Back from the Dead

It's been a long time since my last post, and I would feel guilty, but I have a great excuse: I've been sick as a dog for pretty much all of that time. The good news is, I'm only sick because I'm pregnant. And, since my first trimester is finally over, the so-called morning sickness (which lasts around the clock for lucky souls like me) is finally beginning to abate.
Don't get me wrong, I'm THRILLED to be having another baby. Trea is so ready to have a little brother or sister, and we are ready (well, as ready as we'll ever be) to have a new baby. In many ways the timing is perfect. I just wasn't planning to become pregnant almost immediately after arriving in a developing country where I don't speak the language. While I expected to explore my new city, I didn't expect to become very familiar with a local private hospital - where I've stayed overnight on two different occasions while they pumped me full of fluids and vitamins. On the plus side, John has learned all sorts of Thai words and euphemisms that wouldn't come up in ordinary conversations. For instance, the Thai euphemism for pregnancy is to say a woman has a stomach, and when they describe morning sickness, they say she's allergic to having a stomach. Which is funny, because all of my morning sickness medications are antihistamines! We've also learned a few other choice medical terms which I won't elaborate on here. Suffice it to say that John's education has been enhanced by having a pregnant wife.

It was actually really funny when I first suspected I was pregnant. I decided to surprise John by taking a pregnancy test and then telling him. With Trea, we were planning on getting pregnant, and we talked about it a lot so it wasn't a surprise at all. So, I go down to the local pharmacy to get a pregnancy test. Only I don't speak Thai, so I start miming a pregnant belly, then rocking a baby in my arms, then pointing to myself and saying "test?" For a moment the guy behind the counter looks at me like I've lost my mind; then I see the light bulb go on as he goes "ooooh, baby" and then he gets THAT SMILE on his face. Anyone who's been pregnant has seen THAT SMILE. It's the "oh, she's pregnant, that's so cute" smile that people give you constantly when you start showing. I do it too. You can't help it, babies are so cute that seeing a pregnant woman just makes you smile in a goofy way. Anyway, I got the test home, waited until John wasn't around, and. . .discovered all the directions were in Thai, and it didn't look remotely like any pregnancy test I'd ever seen. So I had to ask him for help after all. That test was actually negative, as was the one I took a week later. It wasn't until after I'd started vomiting that we actually got a positive pregnancy test, but by then I was pretty dang sure I was pregnant. Or dying. One of the two. We've since had an ultrasound, which confirmed that the baby is healthy and growing, if a little thin. The doctor couldn't tell the baby's gender, so we're still in the dark. I'm kind of tempted to just be surprised, but John would rather know in advance. Since we have a terrible time picking out names, and the ultrasound was only $20, we might spring for another one just to narrow down the name possibilities.

I kept putting off this post because I was going to write this perfect account of everything that's happened since my last post. That will never happen, so now I'm just going to post and say, more details will be forthcoming. I'll just have to incorporate flashbacks into my future posts.

Some highlights from recent months:
  • Our trip to Korat (nearby city), where there is a zoo, a mall, and a Sizzler restaurant
  • The military coup (which had ZERO effect on our daily lives, other than getting us out of school for a day)
  • Finding a fantastic OB, after much searching and desperation
  • Buying a car (a 1992 Honda Civic, nothing fancy, but it beats songtaews)
  • Celebrating Loy Kratong, a major Thai holiday
  • Celebrating Trea's second birthday, a major Jeffery holiday. I can't believe my baby's two!

I can't promise I'll be all that great at posting, since I'm still pretty nauseous most nights - although, whether that's the pregnancy or the school lunch, it's hard to say.

Oh, and to those who have been sweet enough to email me, and I haven't emailed you back - I'm really sorry. I hope to unbury myself soon. I really appreciate the emails, as it's been a bit isolating to be sick in a new place. If you've emailed me, I guarantee you made my day!

Comments

suprbacana said…
OH MY GOODNESS!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! That is so exciting for you guys. I was starting to worry about you. So did Trea end up having Dengue or what? I was worried. :-)

What a cute story...except for the barfing part. For some reason I never had morning sickness with Preston, not even once. It was the MOST boring pregnancy on record....everything was very normal. Even my midwife said I had a boring file hahaha. But then I was blessed with a 45 hour labor and 3.5 hours of pushing! So yeah, I will never brag about a boring pregnancy again. I hope your pregnancy goes well. We need some pictures of Trea--the only one I have ever seen of her was forever ago. I think she was only a few weeks old. Anyways, thanks for the update. So when are you due?
Love ya!
sleep deprived said…
I'm due March 13. Trea never did develop dengue, thank goodness. One of our friends at church got it and was out of commission for a month.

Yeah, I hate people like you, who landscape until they're like six months pregnant. But I had a (relatively) easy labor, so I guess it's a trade-off :)
Anonymous said…
SO glad you're "back," Kristen! I've tried to call a couple of times to catch up. Need to know what you want/need for Christmas and if Trea liked her birthday present. LOVED the pictures you sent us. That is too hysterical, and she looks SO big! We cannot wait to see you next month.

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