D-Day: August 19th

Apologies for the exceedingly long gap between posts, but I had the holidays and a three week trip back to the States to focus on as well as the not-so-small fact that WE ARE INDEED HAVING A BABY! It still hasn't sunk in, believe it or not, mostly because I am wary of getting attached to the idea too early. I'm not being morbid, just realistic. The last two people I found out were pregnant both unexpectedly miscarried before they were out of the first trimester and I have no right to think that I will be any luckier. Of course I am hoping and praying every day that things go smoothly, but you just never know. I trust my body that whatever happens will be for the best, but I really hope we are going to meet our little guy/girl in August!

If you are curious, my HCG levels doubled normally from 206 at 13dpo to 1706 five days later, which indicates a normally developing pregnancy at that early stage. However, I am not feeling sick at all which is a little strange after being under the impression for only my whole lifetime that most women have morning sickness when they are pregnant. It turns out that just under half of women don't experience that particular joy of pregnancy, and I will be glad to count myself as one of the lucky ones as long as everything else turns out to be fine as well.

So, we're back from a much needed visit home. It was refreshing in ways, but after living with family for almost three weeks and having no access to certain coping strategies while pregnant, I would gladly get on a plane to just about anywhere, including here. We're now trying to plan a vacation for the Chinese New Year at the end of the month, but so is everyone else in this part of the world. You would think that competition would drive prices down but that doesn't seem to be the case. Flights are ridiculously expensive. We'll see.

I am considering getting a job teaching English for the remainder of our time here. My work before kept me on a long-term career track in media and advertising, but that contract ran out before the end of the year and frankly I'd rather explore a different avenue this time around. The ad industry just isn't the same over here. It's at least five, probably closer to ten, years behind technologically, and creatively maybe twenty. The concept of thinking outside of the box doesn't exist here. The frustration isn't worth it, not to mention the pitiful pay. I'm sure a lot of people would tell me that trying to discipline and teach a room full of smart ass pre-adolescents can be pretty frustrating, but at least they can't take my ideas and run with them. And if they did it would only end up making me look good, right? That's the point of teaching, isn't it? The money's decent for the amount of time you put in, though.

On a more exciting, positive note: we just found out that some good friends of ours, another ex-pat couple who also live here, are expecting a baby, too. We conceived two weeks apart. How cool is that? I cannot tell you how relieved I am that I will not be doing this alone. Yay! We'll check back on that when I'm at 14 weeks and she's at the end of the first tri. Wish us luck!

I'm now off to indulge in a pregnancy nap, which I will try to accomplish despite the constant banging and sawing of the construction crews down the street, the barking dog who lives in the street below our windows, and the frequent buzz of scooters circumventing traffic though my neighborhood. At least the recycling people who live across the alley haven't decided to bring out all of the neighborhood's aluminum cans to flatten incessantly with a hammer. Thank god for small miracles!

I'm back. No mistake about it.

Happy New Year. Here's wishing 2006 and the Year of the Dog bring health, happiness, and prosperity.