yoga instructor on base. She is awesome......all of the other Yoga instructors are awesome here too but she is the awesomist because she's my friend. Anyway, I finally dragged my butt down to her prenatal yoga class yesterday. I had been doing some videos at home and they helped but her class was great. It helped stretch out my calves which are notorious for cramping up and helped stretch out my rib cage which is getting more and more crowded these days. If anyone reading this is pregnant and residing on or attached somehow to Yokosuka Navy Base try her class. For first time moms or soon to be moms in who are new to the area it's a great opportunity to meet other folks like you! She also teaches Power Yoga and Mommy and Me yoga. I always always always feel better physically and well as emotionally after leaving her class. She'll usually end her class with a thought or begin her class with a theme. At the end of this class she ended with this thought: with all the discomforts of pregnancy that we have be comforted by the blessing that we have. Not everyone can experience this and we are so fortunate to have this opportunity. I'm fortunate to not only once but twice have this blessing so, for now I am grateful.....ask me in a few months though and I may have to read this again!
Today, I went to Akachan Hanpo with a couple of mommy friends. The store is like a Japanese Babies R Us. The prices were reasonable and the mall that it was in was huge! Check it out if you are in the market for baby goods. They are located at Kawasaki Station (JR) in the humongous mall there. Oh yeah. They also have a CPK there! I had Carne Asada Pizza. Thanks for the great time Jenn & Nina.
Today, I went to Akachan Hanpo with a couple of mommy friends. The store is like a Japanese Babies R Us. The prices were reasonable and the mall that it was in was huge! Check it out if you are in the market for baby goods. They are located at Kawasaki Station (JR) in the humongous mall there. Oh yeah. They also have a CPK there! I had Carne Asada Pizza. Thanks for the great time Jenn & Nina.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
24 Weeks
A little side note, that belly shot down there is not me.....wish it was it's pretty beautiful but I am not so brave or tan. Got my 24 weeks update email. He's just about over a pound and is about a foot long. Much like an ear of corn.....I still like Mango better though!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Fruity Pebbles
My friend Nathalie was kind enough ( I say that with a hint of sarcasm) to give me a box of fruity pebbles before they departed on their adventure move to Korea. Fruity pebbles are my favorite trashy cereal ever! Friday was a Fruity Pebble night. Nathalie had just left on the bus to Narita with her family and I was feeling horribly sad. I stopped and got some flowers for a friend of mine who was equally feeling the pain of Nathalie leaving. I was starting to feel better after doing something nice for a good friend when I ran into an acquaintance from Starbucks. I fondly refer to him as a fellow Starbucks hag. During the first few months here in Yokosuka, Starbucks was my regular haunt. I met this guy there. He's retired military and his wife works as a teacher at the base elementary school. Any how, I hadn't seen him in a while and he was happy to see that I was pregnant. He asked when my due date was (Oct. 15th) upon hearing this his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Wow, I thought you were about ready to pop!" I then proceeded to explain to him that he should never ever say things like that to a pregnant women. He found my lecture amusing and cute. (I was pretty much wanted to show him the meaning of pop to the jaw.....forgive me it's the hormones talking) We got off the subject and he then asked if " I had been walking". That's when the conversation ended and I went to my car. There were a lot of things I thought about doing or saying during that conversation such as, "sure, I walk.....all the way to the liqueur store everyday and buy myself a six pack, some ding dongs, and a pack of smokes then I go home and watch my soaps.....JACK A%@! " or maybe this ones better," zits and boils pop....pregnant women don't pop. They give birth. You know, that whole miracle of life?!" I kept on telling myself that he's an older man and comes from a generation where it was the norm to say things like that to pregnant women. I have no idea why the statement, 'you look like your ready to pop!' was ever deemed OK by the socialization police in any decade.
I already feel like a house without being reminded of it by people off the street. That night, I poured myself a hefty bowl of Fruity Pebbles and went to town. I haven't eaten them in a very long time. In fact I noticed on the box that they are now considered a Sensible Solution. They aren't fooling anyone! How someone can consider these pebbles of goodness healthy is beyond me.
