Just the Three of Us...

New Blog!

2010-03-12T03:36:00.001-08:00

Come visit Babes in Chile our new blog following the journey of Maia and our son to be this July!

Much love! x

Maias Here!

2010-03-08T04:52:00.000-08:00

Well it's been almost two weeks since the arrival of a VERY special little person into this world!!!! Maia decided to come a little earlier than anticipated and at a very poignant time too...she arrived on a full moon, 2 days before one of Chiles largest and most destructive earthquakes and on the same day my beautiful sister Corinna passed away peacefully in Holland. The 25th of February will be one of the most important dates ever for me...

So, here she is!!! In our world and making it such a more beautiful place to be. She is adorable. Big rosy cheeks, deep dark blue eyes and facial expressions that make you want to just gobble her up!
We adore her. She's 11 days old today and at this very moment sleeping peacefully after a nice big milky breakfast.

I am going to start a new blog about Maia very soon and will post the new address here. Time is very limited unfortunately now and I'm getting used to it, but I will be back soon, I promise.

For now I leave you with a photo of my little hamster:

36 Weeks - 9 Months Today

2010-02-16T14:07:00.000-08:00

And so the final countdown begins as I enter the final weeks of pregnancy...it is truly amazing how fast time has flown over these last few months but I have reached a point where I am now beyond worrying about the birth and labour and far more excited about our next chapter! I am actually looking forward to when the real contractions start!!
Today I had my last scan at the clinic and Maia weighs 2.7 kilos and is 45.1cms long which is well within the parameters of what the baby should be at this stage even if she is slightly on the small side. She's perfect!Tomorrow we have to go again but this time to check mum. Typical blood pressure and weight gain checks...

I have been feeling fine although my pelvis hurts now that she is pushing down more and the weight is harder to carry but all in all I think I'm feeling pretty ok. I'm off to celebrate pancake day with friends now. Till next time.

Almost 36 weeks...

2010-02-12T03:54:00.000-08:00

So very soon we will be entering a whole new world and while at times I feel that I may not be all that ready for this complete transformation into motherhood, I feel very exhilirated. A new chapter in our lives is about to unfold itself and yes it is daunting, you go through a thousand inexplicable emotions but with it this experience brings so much beauty. I am creating life! We have created life! And soon this life will be complete and in our arms being loved by two very loving and proud parents. Whatever the future may bring, the future being one of my main causes of anxiety, we need to instead focus on every day as it comes and deal with each happening moment with not too much thought put into what tomorrow may bring. I realise how very needless it is when the only true experience that matters is the here and now. Nobody knows what the future entails so why waste energy worrying about it? Bridges will be crossed...

Right now baby Maia is fluttering around in there, perhaps she knows I am writing about her..? She's getting plumper by the second but it's good to know she is almost full term now! 1 week and a half left before this little bun is cooked!
I still can't believe how far we've come, I couldn't for the life of me imagine what I would be going through, both emotionally and physically at 35 weeks..but here I am! Tired, yes, feeling the weight, oh yes, but soooooo very excited.

Love me xx

34 weeks

2010-02-02T07:07:00.000-08:00

I never thought I'd actually get this far, well of course I did but I couldn't really imagine it. But here I am, with a full sized belly and not long until the birth...wow it really isn't far away at all, about 6 weeks to go....
The final trimester is definitely the hardest as the baby has grown a lot and putting a lot of pressure on my pelvic area, I need to pee every 10 minutes, don't sleep well, have to lie down for most of the day or my legs begin to hurt and well..it's tough! I saw our doctor yesterday and everything is absolutely fine, I don't have diabetes or anemia and my blood pressure was just right, he seemed surprised as most women get anemia by now...I must be one of the lucky ones, must be all that fruit....
6 weeks doesn't seem like a lot but being so uncomfortable it feels like an eternity...it's hard with this heat but at least our house is cool and I just sleep during the warmest hours with the fan set to maximum. No swelling yet thank god...

32 weeks

2010-01-21T13:15:00.001-08:00

I have now ballooned into a great big 32 weeks and 2 days and am feeling rather huge but I still have another 7 weeks left of growing to do as baby Maia gains around 500 g a week!! It is indeed amazing to see my skin stretch so well, no stretchmarks just yet, touch wood. I am feeling fine apart from the breathlessness which I get after doing just the simplest of things and it's very frustrating. I can't go out long periods of time walking or standing as my legs just feel like giving up and I get very tired. I thought I'd be stronger than this but I guess my small frame isn't coping well with the extra weight. I've always been very slim in my upper body so I guess that sudden excess weight has been of a bit of a shock for my poor little bod. My legs still of course hurt but nothing I can do about that and as the uterus expands with every passing day my stomach becomes more and more compressed which means I haven't been able to eat as much as before or rather I eat small foods throughout the day.

Emotionally I am feeling very relaxed and not half as anxious as I thought I'd be by now. Meditation and giving myself Reiki healing helps a lot esspecially with my insomnia at night, it's amazing. I give myself a self healing session and by the end of it I am so relaxed and drift off immediately. I spend my days out in the garden or in my bed with my legs elevated which is the only way I get any relief in my legs, not the most exciting of times I can tell you but I am taking advantage of quiet times now as in two more months life as we know it wll be very different indeed. Tomorrow I have to go to a lab for some blood tests to check if I have gestational diabetes or any other abnormality at this stage of the pregnancy, not looking forward to leaving the house as it's so hot here right now and I know I have to wait there for at least 2-3 hours. I mustn't forget my book!
Till next time xx

31 Weeks

2010-01-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

Today I am 31 weeks and Maia is moving around more than ever before! What a squirmer! I gave become increasingly tired now and the simplest of tasks will wear me out which isn't much fun as I don't end up doing everything I want to do! My legs hurt lots but the compression stockings are helping somewhat so apart from that I don't seem to have any other complaints. I'm not as hungry as before but do try and eat every few hours...I think it's because my stomach is a lot more compressed than before. Saw the dcotor yesterday (who I LOVE!) and everything is as ever perfectly fine. I will however have to take a few tests next week to see if I have developed diabetes or aneamia...

We had a good weekend, finally bought the stroller and car seat which are great and just what we wanted and a friend lent us her moses basket for the first few months, you can take it around the house quite easily...we also had a photoshoot on Sunday. The girl isn't even professional and didn't charge us a thing and she's amazing! I felt very lucky indeed...I keep telling her to start her own photography business but she's so modest and prefers to do it for fun for now...

It's 4pm and a friend is coming over for tea now, she's around 32 weeks....

xxxx

Braxton Hicks

2010-01-07T04:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had my first Braxton Hicks contractions. These start from about 28 weeks onwards and are painless, irregular and go away after a while. They start to prepare you for labour although it was quite scary as my stomach really tightened every 5 minutes and I was worried I had started labour early! Yikes! It did get quite painful, my back really hurt and I just had to lie down but this morning I feel fine again.

I can really feel my belly expanding by the day now as little Maia gains about a pound a week...
My legs continue to hurt but I now wear my support tights every day without fail, they are a miracle and really help the blood flow. The veins seem to have got worse on my lower legs but I'm sure most of them will fade after the birth and if not, there's always sclerotherapy (which I had done 3 years ago in the UK) and is lots cheaper here. It's just one of those things I'm prone to...German ancestry apparently! So, thanks mum! Maia moves around a lot and it's funny to see little bumps in my belly now and again and to feel her arms/legs when I touch it. A very surreal experience, one I don't think has yet even sunk in properly...

