Hoagie's Big Adventure

Stats!
How far along: 15 wks 1 day
Weight gained: 7.5 lbs (a bit on the high side, but not crazy)
Current "symptoms": getting full faster when eating, out of control emotions, foot pain when walking more than 2 miles, forgetfulness, where was I?
Wedding ring: on but very tight (I don't think it will make it the whole 40 wks)
Clothes: mix of maternity and regular clothes + 1 size
Miles traveled internationally: 16,500 miles (approx)
# of types of toxic mold exposed to: 4

The start of April was an exciting one for Hoagie! S/he went to Istanbul, Bangkok and Chiang Mai, all in one week!

I was very nervous about flying. It was 30 hours + each way with 20 in the air (long layovers both ways). I was worried about DVT and how the stress would affect the baby. I was also MUCH more nervous in the air than I've ever been. Every bout of turbulence had me panicking. I was also stressing about how the stress and exhaustion would affect Hoagie. There's so much to worry about, starting the second you know you're pregnant.

It was good to be back in Thailand. I hadn't known I'd missed it, but I had. In so many ways, it was exactly the same. It smelled the same -- fish and sewage and fresh flowers and exhaust. It was just as hot as ever -- April is the hottest month of the year there. The tuk tuks and motorbike taxis were everywhere, trying to make a quick baht of an unsuspecting tourist. When I said in Thai, "I'm not a tourist!" it shocked quite a few of them.

Having said that, between travel and educational fairs, I did have some time to do touristy things, and I did some stuff I'd never done while living there, like visiting Jim Thompson's house and checking out some of the super famous giant high-tech malls. I also went to a few of my old haunts, including Cabbages and Condoms (a restaurant that donates a share of its proceeds to HIV prevention). When I was on the sky train, twice ladies offered to give up their seats for me. I am starting to show!

That's basically it for the travel. During the return layover I went around Istanbul but had a terrible time. I got harassed a lot to visit shops and such. I don't know if I looked extra vulnerable, pregnant and alone, or if everyone gets harassed the same. Plus I got lost when the tram broke down in the middle of I-don't-know-where and I burst into tears. Hormones!

The return flights were just as bad for nerves about travel. I have no desire to travel again until after the baby is born.

In other recent news, they found toxic mold in my office. Apparently it's been there throughout the entirety of my pregnancy, and the room I was working in was one of the very worst. I had some symptoms, for sure, including nosebleeds, constant sneezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and even hives. Thankfully, I am now working from home until it gets cleared up. I am extremely worried about how this might have affected Hoagie. The OB says that if I wasn't sick then the baby is probably fine, and I wasn't VERY sick, but I did have some symptoms. I'm just hoping that healthy food and less stress will help.

That's about all the news for now. I'll try to keep everyone better updated in the future!