On Vacation at the Bazaruto Archipelago a couple of months before I got pregnant.

My very first portrait photo!!!! (Frontal view)

Here am I at 15 weeks!! My sis took this pic last week when they were here for the holidays. I wasnt sure if I should put it up, as I dont look very pregnant yet. (Is it just me?) Everyones been asking me how the baby is doing though. Well, I absolutely cant wait to get a proper belly and start feeling the kicks. (Nothing yet.) Its mostly my ass that has been growing. Besides this impatience, Im feeling great (no more morning sickness, and the mood swings are much better now.) Im enjoying the early summer and refreshing swims in the ocean right now.

CANT BELIEVE IT NOW HAPPENED TO ME AS WELL. MY WHOLE VIP PAGE DELETED!!

What is wrong with this system? Just finished typing my whole VIP page over, and lost it again when I tried to save it!!

Well, I guess its not going to return by itself, so here goes a short update and Introduction again.

My husband and I are from South Africa but has been living in Mozambique for almost 8 years now! Before that, we sold everything and travelled around in a specially rigged 4x4 for about 18 months, before we took a break and my hubby got his Scuba Diving Instructor Certificate. The initial plan was to end up on some tropical island, but it took us 6 years to move on from the first place we stopped in Mozambique, and thats only 200 km from here! We are in the Tourism business and now also involved in building holdiday homes here.

At the moment our home is actually an enormous army tent! I have an outside shower and bath between the trees, and although its not always easy, we loove our lives. No crime, No polution, No traffic, No stress. Only stretches of beautiful beaches, sunshine, tropical fruit and of course the warm Indian Ocean. I wouldnt change it for anything else in the world. My husband loves fishing and spear fishing, which means I have an unlimited supply to fresh fish! The nearest town is about 40 minutes drive from here, where you can only buy basics. We mostly get around with quad bikes over here.

We never seriously talked or planned on having children (still wanted to buy a yacht and travel the world...). After 10 years we actually thought we cant get pregnant - I never even used any contraceptives, as my husband says, his reverse gear is very good (well obviously not that trustworthy any more!)

We both strongly believe that children are a gift from God, and if He wants to put a soul on this earth that you are blessed to parent, then this will happen, no matter how much you plan (or dont). So after finding out, we have only been thrilled!

The only major drawback on living here is the malaria though. Ive had it about 8 times and actually stopped counting. This has been a real concern to me since Im pregnant, as I understand the parasite can enter the placenta, and there is only one relatively safe medicine you can use (and that only in the last two trimesters) - quinine, which believe me, is POISON and makes you feel ten times worse!

I do believe Ive had a relatively easy pregnancy so far. 6 weeks was the pits though. That was when I suspected I could be pregnant after feeling really terrible. They could have left out the morning and just called it sickness - around the clock! Luckily that only lasted up to the 12 weeks-mark.

I also had a bit of spotting at 10 weeks, but that turned out to be nothing serious. I dont own a scale, but gained quite a lot of weight, as I also stopped smoking as soon as I found out. Quitting turned out to be much easier than I expected though. I never had any headaches or stomach cramps, but I am very sensitive to strong smells (gas, smoke, insect repellent, petrol fumes still makes me gag). Dont know if its because Im not close to any shops, but I also dont have any significant cravings. I did live on fresh fruit in the first 6 weeks. Then again, if you give me five minutes Im sure I can draw up a never-ending list of things I would really appreciate right now - with ice cream on the top of the list, followed shortly by chocolate cake! Other symptoms Ive had are bleeding gums, the regular trips to the loo of course, going to bed very early and then lying awake the second part of the night, or having dreadful nightmares if I go back to sleep again. I can also smell the ocean much better (although I suspect the ciggies could have something to do with that.)

I went for my first check-up and scan at 10 weeks and everything turned out to be wonderful. The little one was kicking and boxing vigorously with his new arms and legs, which made me laugh uncotrollably (and very loud and unlady-like I must add.)

Im in my 16th week now, and are feeling great. Still havent felt any kicking though. I do think my belly is starting to grow at last. It feels quite stiff.

Well, let me first try to post this page - (for the fourth time I think) before continuing.

Rudi, my soulmate and soon-to-be Daddy!! (Excuse the cigarette)

This is Couta. Being pregnant and extra emotional, I miss him terribly every day. Although he died 4 days before his first birthday, I loved him like a child. He was with me every minute of the day, and he brought so much love and joy to my life. We lost him 6 months ago. Many of you might think me to be crazy, but I just thought he should also have a place on this page, as he has a special place in my heart...

