A short update..

Although Friday turned out to be a complete waste of time (the Practice Nurse was both new and without any knowledge), although to give her her dues, she did give us the name of another PN at a different surgery.

I managed to get hold of this other PN on Friday afternoon and she kindly made an appointment with the GP straight away (and she seemed a little surprised that this hadn't been done already).

So Monday at 11am I get to see a doctor. Thank god for that!!!

VP

At last! A professional opinion...

You won't believe how difficult it has been to try and get a doctors appointment. For those of you not from the UK let me briefly explain how things work here when it comes to finding a GP. If you're in England, then you can find out where the nearest doctor is and you pop in, fill in the registration papers and voila! You have a doctor. When we lived across the border in England we had a doctor, but since we love live across in Wales (only by a couple of miles mind you) they refuse to see us.

Unfortunately in Wales, things work a little differently, at least here in Flintshire they do. We had to get in touch with the county council and they allocate a doctor to you. The first time I phoned I was told that they nearest doctor (that had books open to new patients) was in Mold, which is about 25 minutes away from us by car. Silly me asked if there were any doctors closer to either our home or work and was given another doctor that was within 15 minutes of home.

So on Monday I drove to the nearer doctor (having called and confirmed everything with them first) so that I could register our details. Unfortunately when I got there they informed me that they didn't cover the village that we live in (even though they cover the one right next door). I called the council who insisted that they did but unfortunately the doctors had the trump card and refused the registration papers.

After several more frantic calls it became apparent that we would have to settle for the doctor in Mold as we were at least guaranteed that they would accept us (baring in mind my recent news and our impending trip to a Africa in a few days). The RO and I made the long track there, filled out the forms and the lovely lady at the front desk then told us that they have a branch within about 5 minutes of where we live. Somehow this seems to have escaped the councils knowledge but it was very welcome news indeed!

Unfortunately though the earliest that we can get any kind appointment (you have to have a mini medical with a nurse before you can think about seeing a doctor) is tomorrow afternoon and not a minute to soon! It's been a very long week, full of mixed emotions. On the one hand we have had several positive pregnancy tests but it still doesn't seem official until it's been acknowledged by a professional and I would love to get the low down on these damn hormonal mood swings and when they're likely to settle down.

Anyway, hopefully the appointment will prove fruitful and all this complaining will be for naught :-)

VP

A full schedule...

The dogs are back so our life schedules are suddenly full to overflowing again. Dogs are way more trouble than cats. They are incredibly demanding wanting to be fed, watered, walked and toilet-ed (I know, it's not a word but it best describes our dogs inability to 'get' the whole toilet training thing) and loved.

The cats on the other hand take themselves to the toilet and only ask that there be food and water available and that they get a nice cuddle before bed time.

I guess things will get better once the fence is finally put up - unfortunately we have to take the dogs out on a leash every time they show the slightest inclination otherwise they make an instant bolt for the main road which can only lead to disaster.

For those of you who haven't figured it out yet, believe me I know that the whole pet thing is really a moot point (or as Joey would say, a 'Moo' point) because we all know that children are WAY more demanding and definitely require even more dedication, love and effort but it's early days yet so let me enjoy the animal dramas a little bit longer :-)

VP

oh yes, I've finally managed to get an appointment at the doctors for Friday afternoon, will definitely have more to say after that.

I've been tagged...

That's right folks, I have arrived :-) this pretty lady has tagged me with the meme of 5's so here's the low down....

Ten Years Ago:
I'm not entirely sure what I was doing, but I do know that I was NOT talking to my parents at the time and anything that I was doing definitely went against everything that they had tried to instill in me.

5 Years Ago:
I was a business analyst for a financial software development company. At night I spent a LOT of time partying and partaking in some seriously questionable mind altering substances. Attended a whole bunch of fantastic parties with my fantabulous group of friends who are still very important to me today.

1 Year Ago:
The boys (our 2 Jack Russell puppies) had just arrived and our lives revolved around them. We were also renovating our previous house (spot the cycle).

