I had to buy the Daily Mail on the way home today after I spied a fellow tube passenger reading one with some kind of headline about stories behind wedding dresses on ebay. Of course mine doesn’t feature in the article, no one asked me!- but the first one I bought is on there for sale right now! I had thought I was going to have to give the thing away as I had tried to flog it on wedding discussion boards without resorting to an auction, but last week I gave in.

Was not expecting it to sell for anything more than a tenner – I did my research and saw lots of similar dresses without bids. But I did a couple of smart things like list it in 2 categories and make sure there was a clear photo of it, and voila, it’s still got 3 days to go and it’s already at £46 – I only bought it for £67 in January! So that’s some decent news.

In other crap news, I have about 12 weeks of work to do in the next 3 weeks, before I am off for a month. Today I was given a couple of extra major tasks that I wasn’t expecting, and I have no idea how I am going to do it all. Well, actually I do – it’s called working every damn night and weekend. Argh. And when I am supposed to have a life?? Oh and finish organising a wedding??

At least I have red and white cake to look forward to tomorrow. Must remember to take some photos again of Mark and his maple leaf tie.

Ah yes, memories of last year, with Dena too…

I thought I wasn’t supposed to be sick anymore now I am in the second trimester? Was okay for a couple of days and then puked during teeth-brushing this morning. For no good reason. I spose I feel better overall in the day but this getting up to pee in the night thing means I am exceptionally crabby and tired in the morning (as if I wasn’t enough already).

I’m off chicken which is a big problem when that is my biggest protein source. So I hit the peanut butter even though I am not supposed to have nuts because they might cause allergies. But hey this kid is going to be full of allergies anyway, comes from a long line of allergic types, so what the hell. I need protein more than cake and ice cream which still goes down a treat.

There’s no bump yet (bit early for that) but I do feel like it’s hard to pull in my gut than before. People at work (that don’t know) probably just think I am bloated and eating too much.

Have had completely clear skin for 3 months, no acne at all, but suddenly a zit outbreak around my mouth and nose – why!? Oh yes because it’s wedding time soon and I need to have bad skin for the photos… argh…

12 week scan – aka what kind of drugs was the technician on when she thought this was a good keepsake?! 

12weekscan
Originally uploaded by emmabean.

Ooh a new way to blog photos – www.flickr.com. And a new photo to put on – a really crap ultrasound photo!

Yes, we didn’t have enough going on already, so we thought a kid was a good idea.

Anyway, the thick ultrasound technician shows us brilliantly clear pics on her screen, including much movement and heartbeat – and then for the one that we have to pay for, she prints something resembling a tumour. Useless.

Finally – a ‘booking in’ midwife appointment today. Blood pressure fine, all’s well. Pee sample was a bit small but I didn’t have any breakfast before we went for the 8:30am start so oh well. It was a bit difficult getting the appointment but when we got there, they were all great – efficient in the excess for the NHS I think. But I think Mark speaking to the head of midwifery to get us in probably helped a bit.

Anyway, right after we had the first scan which is for dating purposes. Turns out there is a fetus/offspring/sprog in there after all! Saw it clearly on the screen, Mark saw the heartbeat super clearly and we saw it practically jump around when she dug the machine thing into my abdomen.

Only problem is that she gave us the crappiest photo of the scan ever! Oh well. Not really good for sharing though.

Ugh… my most recent suffering has to do with coughing when I wake up in the morning. Who knew an innocent cough related to asthma could provoke such violent bile-upbringing vomiting?!?!

So I’ve still not had any medical attention but not for lack of trying – after many emails, phone calls and complaining last week, Mark got me an appointment, at a different hospital than where we were meant to be going, on Wednesday. Turns out they did send me a letter with an appointment a week or two ago – to the wrong address that doesn’t exist. The next available appointment was like in July! 12 weeks now – and it’s not even confirmed or anything! So maybe it’s a 12 week old tumour?

Still getting sick though – Friday morning had to get off the tube for some air before I was ill all over people, and yesterday brought up some cherries and water particularly violently. So I can look back at these posts one day and go – wow, I was really obsessed with vomitting back then!

Heat, hayfever and asthma making things generally miserable too. It’d be nice if this would start to get fun…

Hmm I’m in some kind of posting frenzy.

Anyway, Canada Day activities at Canada House this year are looking improved. Mark and I generally enjoy going – the cake is good, the drinks (all Canadian beer and plonk) are free. Now, I know what I should I have said to Bryan Adams – you should come and rock us out.

We sold the piano on ebay today! Hurray! For more than 99p! One more piece of junk gone. Of course this sort of compensates for a recent spat of my purchases on ebay. I’ve come over with a sudden addiction and I am not really sure why. Plus I am one of those evil people who bids right at the end (where possible) to ensure I win it.

The heat wave has arrived…and look what we bought this morning. Looking forward to having it filled up soon! 

Okay completely bizarre evening.

I am meant to meet Anne, home for some r&r from Sudan for almost 2 weeks, and our other work colleagues for dinner at Carluccio’s (referenced in a previous post). Turns out that no one else that we usually meet with can come for various reasons like holidays and a poor old dog having to be put down. But, Mick, who used to work for Anne as an OT will be turning up. It’s a steamy night in London and we are fortunate to even have a table outside as the street is just packed with people happy to be sitting outside without freezing. Me, I’d prefer the freezing. But anyway.

Mick, I don’t know very well, but he’s a good guy. He’s even higher in my esteem after tonight as it turns out he has a Canadian partner. Kate turns up after a while to join us, and I had no idea she was Canadian. From Toronto but has been here for ages. But even weirder, they both worked at Whitby Psych, which is the crazy old hospital on Lake Ontario in the town I grew up (although now it’s a modern facility it used to consist of scary looking old house-type buildings with dark windows, plus at the time I was not exactly experienced in mental health!). And he starts talking about Tim Hortons and Canadian Tire. Well very strangely I had a very vivid dream last night that I stumbled across a Canadian Tire here somewhere near my house, went in to puruse the shelves, and thought to myself ‘oh DAMN I didn’t bring my Canadian Tire money!!’. I do have some here somewhere, I think Grace sent it to me… So that was just a bizarre mention of a random place in my head that I don’t expect to discuss here in London.

Anyway so 2 Canadians reminiscing, Anne telling stories of a very different life doing NGO work in Sudan, and what happens next?

No kidding -Bryan Adams turns up and grabs a table with a couple of mates at the back of the restaurant. I see this guy with a pock-marked face (as he has) walk up beside us, and I’m like ‘Kate is that not Bryan Adams?’ very excitedly. Alas she can not support my claim as she has lived in the UK since ’94 and apparently never watches tv. The other two have no idea either who he is or what he might look like in person. I began to question whether or not it was him, but then I took a trip to the loo and got a side shot and he looked like THIS exactly!! How bizarre! What is happening in the universe? I so wanted to say something to him but he was with some entourage heavily engrossed in conversation. What I would say to him I have no idea – not like I have ever even been a fan! But he’s an icon of course. I knew he lived here but I didn’t expect to see him in a very busy chain Italian restaurant that, let’s face it, is okay but is not the greatest.

How bizarre.