This weekend we are picking up a moses basket which we'll be using for the first 3 months, it's portable and you can move it easily from room to room. We'll have it next to our bed during that period. Still can't believe we'll have a whole new person joining our family in just 2 more months!! I can't wait!!!

Trimester Symptoms

2009-12-30T14:26:00.002-08:00

Being in the third trimester is probably the hardest part of pregnancy as most of the not so enjoyable symptoms rear their ugly head as soon as you step into the last leg of the journey (week 28); I thought I'd make note of all the symptoms I've had in all trimesters up until now:

Trimester 1:
Nausea and sickness from week 6 to week 13 - pretty much constant but some foods and drink did alleviate albeit for a short while
Food cravings - despite the nausea I still craved lots of random foods like marmite, white bread and chips with mayonnaise. Actually lost weight (about 7lbs)

Trmester 2:
No symptoms! The best part of the jouney, you look great and you feel great too! (I did have the odd headache though). My appetite returned with a vengeance and I had lots of energy to walk to work and just do every day things. Bump appeared at the end of this trimester.

Trimester 3:
Ugh. Here we go. Tiredness. Serious tiredness even after walking for a short while. Sickness after eating certain heavy foods. Painful back and tailbone. Thread veins and heavy, aching, burning sensations in legs and groin (from baby pushing down). Headaches that last for a day at least. Feeling hot all the time (being in the heat of summer doesn't help). Cravings for healthy foods (this may just be me but all I want is good nutritous foods!) so it's not all bad knowing I'm giving my body and baby just what it needs!

Merry Christmas to the Three of Us

2009-12-25T17:17:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Day, well it's nearly 11pm now, but it's been a long day and we're now back home in Santiago.

We left for Viña yesterday to spend Christmas with the in-laws and family which was actually quite nice. Apart from it not feeling like Christmas at all and missing my own family back home, we had a pleasant time and I got some very nice presents! Lots of baby things which I really wanted, a knitted baby scarf, baby album baby photoframe, baby clothes and a gorgeous perfume for me from the husband!!! It was really nice but I am now counting down the days until we are back home in England for next Christmas. I miss the cold, the frosty morning grass, the roasting fire, my mothers cooking and just being with the people I really really love and feel comfortable with, it's not easy being so far from home at this time of the year. And especially now that I'm pregnant, harder than ever. Luckily I have a great husband who truly supports me in every possible way.

I realised over the last few days after talking to Anibal about his Christmas experiences how very lucky I was as a child and how very much my parents spoilt me; my mother made Christmas a very festive, cosy event, candles, songs, carol singing, baking, long walks in the countryside, games....here it seems not much effort is put into making it special, I especially missed our typical Christmas brekafast where we'd all sit together in the morning, this morning was just like any other morning...but of course I appreciate the lovely cooking my mother in law did this afternoon and she also kindly gave us two of her paintings which are absolutely gorgeous and which we now have hanging in our home!

So despite it all, Christmas this year was actually quite nice...well apart from the bout of food poisoning I had after lunch, I felt absolutely awful and was sick for about an hour but I soon recovered, I think it was the combination of eating quite heavy food, going to sleep straight after and the very intense afternoon heat,..it's always worrying when you're pregnant, you feel heavy, helpless and worried about the little one but thankfully all is well again. She's been kicking away as usual all afternoon.

Night night and Merry Christmas from Chile.
xxxx

7 Months Today!

2009-12-22T04:57:00.000-08:00

I can't quite believe I have hit the 7 month mark today! But...still 3 whole months to go. That's right, it's actually 10 months of carrying baby rather than 9! It's now oficially summer here and really quite unbearable. There I was complaining of the long winter and wishing upon some well needed heat and now here I am spending most of my days not wearing much (indoors of course) fan on full blast and downing iced water and having ice cold showers....and January and February are still to come, the hottest summer months. Oh timing. But at least I won't be working and can really just kick back and take it easy while other women are having to contend with the sweaty public transport for another month before they're granted maternity leave!

So I am now in my third trimester and things are going downhill again, not quite as bad as my first trimester sickness but tiredness has hit me hard, my legs ache and I have a very painful pelvic area from the babys head pushing down. OUCH. The veins seem to have got worse on my legs and hurt when I stand so have to have my legs elevated most of the day....but it's all in the name of my beautiful daughter!!! Every pain, every ache is worth it....

My due date is March 16th, so really just under 3 months....and I have now started to think about the birth more than ever before and I think it's just going to get worse with every passing day. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried, of course I am, it's an experience I have no control over. Who knows how my body will take the birth, will it really be the most pianful experience of my life? Will I be able to manage the pain somehow? Should I have an epidural? But at the same time I am absolutely excited about the day of her arrival! I am just milling through a thousand and one thoughts about it all....

Here are a few photoshopped photos of me posing at our front entrance at 7 months:

26 weeks almost (6 and a half months)

2009-12-07T05:38:00.000-08:00

Almost 26 weeks (tomorrow!) and now only about 14 weeks to go which really is nothing compared to the incredible change my life will go through so suddenly...literally from one day to the next....I don't think it has properly hit us yet and it wont until we have her in our arms and can actually look at her, smell her, touch her, I am counting down the days! At the moment I can just feel her kick and she is kicking lots and poking me here and there, but it's a very reasurring feeling! She's getting stronger by the day!
I have enrolled in my first prenatal class this wednesday, it's all about pain control during birth, will be interesting to see what they tell me.
It's a Monday morning, sunny but cool, the cats are out in the garden playing with the birds and the flies and I am doing a bit of spring cleaning, it keeps me fit and active and is especially good for my poor aching legs and circulation....
I hope to have enough energy to do 30 mins of pilates later on before lunch.

Here I am on Saturday night before going for dinner with some friends of ours who live down the road (Julia who is also 6 months pregnant!)

It's so nice to have her close and to know she'll be going through the same as me in March!

Right, I better check on the banana cake and carry on cleaning...

xxxx

25 Weeks 1 day

2009-12-02T04:23:00.000-08:00

I am now past the 6 month mark and the weight gain has started to affect me :( I have really bad pain in my coccyx when I sit for long periods of time and I have started to get more stomach problems (threw up this morning) as I think the stomach is now getting smaller as the uterus gets bigger and I feel like I have constant indigestion. The thread veins have got a bit worse too and are actally painful!!! I am hoping that the yoga will help my overall wellbeing during the next few weeks...

On to a brighter note we have our first 3D scan today and will get to see the little ones face and body clearly!! Maybe I had the stomach upset because I'm so excited?? I have been dying to have this scan since day 1 so maybe! I will be meeting hubby later on this morning to go together.

The weather is getting warmer but luckily we have a lovely cool house and I haven't really been feeling the heat too much. I am going to try and stay in until the birth and just really take it easy! Of course go out in the evenings with friends but not during the hot days, the heat is only just now beginning...

I received some more amazing pink clothes for the baby from our friend Loes in Holland, 2 pink tshirts and a newborn babygro. Our closet is getting nice and full now!!! There's a baby fair on this weekend so we're going to have a look for prams and see what we can find (parents xmas present).

Will post 3D pictures when we get them!!