5 Yummy things:
1) Condensed Milk on fresh white bread
2) Avocado
3) Fresh, homemade, salted popcorn
4) Toasted chicken & mayo sandwiches
5) Nando's chicken! (double yum)

5 Songs I know by heart:
1) Somebody - Depeche Mode
2) Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
3) 99 Red Balloons - Nena
4) Your Song - Elton John
5) Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

5 Things I would do with a lot of money:
1) Pay off our mortgage and finish all the renovations before Christmas
2) Distribute enough money to all of my close relatives and friends that they can clear their debts
3) Provide financial assistance to those couples desperate to have a baby but without the means to do so
4) Fund an animal rescue centre
5) Invest wisely so that neither myself nor my partner would have to work again thereby reintroducing the enjoyment of work

5 Things I would never wear:
1) Anything in Gold
2) White shoes (other than to get married in)
3) Stick on bra (they do not work on big breasted girls)
4) Hot Pants
5) Patent leather thigh high boots

5 Favourite TV Shows:
1) West Wing
2) Lost
3) Everwood (Red I thought I was the only person who watched this!!)
4) CSI (Las Vegas and New York, not Miami)
5) House of Tiny Tearaways (you'll probably only know it if you live in the UK, I LOVE this show!)

5 Things I enjoy doing:
1) Reading
2) Playing with the dogs
3) Stroking my cats
4) Doing DIY
5) Sleeping :-)

I don't know enough people well enough to inflict a meme on them yet so I'll just pass it onto the RO

VP

p.s All is still well although I'm struggling to get an appointment with the doctors to confirm everything once and for all. Thanks to ALL of you for the kind comments and wishes.

I know what I said but...

I'm feeling a little silly now because last night I had a new version of a recurring dream that I have been having for a very long time.

Every version contains a baby, and I am always looking after said baby. In the old version however I'm always struggling to hold the baby. I have never dropped it but my arms always feel really heavy and tired and I look around frantically for a soft service to hover over in case I do drop it. I have never been to stressed out about it when I wake up as I have always assumed that this was my subconscious saying that perhaps I was not quite ready for the responsibility of a child.

Last night the dream had a distinct difference. In this version I felt perfectly capable and very comfortable carrying the baby around. Throughout the dream I hugged, cradled and rocked this baby and I never experienced the heavy limbed exhaustion of before.

You may wonder why this is significant and why I feel quite silly? It's because this morning when I went for my ritual morning wee, I re-introduced the stick, and there was a faint but distinct +!

I tried again (on a different stick) at lunchtime and the + was still there.

So there we have it folks, it looks like we've progressed a little so now we just have to hope that all is as it should be and that things progress smoothly from here onwards.

VP

How am I going to cope?

What I really need is:

a) A big white toilet that I can strap to my ass so that I can wee at any time without interrupting my life every 6 seconds
b) A bigger bloody bladder
c) Less thirst damn it, it doesn't help matters!

One might think when reading the above that I MUST be pregnant because everyone knows that pregnant ladies wee, a LOT. Unfortunately this isn't necessarily the case because I have and always have had, a very small bladder, and clearly a very short tube connecting my mouth to the acorn sized container where liquid is stored briefly before needing to be expelled.

I need to wee all the time, often within minutes of the last wee and it's not as if I get ample warning either. One minute I am blissfully comfortable and the next I feel like someone has forcefully injected seventy-five million liters of water into my body. I try holding it so that my bladder 'learns' (is this an old wives tale that parents tell their kids when they want to go to the loo all the time) to hold more liquid, but it HURTS and I don't like pain much.

Also, if I hold it I get infections and they are so not cool.

All this makes me wonder how the hell I'm going to cope (note the neat inclusion of the header) if I ever do fall pregnant. Surely it is not possible for me to need to pee any more frequently than I already do?

God, I hope not, cause if it gets any worse I'll be camping out in the bathroom and this will seriously impact on kitten cuddle time*.

VP

* No this is not some weird euphemism, I spend a large portion of my evenings cuddling the cats :-)

Looks like we'll be practicing a whole bunch more...

