Thinking thinking

Is it just me or does everyone else have trouble organising trips home?

I've been looking into ticket prices, routes, stopovers and schedules for a while now, and have figured out what I think is the best route for our trip (if it ever eventuates) next month.

But, every single time I try to organise dates and ask the travel agent about seat details (three times already) I get a reply saying one of the sectors is no good. I can't figure it out. Weekdays seem to be fuller than weekends, but wouldn't you think it would be the other way round? Why is it the one day that I really would like to fly (a Monday night) is so booked out? Ok, so I don't really expect anyone to answer that but I wish I knew what the problem was.lol And coming back leaving Sydney on a Sunday seems to be a better option than leaving on a weekday??? I just don't get it.

I've thought about giving up a few times, but every time I do that I get e-mails from the airline I want to use (totally coincidental, usually about mileage or something), or see ads for Qantas and trips to Sydney on the Yahoo page or on the weather page. There seem to be so many signs saying to me just book the tickets already! But no matter how many times I try I can't seem to get things 100% right. And after another depressing e-mail from the travel agent this afternoon I'm back to square one. Aaarrgghhh!!!

There are a few things to consider here, and I'm going to write them down here to see if it helps me figure something out. Although it might just confuse me more.lol

• I will be 6-7 months pregnant, travelling with 2 kids, one who is just under 2
• I need to use an airline who I think will look out for me, and who have friendly staff
• Going to Narita or Kansai, or even Fukuoka is WAY more trouble than it's worth, so I'm no longer looking into schedules of other airlines
• We don't have much money to spare at the moment, just enough for flights
• The amount I was thinking for 3 fares is actually what it will cost for 2 plus an infant
• This is the last chance to go home before flight fares become even more expensive because there will be 3 kids as well as me
• The ticket price for an adult and a child over 2 is nearly the same
• I want a seat for A but after checking out ticket prices have realised this is impossible (it's nearly 40,000 yen for her WITHOUT a seat!!!)
• It's about 90,000 yen for a child fare, and an extra 50,000 yen is HUGE for us at the moment
• Which means I need a flight that is likely to have spare seats
• Why is the fuel surcharge still so damn expensive, and why is it the same price for a kid when they get discounts on other things like airport tax??? Oops, getting sidetracked.lol
• The only 'good' connecting flight is on a Monday afternoon, but is full the day I want to go
• Otherwise I need to survive a 6 hour wait at Incheon
• If I do that I have the choice flying on a Thursday or Saturday as well, not just Monday
• I have to arrange flights between doctors appointments

Ok, I think I need to check out the Thursday flights. I kind of had my mind fixed on Mondays. And if things work out with the flights maybe go to the transit hotel for a few hours (have done that once before with just B). Will keep thinking, but I'm so sick of sending e-mails to the travel agent.lol

16 weeks

When I started this blog I had no intentions of it becoming kid based, but look what has happened! Nearly every post is about kids or pregnancy. lol
Oh well, I guess it can't be helped right now.

So I am 16 weeks today, which means the second trimester has begun!

Morning sickness seems to be nearing the end, but I don't want to go jinxing myself just yet.lol
Still throwing up every morning but the recovery time is getting quicker and quicker as the days go by.

I seem to be showing already, which is weird because I've only put on 1.5kg, so you wouldn't think you'd be able to tell, but you can. Well I think you can. Well I definitely can!lol

I put one of those 赤ちゃんがお腹にいます badges on my bag (didn't bother the first 2 times) a few days ago, just to let people know kind of indirectly, but it seems to be helping with shop assistants offering to carry my basket over to the counter and things like that. I think being pregnant this time round is really making me let myself be helped a lot more. Does that make sense?　

Up until now I would have been adamant I could do things by myself, and not bothered to tell people I was expecting because I didn't want to be treated differently, but in the end I just ended up being frazzled half the time from overdoing it. This time round I have 2 other kids to worry about, and any help is better than no help at all. So I'm trying to be gracious about it, and let people who want to help help!! And it's not as easy as it sounds!lol

Marco pol(i)o!

Wow, second post in 2 days!!

I've just got back from taking the kids to A's polio vaccination. Exciting stuff, I know!lol
It was her second one so no more going to the health centre til she's 3, and boy am I glad about that!!lol. They only do polio (in April and October), 18 month and 3 year old checkups there now. Everything else is done at the docs. She's got a DPT booster shot (probably next month) then that's it for a few years. Yay!

It wasn't actually the day she was meant to go, because she was getting over a cold when we were supposed to go, but I didn't fancy taking her in October when I'm huge and about to pop at any time!! I think a lot of the other kids there were in the same boat, having missed the right day due to being sick or something, so there were so many people there all from different 校区s. I should have known when the parking lot was full and cars were lined up waiting for people to leave. What is a 校区 in English by the way? Designated school area maybe??