14-10-2007 - 17 FULL WEEKS NOW! Im still feeling great, and met some awesome people on this site. And yes!! My belly is starting to grow at last. No stretching pains though. Guess its still too small for that. Havent made any docs appointment, but I will have to go to SA soon to find out the sex. Ill keep going for u/s until baby spreads the legs!! Not coming back without knowing for certain. I want to start naming him and talking to him like the unique person he/she is. Still convinced its a boy, though. Good luck to all you lovely girls, especially those of you who are stressed out / ill / worried or just having a hard time.

25-10-2007 18 Weeks!! and I managed to organise a trip to the doctors at last - in 2 days time we will know if its a boy or girl. I can not wait and have sleepness nights because of all the excitement.

I had this hillarious dream last night. I dreamt my Mom and both my sisters went with me for the u/s. The doc turned on the screen, and it was like a this huge projector against the wall, with lots of images of the baby, only the pics were animated!!! And.... Baby was wearing a nappy!! One of those nappies with clips between the legs (luckily it wasnt clipped,) so if the little one moved and kick enough, we could catch a peek between the legs. After a little while Baby flashed indeed - and..... no dangling. Its a girl! Doc said. I was so shocked and dissapointed, my Mom had to comfort me, and my sisters were crying hysterically. (No idea if its because of the sex or if the whole episode was too emotional for them). Well, we just stared in disbelief, and the longer we looked, the fatter it got between Babys legs, until it eventually started resembling little eggs, and the Doc admitted that its a boy after all (I have an idea she just said so because she realized we are not going anywhere until we hear its a boy!) He-he!! Oh, these pregnancy dreams....

ITS A BOY INDEED!!!!

Went for my sonar last week. Together with both my sisters and my Mother-in-Law we were quite the crowd in there. Doc first took all the neccessary measurements and then moved on to his bits. She asked me what Im hoping for, and I told her shes sounding like a fortune teller not knowing her job - But all of a sudden this little stalk appears between his legs, and everyone was astonished. (Think I was lying too close to the screen, I thought its a leg! He-he!) But then he closed his legs and we couldnt see no more. We all cellebrated with lunch afterwards. My Mother-in-Law was still weepy and emotional for hours after that. I have the most supportive family in the whole world and are so happy....

21 Weeks!! I took my camera and tripod to the dunes and set it on auto-timer. I am still sore from running up and down in the sand to get these shots. My dog was watching me as if I went loony!

I have been very lazy updating my page - went to SA for the Christmas Season and all my family and friends didnt want me to return to Mozambique, so Ive been mostly staying at my Mother-in-Laws.

My little boy is measuring two weeks bigger! At the 36-week scan he already measured 39 weeks, so my doc gave us a week discount! The big day is moved to the 11th March. I am sooo excited and relieved, as there seem to be no time to be nervous about the C-sect anymore!

The docter explained the procedure and all the risks and pains involved - I hope I will be able to relax and not pass out with the thought of them cutting me up! (Im having a spinal block and will be wide awake during the whole operation.)

10 March 2008 - Only one more day to go - unbelievable! We have to be at the hospital at six in the morning, - Ive asked to be done first - dont think I will be able to wait for hours and see all the other moms going in and out of theatre. I am actually much calmer than I thought I would be by now. Think its the anticipation of finally seeing and holding our little boy!

My sister insisted on taking some final pics of my huge belly. So this is what I look like a couple of hours before the birth.

11 March 2008 -The C-sect turned out to be much easier than I expected! I had a Spinal Block, which is much like a epidural, and was awake during the whole procedure. My husband forgot the camera in the maternity ward and everybody had to wait for him to go get it first. I could only feel the first spinal injection as a burn, then some heat spreading to my buttocks, and my legs started getting needles and pins. This was the same sensation I felt wherever the doctors touched my body. My blood pressure dropped (Due to the spinal AND of course me wanting to pass out because of the thought of what exactly they are doing to me.) They gave me some drugs to stabilize my blood pressure, and I felt better within a minute.
Then they called my husband to take the first picture of our son, and quickly showed him to me. I had to remind my husband to take some photos - he was just standing there in awe as they were cleaning him and did his check-ups. Then they handed my precious son over to me, and I held him for a short while before Daddy went off with him to the maternity ward where he had his first proper bath!
They sewed me up, which took longer than the birth, and I had to stabilise a bit before they took me back to my room.
The pain was minimal, and except for the pain medication administered through the IV the first day, I didnt take ANY pain medicine until I was discharged after three days.
Baby had to spend a day under the lights, which was very hard for me (as well as the blood tests they had to do on him), but he is a healthy, beautiful baby!

My darling son Ralph. He is such a cutie!