I managed to hold out until today. According to the box, the Early Detection pregnancy test should work from as early as 4 days before my period is due (which is Saturday). If that's true then it seems that we weren't lucky this time around.

I'm disappointed sure, but I'm not unrealistic, I don't expect everything to go the way that I want it to.

Of course we will test again in a couple of days but I guess the real proof lies in what happens this week-end.

I'm sure a whole bunch (hehehehe note my bigging my readership up) of you have been wondering why on earth we are even trying now given that we're about to eave for South Africa for our wedding and our house isn't even finished yet. I guess the main reason is that we're really ready, but more importantly we would've loved to have been able to tell my parents in person. I know that they wouldn't mind how they were told but it just seemed that it would have been something really exciting to share with them.

We'll see what happens over the next couple of days, but I'm not holding my breath!

VP

A Vast improvement :-)

So Manchester is a much nicer city when you make the whole driving thing someone else's problem. I decided to take a cab into town this morning and so had the perfect opportunity to sit back and have a look at the sites.

There are some gorgeous buildings in the city centre, and I think I may come back again so that I can spend some time walking around. Unfortunately it will have to be next year because the next few weeks are completely jam packed with things that need to be done.

We're off to sample the delightful deli selection at Selfridges tonight, or maybe we'll pop into one of those gorgeous Asian restaurants. yum yum yum yum yum.....

Can you tell that I am absolutely starving*!

VP

* yes, I know I'm not starving in the true sense but I use it for effect.

Manchester by car..

So here's a tip for free.... If ever you have to travel to Manchester, do yourself a favour, don't put yourself through the trauma of traveling around by car. This has got to be one of the hardest cities to navigate and I have driven around London for gods sake!

The day started out ok, I managed to navigate my way into the city without too much trouble having made sure that I had directions from my hotel to the course venue. However once I'd reached the city centre I discovered that Manchester is a city of road works and diversions. The last 2 miles of my journey was a maze of one ways and mad drivers. I eventually arrived at the venue (after some help from a very kind person) 45 minutes after setting out.

The drive home however was a completely different story. First, I was almost run off the road by some mad person who thought that he could fit his tank of a Ford into a space the size of a lemon. I had to slam on brakes and drive into the curb to avoid having my front end smashed to pieces (fortunately no lasting damage to my car although the same cannot be said for my poor heart). Then, all roads that should have led out to the Ring Road (and finally the hotel) were closed for yet more road works. Eventually 1 hour later I finally found the M60 and managed to find an alternate route.

I stopped in at the Trafford Centre to try and get some of my Christmas Shopping done (I had planned it for weeks) but I just didn't have the inclination or the energy. So I popped into Nando's, picked up a take away and am now hiding back in my hotel room and planning on an early night.

Hopefully tomorrow goes better (I'm intending on biting the bullet and paying for a cab instead).

It's a nightmare I tell you!

*sigh*

VP

Absence may make the heart grow fonder...

But this heart doesn't like being away from home.

I'm staying in Manchester for the next 3 days as I have to attend a training course. I'm to learn new skills for a role that no longer exists.

Worse than that I miss my other half (you know him well so I won't link - being lazy). I know it's sickening that we spend all our time together, pretty much 24 hours a day in fact, but we like it that way and so this length of time away is kind of difficult.

On the upside, this hotel has fantastic wifi access and it's free!

So I may update, if there is anything worth mentioning but in the meantime, if you're lurking, please leave a comment with a little bit of info about yourself. I know you're there and I'd like to see you 'face-to-face' :-)

Ciao for now.

VP

Seriously though is that really necessary???

Yeah ok, I'll admit it, I am a true South African when it comes to driving (sorry about the generalisation fellow SAFA's) but damn some of these UK drivers are crazy!

It amazes me that in a country where the traffic laws are really strict and enforced readily, there are still people who take seriously stupid chances on the road.

There have been 2 occasions this week where, had I been quick enough, I'd have taken down their registration numbers and sent them to the police.

