As I was searching random blogs the other day, I came across a post called Are You a Porcupine Wife? from Women Living Well.
I was quite intrigued by this post because it seems like there are a lot of "porcupine wives" out there. What is a porcupine wife you might be wondering? It is a wife that has a lot of good points but not really someone who you would want to be around. To read more about these types of gals, please click the link above.
Anyway, so it got me thinking about myself and whether or not I am a porcupine wife. My overall conclusion is no, but I do realize that there are some times when I turn into one.
For instance, a porcupine wife believes that they are always right. This is something that I really struggle with. I would like to think that I am getting better, but when it comes to some topics I still fall into this trap. For instance, when it comes to cooking and household stuff...I tend to think I'm right before I even here what comes out of the husband's mouth. This is really terrible, isn't it? I'm not saying that he is always right, but I should always be open to listening and maybe even learning something from him!
Also, I do have a tendency to pull away when he tries to show me affection. In fact, I can sometimes get annoyed by it. This is also really bad. I mean I should feel lucky that my husband does want to show affection because a lot of wives don't get any. I am absolutely determined to work on this point as well.
Now, there are things that porcupine wives do that in fact I wouldn't dream of, but those aren't really things that I need to worry about. Are any of you porcupine wives or have porcupine tendencies?
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
What's been going on...
So here is what has been going on here recently....
- Accomplishment of the Week: With the help of a dear friend, I was able to get both mine and Ten's taxes done for Japan. It took only a mere 3 hours. I was so exhausted from standing that long, but I am so grateful that Ten doesn't have to go down there and deal with it. I just hope everything is processed smoothly, so we don't have to go back for another year.
- Now, I have the terrible task of working on my taxes for the U.S. This always proves to be a nightmare. The accountant that I have been using for the past 3 years has been utterly incompetent. Therefore, I am breaking from the insanity and trying out someone new this year.
- Me and Ten ate some really yummy cake this past weekend. He chose a cream puff from a German shop, and I chose some cake from a French shop. It was sooo good!
- Ten leaves for Hong Kong this weekend (again), so I am going to do my best to use my time wisely....as I should everyday.... ;)
- I really need to start getting our family and myself organized, so I'm looking for a good plan/strategy to follow. So far, I haven't really found what I'm looking for...but hopefully soon.
- Recently Ten's lunch boxes have been looking kind of sad. I mean just some dry chicken breast and rice....so sad. However, I've started to try to jazz them up a little bit and am on the hunt for good ideas.
- Continuing with the food theme, I really want to start cooking healthier. We don't eat terribly bad, but there is always room for improvement. Also, exercise desperately needs to come back to our home.
Anyway, feels good to get all of that out.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Our Newest Little Friend
At midnight on Feb 12, 2012, our youngest nephew was born! Almost a full four weeks before his due date!! Introducing Baby Yuito!
Very cute!
Very cute!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Baby at 25 weeks
Well last week we had yet another ultrasound for our 24 week check up. I must say that having an ultrasound at every appointment is really fun, and this is one reason I'm very glad to be having our baby in Japan.
This time Ten wasn't able to make it for the whole appointment which was really too bad.... :( Anyway, the doctor started by checking for a heartbeat...and what do you know...she couldn't find it...again. However, I definitely wasn't freaking out since the baby had just given me a few good kicks to the stomach. Anyway, she quickly broke out the ultrasound equipment and there was the heart beating away somewhere between 140-150 (completely normal). The baby had moved into a head down position, so she was checking in the wrong place.
This appointment was probably one of the most exciting because I finally got to see a clear picture of our baby's face.
Well obviously it wasn't this one. This is such a terrible picture, and I doubt that it helps that my camera was on the wrong setting...haha. My doctor is definitely no photographer...hahaha....but that is really the least important thing.
I also asked her if our baby was still a girl. We checked again, and indeed she is looking more like a girl than ever....if you know what I mean... ;). So, I have no doubt in my mind that in fact she is a girl....hahaha. Also, she was weighing in at a bit over 1.5 pounds and her length is also normal for 24 weeks (even a little bit ahead)....whew always a relief.
Finally, I got to take the lovely glucose test. In Japan (or at my hospital), there are no flavor options. We get a choice between cold or not cold "cider"....hahaha...I chose not cold and downed it and then got the blood work taken a while later. Pretty easy overall.
