Tulips colouring our garden

I think my favourite flowers are now tulips. They're just so nice and bright after winter and really stand out in the garden. I want to plant more bulbs every year, a different colour every year too. We first had the yellow and red blended tulips, so they're both red and yellow in one flower. They're finished now and next we've got red and yellow separately. Lots of red ones and a few yellows together which you can see in the background of the photo.

Last weekend Andre discovered this:

We're hoping to now have lots of flower magic in the garden this summer! You just sprinkle it wherever you want flowers to grow, and then water.

The greenhouse is filling up fast. The courgettes and pumpkins have only just moved in, but will be moving out again before we go on holiday in two weeks. The tomatoes, peppers and chillies will also then go into larger pots, but stay in the greenhouse.

Just look at the speed at which pumpkin seeds grow. I never knew they grew this fast! This is exactly 11 days since I placed the seeds in the soil.

Nearing the end of the first trimester and sickness starts

Saturday 30 March 2013

I'll be 12 weeks this coming week and am looking forward to the first scan on the 10th. Although I've not been feeling a 100% I've considered myself lucky not to have too many pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness for example. Spoken too soon as I've been sick the past two days for the first time since being pregnant. There is a bug going around so I can't be sure but I don't feel as rough as the people who've had the bug claimed it to be so am thinking it's now late afternoon sickness instead of morning sickness. Both times have been in the afternoon. I'm very very happy and grateful to be pregnant but can't really say I'm enjoying it yet, other than the first week of finding out and telling family. I can't stand not feeling 100%. And to top it all I've now got a cold which I'm hoping will not drag on for weeks as it sometimes does.

Not meaning to complain, as I said I'm very happy and grateful.

Ouma has been knitting!

 23 March 2013

My mom showed us on Skype the first baby sock she's been knitting! Loving it!! xx

Looking forward to seeing what else the grandmothers-to-be will knit! ;-)

Bike Ride

I had to get a ride in on Andre's new bike before I no longer fit into my bike gear. Quite some time ago I made an agreement with Andre that he could get this bike or something sporty like it once I'm pregnant and no longer able to ride with him. I've only ever been on touring bikes with him and have never been on a sports bike and thought it would be too uncomfortable. 

We only went for a short ride this morning and the first half felt a bit different. It accelerates so much faster which was a bit scary and I would punch Andre in the ribs when it got a bit much for me and wanted him to slow down. I have to lean a little bit forward with him which took some getting used to, but I have a much better view of the road ahead with him sitting more forward. On the previous bikes I would just be staring into his helmet. Once I realised this I started enjoying the ride more. I think it also took some getting used to as I've not been on a bike since our trip to Germany. And I must say, the seat felt as comfortable as previous bikes too.

He loves it so much!

No medical bills

23 March 2013

10 weeks along this week and I got Andre to take my first belly shot. Wasn't going to do this, but I didn't want to later regret it so here it is. I only realised I was 10 weeks along to the day once I was in pyjamas already. Will try for a better one next time!

While to everybody else it just looks like I've been enjoying one too many chocolates, I can see a small, small difference in my tummy.

I got this envelope this morning and before opening it turned it over for a clue to what it might be. NHS- so I knew it had to be something to do with my pregnancy. I said to Andre if we were in any other country this would have given us a sinking feeling of yet another medical bill probably, but not here! I continued to open the envelope to see what it might be and not only is it not a medical bill, but this card which now gives me all my prescriptions free while pregnant and up to a year after baby's birth, as well as free dental treatment while being pregnant and for a year after. And just in case baby arrives later than planned I can have it extended too.

As much as I sometimes want to get out of this country with it's long long winters and barely week long summers, it is such a blessing to be able to have our baby absolutely free of any medical costs.

8/9 weeks booking appointment

16 March 2013

Here in the UK, the first contact you have with any medical professional once you find out you're pregnant is at 8 weeks, or 9 weeks for me as my midwife is only at my GP surgery every other Tuesday. So I had my first appointment with her this week (the 12th March). It took just over an hour and is called a booking appointment because I think you get booked into the hospital of your choice, if you have a choice, and booked for your first scan which will be at 12 weeks. 