The first occurrence was earlier this week. The RO was bunking off work with a bad back so I went home over lunch to take him something to eat. On the way back to work a guy in a Porsche came flying past me, then proceeded to weave his way through the traffic even overtaking on the inside lane (a cardinal sin in the UK - in South Africa, not so much). As we approached the offramp the Porsche dropped back behind 2 of the cars he had just overtaken. These same 2 cars took the offramp (a double lane) one in the left lane and one in the right. The porsche driver accelerated weaving between these 2 cars and finally slammed on breaks as the traffic lights changed.

As I pulled up to the traffic light I found myself behind him and he was looking in his rear view mirror. So I gestured to him (in a kind of shoulder shrugging palms facing up kind of way) to which he replied with a mocking yawn. So a clapped and he threw me the finger. The traffic lights then changed and he pulled off in a frenzy again! Asshole Porsche driver indeed - probably has a small..... erm sorry kids :-)

The second occasion was this evening on the way home. We were stopped at a round-a-bout waiting for a car to come around and this wanker behind me got impatient and decided to flash his lights at me. Unfortunately it was already dark so his normal lights were already on, this meant that the only way to flash at me was to use his brights. Even more unfortunate was the fact that the bright light reflected in both my side mirror and rear view mirror rendering me completely blind for several seconds. He did this twice before I was able to block the light and eventually pull off. He then proceeded to follow right on my tail for most of the remaining journey home. Lucky for him, he drove on when I pulled into our drive.

It just completely freaks me out! Where are the traffic cops when we need them?

VP

It's morse code for bees*

Although we have been pretty open with the ol' t'internet about the whole trying for a baby thing, we haven't really shared that information with everyone in real life however the RO decided that today he would let the cat out of the bag.

You see we both belong to a fantastic mailing list (I know, we are geeks in a really big way) comprising of some very intelligent and eclectic people who spend large portions of their day arguing with each other about very important things. One of today's topics was about the next meet up that is to be held in December. The invitation comprised of all the usual information as well as whether the members of the list would be bringing children along. The RO thought that this was the ideal opportunity and replied with the line 'does a fetus count?'

This statement definitely wasn't overlooked (despite the list comprising almost entirely of men) and before I knew it I had several of them texting and msn-ing me to find out whether I am in fact pregnant.

One of these people has recently become a dad and the msn conversation with him took a very unexpected turn when he stated that if I was only likely to know whether we had been successful in about 7 days then I must've ovulated over the week-end. Unless of course (he said) I, like many woman the world over, actually have a slightly longer menstrual cycle, in which case I would probably ovulate tonight. Now I had been feeling pretty strange all day and couldn't decide what the ache in my lower abdomen was, so I mentioned this to him (strange I know but he seemed to really know his stuff!). He suggested that I pop into the pharmacy after work and pick up an Ovulation test as this would give me a clear indication of whether tonight was in fact the night that we should be the 'funky chicken'.

So, I popped into the pharmacy after work as he had suggested and bought one of those pink boxes. I brought it home and followed all the instructions. Low and behold! He was right, I am in fact only ovulating tonight and so the poor RO, sore neck or not has to perform his duty if we're to have any chance of success this cycle.

You just have to love the internet and the weird array of people that it produces!

VP

*If you're wondering what the title has to do with all of this, it's a slightly cryptic clue that only those in the know will get :-)

Isle of Man

I had a really early start this morning as I had to fly over to the Isle of Man* to do some work related stuff.

Having never been there I was quite excited (as I always am when it's somewhere I have never been). All I can say is that they are by far the friendliest people I have ever encountered. I never saw one grumpy face the whole day and everyone went out of their way to be helpful.

And if I think that the people are great, the scenery is truly breathtaking. I think that every single house has a gorgeous view from at least 1 window so it's no wonder they're all so bloody cheerful :-)

The word from the locals is that those planning on visiting their fair Isle should not bother with the ferry. It takes really long and the sea is almost always choppy so you're destined to have an unpleasant journey. Flying was really quick and easy, and if you fly from Liverpool airport, Euro Manx is quite cheap as well.

