What the...Mushroom?!?

So, like any normal people, Ian and I eat mushrooms. We buy the package at the store rather frequently...come to think of it, normal people probably don't go through a pack of mushrooms a week, but I don't want to get into if we are "normal" or not right now!

As we are making dinner the other night, I am pulling the mushrooms out to wash them and discover what looks like a clump of hair in the mushroom pack! Now, Ian tried to convince me otherwise. But, I am not convinced this is going to be a natural blob like the one found in Alaska. I am just thinking that somehow, someone's hair made it into my pack of mushrooms. Gross!

Look for yourself...

The Baby & More

At first I thought I wouldn't bore all of you (my fans) out there with constant news and details about the baby. Then I realized that NONE of you get to see me or be around during the growing process of this bundle of joy. So, out goes the idea of not talking about the baby all the time, and in comes more baby information for you!

I got a surprise baby present in the mail on Wednesday. Someone buzzed our house...I didn't answer it at first (still dodging the TV tax people!). But, the guy buzzed again, so I decided to answer it. He said he had a package and I said, "who for!?!". When he said "Ian and Jessica", I was shocked. No one ever sends us anything! I was even more surprised when he came to my door with the package and I opened it. It was baby stuff from my wonderful friend Chandra.

I feel like I am growing by the day, but I think that is the plan, so I am okay with it. Thankfully, I haven't seemed to gain any weight in any other places than my bump. And I haven't gotten any stretch marks yet...though I do use the cream twice a day. I realize I still have a ways to go for all these "fun" side effects to take place, but I am happy that I have made it this far without them. My insides are starting to feel quite smooched. This makes it really had for me to bend over, so I have to do the whole squatting thing. But, it is impossible to do this when putting on my shoes and things like that, so I just have to bare the unconfortableness for a couple minutes while I do things like that. My friends over here have been really supportive of me during the pregnancy. They get mad at me when I over exert myself and help me be careful. My boss is so afraid of me getting swine flu that she has made everyone sign a document about taking precautions and there are bottles of sanitizer all over our work. It really is sweet that she cares so much.

On the non-baby front, we actually have two ripe blueberries on our blueberry plant. This was very exciting! So, we picked them last night and each ate one...they actually tasted like blueberries! We were very excited! Our tomato plant has 10+ tomatoes growing on it. They are all still green, but I am excited about the thought of being able to use tomatoes that we grew ourselves in the coming weeks.

Want FREE Dental Care?

Get PREGNANT!

Apparently in the UK, when you are pregnant, you get your dental care for free! Why, you ask? I am going to go with, pregnant people are already feeling fat and such, so they should at least have good looking teeth for free. Okay, so I don't really know the real reason, but I am NOT going to complain.

And the thing is, my dentist isn't some crappy dentist, it is a boutique dentist office. No joke, the nicest dentist office I have ever been to. There are plasma TVs in the ceiling when you are laying down getting your teeth worked on. And, the TVs are big...seriously bigger than the TV we have at our house.

Today was just a check up and cleaning. I do need to get two fillings redone. But again, since I am pregnant, that is free. I will have to wait about 3 weeks for the NHS to approve it, but since I am pregnant, apparently I am unable to get silver fillings (though I would have paid for white ones anyway) as it isn't good for the unborn baby, so they just have to get approval from the NHS and I get my nice white fillings for free.

See, there are perks to being pregnant!

Technology

With technology today, anything seems possible. Any information is at our fingertips. Long lost friends make reappearances into our lives, and we can read what celebrities are doing day or night. There is live coverage of Michael Jackson's body being taken from the hospital to the coroners office and every movie available, even if it just came out last night. But, I am not so sure this is a good thing. I am starting to find a lot of technology needless and annoying.

Take facebook, my first victim. Do I like it? Yes. I love that I can see what my friends and family are up to. I love that I can keep tabs on those that have moved far away (wait, I am one of those!) and can reconnect with old friends. But, I don't love the pressure to be friends with anyone and everyone I have ever known. A couple of months ago, I finally just stopped accepting most of the friend invitations I was receiving. I mean, honestly, I wasn't even close to most of those people. Just because you know who I am, doesn't mean you need to be my friend on facebook!