Lots of love xxx

Changing Names

2009-11-20T06:27:00.000-08:00

After lots of pondering about the name we initially chose for our darling girl we came to the conclusion that Ella would just be too confusing for many people here. We have found another name and are leaving it as surprise to most people. The name we've found just kind of came to me and the meaning of the name is very special so....watch this space!

Here is a photo my mum played about with on photoshop, 23 weeks and 2 days!

23 Weeks, Almost 6 months!

2009-11-18T06:51:00.000-08:00

The days have whizzed by and I am now almost at my third trimester! I spent most of my first trimester wondering and worrying about what I'd look like, how I'd feel etc. and I think that I feel and look pretty great at the moment! I haven't put on silly amounts of weight, just the expected amount, I think I actually look the same, just with a bump which is what I'd hoped! Well I still have another 3 months to go so we'll see...I am aiming to do a yoga video at least 3 times a week to keep fit and next month I am going to take up an aqua exercise class close to home. I want to make sure I'm as fit and healthy as possible when baby is ready to be born!

Life is chugging along nicely, last weekend we bought more bits and pieces for the house and I have a week and a half left before I can finally put my feet up and take it easy for the remaining time.

I've been contemplating about the name Ella and a few people have mentioned that her name may cause a bit of confusion here as in Spanish it just means 'she' and they would pronounce it Eya which is SO NOT what I want. Such a shame as it sounds beautiful and all my European friends adore it. But of course I don't want to make life hell for the girl, I know I suffer with my name here...
The name will be a surprise and announced on her birth, I think that's the best way. We may still stick with Ella as a middle name though...

Photos of bump at 23 weeks coming soon...

xx

Eeeek!

2009-11-13T05:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I came across new thread veins on my legs which definitely hadn't been there before! One is on the side of my knee and looks like a mini explosion of veins and the other is on the other leg on the inside. I really thought I'd be lucky and after my last treatment of sclerotherapy (started getting them at 21 and had all removed at 26) didn't think they'd come back for at least another 10 years but with all these pregnancy hormones raging through my body recently it must be inevitable, I am after all prone to the buggers. Anibal put layers of boxes under the bed yesterday so I now sleep with my legs elevated at night which is a great help and I will aim to do an hour of yoga 3 times a week as well as walk for at least 30 minutes a day and no longer sit cross legged at the table (a very bad habit if mine).

Apart from that all is well, my bump is as bumpy as ever and I'm feeling great! My hair has never been this thick and glossy and my skin has that rosy pink pregnancy glow to it, oh and my nails are nice and strong too! So apart from peeing a little too often, I am feeling very gorgeous, healthy and happy indeed. There definitely is something very attractive about pregnant women...but that apparently goes downhill after you give birth when you turn into a flabby, exhausted-looking, breast-feeding nightmare...oh well, I will try to enjoy this period as much as possible!!

My next scan will be week 24 on the 23rd of November so very excited! I'll also be closer to finishing work and am now counting down the seconds...

Much love to all.

22 Weeks today

2009-11-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

As you can see I am looking as pregnant as ever now with my ever expanding belly! I am awash with happy emotions with every passing day and count the seconds until the day my miracle will arrive into this world. Of course I worry about the day when I will have to give birth, especially after a lengthy conversation with a friend last night who gave me all the gory details...yikes. I just hope it will all go smoothly and thankfully I am at a great hospital, in the safest hands possible.

The house is becoming more "ours" now and we are feeling very settled indeed. I am OVER THE MOON that 2 of my very good friends live within 5 minute walks from me!! Fate huh?!

xxxx

Getting bigger

2009-11-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

I think I must have popped overnight as I now truly look and feel pregnant! My stomach now has a nice little round bump but I still find myself looking in the mirror in disbelief. Is that really me? How am I going to get through this? Will there really a be another human being living with us in just 4 more months?! I am still feeling very overwhelmed, more so with every passing day. But positive overwhelmed, happy overwhelmed, excited overwhelmed! I am now a day away from being 22 weeks, 5 and a half months already!

The house is starting to look better by the day with our little extras such as carpets, dining table, pictures on the wall..it's becoming more homely every day. My sister in law actually gave us a washing machine yesterday, yes gave us one! She now has a new one and didn't need the old one which is in perfect working condition and has saved us a bit of cash for the month!

To be honest I am now looking forward to just leaving work and taking it really easy. I want to focus on doing yoga at least 5 times a week and will see if I can join an aqua gymnastic class close to our house. I want to just focus on my body and mind before the birth...a lot has been going on and now I just want some time out.

I have a get together with about 10 other English girls tonight, 4 of whom are pregnant too, I love that I have a great group of friends here, 2 of them actually live a few minutes walk away from me!

Till next time!

Our new house and 21 Weeks today!

2009-11-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

We've moved! We're finally here! The stress of the move is well and truly over now but my oh my was it stressful. We just keep accumulating more things over time although having said that, being in a place that's 4 times as big now it looks as though we haven't got anything! But we spent the weekend packing, unpacking, taping, untaping, cleaning, buying, sorting out, dusting, throwing away things, watering flowers (bought two beautiful hanging basket flowers which are now hanging from our wooden porch) and just doing all the important things you do when you move home, but I feel lots more settled now - the living room is looking lovely and will be looking lovelier when our real oak dining table arrives (dark wood with red cushions) and tonight we are picking up a stove and we still need a few other things: washing machine, kitchen table, sofa, carpet etc..not to mention all the baby things! Yikes!

I've been feeling really good and surprisingly not too tired or in pain from all the moving around I've been doing (spent most of yesterday on my feet cleaning and tidying up!). Ella has been kicking away more than ever as she keeps growing and her muscles become stronger, it's a very reassuring feeling...I love it.

In 2 more weeks we'll have the 24 week scan and hopefully get to see little missy in 3d! Here's a link to what a baby looks like at 24 weeks 3D:
http://www.sneakpeek4d.com/3dultrasoundphotos/dec08photos/24%20weeks.jpg

I have started to get too big for my normal trousers now but just about still fit into my black work trousers. I have one more month left and will then be able to really relax and enjoy the house.

T x

Moving Home

2009-10-29T06:28:00.000-07:00

We've found the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood and we're moving this weekend and I don't think I've been this excited since my wedding!!! We are finally leaving our teeny tiny flat and moving into a lovely house with 4 bedrooms, an indoor patio, a mini garden with a few trees (loquats and apricots), flowers and bushes where I can already picture myself chilling out watching the blue sky and reading lots of books and knowing that my kitties will have more space to roam and explore just melts my heart. I've been wanting that for so long now, poor things have had to make do with a small balcony but I know they've been happy, always purring and sleeping by my side contentedly. Now at least they'll have a garden, patio, more rooms to explore, they'll be in kitty heaven!

It will be a stressful move there's no doubting that and poor hubby is up to his eyeballs in work as it is so it's important we take our time and stay as calm as possible, at least we both will be taking Monday off to sort the house out. I feel blissfully happy....Ella seems to be too, kick kicking away in there, looking forward to her nice new painted nursery - fairies, animals or just a simple soft pink?

I just spoke to my sister who lives in far away South Africa in a very remote area near the jungle so we don't often get to speak and it was soooo nice chatting away to her as fast as my skype credit would allow me to! She says she has a feeling Ella will have dark hair with green eyes! She's a bit of a psychic my sister....so we shall see... :)

So until next time when we'll have moved, I'll have got bigger and life will just have gotten that little bit better.

Love
T x

Happy birthday to me!

