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Not feeling that great
I've been a bit under the weather for the past two days really. It started over the weekend when my hubby got a really bad cold. He was sneezing and coughing and weezing. It was horrible. As it was the weekend and I was home, I spent all my time looking after him, brining him tea and cuddling him.
The consequence of that? There I was, the next day, laid out and in the same condition.
That was yesterday. God, what a mess I was. I hardly ate anything and I haven't felt like drinking either. My head felt twice it's normal size and my nose has turned a shiny reddish color.
But I've also been experiencing some discomfort in my back. Not in the centre, but on the right hand side. I've been complaining of a sore hip for a couple of weeks now, and now the pain feels like it's concentrated just above my right hip. I had pains yesterday in the right side of my stomach too.
Pain is too strong a word though. It's more like an ache or discomfort. But I've been careful to keep my fluid intact up.
So I called the hospital this morning, horrible images of ectopic pregnancies running through my head. Or even kidney infections. Logic told me that, at 10 and a half weeks pregnant, an ectopic pregnancy would be a little more noticeable that a dull ache, but I called anyway.
The lady who answered the phone suggested that I take 2 paracetemol and, if by 2:30 this afternoon, the pain hadn't gone, I was to call her back and they would arrange an early scan. She admitted that they think of ectopic pregnancies when a woman complains of pains like I described, but the those types of pregnancies rarely make it to 10 and a half weeks because the mother would be in agony.
Those words have comforted me that it is probably not an ectopic pregnancy - hell, it's probably nothing but gas - but I still need to know what's causing it.
So, I took the paracetemol and the discomfort in my tummy has indeed subsided. I wouldn't say it was gone completely though. My right lower back still aches. I've going to call the hospital again in a few minutes and tell them all this, along with the details of my surgery 6 or so years ago. I'm going to ask for an early scan to put my mind at ease.
Wish me luck.
Call me crazy
Thanks, guys. 
I've called the hospital again and spoken to a lady called Jill. I told her my worries. I told her how my tummy pain had subsided and how my lower right back is killing me. I told her that I'd been experiencing hip pain too.
As you guys have said, she told me that hip pain is very common in pregnancy because the ligaments are stretching. The same for back pain, even if it is only on one side. I told her about my surgery 6 years ago to remove the cyst from my ovary and how the combination of things has really made me worry.
And so, Jill has offered me a scan tomorrow morning. I feel so happy and relieved that I'll not only be finding out that the baby is OK, but I'll also be seeing that there actually is a baby there! I know that it sounds weird, but I just can't really fully grasp this whole thing until I see it. Maybe I should have done the pregnancy tests a few more times just to convince myself, but I didn't. Now I'm left doubting and worrying.
With the combination of being off work with a lousy cold, unpleasant back and hip pain and my emotions in turmoil, I got off the phone with Jill and cried. I called Stephen and cried some more.
Deep down, I know that the baby's there and that he or she is OK, but I need the scan. I need to hear a heart beat. Call me crazy! No, nevermind, I'm just a pregnant woman.
I've seen the baby!!!!!!!!
He/She was tiny. Exactly the right size for 10 and a half weeks. With a strong heart that I could just see beating away. The shape was hard to make out. I couldn't see any limbs or anything, just a little peanut-looking blob. (Sorry, little one, I don't like referring to you as a blob!)
They looked at my ovaries too and saw no signs any cysts or anything and the baby is indeed growing where and how it should. The discomfort that I've been experiencing, they say, is probably due to the stretching of the scar tissue from my surgery 6 years ago. During the ultrasound, I could just make out the scar tissue that they were referring to.
At least I know that the discomfort is nothing serious and that I'll just have to put up with it. It feels so good to not be worrying about this anymore. When I say that, I also mean that it's good not to worry about this baby's existence as well! I finally know without a shadow of a doubt that there is a tiny baby inside of me and that is such an amazing feeling.
As the trip to the hospital was only planned yesterday, Stephen couldn't join me. I asked for a photo of the ultrasound to show him but they wouldn't give me one. I still have my 12-week scan on October 17th and I'll have a picture then.
Patience, I keep telling myself.
Glitch after glitch after...
So, we've filled in all the forms, done the medicals and gathered our documents. Now all we have left to do is to get an international money order or bank draft to pay for the processing of our immigration forms.
The guide for the fees states that we...
"...should ensure that the bank draft or money order can be cashed through a Canadian financial institution and clearly indicates on its face the name and address (must not be a post office box number) of the financial institution in Canada where it may be cashed."
We took this sheet to my bank and told them what we needed, but they couldn't do it. They said that there was only room on the face for the name of the person or organisation it is being made payable to, along with the amount to be paid.
So, I asked, where are we meant to put the name and address of a bank in Canada? And how do we obtain the name and address of a suitable bank? I would have thought that any bank would accept an international bank draft or money order.
You know, I bet lots and lots of minds went into the creation of these immigrations forms and guides. And I bet that the guides have been rehashed and re-written endlessly to iron out any unclear areas. Every time someone finds something that makes little sense, I bet they go over it and reword it to be a bit more clear.
So, why, oh why, do we find ourselves in this situation?! (And not for the first time with these forms!)
I've had it explained to me by saying that a bank such as HSBC, which has branches in Canada as well as in the UK, are able to fulfil such a detailed request. Would it been too difficult to mention that in the guide? Something along the lines of "most bank won't have a f*cking clue what you're rambling on about, but try the HSBC".
Well, I haven't tried HSBC yet. I don't even have an account there. But I will contact them and find out if they can do it.
We could have had our forms sent off this past weekend if it weren't for this glitch with the fees. We had a glitch with the medicals too. And the xrays. And the photos. And the... oh nevermind.