Then there's all those darn paparazzi websites. I am not going to lie, I like looking at celeb photos, just like the rest of you. But sometimes I think, enough is enough. Do celebrities need to be stalked in their homes, having helicopters flying from above? I was embarrassed for society when I saw pictures of Michael Jackson's children crying leaving the funeral home. I understand his family are fame whores and put the crying children on national television anyway, but some things just need to be kept private. And everyone deserves a chance to grieve over the death of their father without a camera in their face.

It just makes me think, when is enough, enough? When will we be able to put down our computers, blackberries, ipods and cell phones and actually focus on life that is right in front of us? When will we be able to enjoy being in the now and stop needing everything yesterday? When will we be able to enjoy the mediocre parts of life and not just wait for vacation to focus on those around us? For me, I hope this is happening every day. I don't want to get caught up in technology. I want to live in the present and enjoy every moment of it!

Please note...I do realize I say all of this from a blog. I am a hypocrite, I know. Technology is good, I just don't want to be overwhelmed by it.

6 Months or 24 Weeks

I really am confused by the whole months/weeks thing with pregnancy. Obviously pregnancy is technically 10 months...but when you think about it, there are two months a year that are 5 weeks long, thus making pregnancy 9 1/2 months. Oh so confusing. So, I never really know what to say to people when they ask me how far along I am! Actually, come to think about it, not many people ask. None of the customers at work know, and since I wear an apron all day long, you can't tell too much. Maybe eventually they will notice.

The pregnancy itself is going quite well. My belly seems to be growing every day and thankfully I have yet to gain an alarming amount of weight. The baby kicks every day and it is getting more and more frequent. Yesterday it was so hard, I was convinced it was trying to punch its way out! Ian was finally able to feel the kicking on Sunday. I have been trying for weeks for him to feel it and he finally did, so that was exciting. My belly button has become very shallow. And, my belly button ring is now about a centimeter above my belly button! I figure I will leave it in until it gets uncomfortable. A new "line" has appeared on my skin from my belly button down. I am not sure what causes this line, but it is rather funny/odd. So far I haven't had any crazy cravings. The only real changes to my diet are I no longer eat chicken (its all slimy and gross before its cooked!) and I now eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every day...I used to think this was the most disgusting sandwich on the planet! Other than that, my eating has remained the same. I would actually say that I eat healthier than I did before...probably because I am thinking of the growing thing inside me and want to make wise choices about feeding it. For the most part, I am still stretching into my normal clothes, though many of them don't fit me anymore! But, the stretchier ones do, so that is what I am wearing. I have broken down and started to wear my maternity jeans and let me tell you, those things are comfortable! But for work, I am still being ghetto and wearing unbuttoned pants that only zip halfway up! I wear a belt to hide the zipper and my long work shirts hide the unbuttoned top. Come to think of it, I have actually grown out of all my original work tops. But, I did the cheap option there and ordered Starbucks polos from work in mens sizes. They work great and at only 5 pounds each, they are quite the bargain!

I am starting to get antsy and wanting to buy things for the baby. We said we would start buying stuff in August, so I guess that is really only two more weeks that I have to wait! Given that everything is so freaking expensive, we will be spreading out the purchases over August - October, hopefully helping us not go broke! I also set up an Amazon wish list for baby, more so I can keep track of things I want/need for baby than for people to buy things for us. We are really planning on only buying the things we need in the beginning and adding on the other stuff as we need it. This will help with space in our little abode and also will help with the cost.