2009-10-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Today is a very special day, it's my first birthday being pregnant! I'm 29 today, lots of mixed emotions but the overriding emotion is that of pure happiness...I guess it's just odd as I edge closer to the big 30 now and leave my twenties behind, a whole era and it's emotional in a way, lots of good memories...but the time is NOW! It's the moving into the present more than ever before that has me feeling a tad melancholic today.

I've had a great day so far, had lunch with two of my close pregnant friends and tonght we are making the decision of moving home into a house we found close by. We need to look at the house again tonight and talk a few things over but all in all a pretty good day! I was even offered a kind of promotion by my boss working from home which would suit me to a tee. I'm very excited! :)

happy birthday to meeeeee!!!!

Lots of love xxx

Photos 19 weeks 3 days

2009-10-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's a . . .

2009-10-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

. . . girl!!!!

We had the ultrasound and after a few minutes our doctor said he could see that it would (90% sure) be a girl and pointed out the three little lines which indicate it's a little girls vagina! I was surprised as I had had this very strong feeling it would be a boy but of course I am delighted it's going to be a little she now, the doctor better not change his mind at the next scan (I have been warned this may happen!) as I am now in girl mode and already thinking of the many girly clothes I will be getting for her.

Her name will be Ella Corinne which means "bright light", "goddess", "beautiful elfin girl" and "all completely" in various cultures:Greek, Germanic, Hebrew...I thought all of these meanings were just perfect and will sum her up perfectly, my goddess, my everything and my brightest light! My great grandmother was Ella and an absolute angel, she was very close to my mother and my mother only ever has good words to say about her, she was a gentle soul and full of goodness. I sometimes feel she is my guardian angel now, just an intuition of mine. I met her only once I think in Germany when I was about 5 years old and I remember her taking me by the hand and walking through a forest together...she was calming me down after an argument with my mother, hehe...

Corinne is after my older sister Corinna who lives in Holland and means maiden in Greek. So here I am, over the absolute moon with the news as is of course the husband. We're very excited indeed!! It feels so much more real now, seeing her on the scan, far more developed than last time, her little legs crossed, her arms, her fingers and toes, her shoulders, neck and we could even see that she had a full bladder which means her kidneys are perfectly developed. The doctor only had good news to report, brilliant heart rate, healthy placenta, I'm a good weight etc etc...so of course I'm feeling very relaxed about it all. I feel great too, haven't really put on that much weight, I've been walking a lot, last weekend in Buenos Aires really tired me out. Just as I write this, I can feel Ella kicking me...I'm loving the feeling now and wait for it all the time! It's very comforting...
I will be 20 weeks in 4 more days which means I'll be half way there! Just 20 more weeks and Ella will be here with us in this world!!!! Good news is that we are now busy house hunting and have seen lots of houses and just one we really liked but yesterday we were told the landlord doesn't want animals but of course, my cats will be coming with us wherever we go so we'll just have to continue looking. We have time so nothing to worry about....we may actually go for a flat rather than a house, just because it's a little safer and more comfortable although I do hope we'll eventually get a house and garden...

Well I better get back to work, till next time! xx

19 weeks and Movement!

2009-10-20T05:45:00.001-07:00

I am 19 weeks today! Almost half way there now! I am now sporting a much more obvious looking belly and my trousers are starting to get very tight so it's leggings and dresses from now on I think.

I thought I felt the baby move suddenly last week but yesterday we could both truly confirm the baby's movement as it moved around for about an hour, even this morning while having my breakfast!A very strange sensation at first but beautiful!! It's like a soft fluttering, very very cute...

Tomorrow is the big day when we'll find out if it's a boy or girl, I'm so excited I doubt I'll get much sleep tonight! Finding out is important to me as I feel you can truly connect knowing your baby's gender and bond better somehow. Of course, I am also horrendously impatient...
I have always had a strong intuition it would be a boy, just a mothers instinct I guess so we shall see....I may be wrong!

We are still looking for houses, and tonight we are looking at one which is at the top of my list so fingers crossed (lovely wooden interior with a small patio/garden). We still have lots of time so I'm not stressing at all. Well, I try not to anyway. I take every day as it comes and focus on the present. I think it's the best you can do, that way you can really indulge in whats happening now and tomorrow...well...is tomorrow!

We spent last weekend in Buenos Aires and I left with mixed reviews. It was of course good to get out of Santiago and see something new but BA was just another big smoggy, dirty city with delapidating buildings and a crumbling metro system. Not really my cup of tea. I know now that the countryside is where my heart will always truly reside. Where fields and trees go on for miles....the ocean....the beaches....wild animals.....I suppose being brought up in the IDEAL place (forests, lakes, ponds, fields at minutes walk away from our home) has made me a true nature lover. The city is okay for now but eventually I'd like to move back to the places that make sense to me, that nourish the soul. That said, we did eat very well (best ice-cream and steak ever) and saw some of BA's historic sights and even made a pretty cool video of it all. I think I must have really eaten a lot as I came back feeling lots bigger!

Till tomorrow with the big news!

18 Weeks

2009-10-13T16:17:00.001-07:00

Today I'm 18 weeks and 2 days, almost half way there now! For the first time I feel like I'm showing, even the taxi driver asked me if I was pregnant! I spent the afternoon looking at baby things, cots, cribs, prams, travel cots; I was overwhelmed with the amount of things we need to buy!!!! But with Christmas coming up, I think I'll be making a little wish list...

Other exciting news is that while I was sitting having my nails painted, I felt a little kick!! There were only two or so and I haven't felt anything since but it was an amazing feeling. They should start to get more regular, my friend feels her baby move all the time now (she's 6 months).

I haven't been updating as much as I'd like recently but we've been busy looking at new places to move into. We've decided to just move out now as we're pretty positive we'll sell the house (2 very interested people) and yesterday we saw two houses. We just need to get out and settled into somewhere new now. One I'm 95% sure of, it's close to the hospital, in a quiet neighbourhood and it has a lovely garden with trees and bushes and a great big spacious kitchen. It's a little more pricey than we'd hoped but we'll manage somehow I'm sure. The only thing is it's a little old and may be FREEZING in winter. We have to go back and see it again.

This weekend we're off to Argentina for the weekend, looking forward to getting out of Santiago and seeing something new. Buenos Aires has a completely different vibe and there's a lot more going on apparently not to mention everythings waaaaay cheaper so I'm looking to buy a few summer dresses there. And eat deliciously too of course!

Next Wednesday is an exciting date as we'll finally find out if it's a boy or girl. Of course I will be letting everyone know as soon as I know! Too exciting for words!!!

Right, off to shower and to work...

xxxxx

17 Weeks Today!

2009-10-06T05:25:00.001-07:00

Patience

2009-09-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

Today I have felt really good, no headaches or anything.

But I think I'd feel even better had it not been for our %&/%$·&/&$·% of a tennant who has decided to stay another month and we can't kick him out. I know, it's only 4 more weeks, not much of a delay, but I really want to get out into a brand new place and start organising everything but it looks like we won't be moving until January. Nightmare. All I can do is wait. I really hate our current situation, a current debt isn't allowing us to do anything, and we will only be free from it once and if we sell the house. Not the greatest of situations, but then there are people in far worse situations and I should count my blessings. I am hoping the light at the end of the tunnel is close.