Anyway, we are still thinking of names for our baby girl, and we are both hoping that we get something chosen soon! Two cultures/two languages and one name is indeed harder than it sounds...hahaha.
This time Ten wasn't able to make it for the whole appointment which was really too bad.... :( Anyway, the doctor started by checking for a heartbeat...and what do you know...she couldn't find it...again. However, I definitely wasn't freaking out since the baby had just given me a few good kicks to the stomach. Anyway, she quickly broke out the ultrasound equipment and there was the heart beating away somewhere between 140-150 (completely normal). The baby had moved into a head down position, so she was checking in the wrong place.
This appointment was probably one of the most exciting because I finally got to see a clear picture of our baby's face.
Well obviously it wasn't this one. This is such a terrible picture, and I doubt that it helps that my camera was on the wrong setting...haha. My doctor is definitely no photographer...hahaha....but that is really the least important thing.
I also asked her if our baby was still a girl. We checked again, and indeed she is looking more like a girl than ever....if you know what I mean... ;). So, I have no doubt in my mind that in fact she is a girl....hahaha. Also, she was weighing in at a bit over 1.5 pounds and her length is also normal for 24 weeks (even a little bit ahead)....whew always a relief.
Finally, I got to take the lovely glucose test. In Japan (or at my hospital), there are no flavor options. We get a choice between cold or not cold "cider"....hahaha...I chose not cold and downed it and then got the blood work taken a while later. Pretty easy overall.
Anyway, we are still thinking of names for our baby girl, and we are both hoping that we get something chosen soon! Two cultures/two languages and one name is indeed harder than it sounds...hahaha.
Monday, February 13, 2012
How to Kick a Cold
...or at least deal with a lot of the symptoms. Last week, I found myself quite miserable. Since I'm one not for taking tons of medicine and can't because of pregnancy, I used Google to look up some remedies. Here are the ones that worked for me!
1. Hot tea. I was non-stop with the hot tea. I used ginger tea with tons of honey. This seemed to keep everything clear and stopped my throat from hurting.
2. Gargling. Every hour I gargled with warm water and either baking soda or salt. Sore throat was gone in a day.
3. Fluids. I kept drinking water, juice, tea, and soup constantly. Also did you know that chicken soup isn't just an old wives' tale? However, I'm not a medical professional, so I won't try to explain....just take my word for it. ;)
4. Rest. Luckily I was able to stay home and do nothing else. True benefit of being a housewife....though said house quickly turned slum like.... However, big thank you to Ten for taking care of all of the cooking and basic cleaning.
5. Blowing my nose....and then blowing it some more. Gross? Yes. Effective in getting bugs out of body? Definitely.
6. Vicks Vapor Rub. Yes this was the only medicine that I used. I rubbed it on my neck on day one and it helped relieve the pain and clear up the sinuses.
7. Humidifier. Dry air is like the worst thing for a cold. We always use a humidifier at night, cold or no cold.
8. Hot shower. Helped me kick stuffy nose and headache.
9. Ice pillow. Or I guess an ice pack on the head is just as good. I had a killer headache, and this took it away almost instantly....miraculous!
10. Snuggle with husband. Nothing makes a sick person feel better than a cuddle...haha.
Anyway, this is my go to guide for the next time I'm sick.
1. Hot tea. I was non-stop with the hot tea. I used ginger tea with tons of honey. This seemed to keep everything clear and stopped my throat from hurting.
2. Gargling. Every hour I gargled with warm water and either baking soda or salt. Sore throat was gone in a day.
3. Fluids. I kept drinking water, juice, tea, and soup constantly. Also did you know that chicken soup isn't just an old wives' tale? However, I'm not a medical professional, so I won't try to explain....just take my word for it. ;)
4. Rest. Luckily I was able to stay home and do nothing else. True benefit of being a housewife....though said house quickly turned slum like.... However, big thank you to Ten for taking care of all of the cooking and basic cleaning.
5. Blowing my nose....and then blowing it some more. Gross? Yes. Effective in getting bugs out of body? Definitely.
6. Vicks Vapor Rub. Yes this was the only medicine that I used. I rubbed it on my neck on day one and it helped relieve the pain and clear up the sinuses.
7. Humidifier. Dry air is like the worst thing for a cold. We always use a humidifier at night, cold or no cold.
8. Hot shower. Helped me kick stuffy nose and headache.
9. Ice pillow. Or I guess an ice pack on the head is just as good. I had a killer headache, and this took it away almost instantly....miraculous!