Believe it or not, I actually start my maternity leave in 8 1/2 weeks! At that point I will be 33 weeks (and I actually am using the last of my holiday for the year, then starting my maternity leave, so it technically doesn't start for a week after that). Over here, I will get 39 weeks paid maternity leave. The first 8 weeks are full pay, then the following 31 weeks are an amount set by the government. Everyone gets the same amount, regardless of how much you make. It isn't a lot of money, but it is more than nothing. And that means, I wouldn't even be set to go back to work until the end of June...kind of crazy! But I have plans...some random plans to keep me busy before the baby is born. Just wait, in time you will know of these plans!

T in the Park

On Saturday, Ian and I went to T in the Park. It's a music festival that takes place outside of Edinburgh. It seriously takes place on someone's farm. We were bussed out from Edinburgh, which took about an hour. Once there, there were about 10 different stages and food trailers set up everywhere. We caught some great music by The Noisettes, Lady GaGa (whom I actually think is totally obnoxious), Katy Perry, The Ting Tings (definitely my favorite performance) and The Killers. I also enjoyed the best (and freshest) doughnuts I have had in a while!

The festival itself is a sight. Everyone wears wellies (including me) and it isn't just for the mud. People leave their trash all over...and I mean all over. Then, guys seem to think they can relieve themselves against any and every wall (so we were sure not to lean on any!). The toilet situation isn't that great. They had portapots set up around the event. The lines for them were rather long. The first time I went, I was actually impressed that the toilets could flush and everything. But, by the end, the were totally full and backed up to the seat...seriously disgusting! I actually almost threw up over after walking into one in this state (gagging definitely happened). Due to this unfortunate incident, I ended up having to relieve myself on the ground with Ian blocking me (it also helped a bit that it was dark at this point). Fortunately for this bad situation, I at least had toilet paper with me, as someone had told me to bring it. The day before we went, Ian bought some pads for us to sit on, and it was a good thing given how dirty the ground was...it also saved my butt from a lot of pain!

The people watching at the festival was at its best. Seriously, people brought their crazy out and it was definitely entertaining. I have even decided to share some pictures for your entertainment as well:

Smoked fish...a bargain at 3.50 GBP!

Notice the guys peeing right by where people are sitting on the ground! And the guy on the right doesn't even have his pants fully done up before turning around!

I don't even know what to say here! I think the picture speaks for itself.

There were 85,000 people there. As the day went on, it got busier and busier. By the end of the day, you had to push your way through the crowd no matter where you were going...this picture is us actually trying to walk from one stage to another and the people are all just standing there!

I would definitely go to the festival again, but next time better prepared. I would bring an actual chair to sit on (to keep me away from the dirty ground!) and given that they don't check bags when you enter, I would bring my own food, though would still buy some of those yummy doughnuts!

Crazy Dreams

I have always been a dreamer. My whole life I have been one of those people that more often than not can remember my dreams. Well recently, my dreams have turned crazy. I don't mean nightmareish, but just crazy (and aparently this is a side effect of pregnancy...how or why, I don't know!).

Last night, I dreamed that we had given Riley to a friend when we moved away. While we were home visiting, Riley got sad when the new owner picked her up from visiting me. Because of Riley acting sad, the new owner decided to have her put to sleep. So, for the rest of my dream, I was running around, trying to find and save Riley! I had my mom calling all the vets telling them to not put her down, while I was racing all around town trying to find her and her new owner. It was quite the stressful dream! Honestly, I am glad its over...and I am glad to know that Riley is safe!

Besides the Riley dream, many of my dreams have been about the baby...me not having things ready for the baby, me going into labor at work and more. It seems like until this baby arrives, these dreams will just keep coming!

What I really want to know is the reason behind crazy dreams when you are pregnant. I mean, there has to be an explanation for it, right?!?

Poison for my Hair

I bought a larger bottle of shampoo and it couldn't fit on the shelf in the shower (riveting, I know...but I promise the story gets better...well maybe!), so it is just sitting on the tub. When I got in the shower, I realized that my bottle of shampoo and the bottle of tile cleaner (really, just beach) are the same two colors...black and blue and are sitting quite close to one another. And, even though they aren't the same shape, at 4:15am, I don't think that would matter to me! So, in order to save my hair, the poisonous tile cleaner must be moved.