I suppose it's a right of passage for any pregnant woman. We will always be targeted for unsolicited advice, tummy touching and comments. I'll never forget my girlfriend telling me that a man at Home Depot pointed and laughed at her in the parking lot (she was in her 3rd trimester and feeling every bit of it on a Summer day, slowly making her way to her car). I think she went home and cried. I don't mind the tummy touching so much as I mind the advice and comments.
Just remember readers, before you make it a Fruity Pebbles night for some other poor unassuming pregnant women out there with a brainless statement, just think of saying any of these 3 statements instead, "You look so good!" or "Your just all belly" or "Your glowing".
Oh yes, and one more thing especially to the men out there. I don't care if she's got a t-shirt on that states 'I'm not fat I'm pregnant' on it. Don't ever EVER ask her if she's pregnant until she says something. EVER! Because if that woman isn't, your liable to throw her for a 6 month loop of sadness or you'll maybe get a really black eye.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Our Little Mango
My days have been so busy of scheduling and rescheduling that it's been pretty crazy. Our good friends are leaving for their next adventure in Korea. We are planning to visit them in their new home some day in the future baby in tow.
I was looking at my old "favorites" preserved in my link tab and came across this one: http://www.hooilohouse.com/?source=overture
This has been saved for years. I look at it every once and a while and dream of my one day fantasy vacation there. I've been to Hawaii but this hotel is so much like a small little B & B that it really does remind me of paradise. Someday we'll go. For now, we have dreams of Asia still awaiting us and we'd like to get to it before the little mango starts walking.
Yes, right now he's called our little mango. I read my most recent pregnancy update from babycenter.com and they informed me that my baby measures about 11 inches long, weighs about a pound and is about the shape of a mango.
Mike is headed to Singapore soon and hopefully will check out the place for us. We hear that it's a good place to take children although a little pricier than many of the other surrounding destinations. Probably not as bad as Japan but not Thailand either. So, for now we are saving for baby and hoping that we'll have some money in the first year to do a little traveling too.
One of the things that we've learned is making a check off list to prepare for baby. The one thing that we learned the first go round is to review our insurance policy. Also, to pick out a pediatrician before delivery. Because of all the trouble I had nursing last time, I'll also pursue a good lactation consultant. Also, we learned not to wait until the 3rd trimester to start getting everything that we need. Joshua didn't even have furniture in his nursery upon his arrival. In fact, the Saturday that I went into labor was the Saturday that we were supposed to go shopping for nursery stuff. I guess he didn't want to wait.
I am going to try and integrate clothe diapers in as well this time around. The average baby goes through about 5000 diapers before being potty trained. Disposable diapers are not very biodegradable and there is more and more evidence that it's leading to children who don't potty train as quickly. The United States has one of the latest potty training ages. One theory is that disposables work so well that children don't feel wet when they have an accident. I know that these are all theories but hey, I figure if I save a few diapers from going into a landfill than I'm doing my part. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a diaper service here in Japan period much less one that will come onto base. From what I've heard they are little behind the curb on that. Which surprises me because in every Japanese neighborhood there is an army of deliveries happening during the day. Milk men, black cat, groceries, dry cleaning, etc. etc. While I'm in the states, I'm hoping to use Tidee Didee Diaper service. While I'm here, my girlfriend suggested using Fuzzi Bunz. Her husband is a pediatrician and they've used them for both their daughters....so it's a pretty good source! After checking out all the reviews they look like there about the best out there. I may start out just buying about 5 of them (they are an investment) and then using disposable at night and during travel. Again, it's not perfect but it is a step in minimizing waste. I'll have to keep the status on that updated.
I was looking at my old "favorites" preserved in my link tab and came across this one: http://www.hooilohouse.com/?source=overture
This has been saved for years. I look at it every once and a while and dream of my one day fantasy vacation there. I've been to Hawaii but this hotel is so much like a small little B & B that it really does remind me of paradise. Someday we'll go. For now, we have dreams of Asia still awaiting us and we'd like to get to it before the little mango starts walking.
