We ARE in f-ing Europe....

I have lived in the UK for 8.5 years now, and I will never stop getting really annoyed when people from the UK say that they are "going over to Europe". YOU ARE ALREADY IN EUROPE YOU IGNORANT LIMEY!

Heard an ad on the radio today on a London station, from a major airline:

- wow, where did Pete get that amazing tan?
- haven't you heard? Airline XX are flying TO EUROPE for as little as £XX?

Firstly, how can you fly to somewhere where you are already, and secondly, where in Europe do you get an amazing tan in February?? Traceys tanning salon in Essex??

Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

Thank the flying spagetti monster for that!

Big big big sigh of relief today. Got the test results back from the lab, and we are LOW risk for Downs syndrome. You can never know for sure of course, but we are not in the category where they suggest more tests. Thank the flying spagetti monster for that!!! Now we can relax and also be honest to friends (we wanted to wait until these results were in, considering my age and all you get a bit scared about this stuff from all you read).

So apologies to friends we have lied to in the recent past.... I wasn't on a detox / driving was an excuse not to drink / no, I was never on antibiotics....

Phew.

Important note: Those of you who know me, and where I work - please don't tell anyone that I work with though!!! Not ready to tell them yet. Thanks!!

PS: The flying spagetti monster is the god I worship see here if interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster DS

Week 14: Where to go?

Trying to book a well deserved holiday for myself and the H, and finding it really difficult to find somewhere suitable taking into consideration that our normal holidays are not recommended for pregnant women (diving, skiing or other adventurous trips) and also, need to have "proper" food and stay out of the Malaria belt....

The H trying to be helpful suggested a wine district tour in SA..... he was not trying to be funny, he just didn't think.....

Where to go... where to go..... ???

Self-fulfilling prophecy...

I am at a conference with work today. A normally quite boozy affaire, so I had prepared a white lie that I had a throat infection and on anti-biotics therefore can't drink.

When I made this up, I had no cold or anything going on. That was yesterday.

Guess how I am feeling today?......

Week 13: Why are we doing this again?

Hurrah! It is the end of the first trimester - now I should (according to "the book") get renewed energy and not be so tired all the time (the book also says that this may simply be because I'd have gotten used to the tiredness etc by now...) Still waiting to feel less tired, but sure it will be here soon.

Had a wonderful weekend away with the H at a hotel with SPA on the seaside of England. It is easy to forget how close London is to the sea sometimes, so we decided it was time to remind ourselves. It was fantastic and relaxing, but can't help but really miss the old days when instead of going to bed ridiculously early saturday night (massage gave me a headache... and so did the football match from hell we watched at the hotel, my team was totally and utterly useless) we would go out on one of our silly evenings with lots of nice food, wine and silliness...

Also got slightly depressed at lunch in a country pub which was filled with kids and babies and the sound volume was extremely high, with both kids and babies screaming but even worse - their parents screaming in high-pitched voices, and chasing kids around the restaurant......

Why are we doing this again?

Billabong vs pinstriped suits

Complained to the H that nothing fits in the wardrobe anymore, "well, that is part of being pregnant" he very helpfully stated.... Yep, fat I am, but it doesn't look a bit like a baby yet, just fat... "The book" says it is too early to go out and spend lots of money on a maternity wardrobe and advices to borrow big T-shirts and Jeans from your partner to bridge you over...

Well... kind of think that the immaculately pinstriped men at work would raise one or two eyebrows if I turned up for a client meeting in baggy jeans and a big Billabong T-shirt...

Week 12: A REAL baby with a monster claw

Had our first "real" scan today (the one with the shrimp was too early), and it looks like a real baby now!! Hurrah, we are not having a shrimp. He/She moved around like crazy and showed off his/her headstanding skills etc. Absolutely amazing! This little thing is inside me? Just six cm long, but complete with two legs, two arms, two brain halfs (yep, we could even see the two sides of the brain...), a tiny little nose, and a monster claw (must be a sign of a strong personality!).

Probably the cutest six cm baby in the world!

Now they are doing the tests, and we will have the risk analysis in about a week. I am stupidly nervous about this, just want to know that everything is ok - or at least that the odds are on our side. You never know for sure. Another challenge for control freaks like me and the H. Fingers crossed there aren't any nasty surprises in my blood. Yep - the vampires struck again today; needed more blood they said.

Yeah right. The Queen vampire must have been hungry.