I went for a casting for a commercial today, I am signed up with an agency and she called me as they need foreign girls for a TV advert. It went well, I smiled, flicked my hair and repeated the line which i think went well, but they're only choosing one person so we'll see....

Till next time when moods will be lighter.

16 Weeks (almost!)

2009-09-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

Just one day away from beig 16 weeks pregnant. Time has flown. I still remember being just 4 weeks when I found out and looking for pictures of the bean and it not resembling a baby at all but in fact a very strange looking tadpole/alien/worm. And now, baby has grown and is looking like a real baby and this week its eyelashes will be growing (it better have mummys long lashes!) and I may even feel the first few flutters....

I've been feeling absolutely fine, still ravenous most of the time but I have still been getting awful headaches/migraines which last all day and render me completely useless. This weekend I stayed in bed and just ate when I had promised myself we'd at least go for a walk or a bike ride. Nothing. I just didn't have the energy. But this morning I walked to Starbucks where we had a morning meeting and will walk home I think. It's a beautiful sunny day here, blue blue skies....

It's a tense week as we are waiting for the tennant from hell to tell us when he will be moving out of the house so that we can sell it. It's the last week and he really needs to let us know asap so we can start moving everything along. I hate being in this not-knowing-absolutely-anything-about-where-we'll-be-living-in-2-months-time situation but have to grin and bear it while we can. It is teaching me patience I suppose...life has always been easy for me so I guess this is an important wake up call that not everything will always be handed to me and I need to appreciate the moment more...but it aint easy I can assure you. I try to at least...

Something to look forward to is our trip to Argentina next month for a weekend! We will only be there for a few days but it will be nice to get away, see something different and indulge in some tasty Argentinian steak and other delicious foods....booked our hotel last week and it's all organised and ready!!

Right, well I'm going for lunch with the husband now and then off home and perhaps meeting up with a couple of my English friends for a coffee at our favourite café down the road.

Love as ever xx

15 weeks and HUNGRY ALL THE TIME!

2009-09-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

I think I may have eaten double my body weight in food today, it's crazy, I am constantly hungry! Soooo...15 weeks today and I am going through the stage where I don't look nor feel pregnant at all! No nausea at all and no bump yet! It's a weird feeling, sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm carryng an extra little person in there. Here's a guide to being pregnant at 15 weeks!

The little one is growing more rapidly than ever now...our next important scan to determine its sex will take place in three more weeks. That's if the little one will lie right!

So, in the last week I have been eating like there's no tomorrow, for breakfast I have a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice, about 4 pieces of toast and then come 10am and I have another breakfast, probably a sandwich and a cereal bar, then I come home and have lunch followed by lots of fruit and a glass of milk (very good for babys growth!) and then of course I start cooking after my midday nap (it's a hard life!) and we have a nice meal; at the moment I am making homemade coleslaw (grated carrots, cabbage, onion, lemon juice, mustard, salad cream and mayonnaise) with thinly sliced potatoes and herbs and some frankfurter sausages....

Yesterday I made branston pickle! I mixed a thousand different herbs, spices, fruit and vegetables in a big pot with brown sugar for about 2 hours and am now leaving it for 2 weeks to really mature. Although I couldn't resist trying it on some cheese today and it was really good, just like the real thing!

Well, better start preparing dinner....

Hugs from bean and me x

Clinica Alemana

2009-09-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

This is where I'll be giving birth (oh my, will I actually be giving birth in 6 months?? Yikes).

Clinica Alemana, Santiago (click on link)

This is Clinica Alemana, the best private hospital in all of Chile and it looks like we have one of the best doctors too so very very happy! I'm glad I'm having the baby here as I've heard horror stories about births with the NHS in England. We're paying monthly for private health but it's worth every penny. We'll have our very own room (very much like a 5 star hotel!) our own midwives, aneshaetists, doctors etc..they will be there for as long as I need them to be! We get private bedrooms for guests, fantastic food served throughout, and lots and lots of care for mum and baby once born. Safe hands!!!

What's been happening so far!

2009-09-15T06:37:00.001-07:00

More baby clothes!

2009-09-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

Today I received my third package from the loveliest person ever, a Dutch friend of the family who I have become quite close to over the last few years as we email each other quite a lot. She visits my handicapped sister Corinna every Friday without fail and is an absolute sweetheart. Today she sent about 5 different outfits!!! 2 white little body suits, 1 grey, one striped and some lovely colourful pyjamas. I will take some photos of them and post them up soon. I am in love with all the clothes she sent and just cannot wait to see my little one wearing them all, not at once of course :)

My parents have also sent a parcel with a baby suit but it still hasn't arrived, it takes forever!! It should also have some maternity trousers I bought and a special cooling spray for the feet and legs as summer is coming up which I am not looking forward to as I will be my heaviest during the hottest months here!! I will have to just lie in a cold bath all day....

13 weeks 5 days!

2009-09-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

13 Weeks 5 days

2009-09-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm already nearly 14 weeks! Wow. Well, the great news is that my nauseating nausea has almost disappeared. I do occasionally feel like being sick but probably just once a week, but I definitely have lots more energy and am feeling so much better! I am however suffering from what they call "round ligament pain" which basically means as the uterus continues to grow it applies a lot of pressure on the other organs resulting in some quite painful twinges when I move, but I am getting used to it.

We took a day trip to Cajon de Maipo yesterday as the weather has got really beautiful and more spring like in the last few days. Cajon de Maipo is a village out in the countryside with mountains, waterfalls and lots of pretty flowers and we had a nice country lunch throwing the odd piece of bread to some beautiful Irish red setter stray dogs who were sitting close to us.

My bump is now a little more obvious as it grows bigger by the day and especially now more so as my appetite has increased ten fold, I am constantly hungry! Not always craving the healthiest of foods but today I am being good and for lunch we are having steamed vegetables and salmon.

Our next scan will be at 18 weeks when we will find out the sex, I cannot wait!

Cooking Fever!

2009-09-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

It is so good to finally have my appetite back. I now find myself dreaming of all sorts of new dishes, concoctions, recipes....mmmmmhhh and have been cooking some pretty tasty meals for A if I do say so myself. So far in the last week, I've cooked shepherds pie, honey soy salmon and spicy veggies and last night German potato and onion pancakes - all lip smackingly delicious! I find recipes online and they've all been so easy and fun to make. I’ve started to enjoy cooking more than I ever have. Apart from my new crazy appetite, Anibal has really brought it out of me, we watch a lot of cooking shows together and try new things and of course I love spoiling him! I know he appreciates every morsel I make for him, always praising even the blackest of toasts!Sushi is currently my biggest craving, oh yes, I can’t have enough of the stuff, just give me a big plate piled high of the stuff, wasabi, soya and ginger give it a good swirl and I’ll wolf it down. YUM.

Recently we've been watching a lot of Caribbean cooking online and I have to say I really want to try some of it, they use a lot of lime, all spice, ginger, spring onion, chilli, nutmeg etc, just very tasty exotic flavours!!
I want to make a sweet and sour dish with yasmine rice this week, add a bit of pineapple, mango, chicken, peppers...mmmmhhh....