So the first thing I had to decide which I wasn't actually expecting (and I did some research on what to expect at the appointment) was to decide which hospital I'd like to go to. I had a choice between the Royal Berkshire Hospital which is in Reading, North Hampshire Hospital in Basingstoke or one in Oxford. I decided on the one in Basingstoke as I don't like having to drive into the centre of Reading and have been to Royal Berkshire for X-rays and found it difficult to find parking and find the correct hospital building. I've been driving to Basingstoke for my ear op and check ups, not to the hospital but have passed it and it's really easy to get to.

Next the midwife went through all the paperwork we had to fill out, I filled out some and she filled out some to get through it a bit quicker. There's a whole book you have to fill out and more! Contact details and medical history etc. You also get a certificate which you send off and then get sent a card to be exempt of paying for any prescriptions or dental work while pregnant and up until one year after giving birth which I'll make use of. (The British medical advantages are never ending!)

My midwife is really nice. Friendly and seemed to be thorough. I felt happy with her. A bit different here to SA where I believe you see a gynaecologist, here you only see a midwife unless you have complications where you might see a GP or a specialist as well.

After the paperwork was done she took my blood pressure, weight and height. Worked out my BMI (body mass index) which was fine. My due date she calculated from the first day of my last period which came to be the 15th of October, although I might get a different date when I have my 12 week scan and they measure the baby. She tested my urine for protein (signs of urinary tract infection) which was fine too.

No one has yet confirmed whether I really am pregnant!

Symptoms to date: nausea, tiredness (I start getting tired by 8pm, and can usually make it to 9pm before giving in to sleep!), constant hunger which has subsided now along with the nausea, and then having to get up on average three times a night. I don't even lie thinking whether I really need the toilet or not, I just get up and go, I'm so used to it now! Had headaches for about a week or two, waking up with them in the morning and then usually disappearing when I drink water or eat something. Only had one really bad headache which lasted and I ended up giving in and taking two paracetamol tablets which helped. Touch wood, I've not had a headache for the last two weeks or so which with my history of headaches is really good too! I do have an increased sense of smell and find I don't like the smell of coffee anymore.

I consider myself lucky that I haven't had anything worse and especially have not been sick. Hope it will stay that way!

My jeans are getting a little bit tight around the waist and I can notice a slight bump, which anybody else would assume to be from eating! Andre reckons I've just been eating more, but I don't think I really have as I used to snack lots anyway. Today I looked at maternity jeans online for the first time. A bit early I suppose, but I hate being uncomfortable in jeans. I'll wait a couple more weeks before buying. Luckily my work trousers are still comfy as they're horribly unflattering anyway. I plan to get one pair of jeans for weekends and one pair of black trousers for work eventually. I have a pair of stretchy 3/4 length trousers and another which sits on my hips, below my belly so am hoping that'll do as I won't need much else than jeans and the occasional 3/4 length for the British summer!

Waiting for more symptoms

Below is a post I wrote two months ago while we were visiting mom and Jürgen in Germany. Reading it again, I remember thinking the same thing on the way to my first scan: "What if they tell me I'm not actually pregnant?!" The scan at 12 weeks is the first confirmation by a medical professional that you are really pregnant. Before that nobody checks. They just take your word for it and give you lots of free things! Anyway, here's a short little post I wrote then. More to come with photos later this week.

Wednesday, 26 February 2013

Between six and seven weeks I still have had no nausea from being pregnant. I am considering myself lucky and know it might still come. I would be happy if it didn't come at all, but with having to wait another two weeks until my first appointment with the midwife I would welcome some more confirmation of being pregnant.

Andre and I spent a day in Munich on Monday and over goulash suppe lunch at the Augustiner Brauhaus I said, "What if I'm actually not pregnant after all?"

Nothing to do but wait! Two more weeks until the first appointment and then it should be another four weeks until we have our first scan. I'm also very eager to find out whether our baby will be a girl or a boy. I would not be able to wait nine months for that!

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