Parker needs a carrot

"How do I get it out?" Parker wonders as she sits in the bathtub [note: this is actually a dish tub, but our ceiling leaked last week during the rain and her bathroom is under construction.] Parker hasn't pooped for 72 hours. One of our siblings (in the early years) learned that eating carrots helps with constipation and one day yelled from the bathroom "I need a carrot." In case you are wondering, it doesn't work that fast. Nonetheless, Parker needs a carrot.

On Columbus day, we went to the water with our friends who also moved here from San Antonio. It was a little hot for me and Parker so we ended up walking around a nearby mall. Corey stayed at the beach and reports that the water is still warm. You will see the net up - to keep jellyfish away. Apparently this is a problem since there was a big yellow caution sign depicting a man being attacked by a jellyfish!

When Parker does poop, it is often quite a statement. Last week Corey was putting her in her carseat after church and poop leaked out onto the parking lot. It got all over her cute dress and the carseat and Corey! A few days later, I came back from the BX to find Parker sitting in her carseat in a blanket waiting for a bath. Apparently she blew out her outfit shortly before I came home and there was no need to dirty another one before her bath. We think she looks so cute like this because her belly is so big and her arms and legs are so skinny!

This is Parker in her second week at her little class called Alligator Steps. Despite the butterflies someone had mistaken her for a boy earlier in the day, so she wore her bow. It is not as functional while playing on the floor, but she pulled it off.

For whatever reason, curry is very popular here on Okinawa. It is not like Thai curry. It is more like veggies/meat in a sauce made with only curry spice. We went to try it and it was okay, but the dollar is pretty worthless right now, so it ended up being around $26 for us to go there. Not worth it, but it was an experience.

The other big thing around here is nail art. Especially toenail art. Corey (being the wonderful husband he is) dropped me off for a pedicure before leaving San Antonio, but it's been over a month and it was time to redo my toenails. I went with JoAnna (the general dentist who just moved here from San Antonio) while our husbands watched the girls and we got pedicures at this place called Cocoq! that is very popular here. For 3990 yen (depending on the day around $46) they do the pedicure, bring you tea and massage your legs. They are very thorough. Then you pick out a design. They have all kinds of different ones, so I will post more if I go again. They actually use acrylic paint over the nail polish, so the art lasts a long time. Of course, I went for the animal print!

October 14th marked the 1 year anniversary from the start of our IVF injections. I remember very clearly preparing the syringe and getting ready to inject myself... and yelling for Corey to come and do it. I have no problem injecting other people, but I never did inject myself, even with the small ones. If we do another fresh cycle here in Japan, I will have to do some myself at work (but Rachel, you did a good job last year!) and I think knowing what to expect, it shouldn't be a problem. The shots prior to the pregnancy were actually much easier than the shots that we had to do once I got pregnant. In total, we did 86 days straight of injections, but it was worth it for Parker and I am willing to do it all over again!

Here's a big smile from our girl. I think Corey was driving and I was riding in the back singing songs to her.

Every dentist's nightmare: a thumb-sucker. Yep, Parker was caught sucking her thumb at approximately 6 pm on Thursday, October 15th. We let her because she was so good about her 2-month immunizations and because she found a way to comfort herself since she was scheduled to eat again at 7:30.

At 10w,2d Parker weighed 11 lbs 5 oz and was 23 inches long (at birth she was 7 lbs 10 oz and 20 inches long). She is going to be much taller than me at this rate (and probably even if she wasn't growing so fast). She is in the 50% for weight and 75% for height.

Week 3 of Alligator Steps was exhausting. After 50 minutes, Parker was wiped out. All of the other babies were laughing and looking at the bubbles in the air, and Parker passed out in her spot. Even when she got turned over for tummy time, she just drooled :)

Can you see the drool coming out of her mouth? By the way, she looks more and more like Corey every day.

We received our household goods last Tuesday and our house is an organized mess right now. We are making SLOW but steady progress. Parker has a 6th sense for when we are unpacking and usually needs attention just when we really get into a project. We are getting our new entertainment center this afternoon; it is similar to the one we had in the US but not as nice. The smaller one that we were going to get is still backordered for another 2 months, so we just went for the bigger one. Plus, it reminds us more of our last place. I will be glad when we can choose our housing at our next assignment. And I don't think I will miss the jets flying over me all day, either!

Parker is schedule to start daycare next week, but I am interviewing a nanny this afternoon. She previously worked for the owner of Alligator Steps, and I feel like she might be a good option of we decide against the CDC on base. It is tough decision and I won't be happy either way because I don't want to leave Parker with strangers at all. Last night I got so sad watching her nurse and thinking that next month at this time I'll be gone and ever minute she sill grow bigger and bigger without me. These moments are precious and I hate that she will stop nursing in just a few weeks. It's been a little rough but we've finally got a schedule for breastfeeding and a system for formula and now it has to change. I am hoping that the milk I've frozen will be our little connection while I am gone.

Parker is not sleeping through the night yet, and Corey jokes that I will get the best sleep of my life at ODS, even if they wake us up in the middle of the night, because it will probably only be one time as compared to the sometimes THREE times that Parker has me up at night. It usually takes me an hour between breastfeeding and the bottle and rocking her, so I end up with very little sleep. I stopped taking Reglan this week because Corey is on call and I can't be any more tired than I already am in case he gets called and can't help me at night.

This week I started following a jogging schedule I found on a Navy fitness page. I jogged 2 miles 4 days last week and will start this week's schedule today after Corey gets home and I can get to the gym. Yesterday I ran 2 miles in 20:51, so I am confident that in several more weeks I can at least be at an acceptable level (especially if someone is yelling at me.) Sit-ups and push-ups are another story, especially the sit-ups. I am getting into the running and enjoying it, but I am struggling with the other aspects. I don't actually have to pass a fitness test until February (6 months post-partum) but I don't want to drag down my team. I am hoping that I start to lose some weight, and Corey and I made a deal that I will go shopping before I come back from Japan and get some new clothes. I want to get back down to where I was at the start of the residency because I have some great clothes, I was happy with my fitness level and I was able to maintain it while juggling a few tasks. Also, I need to fit into one of my suits for boards in May!

I caught Parker and Daddy napping before dinner. I am not sure who was more tired!

Parker has been falling asleep in the bath lately. We think she just wants to be back in the womb where life was much easier. It is hilarious.

After her bath Parker gets several ointments and lotions. Sometimes this takes too long for her standards because she eats after her bath and she starts to get fussy. This is a move she has perfected - one big tear in the corner of her eye! She is precious.

We are getting more comfortable here and once I get back, we are planning to really explore the island. We've ventured off-base a few times and each time it gets easier. The bummer is that the dollar/yen exchange is getting worse and worse, but we want to take advantage of this opportunity. And if you have the slightest inclination, please come visit! The island is beautiful and the atmosphere is so laid-back. It is exactly what we needed after our residencies - we just wish it was a little closer to home!