Yes, right now he's called our little mango. I read my most recent pregnancy update from babycenter.com and they informed me that my baby measures about 11 inches long, weighs about a pound and is about the shape of a mango.
Mike is headed to Singapore soon and hopefully will check out the place for us. We hear that it's a good place to take children although a little pricier than many of the other surrounding destinations. Probably not as bad as Japan but not Thailand either. So, for now we are saving for baby and hoping that we'll have some money in the first year to do a little traveling too.
One of the things that we've learned is making a check off list to prepare for baby. The one thing that we learned the first go round is to review our insurance policy. Also, to pick out a pediatrician before delivery. Because of all the trouble I had nursing last time, I'll also pursue a good lactation consultant. Also, we learned not to wait until the 3rd trimester to start getting everything that we need. Joshua didn't even have furniture in his nursery upon his arrival. In fact, the Saturday that I went into labor was the Saturday that we were supposed to go shopping for nursery stuff. I guess he didn't want to wait.
I am going to try and integrate clothe diapers in as well this time around. The average baby goes through about 5000 diapers before being potty trained. Disposable diapers are not very biodegradable and there is more and more evidence that it's leading to children who don't potty train as quickly. The United States has one of the latest potty training ages. One theory is that disposables work so well that children don't feel wet when they have an accident. I know that these are all theories but hey, I figure if I save a few diapers from going into a landfill than I'm doing my part. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a diaper service here in Japan period much less one that will come onto base. From what I've heard they are little behind the curb on that. Which surprises me because in every Japanese neighborhood there is an army of deliveries happening during the day. Milk men, black cat, groceries, dry cleaning, etc. etc. While I'm in the states, I'm hoping to use Tidee Didee Diaper service. While I'm here, my girlfriend suggested using Fuzzi Bunz. Her husband is a pediatrician and they've used them for both their daughters....so it's a pretty good source! After checking out all the reviews they look like there about the best out there. I may start out just buying about 5 of them (they are an investment) and then using disposable at night and during travel. Again, it's not perfect but it is a step in minimizing waste. I'll have to keep the status on that updated.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Massage
Prenatal massage has become more popular but, for years I can remember this service being unavailable. Funny the one time in my life I am in dire need of a rubdown is when it's unavailable and advised that I not receive a professional massage. Thankfully, the market for prenatal message has grown and my girlfriend has found a spa that offers it close by. A couple of my girlfriends and I made reservations for a prenatal massage at the Enoshima Spa. YAY! I'm very excited.
Because schedules have been so crazy, I haven't been able to get a date down yet but, I'm planning on going to Akachan Hanpo in Kawasaki which is the equivalent to a Babies R Us. I'd love to see all the Japanese baby stuff!
I'm started to nest just a little bit but I think the upcoming travel to Sacramento is speeding it up. Mike will be around here for a while but I want to make sure some things are in order before I leave. ( Like the nursery) We have the crib up and a small table. I'm on the hunt for a good comfortable chair. I'd like one that reclines or something very comfortable that I can sleep in during those long "sleepless" nights. The problem is for some reason the Japanese don't sell to many rockers and on base, they really only sell clunky recliners that are HUGE overstuffed monsters. If I can't find anything I'll do fine on the couch or maybe just set up a futon in the babies room. We'll see.
Cool little tid bit that I learned today at my doctors apt was that a pregnant womans uterus grows to the equivalent of how many weeks she's along. For example, I'm 22 weeks so, my uterus measures 22 cm. Pretty cool! According to my weekly emails, my baby is about the size of a spaghetti squash and weighs about 1 lb. He's even starting to get tiny tooth buds underneath his gums.
Because schedules have been so crazy, I haven't been able to get a date down yet but, I'm planning on going to Akachan Hanpo in Kawasaki which is the equivalent to a Babies R Us. I'd love to see all the Japanese baby stuff!
