Getting our Feet on the Ground

Of our to do list yesterday we pretty much only accomplished a briefing about cell phones and getting some basic food.  Boo!  The NEX has hardly any maternity clothes and no shorts at all...which made me tear up in the store...so frustrating.  Today Noah and I have accomplished quite a bit and are checking items off of the to do list.  First thing this morning we took a taxi...which cost 570 yen...which is 7.05USD...to the Hospital.  All of the taxi drivers carry carseats in the trunk and they install them in the backseat if you ask to use it...and almost all the taxi vehicles are CUBES...a goofy car in the U.S. but it fits right in here.  I checked with the OB department and tried to fill out tons of paperwork while Noah was being a pain...dumped out all my cards from my wallet, cleared of part of a bookshelf, and just nearly pushed over a 5ft+ tree in the lobby.  We then had to go downstairs and check in with the hospital and turn in our medical records.  Back upstairs to the OB department so an appt. could be booked then after the LT. reviewed my paperwork...sent me for labs(I was told back in Va Beach that Dam Neck ordered the wrong lab during my 1st workup and I may or may not have immunity to German Measles-apparently this vaccination is not always a life long thing and many need a booster).  After the labs...back to the OB to go over my intake and then we were finally done just to walk next door and repeat the process with dental.  They gave me the paperwork and said that I could return it later, which I can do on Thursday at my OB appt...this entire process took 90min!  Then another taxi ride to the post office where we were able to finally get an address-fb or email me if you would like it!  Interestingly enough the person we spoke with to check in at the post office was the same lady that Noah saw in the lobby of the hospital and spoke to her about tractors and the noise they make...he was happy to see her again at the P.O!  Then another taxi back to the Lodge.  The base does have buses but it seems like I always just miss them and then would have to wait 30-45min. until it would come back around.  This base is huge and most of these places are not within walking distance...30-45min. walks.  I then called the AMC( I should know what this stands for but just can't right now!) counter at Yokota and found out that my luggage has been found...the downside is that the suspicions of the people who went to look for it were correct and it went on to Korea.  It will be on a cargo plane back to Yokota on Monday....It can't just be put on a plane back here...I have to wait until the next mission...which thankfully is Monday...and I was told it will ride in the cockpit with pilots here.  It can be delivered here but it's just about a 3hr drive one way so this creates a manning issue at the airport.  And they can't just put it in a car and drive it here...it is an AF Base so a vehicle has to be checked out..safety briefs, clearance with probably a handful of people...and who knows what else.  The man I spoke with is going to try his best to get it to me Monday afternoon or the latest Tuesday!  Not very happy about getting my things on Tuesday...however I am thankful that it hasn't vaporized.  One of my goals for today is to do some laundry...I have to do one load completely and then put on those clothes and then wash the clothes I'm wearing right now...and repeat...as I only have one pair of shorts.  This leads me onto the weather...I spoke with a woman and her daughter at the post office while we were waiting... as Noah and I beat her back from the hospital.  She said that last week it was 107 degrees and the humidity is beyond nuts.  It takes my hair hours to dry in the morning...I know that most Japanese homes and even military houses have dehumidifiers built into the AC because otherwise there is a mold issue.  She also told me that they do get snow every once in a while and it doesn't stick around.  She gave me a few other pointers including telling me that the NEX and commissary haven't really recovered from the stop shipments that happened after the disaster.  We did notice at the commissary a lot of empty shelves.  We are already making a list of food items that they don't sell here...compared to the VA beach commissary!  All of the dairy items are from California and labeled with that California Dairy Stamp.  And all of the labeling on the milk, sour cream, cottage cheese is in English but not labeling like in the U.S.  Noah is been a pain putting down for naps and wakes up in the middle of then night.  I'm thinking that this should all calm back down again once a routine is developed here at the Lodge.  While Noah has been sleeping I've made a bunch of phone calls and checked a few more things of the list...next week is already booking up...Monday is our housing brief and I set up Noah for hourly day care across the street so that I can go with Zack.  A housing brief is where they go over the procedures, do and don'ts, and just what exactly has to be done.  We then have to set up an appt. and go over to put our names on lists...we do want on base.  I have to go over to the child center after Noah wakes up and fill out some paperwork.  The lady told me that they have many other children with nut allergies and they have action plans, know how to use an epipen, and are educated on safe food.  A big sigh of relief...it's hard to feel okay dropping him off since I know he'll most likely cry and freak out the entire time...and then to also worry about if he will get "safe food" (As I am not allowed to bring food for him).  On Tuesday, I have to go across the street to the CDC(child development center) and do an orientation for future visits.  And Thursday is my Dr. appt.  Noah is on the waiting list for Thursday as they don't have any openings...in Va Beach the OB office freaked if you had to bring your child....the Lt. said it's fine if I have to bring him and not an issue at all.  She said that they were very child friendly...so another positive of the day.  Zack is anxious to get cell phones so we will probably go do that after he gets off work...we had to get a P.O. box first.  Also we only got basic food items and we need to do more extensive shopping.  Before coming here I set up our express shipment to be delivered...this proved to be difficult as apparently I was bucking the system and these shipments are not allowed to be delivered to the Lodge(which no one told us nor was it in any paperwork...and so then what is the point of the express shipment? LOL)  I got approval from the manger as most of the items were for Noah and for Zack at work.  I did this all through emailing with the Navy Lodge, Personal Property Office(PPO), and the moving company.  I called the PPO today because the to do list said to check in...I told the man our last name...and he immediately said oh, I know you!!  I called him after arriving to tell him our room number.  I told him that he must speak with a lot of people...he said yes but he remembered me because I set up my shipment before we even arrived!  LOL  So...mom you were correct...it was a crazy concept that someone would want to have their things delivered the day after arrival!  I told him that I am super organized and he just giggled!  The rest of our household goods should arrive on or before August 1st.  It will then be stored for 90 days.  Most of the other to do things are small except for the housing issue and the AOB(area orientation brief)-this is a week long thing where you learn about the base, city, taking trains, the language, driving license and things like that.  Zack and I are on different lists to do this...his wait is over a month long but I should be able to get in fairly soon or I could wait and take it with him.  We are thinking that I should go ahead and take it so that I can get my license and we can get a car and stop shelling out money to the taxis!  However I know that if I took the test today I'd fail!  Still getting that panic feeling of people turning in to the wrong lanes...I think in a week or so I'll get over it b/c I noticed today while in the taxi I was following the lane the taxi should turn into and it was starting to seem more "normal".  I overhead a mom yesterday saying that when they arrived their son had a hard time and had culture shock...which made me think that Noah thrives on being on a schedule and once we have that down he'll be fine...but going back to the U.S. in 3yrs he might have culture shock...weird to think that you can have culture shock when returning to your own country.  As far as navigating the base myself...I know how to get from the P.O. to the NEX and commissary.  Zack is able to soak it in through the windows of a taxi but not me!  Noah is awake...