Okay, so I lied...that story wasn't riveting at all. Dang it! Now, I must come up with a new title and idea for my novel, it was all about this wonderful story and I am guessing it just wouldn't draw the interest from the public that I am looking for!

Tourists

I love tourists. When I am not in a hurry, they are actually quite entertaining. When I am in a hurry, they just clog up the streets and annoy me. Either way, I want to share some of my top highlights about tourists.

1. Wearing your backpack on the front. First, this just screams "tourist" and makes me want to hit you over the head and steal your backpack! Second, do you see the locals walking around like this? NO! Then it is probably safe for you not to as well. And, if you are still concerned, travel with a messenger bag. You will look much cooler.

2. Wearing your "secret" money belt on the outside. There is a reason these bad boys are flesh colored! And, seeing them invokes the same feeling the backpack does, it makes me want to rob you...and I don't normally rob people! ha, ha. So, do me a favor, hide the money belt, or don't use one at all.

3. Asking every bus driver if this is your bus. When the first bus driver tells you exactly what bus number you are waiting for, please just wait patiently for that bus. There is no need to get on every bus that stops just to ask if it is your bus. Not only is it highly agitating for the bus driver, but with so many of you doing it, it slows down my bus on the way to work.

4. Going along with number 3, bus drivers DO NOT GIVE CHANGE! Never have I been in a city where bus drivers give change. So, please do not get on the bus and expect the driver to break your 50. Then, when you realize he can't, don't wonder the isles asking everyone if they can break it. This really is annoying.

5. Feel free to wear regular clothes when traveling. We all do and we live here. This really applies to you middle-aged travelers, but for some reason you think those pants that unzip into shorts are all the rage. I am here to tell you, they aren't cool. And, when does the weather change so much in one day that you quickly need to change from pants to shorts or vis versa?

6. Constantly making comments comparing the place you are at to "home". Remember, you are traveling to get cultured. Allow yourself to be cultured. Just shut your mouth, take it all in and wait until you are back in your hotel room to make your stupid comparisons.

7. Walking in a horizontal line. For some reason you seem to think that everyone in your group needs to walk next to each other. This clogs up the sidewalks for everyone else and really just annoys us. Plus, you are so oblivious to those around you that you will just stop without notice, continuing to take up the whole sidewalk. Not cool!

8. Hard Rock Cafe. I actually find it quite endearing that you flock in droves to this place, but Ian absolutely hates it. A word of advice though, in the past two months, both Ian and I have had staff meals there...the food sucks and is totally overpriced. Go into the gift shop and buy your souvenirs, then move on to a restaurant that is worth eating at!

I really say all this to help you. That way the next time you travel somewhere, you won't fall into the pitfall of the stupid traveler. Unfortunately, Americans very easily fall into this category, and I certainly take part with all my friends in making fun of you! I know it is mean, but it is just so easy to do!

Heat Wave

The UK is in the middle of a heat wave. The last heat wave, in 2003, killed over 2000 people and only hit 102 degrees...though you must remember that no one has air conditioning over here. Now, given how much I love the heat, one would expect that I would be excited about this heat wave. The only problem is that it is horribly muggy and sticky outside as well! Not nice. And, there is absolutely no breeze outside tonight, meaning my house is not super pleasant for sleeping. Note - even though I love the heat, I love being cold when I sleep. I know, it doesn't make sense! Even with all the stickiness, I have to admit, I am excited to wake up tomorrow and put on a "summer" outfit, given that it is my day off, and spend the day outdoors. That will be a nice change of pace for the life of Jessica!

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On the baby front, I heard the baby's heartbeat at the doctor's today. Also, for the first time, I was actually able to feel a kick with my hand on the outside of my belly (as opposed to just from inside). I called Ian over to feel it, but the baby stopped kicking when he went to feel. And, believe it or not, baby is considered viable (though not a good option) outside my womb now, which means baby must be well along in it's development! Hopefully though, it stays in for a while longer and fattens up!