Zzzzzzzz....

After shopping around and doing my research, I have decided that the best sleeping option for the new baby will be to get an Arm's Reach Mini Co-sleeper. It is by no means the sweetest or most aesthetic bassinet or cot, but it is by far the most practical for our situation. I'm sure she will be very comfortable, and we will be comforted knowing she is safe by our side (it attaches beside our bed). My next task is finding it! They sell them here but they are double the price of what you pay in the states, or at the few places that have them in Australia. Thankfully, it is portable and shouldn't be too hard to bring back or ship over.

I still adore the moses basket set from Sleepi Spaces and it's hard not to cave and just buy it when it's so beautiful to look at, but I know it's not practical, and if she's anything like Billy, she'll be throwing her arms around and growing out of it before we know it.

Which would you choose?

Where'd that come from?

Just a quick one to say - look how big my tummy is this morning! This picture probably makes it look a bit bigger than it is, but wow, I think I actually look pregnant!

Team Pink!

So, as you know, we had an appointment with Dr Katayama yesterday, and as always, I came away feeling truly blessed to hear our baby's heart beating strongly and learn that all measurements are normal. I just love that, here in Japan, we get to see our baby at every check up. The doctors and nurses are so kind, and so helpful, and they seemed quite shocked and excited to learn that we will be having this baby at their hospital. (And I was quite shocked and excited that they are letting us after Billy destroyed the waiting room, tipped popcorn and iced tea everywhere, and changed all the settings on the electronic scales, whilst under the 'watchful eye' of his father!)

It was showing up that my due date is 24 January, so I asked them whether I should go with that, or stick with the 29th, and Dr Katayama said we will go by the 29th as due dates are best detected earlier (before the baby gets too much of a chance to grow I guess). I will definately have my wits about me any time after mid Jan though!

This time (unlike with Billy), it was very obvious when Dr Katayama got a view between the baby's legs. I noticed it straight away too, and he was very quick to ask whether we wanted to know the baby's sex. Without hesitating, we said yes and he told us our baby is a girl!!! I looked straight up to Nug, as I wanted to see his initial reaction before he could compose himself, and he had a big smile. I'm still not sure whether it meant 'Yay!' or 'sh#$%*&^ttttt!!!'. Possibly a bit of both!

At the time, I would have been just as happy if they told us we were having another boy, but last night it really sunk in that she is a girl. Patrick and I get to experience raising a son and a daughter and we'll have tutus around the house as well as football gear. I'll have someone to watch bad girly movies with, and Nug will, one day, get to walk her down the aisle! Did I mention that I get to go shopping for pretty pink things?!

Just rambling...

I should have mentioned yesterday that I felt the baby for the first time! I think it's about 2 weeks earlier than when I was pregnant with Billy, which I believe it quite common. I have no idea why? Of course, it's super faint and can't be felt from the outside but it was an exciting milestone all the same.

Just this second, I have also realised that I am more scared of labour and delivery this second time around. I was very at peace with it as my pregnancy with Billy progressed, but I guess it makes sense as I know what to expect this time. Absoloute living hell! Hopefully my body remembers what to do and just takes over.

In other news, one of the lovely ladies from another team, who we spend a lot of time with, is also pregnant, and is exactly a week ahead of me. It is her third baby, and she is also having it at Higashi-Fuchu Hospital. She had her second boy there, about 18 months ago I think, so I will definately be listening to her for guidance! One of her boys was overdue, and the other was on time, so with a bit of luck, our dates will coincide and I'll have a friend in hospital.

And finally, for a bit of fun, here are the top Japanese baby names for 2010. We may entertain the idea. Or we may not.

BOY

1. Hiroto

2. Yuuma

3. Ren

4. Souta

5. Sora

GIRL

1. Yua

2. Yui

3. Aoi

4. Hina

5. Riko

15 weeks 2 days

Well, I totally feel like my little bump has popped out sooner the second time round. I'm back at the potbelly stage that I love to hate!

We're off for a check-up, here in Tokyo, on Friday. I hope they are able to confirm the gender. At my NT scan in Brisbane, I asked the sonographer to have a guess if she got a clear view, and she did (!!), so I am hoping to have her guess either confirmed or denied! I will also get all the information on hospital fees, how long you stay in for etc. I can't believe this baby is going to be born in Japan! What's even scarier - I have to go through labour and give birth in a non-English speaking environment!! I'll get my head around that later. I'll also have to find out about visas and how to get the baby an Australian passport. The joys of living overseas.

I have basically stopped throwing up, which is great, but I haven't stopped feeling ill or nauseas at certain times of the day. I hope that is slowly on its way out also. I am totally obsessed with cold fruit, like mango and peach (each of which are, of course, about $4-5 each here), and soft drink. Suntory make this fantastic melon soda which I can't get enough of. And of course, I am still not impartial to the odd burger and fries.

Enjoy the latest pics of my expanding tum! Hopefully I'll have some PINK or BLUE news for you over the weekend.

Sick sick sick!

It's been forever since I last wrote, and unfortunately, I'm still not really up to writing a long detailed post, so here are some pictures from my NT scan when I was 13 weeks and 3 days. It went really well and we are very lucky to be blessed with another healthy, growing baby who, like their big brother did, is taking absoloutely everything out of me. I'm coming up to 15 weeks now, and am praying to a higher power that the sickness ends soon!

Side on view.

Amazing 3D technology.

The 'potty' shot. Girl or boy?!