Sooooo...enough about food!!!! How am I and more importantly how's the little one? I'm sure he/she is having a whale of a time, bouncing around in the warm womb, enjoying his mums delicious food and growing by the day! I'm 13 weeks today and by the end of this week, baby will have tripled in size! That means mummy will soon be showing. My belly is definitely a little bigger, I mean I've never had a belly before, EVER, so any slight change will be noticeable. I really can't imagine my tiny tummy stretching anymore....but it's all for a good cause!!
I will post a photo when I do start showing as the photos haven't been all that exciting yet! Nothing much else to report other than we are kicking out the tennant living in the house which means more people will be able to view the house more easily and then we'll get an offer!!!! Like I've said before, if not, we'll just move back in there. Not the most ideal of situations but at least we'll have SPACE and fresh sea air for the baby. Whatever happens, we'll be fine, I believe that.
Much love x

Nausea has gone! Hurrah!

2009-09-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

My nausea really does seem to have gone now, although I do still have a few headaches now and again, I definitely feel like I have my energy back again. And I'm definitely more hungry!! At the last scan I hadn't put on weight since my last visit (still 55kg) so I have to now start eating more which I am now thank god! In fact, I feel hungry and crave all sorts of food all the time. Tonight we're going to our favourite sushi which I'm looking forward to, they mix it with all different types of fruit, spices, sauces, it's amazing.

Our next scan will be in 6 weeks time which is when we'll find out if it's a little he or she!! Ani doesn't want to know but I really do!!!! Impatient me....

Coming up to 13 weeks and little one will be growing bigger by the day. I think my little one looks like buddha in the scan, meditating in the lotus position....hehe!

Happy weekend to all

Alive and Kicking!

2009-09-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

12th week 2 day scan!!!

Here she/he is moving around like a loony, we saw it stretch its legs, move an arm up and suck its thumb!!!! What a cutie!! Both mama and papa are restless souls so I'm not surprised that its alive and kicking! It's amazing how it has grown over the last few weeks...from a tiny little white blob to a fully recognizable baby, head, legs and arms!!! Too emotional for words really.....

The End!

2009-09-01T08:51:00.001-07:00

Could this really be it? The end of the dreaded first trimester sickness, utter exhaustion and 48 hour headaches? Well, they do say come week 12 and you'll feel like your normal self again. Well this morning, I had a hearty breakfast, played with the cats and even walked to work in the rain!! It sounds like things are looking up for me. Fingers truly crossed this time it really stays this way and I can be back to my normal energetic self again. Woohoo.

I have my all important 12 week scan this Thursday with Dr. Muhlenbrock (6th generation German) and I am really looking forward to seeing babys growth and hearing his heart beat(like galloping horses apparently!). I will post up a photo of the scan of course.

Things on the house front aren't looking too good but it is teaching me patience and acceptance that not everything will go the way you want it to and sometimes you just need to sit back, enjoy the present moment and focus on the good things life has currently got to offer. Life could be much worse!!! The important thing is, my little bean comes out healthy and happy and nothing will compare to holding him/her in my arms for the first time and looking into its eyes. Nothing. It doesn't matter where we are or how much money we have, the only thing that will matter is I'll be holding my first born. The love of my life.

Fresh Sea Air

2009-08-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

In Viña del Mar and enjoying the fresh sea air which definitely makes a change from the Santiago city smoke. We took a stroll along the beach and are now looking forward to a long lazy lunch with the in-laws. I've been feeling good again but what with my first trimester inconsistent track record, who knows how long it will last?

I bought the MOST AMAZING pillow ever yesterday which helps pregnant women sleep more comfortably and indeed I slept wonderfully last night and it made a change from my constant tossing and turning, I slept like a log. It's a long snake like pillow which moulds against your body and you can sleep on it however you want. Awesome. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Looking Good

2009-08-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

I looked at myself in the mirror today and actually felt like a Victoria Secret model! Haha! I've lost weight so don't look pregnant at all and I look as though I've had a fabulous boob job, wow!

Ok, maybe not AS hot as Heidi Klum but you know what I mean! I'm going to make the most of it before I start putting all the weight on (10kg to go apparently), get thread veins, stretch marks, cellulite, the works!

In the last 3 days, I've had very persistent headaches and have felt extremely tired, weak and dizzy. I've needed to sit down a few times on the bus and metro (crouching down on the floor, seats are a rarity on public transport, you have to be either very old, VERY pregnant or very typical selfish Chilean to get one)...but I'm sure this will all pass soon. I am counting the seconds.

Today I managed to do an errand for work which was actually good as I got to go out (the weather was sooo beautiful today), go for a walk, do some window shopping and even buy me some things. I haven't spoiled myself in a while and I found a lovely soft lilac dress and raspberry pink cardigan which went really well together, oh and a cute pyjama too. I want to be a hot mama!!

I then had a burger king, not great, I know but it did ease my nausea and dizziness and I felt good walking home so I think my body needed the extra salt and calories.

Hopefully I'll be well enough to drive down to Viña this weekend, we haven't seen the in-laws in a while and it's about time. Wish I could just drive down to see my parents...but alas....I will definitely be flying home for a good 2 months when baby is born so the grandparents can meet their first grandchild. I'd stay longer but daddy has to work and wont want to be separated for too long. I'm getting ahead of myself now! 6 months to go!!! And it looks like it's going to be a warm 6 months ahead, it's 28 degrees today and we're suposedly still in winter. Crikey.

Hubby is doing the laundry at the mo and then will cook me something delish, yes I know, I'm way too lucky. He is amazing. And will be an even more amazing dad. That's for sure.

Migraine

2009-08-27T05:38:00.000-07:00

Oh when will this pain end??? Just when you think life is hunky dory, it throws a migraine into the works. A horrendous one at that. I was fine and dandy all through the day, a little tired, but fine, come early afternoon and I could feel a headache coming my way, that dull persistant ache you get at the back of your head. Well, it just got worse and worse and by the end of the night, my head was back down Mr familiar toilet again and I felt awful. I don't feel great this morning, very fatigued and I just want to lie down and sleep but work beckons, we're actually moving this weekend into a nice new modern office and need to pack up so I have to push myself today. I'm really wondering when the 2nd trimester burst of energy will come my way?? 2 weeks left!!!

My belly has a very slight little roundess to it but it's still in most peoples eyes, as flat as can be. I won't notice a bump until I'm about 20 weeks....long way to go till then....

Nothing much to tell at this end other than despite this pain, am deliriously happy and everytime I think of the little one, my heart fills with joy, it's indescribable.

xxx

11 weeks!

2009-08-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

Feeling Better!!!!

2009-08-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

Today I feel like celebrating as I feel good again. I don't think I've felt this good in 3 weeks so I'm hoping this means that'll be the end of it and I can go about (more or less) my life again...

We went for a drive just to get out of the house and ended up at a place we haven't been to in months, the mall!! Not our favourite of places, we always end up spending too much money on things we don't need when we go there, it's full of colourful shops and sparkly things but we were good this time and just did a lot of window shopping! We did go for a DELICIOUS lunch at a sushi place though, my first meal outside the flat! We went to a baby shop and had a look at some really cool buggies and cots and were pleasantly surprised at the costs, not as expensive as I first thought! One of the top of the range buggies was about 100 pounds which is really really good. I saw so many cute things I wanted to buy and started to get really excited....well I have 6 months left so I need to be patient, one day at a time!!! Luckily we have 2 birthdays and a christmas before the arrival, so I'm going to start a wish list soon!!!!

We changed the flat round today so it's not as boring anymore, moved around furniture, lights, TV - it looks way better and the cats are snooping around wondering what's happened. I needed a change!! Oh and so did our bed covers which I changed last night, after lots of staying in bed for days on end, it was about time. There's nothing like fresh, white linen!