I'm started to nest just a little bit but I think the upcoming travel to Sacramento is speeding it up. Mike will be around here for a while but I want to make sure some things are in order before I leave. ( Like the nursery) We have the crib up and a small table. I'm on the hunt for a good comfortable chair. I'd like one that reclines or something very comfortable that I can sleep in during those long "sleepless" nights. The problem is for some reason the Japanese don't sell to many rockers and on base, they really only sell clunky recliners that are HUGE overstuffed monsters. If I can't find anything I'll do fine on the couch or maybe just set up a futon in the babies room. We'll see.
Cool little tid bit that I learned today at my doctors apt was that a pregnant womans uterus grows to the equivalent of how many weeks she's along. For example, I'm 22 weeks so, my uterus measures 22 cm. Pretty cool! According to my weekly emails, my baby is about the size of a spaghetti squash and weighs about 1 lb. He's even starting to get tiny tooth buds underneath his gums.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Pop!
Look out because here come the belly shots. I had to wait until I felt good and this was one of those times. Our good friends Bob and Bridget were baptizing their new baby boy Paul and we all looked our best for the occasion. I was wearing my favorite maternity top and pants and my face was painted.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Where is my mind?
I think I know. It's been abducted by the alien that is the baby inside my tummy. I have a bruise on my head from hitting my head on the corner of a kitchen cabinet door that I left open. I have a stubbed toe and sore hand from banging it on a wall. You know, the type of walls that just jump right out in front of you? Lately, full glasses of liquid have been taking leaping bounds off the table. It may have something to do with my sudden clumsiness. I was always a little clumsy but this is ridiculous. 2 spilled drinks in 2 days? What am I, 3 years old? I'm constantly forgetting things as well and not flippant unimportant things either. I have to write EVERYTHING down.
Scientist have proven that a woman's brain will actually shrink ever so slightly while pregnant. Then return back to normal once the little brain sucker is delivered. Don't worry. It may sound as though I'm complaining but I'm not. It really is all part of the process. When I was young (like really young), I used to pray to g-d that one day I be able to experience being pregnant. G-d hasn't answered my prayer once but now twice which makes me very blessed. It's something that is completely and utterly feminine. At least in my humble opinion. There are definitely parts of it that are definitely un-lady-like. I'm sure that there are many things that Emily Post may frown upon during the 9 er, 10 months of pregnancy. Weird dreams, stretch marks, potty breaks, heart burn, itchy skin, calf cramps, crowded ribs, overheating, crankiness, crying, fear, excitement, anticipation, and joy (and this is just the PG rated list). Like everything in life, I will never get these moments back so I better take it all in now.
Scientist have proven that a woman's brain will actually shrink ever so slightly while pregnant. Then return back to normal once the little brain sucker is delivered. Don't worry. It may sound as though I'm complaining but I'm not. It really is all part of the process. When I was young (like really young), I used to pray to g-d that one day I be able to experience being pregnant. G-d hasn't answered my prayer once but now twice which makes me very blessed. It's something that is completely and utterly feminine. At least in my humble opinion. There are definitely parts of it that are definitely un-lady-like. I'm sure that there are many things that Emily Post may frown upon during the 9 er, 10 months of pregnancy. Weird dreams, stretch marks, potty breaks, heart burn, itchy skin, calf cramps, crowded ribs, overheating, crankiness, crying, fear, excitement, anticipation, and joy (and this is just the PG rated list). Like everything in life, I will never get these moments back so I better take it all in now.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Huffin' It
This weekend since the sun decided to grace up with it's presence, we decided to take the ferry to Chiba Mother Farm. It was really a lot of fun but we spent a lot of doe and for some reason worked ourselves pretty hard. Especially me.
I guess I'm starting to realize I'm not as light on my feet as I was a couple of months ago. Today was my gym day but I skipped it. I was really worn out.