Hospitals for everyone
It's been a few days since I've written. I've been feeling like I haven't had a lot to say really. Life's been moving along and things have been happening. Where shall I start?
Well firstly, my Mum's coming back to England again in exactly a week. She was here a few months ago to take care of my Nanna who had suffered a stroke. Since that time, my Nanna's been in a hospital in Cumbria wondering when she gets to go home. I've been calling her and trying to cheer her up a bit and, to me, she sounded like she was getting better. She sounded strong and feisty and longing to get home.
To my Mum though and to the doctors and nurses who take care of her, she is not well enough to take care of herself. My Mum says that she's become a bit 'flighty' and has a hard time concentrating on anything.
So my Mum is coming back to handle a few more financial affairs and to try to sort out some longer-term care for my Nanna.
I won't see my Mum until the end of October, before she flies back to Canada. On the upside, she'll be bringing gifts gallore! Ever since I told her I was pregnant, she's been knitting. She's bringing baby blankets, sleepers, booties, bottle, everything! So that's a whole suitcase coming my way, I bet. It's her first grandchild, you understand.
Stephen's Mum is in the hospital now too. She's been having chest pains and they think it's angina. Thanks to the lovely NHS, she has to spend 6 weeks in hospital before she gets her angiogram. She is well enough to be home, but that would take her off the 'emergency' waiting list. So, we bring her newspapers and magazines and try to keep her mind occupied before she goes absolutely batty.
Other than a slightly firmer tummy, I've been experiencing pretty much no pregnancy symptoms over the last week or so. The discomfort in my right side has subsided, although I'm still suffering with hip pain. I still go to bed quite early and sleep like... well, like a baby!
And, speaking of hospitals, my first antenatal appointment is a week tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to this as I'll finally be able to bring home a picture of my little one. And Stephen will be with me to see it all. It's something I can't wait to share with him.
And finally, although it's a bit chilly, it's a lovely day here in Romford. The sun's shining.
Good thing?
Sitting here at work, bored to tears, listening to Limp Bizkit on my headphones. Limp Bizkit always makes me feel like I could beat up the world. Not sure that's a good thing...
What's in a name?
I was feeling a bit under the weather last night. It started just after dinner. I had a stomach ache and a sore back and my right hips hurt too. I felt nauseous too. I was in bed by about 7:30pm and just watched TV for a few hours.
As of today, I am 12 weeks pregnant. It's right around this stage that the nausea should be subsiding. I certainly do have to stress that I haven't been affect badly with it and, amazingly, this pregnancy has not made me sick at all. I'm very thankfully for that! I feel much better today though.
It is also around this stage that I'd like this pregnancy to start showing. I have to be honest and say that my tummy didn't start out flat so it's a bit hard to tell. Stephen says that I'm a bit thicker around the waist than I was, and I can see what he means, but I still don't look pregnant to anyone else. Anyway, I've read that first-time mums tend to show later than woman who have had previous pregnancies.
Stephen and I went shopping yesterday. I went into Ottakars and bought a book of baby names. I spent my time in bed last night flipping through the book and circling the names that appealed to me, remembering that old piece of advice that says that you should choose a name that you will be able to shout out in a crowded playground.
For example, can you imagine your child running off and you shouting, "Sparkle, come back here! Sparkle!!" Nope, not gonna happen.
I found another one: Scholastica. "Scholastica, get your butt over here!" No, that's no good either.
How about Crispin for a boy? Ummm... nah.
Anyway, we're leaning towards a good English-sounding name like Daniel for a boy. I like the whole Dan or Danny thing. You know, his buddies calling him Dan the Man and everything.
For a girl: I'm having a harder time with that. At first, we liked something simple like Emma but, as we have plenty of time and I'm not 100% sure of that name, I'm doing my research.
Any ideas?
Ugggghhhhh....
I feel lousy. Again. What's wrong with me? Oh yeah, I'm pregnant. My mornings are fine and cheerful. As soon as I've had lunch, the nausea starts. I'm so afraid of puking at my desk that I get up every few minutes to go and stand in the bathroom, only to return without delivering the prize. So to speak.
My darling hubby joked with me on the phone a few minutes ago, "You had to go and get yourself pregnant, didn't ya?"
I always have to remind him that this was definitively a joint venture.
So I've had a few suggestions about baby names. I know that Minkleberry is having a hard enough time with the name thing herself. Nuttysue has warned me to stay away from Richard and William, as they can be shortened to Dick and Willy respectively. Refblog likes the name Dominic, which, I have to admit, doesn't really tickle my fancy. But what does tickle my fancy though is Refblog's name, Keith. How simple. Catchy.
My book of baby names tells me that Keith is Celtic for "a place" or "from the forest". Sounds good. I'll add that one to the list of possibilities.
Color?
We are all told to use the color printer for color documents and the other printers for black and white documents.
An "older gentleman" that I work with feels that he can use the color printer for everything and no one says boo to him. I bet he's been told and just doesn't care.
But hey, it's not my printer and not my color ink cartridge. Why do I care?
Can't bend like I used to.
You know that you're starting to show when you start having troubles bending over. I believe that this has been happening for the last little while but I'm just noticing it for what it is.
Every morning, I walk to work in my trainers and comfy clothes, changing in the bathroom once I'm here. And every morning, I sit at my desk and slip my heels on. These shoes have a strap across the top of the foot with a buckle on the outside of the ankle.
I now have a hard time getting my shoes done up! I can't bend and reach the outside of my ankle like I used to. It makes me feel like I'm squishing my tummy. And that's no good. I have horrible images of a little baby scrunched up into a tiny space with an annoyed look on it's face because I'm being so inconsiderate.
I'll have to get slip on shoes...