We may have a buyer for the house so PLEASE CROSS ALL FINGERS AND TOES AND PRAY PRAY PRAY. I have a feeling we'll be moving very soon!!!

Till next time xxxx

Yukky Yuk Yuk

2009-08-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

Ugh, this nausea is really doing my head in. It comes and goes when it pleases. I was fine until Thursday afternoon when I started to get get quite a bad headache and my nausea was acting up again and so ended up in bed until....today, Saturday! I hate feeling so useless and lazy but all my energy just seeps from me and I feel like I can't even get up as everything hurts. Hmm maybe my mind is making it worse....
Had to take Friday off work but I'm sure they understand, at least I hope so. I'm nearly 11 weeks and the little one will now start growing even more rapidly and soon the placenta will take over and do the job for me and I won't feel this bad anymore. Hubby has gone out yet again for some little groceries, carbonated water seems to help, and I've had a craving for smoked salmon with philadelphia cheese, yum.

Second Scan

2009-08-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

We had our second scan last week with our fabulous new doctor at the even more fabulous Clinica Alemana (best hospital in Chile) and saw our little bean, tiny hands and legs, oooh it looked adorable and both mum and dad to be got a wee emotional. It was amazing...I'm glad to be in safe hands, our doctor was wonderful!!!

The nausea seems to easing up as I actually felt like going into work this morning and ate three toasts instead of the usual yoghurt and banana. I may be feeling better because of a Reiki course I did this weekend which was amazing and I can now heal others as well as myself. We spent the weekend healing people in the group and it was just beautiful, what an experience. Apparently babies born with Reiki come out with a smile!

Some questions and answers on Reiki (click here)

10 weeks tomorrow!!!

Patience please!

2009-08-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

I may not look pregnant, in fact, I've actually lost weight but my word do I FEEL pregnant!!!! Your body is going through so much in the first 3 months it's impossible not be affected by it. The uterus is growing, it affects the other organs, your hormones are raging like never before, the tiredness overwhelms you and the nausea is not going anywhere. I feel really run down and long to be my energetic self again, go to the gym, go out for dinner, meet with friends, but alas right now it's just me and my cats indoors staring at the potplant. It's not much fun but do please bear with me as this blog will not be about feeling sick forever and soon I will be posting more photos of the expanding belly and gushing about all the baby things I will start buying..

Patience please! xxx

Worse Than Ever

2009-08-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was hit by the worst nausea, pains in my stomach and vomiting than ever. Yesterday I was vomiting every 2 hours and couldn't keep anything down, not even water. It's Sunday afternoon and I'm feeling a tiny little bit better but still very nauseous and not hungry at all but am forcing down an energy drink and salty crisps which the darling brought for me this morning. I envy all the women who glide through their first trimester feeling absolutely fine...and am really hoping I feel better again soon, it's not nice not being able to anything about this consistent nausea....
Till next time when I feel better.

Stressful Times

2009-08-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

This week has got a bit stressful to say the least, from desperately trying to find a buyer to sell the house, to my nausea getting worse and my cat breaking her leg (well she's limping around and we'll only find out tomorrow if it's broken or not) to having to schlep myself to immigration for my visa stamp tomorrow and really not wanting to have to go downtown and breathe in horrible city fumes. The hubby did go for me today but after waiting for an hour, they told him I needed to be present, well on the positive, my husband is pretty amazing for doing that for me...

So, the nausea has got worse and my tummy is really aching not to mention I feel more bloated than ever. The uterus must really be growing this week and the bean moving around more than ever. Awwww my bean. It still feels surreal to think about it let alone write about it!! I wonder almost every minute of the day what it will be like, who this little person will be! What personality it will have? Will it inherit its feisty Chilean genes? As a matter of fact, we're pretty feisty on this side too so it may end up being a right little madam/mister! I dreamt the other day that it was a boy, it's strange but I feel it will be a boy, I've felt it even before I got pregnant, that I would have a boy - apparently a mothers instinct is mostly correct! But of course I would ADORE a little girl, I have a name if it's a little she already and would be over the moon if it was a little girl. The important thing is that it's healthy!!

So, our main priority right now is getting our burden of a house sold so do please send us some positive vibes!!! Once we have it sold we can move into a nice big place where I can finally relax...I'm sure we'll be fine, we still have a few months left!

Our next docs appointment in tomorrow afternoon, I'm hoping we like the gyno this time!

Tamsin xxx

Feeling Better

2009-08-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

Today baby is 8 weeks old! The embryo is now a fetus and looks more human like! Apparently it's moving around in there now although I won't be able to feel it. The nausea seems to be diminishing but it may be because I am no longer taking my pre natal vitamins as they appear to be aggravating the nausea.

Last night I went to a big dinner hosted by the chilespouse expat women group which was fun and I saw a lot of my good girly friends and we chatted the night away, great news is that I found out two of them are also around 8 weeks pregnant! That was a shock! There are about 4 of us now which is great as we'll get to go to pre natal classes and yoga together! Glad I'm not in this alone!

Should be going for my next scan either this week or the next, will of course keep you updated.

xx

I've been Saved!

2009-08-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to this magical bottle of orange energy drink, I feel great this morning! A few twinges here and there but my nausea has vanished. It's not the most natural drink there is but I've been doing some reading and apparently it's fine for pregnant women to drink it especially when feeling sick and nauseated. Great, I'm a happy bunny again.

Pregnancy = An unglamourous affair

2009-08-03T05:43:00.000-07:00

I am a bloaty, gassy, unglamourous mess! Whoever said pregnancy is an elegant, sexy, feminine time was very wrong! For me at least....I am full of air, my stomach hurts, I am nauseous most of the time (just threw up), I feel dizzy and stupidly tired...here I am on a Monday morning contemplating yet again whether to go to work or not today but I think I will just have to force myself to go. It is just for a few hours and I can leave early....

Tonight I have a big dinner with the expat chilespouse group ( a group of expat ladies married to Chilean men) so I am looking forward to that and hoping I'll feel ok for it.

Well, I better dry my hair and get dressed for work...ho hum.

xxxxx

Baby clothes!

2009-08-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Today I feel slightly, but only slightly better. I have decided not to take my prenatal vitamin today to see if it makes a difference as apparently the iron in the vitamin can cause the nausea to be worse. So instead I'll be munching my day through fruit, vegetables and nuts full of folic acid.

Yesterday we received our first little set of baby clothes from a good friend in Holland:

Adorable! I look at the clothes and just cannot for the life of me imagine that my future son/daughter will be wearing them! Sometimes it's just too much to take...but it's real...I suppose I want to wait until the crucial 12 week scan and only then when I properly can see the babys outline will I feel more pregnant and realise that all of this is really real and not some life I'm floating above...

I think that because of the nausea I've not been able to focus on really being pregnant and I feel more like I've been struck down with a stomach bug. I just want to feel healthy and energetic again!! 3 weeks left of this I hope!

Happy weekend to all x

And the Sickness continues....

2009-07-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

Yep, Mr nausea has decided to stay and I am still feeling as yukky as ever. I hardly sleep and need to rest as much as possible. Luckily my work has been very understanding and I have taken 3 days off this week. This morning we had to wake up early and go for the usual blood and urine tests to check I'm ok. Imagine having to go feeling sick, not being able to drink, eat or pee! Include a hot, crowded stuffy metro and long wait at the clinic = not much fun.