In other news, I felt the baby kick for the first time on the outside of my stomach last night. However, when Mike came upstairs all was quiet in the oven. I think it was because I jumped up from bed in a panic because I left the sausages that I bought in my purse. No worries though. They were vacuum sealed. We had them for dinner tonight and to quote the famous TV chef Rachel Ray, "YUMMO!"
Wednesday I'm holding a Mommy baby play group at my home. I'm "moderator" of a yahoo group. I use that term lightly because I never really like to be in charge of a group of friends. I'm rather the secretary for the site. There have been a lot of new members to the group that started about 2 years ago. The playgroup was something that we did originally in the group. However, after many of the babies turned into toddlers and then preschoolers our (mommy) lives started to become separated by different school schedules and such. With the new members being a little left in the dust. I'm trying to add the cohesiveness that we had before. Part of this is selfish on my part. Many of the "originals" of the group are leaving and it's been a long time coming that I've got to put myself out there and make new friends. Another selfish move is that pretty soon, I'll be part of the baby group once more and will need to be reminded of all of those little things about babies that I forgot.
Lastly though, I want the group to stay true to it's original form. In the beginning we were a fairly small group who all knew each other one way or another. Some of our husbands had similar jobs but the best part was that we came together as a group of mothers above all else. We weren't an official spouses group. These are wonderful & helpful to have don't get me wrong. Spouses groups are so useful during the first few months here and throughout a tour overseas or in the military in general. However, having a group of ladies/moms separate from a spouses group, just to vent, ask for advice, or feel comfortable around (without worrying about professional anything) is so helpful. To be able to find friends that aren't necessarily related to your spouses career. I love my husband and support him 100% but I don't always want to be recognized as 'This is Mike's wife he's a *fill in blank* for the Navy'. I always felt this Mom group (because of all the fantastic friends) gave me a sense of identity. So, I'm trying to go back to the basics. Keeping it fairly small, supportive, and helpful.
I guess I'm starting to realize I'm not as light on my feet as I was a couple of months ago. Today was my gym day but I skipped it. I was really worn out.
In other news, I felt the baby kick for the first time on the outside of my stomach last night. However, when Mike came upstairs all was quiet in the oven. I think it was because I jumped up from bed in a panic because I left the sausages that I bought in my purse. No worries though. They were vacuum sealed. We had them for dinner tonight and to quote the famous TV chef Rachel Ray, "YUMMO!"
Wednesday I'm holding a Mommy baby play group at my home. I'm "moderator" of a yahoo group. I use that term lightly because I never really like to be in charge of a group of friends. I'm rather the secretary for the site. There have been a lot of new members to the group that started about 2 years ago. The playgroup was something that we did originally in the group. However, after many of the babies turned into toddlers and then preschoolers our (mommy) lives started to become separated by different school schedules and such. With the new members being a little left in the dust. I'm trying to add the cohesiveness that we had before. Part of this is selfish on my part. Many of the "originals" of the group are leaving and it's been a long time coming that I've got to put myself out there and make new friends. Another selfish move is that pretty soon, I'll be part of the baby group once more and will need to be reminded of all of those little things about babies that I forgot.
Lastly though, I want the group to stay true to it's original form. In the beginning we were a fairly small group who all knew each other one way or another. Some of our husbands had similar jobs but the best part was that we came together as a group of mothers above all else. We weren't an official spouses group. These are wonderful & helpful to have don't get me wrong. Spouses groups are so useful during the first few months here and throughout a tour overseas or in the military in general. However, having a group of ladies/moms separate from a spouses group, just to vent, ask for advice, or feel comfortable around (without worrying about professional anything) is so helpful. To be able to find friends that aren't necessarily related to your spouses career. I love my husband and support him 100% but I don't always want to be recognized as 'This is Mike's wife he's a *fill in blank* for the Navy'. I always felt this Mom group (because of all the fantastic friends) gave me a sense of identity. So, I'm trying to go back to the basics. Keeping it fairly small, supportive, and helpful.
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