Apparently the accommodation is well priced and a big plus is that they have no licensing laws there so the bars and clubs are open (in Douglas) 24 hours over the week-end.

If that's not worth a week-end away, I have no idea what is.

VP

* not to be confused with the Isle of White which is on the other side of the UK!

It's a weird world we live in when

we celebrate someone attempting to blow up the houses of parliament. All in all though I'd say that this was the least stressful Guy Fawlkes I have ever experienced. People in our little village seem to be both sensible and respectful of the animals around them as fireworks were kept to a minimum and most of them were of the silent(ish) but pretty kind. Either that or most of the residents are too old to be into that kind of thing anymore ;-).

On another note, it has been suggested that I may be just a little bit obsessive when it comes to certain things. When I decide to do something I have to find out everything that I can in order to make an informed decision before proceeding. So when the RO and I decided that we were going to start trying to get pregnant, I did what I always do, I Googled. Thanks to the joys of t'internet I therefore knew that last night was the most likely time that I would be ovulating so the last 5 days have been a frenzy of 'trying'. Naturally the RO isn't complaining :-) although I think he'd probably have preferred it if I wasn't discussing the nature of mucus and the like.

What can I say, I'm adamant that all things should be considered equally in order to try and get the most desirable (if you'll excuse the pun) outcome.

All that remains is for us to wait the designated amount of time before doing that test - maybe we will be lucky and see the 2 lines but if not at least we're perfectly versed in the art of trying.

I'll keep you posted :-)

VP

You Americans are Loco!!

Man oh man there are some seriously weird people out there. A few days ago I posted about whether spanking was ok or not and it seems to have hit a niche that I hadn't considered.

Now I don't know exactly what people were hoping to find but if they were looking for the more kinky side of things they should probably go elsewhere 'cause they ain't gonna find any of that skanky shite here!

Statistically the US is way ahead of the rest of the world in this, to be more specific, of the many many 'spanking' searches that landed people here, this is the worldwide percentage split;

76% were from the USA
9% were from the UK
4% were from Germany
2% were from Canada

and the rest were from Russia, Israel and Luxembourg.

Now given how small Luxembourg is, I'd say that they're the real winners here :-)

B.T.W the RO and I don't spank each other (at least not in that way) although I do occasionally have to tap the little boys on the rump when they misbehave.....

VP

Just a little thing

Temperature up - check
Breasts tender - check
Cervix primed - check

Let the games begin!!

VP

Stop the world, I wanna get off!!!

So there I was, minding my own business, getting on with a bit of work when it struck me - it is November. Now that seems logical enough after all November usually comes after October but bloody hell, in 4 weeks we leave for South Africa! For our wedding! And we have guest fluing in from the UK! To join us!! AAaaarrrgh!!!

(Now I know that there are way to many exclamations in the above sentence, but seriously that was the reaction.)
You see, just over a year ago, the RO and I set a date for our wedding, and after much thought we decided that it was logical to have it in South Africa as the exchange rate favours the Brits (immensely) and it would be a great opportunity for our friends to combine a holiday with our happy occasion.

Everything wedding wise has been taken care of (thanks mom!) and I have my wedding atire all sorted out so there is no problem there but it struck me that I have all these people flying into a city that they have never visited before and I am responsible for them. So there began a frantic frenzy of e-mails and phone calls to gather all the information (flights, dates etc) so that I know when everyone is arriving and where they are going to stay.
In typical fashion I had all along told people not to worry about the details of accommodation and transport as I would take care of it for them. But yet again in my usual fashion, I had left these seemingly unimportant details to the last minute - hence my stressed reaction.

Fortunately, I am pretty adept at the whole internet thing and so by close of business today, all the details have been sorted out and we're ready to go.

Now to just get the house in some kind of habitable state for our animal sitter as I'm pretty sure the paid help won't be quite as forgiving of all the building rubble and clutter that currently fills every floor and window sill in the house.

At least that is something to keep me busy over the next 4 weeks, otherwise I just know that the time would pass very, very slowly!

Getting very excited now :-)

VP