But I am back in the flat, sipping my hot chocolate and taking it easy again. I feel that the more smaller foods I eat throughout the day, the slightly better I feel so I am nibbling on a few biscuits...

My next scan should be at the end of next week, I'll nearly be 9 weeks by then. After the 8th week is when things start to get more exciting; the baby stats to grow more rapidly and hopefully the nausea and sickness will soon disappear...this is supposed to be a wonderful experience so I am grinning and bearing it for the time being...

Much love xxx

7 weeks today!

2009-07-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

"Now about half an inch / 1.25 centimetres long, the size of a grape, the embryo has distinct, slightly webbed fingers and toes. It's a jumping bean, moving in fits and starts. The liver is churning out large amounts of red blood cells until the bone marrow forms and takes over this role."

Still feeling as queasy as ever but I feel it gets better the more I move and am out and about. Massages also really help! It's strange but while I'm feeling as queasy as ever I am craving all sorts of different foods, esspecially salty foods like chips and marmite. Mmmmmh! Luckily for me I brought over a tub from the UK. I should be careful though as yesterday I kidn of overdid it and gulfed down a whole bar of chocolate (Green & Blacks buttersctoch, the best ever) a large plate of chips drenched in mayo and ketchup, a large mug of hot cocoa, crackers with marmite, a banana and a big plate of pasta in the evening, and to top it all off I spent most of the day in bed. Not good for the thighs AT ALL. I really need to push myself to eat more healthily and do more excercise.

Lots of love from bean (or kleines wuerstchen (small sausage) as my mother calls it!) and me xxx

Belly at 7 weeks (well 1 day away)

2009-07-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

Here's my first showing of a teeny bump. It definitely looks bigger but that may be due to bloating as I don't think you're supposed to be able to see a bump until at least 10 weeks but then again I do have the flattest stomach and any small changes would be visible! I'm still wondering how on earth my small stomach is going to be be able to support a baby!! Will I lose my best asset??

Bleugh

2009-07-26T17:13:00.000-07:00

Bleugh. I feel awful. I was feeling fine until I hit the 6th week. Bang. The nausea has hit me hard. I feel sick throughout most of the day, uncomfortable, bloated, my breasts are killing me and I'm beyond feeling tired. To top it all off, it's freezing cold and as Chileans don't know the meaning of central heating, it's cold inside the flat too and I'm having to wear at least two jumpers inside which just doesn't help matters. I'm really hoping this is just a first trimester thing and I really will feel energetic and wonderful as so many say come the 2nd trimester. My husband is being wonderful though and giving me massages, cooking for me and just making me feel very loved which is just what I need and more. I cannot bear a week at work but will have to do my best. After all, it is only a 5 hour day in a very relaxing atmosphere (the average day consists of lots of cups of tea, chit chat about the weekend and weather and occasionally checking my emails so I really shouldn't complain). I've just read that nausea in the beginning stages of pregnancy is actually a good sign and shows that hormones are raging through the body and that the pregnancy is strong! Not all (quite) that bad then...

I'll be 7 weeks on Tuesday, hooray, congratulations to me on getting through another week....

Till the next one!

My firs 6 week scan!

2009-07-24T06:46:00.000-07:00

Had our first 6 week scan yesterday and we saw the little mites heart beat!! There it was thump thumping away, couldn't see anything else apart from the egg sack.

Wow, it was quite emotional and I'm glad that so far things are looking absolutely fine in there, have to have a few more blood tests and go back for my 8 week scan. They do a scan here every 2-3 weeks which is amazing. We'll be having the baby at clinica Alemana which is the best hospital here in Santiago, you get your own whole private room, cable TV, amazing food, your very own doctor, midwife, anethaetists, etc etc throughout the birth - it's pretty much like a 5 star hotel so I'm glad I'll be looked after amazingly whatver happens.

Still house hunting, the one we wanted fell through but at least we know we want to live in Peñalolen, it's a lovely place, the mountains are just behind it and you also have a great view of the city and it's just 20 minutes in the metro. We're looking at another one on Tuesday, 4 bedrooms, garden, big patio....looks lovely! Good luck to us.

Lots of love xx

Feeling Sick

2009-07-22T17:30:00.001-07:00

Had my first bout of nausea, dizziness and headaches today! Ugh! I feel awful but husband is busy cooking something healthy and delicious to perk me up. The cold in Santiago isn't helping either, and as buildings here don't have central heating (you don't know how lucky you are if you're reading this in Europe) they're as cold as the temperature outside, seriously! It's a joke. I have to wear my coat in the office and 3 jumpers at home. You can put the heaters on, but they end up costing you a monthly bomb and it's not worth it. I'm hoping I feel better soon and also that this isn't the start of my first trimester sickness as that would mean a whole 1 month and 3 weeks left of feeling totally shite....

First doctors appointment tomorrow!

xxx

6 weeks today!

2009-07-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

Today I am 6 weeks and the little bean should look something like this. It's tiny heart has begun to thump, it's eyes are visible, the kidneys and liver are growing fast, and the neural tube, which connects the brain with the spinal cord, closes.It's about 3 mm long, wow! I still don't feel ill and am eating fine, touch wood! I hope I take after my mother who didn't suffer from any of that either! I feel quite calm and relaxed, of course at times, worries take over, will we be ok? Will we have enough money? Will we stay in Chile forever? But I know that I need to take one day at a time and enjoy the moment. And I just need to repeat to myself that all is well and as it should be; repeating that to myself always makes me feel better if I'm stressed or anxious about something.

Exciting news is that today we are viewing a house out in the countryside, in a little village called Peñalolen. It has a swimmingpool, garden, lots of land, 3 bedrooms, well it would be IDEAL. So I guess I will just keep my fingers crossed and see what it's like.

We've made out first appointment with a gynocologist an English friend of mine recommended. It's this Thursday at 6.30pm, the first scan. Fingers crossed for that too. Hubby is of course coming along too...

Well, hope my 6th week goes well!

Love me x

Leaving...

2009-07-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we fly back to Chile and sadness has hit me hard as I have to say goodbye to my family once again. It really is the hardest thing. But the great thing is, we had a beautiful time, we saw our big brother get married, we were lucky to have lots of sunshine and saw some new places (Brighton, Stonehenge..), saw my closest friends (not all however...) and have managed to pack some good old Cadburys chocolate and baked beans. Oh yes.

I'm a tad worried about having to take three flights in the space of 24 hours but will just take it easy and relax as much as I can. I need to look after the two of us now. I keep feeling my stomach and the feeling that a little he or she is growing now is so wonderful. I don't really have words to describe how I feel at the moment and am beyond feeling excited.What a simply beautiful journey we have embarked upon...

See you all in Chile!

Oh My, I'm pregnant!!!

2009-07-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

I just had my first pregnancy test and it came back positive. I'm still in shock and trying to take it all in. There's a little human being growing inside me!!! I know I'm just one month, it's early still but I'm positive I'll be just fine and just keep growing until I'm as big as a house (oh dear). I'm glad I'm in England so could tell my parents the good news and give them all great big hugs (my Dutch uncle and aunt are also here!); it was all very emotional indeed. But mummy and daddy-to-be are very happy. Till next month. :)

My tummy at 4 and a half weeks - no more belly piercing!!!!