I swear I feel like I've run a marathon. She mucked up the whole time we were waiting (close to 50 minutes, which isn't that bad I guess, but a long time when you're being stared at and when your kid is not doing as they're told!lol). B was an angel, sitting beside me the whole time telling A to stop mucking up and chasing after her every time she tried to run away. Ha!ha! My oh my how the tables have turned!!lol

I think she was just excited to see so many kids in the same room, but for someone who is usually so docile the 18 month checkup 2 months ago and todays vaccination sure seemed to turn her into a whole different kid! I was puffing by the time it was her turn to be seen by the doctor! When it was finally our turn I said to B もう疲れたね！To which he replied 疲れてないよ！which made me, and two of the nurses who had been watching us the whole time giggle. It's not particularly funny or anything, but I guess they were sympathising with me or something.lol
I suppose I was expecting him to agree with me, and when he didn't it was kind of amusing in a weird warped kind of way!

Sorry, just rambling here...
Will stop now!lol

偶然

I was driving home this afternoon and was stopped at lights at a fairly busy intersection.
There were a few people standing waiting to cross at the lights, one man happened to be in a black worksuit with a white long sleeved shirt, just like you would see on any given workday all over Japan.

So anyway I could only see the back of this guy, but the second I saw him I thought, wow that looks like S! It's him for sure!! Despite the fact that about 4 days out of 6 he's not even in the prefecture, I just KNEW it was him. Realistically though it could have been absolutely anyone. I mean the black hair, black suit, black shoes, white shirt kind of thing is pretty common, yeah?? But somehow I just knew.

So the lights turned green and I drove past, and of course I was right!!!
There was a conbini across the road so I quickly drove in, parked, hopped out of the car and called out to him. Man the look on his face was priceless!!lol

It was so nice to bump into him like that. It really was. The kids were both asleep so they missed out on seeing him, but it really made my day. Not that we were doing anything wrong but it was like what if somebody sees us?? Ha!ha!! After over 8 years of marriage I know that is a really dumb thing to say, but I'm guessing it's what high school sweethearts must feel like.lol

I love it when coincidences like this happen!lol

Still here

The last few weeks have been pretty busy all round and although most of it was very enjoyable, I'm still exhausted!!

My parents came for a 2 week visit, and their help with the kids (especially in the mornings when I was throwing up) was much appreciated. I am still kind of wishing I could have gone back with them for a few weeks but unfortunately that wasn't to be this time. That being said I can't get the idea of a visit before the next one arrives out of my mind so it might just happen yet.lol

It just would have been nice to have help on the plane. The thought of taking two small kids while pregnant (by myself of course, no way S would be able to take time off) for a trip taking close to 24 hours in total is not the most appealing to say the least. Not all of that is flying time of course, but that's generally how long it takes after stepping out my front door. The more I think about it and imagine what might happen (and most probably would happen!lol) on the plane and in transit the more I doubt whether it's worth the effort. But I want to go home!!!!! So what can you do...

The cravings (all unfulfilled of course) I've been having for comfort? food like meat pies (from a shop down the road from my parents house), sausage rolls (ditto), cheese and bacon rolls (like I used to get in high school from the canteen) and as of early this morning sausage sizzles!!??!! is driving me nuts.lol I feel like I've been transported back in time about 15 years or so. In all the time I've lived in Japan I've never really felt the need to eat Australian food so this is all very weird.lol

In other news I am 12 weeks today, so hopefully that means I'm into the safe zone now. Morning sickness is not over yet, and at the moment I am just praying it stops soon, and not continue until 17 weeks (as with B) or 20 weeks (like with A). It isn't as bad as the last couple of times so maybe that means it will stop earlier too. Fingers crossed.

Time for a new ticker

I had my first (very belated) appointment yesterday.

So officially I am 9w 3d today, which is still possibly too early to get all excited and put a ticker up, but I couldn't resist. It seems like such a long time ago I announced on here that I was pregnant, considering I'm still not into the safe zone yet.

Anyway, things went well with the check-up, and 5000yen later I came home with a huge smile on my face, an ultrasound picture and paperwork so I can get my 母子手帳.

I absolutely love my clinic, it is only very small, and needless to say I am a well-known patient (for obvious reasons, as well as the fact I have been there SO many times over the last few years) and the reception staff, midwives, nurses (and doctor of course) all remember me and were so genuinely excited to see me sitting in the waiting room I had no less than 10 staff members come up to me and ask how the kids were (some of them even remembered the kids' names!) and give their congratulations. It really made my day, and just thinking about it now has me smiling again.lol So yeah, I love my clinic!

The last week or so has not been so good for morning sickness, throwing up on average 3-4 times a day, but even so things are a lot easier than the last two times. A big thank you goes out to those who are helping me through this, it really is much appreciated.

Long time no post

It's been a while since I last posted, I'm kind of glad I could blog every day last month because it would have been an impossible challenge this month!lol

Things are ok, not great, but not too bad.

Cooking is still a problem, I just can't seem to get into it.
Trying to think of meals is my greatest challenge at the moment, there are just too many things I don't feel up to cooking or eating...

I've been having cravings? for Western type food, which is a change from the norm and the kids aren't impressed with the lack of rice recently. I guess morning sickness is challenging for all family members.lol