10. Snuggle with husband. Nothing makes a sick person feel better than a cuddle...haha.
Anyway, this is my go to guide for the next time I'm sick.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Baby Surprises
So a few days ago, we got this lovely box in the mail.
When we opened it, here is what we found...
It was filled to the brim with baby stuff. How exciting.
We were so happy/surprised. My sister and mom really went all out buying baby things for us!
Sometimes I do get a bit uneasy about the fact that we don't have a very big support network here in Tokyo. Neither of our families are here, and we honestly only have a handful of people who we would call friends...and I've learned that most friends only want to help you in ways they see fit....if that makes sense. However, this was a sweet reminder that we aren't completely alone on this adventure.
So after getting a few gifts here and there, this has definitely started to make us get out there and do some of our own window shopping. Though I have promised myself we won't buy anything until after our baby shower in March... :)....
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| P.S. Love these PJs |
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Out and About
So last Saturday we were B-U-S-Y (which may be the reason why I've been bedridden with a nasty bug).
Anywho, sometimes you do want to forget the fact that you are living in Japan (or abroad) and do things that are completely "Western." Sounds so weird to use that word.
Saturday kind of turned into one of those days for me. We woke up bright and early and got the housework out of the way and marched over to 7-11 (unshowered might I add, so I'm sure we were a sight). We there guarded the machine where you can buy tickets to different events for the next 20 minutes or so....The reason being that at exactly 11:00 tickets would go on sale for the opening game of the Mariners vs. the A's at Tokyo Dome...we don't particularly like these teams....but we do love baseball!! So...when the clock hit 11...we frantically started hitting buttons to get the tickets....we were so extremely lucky as we got two in the outfield!! When we paid for the tickets we decided to check what seats were left....nothing....we were smiling like idiots because it was like winning the lottery for us....haha.
After that we sold yet another book at Book Off and went to our dentist appointment (where upon arrival we discovered that our dentist had moved to Australia and sold her practice....new dentist was terrible...a heads up would have been nice!)
Anyway after terrible dentist appointment, we decided to go to Ikebukuro....where we ate a glorious meal at Burger King. I totally don't expect those of you living in the U.S. to get how exciting this is....haha.
Finally we headed over to Babies R Us.
We were so happy to see tons more foreign products here compared to Akachan Honopo (a Japanese store we visited). I think Ten had the most fun there playing with toys and pushing around strollers. He is already such an involved dad... :)
Anyway, so it was like a day out back home (minus the fact that I couldn't read or communicate...haha), and we had such a good time!
P.S. I do believe I have fallen in love with this stroller. It is indeed a Japanese brand....but so much nicer and lighter than anything else we have seen...not in this color though.
Anywho, sometimes you do want to forget the fact that you are living in Japan (or abroad) and do things that are completely "Western." Sounds so weird to use that word.
Saturday kind of turned into one of those days for me. We woke up bright and early and got the housework out of the way and marched over to 7-11 (unshowered might I add, so I'm sure we were a sight). We there guarded the machine where you can buy tickets to different events for the next 20 minutes or so....The reason being that at exactly 11:00 tickets would go on sale for the opening game of the Mariners vs. the A's at Tokyo Dome...we don't particularly like these teams....but we do love baseball!! So...when the clock hit 11...we frantically started hitting buttons to get the tickets....we were so extremely lucky as we got two in the outfield!! When we paid for the tickets we decided to check what seats were left....nothing....we were smiling like idiots because it was like winning the lottery for us....haha.
After that we sold yet another book at Book Off and went to our dentist appointment (where upon arrival we discovered that our dentist had moved to Australia and sold her practice....new dentist was terrible...a heads up would have been nice!)
Anyway after terrible dentist appointment, we decided to go to Ikebukuro....where we ate a glorious meal at Burger King. I totally don't expect those of you living in the U.S. to get how exciting this is....haha.
Finally we headed over to Babies R Us.
We were so happy to see tons more foreign products here compared to Akachan Honopo (a Japanese store we visited). I think Ten had the most fun there playing with toys and pushing around strollers. He is already such an involved dad... :)
Anyway, so it was like a day out back home (minus the fact that I couldn't read or communicate...haha), and we had such a good time!
P.S. I do believe I have fallen in love with this stroller. It is indeed a Japanese brand....but so much nicer and lighter than anything else we have seen...not in this color though.
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