Ok, so I figured it was about high time I started a hair journal for myself. It's been long enough, eh?

I am currently in week 13 of pregnancy, and am anxiously waiting for the :-Xmorning sickness:-X to finally be OVER. I keep reading in all these baby books that most women get a magical surge of energy and suddenly feel brilliant once they start the 2nd trimester. Good grief, I hope that applies to me too!  :P
(I must say though, once I saw the wee one in the scan last Thursday, the nausea didn't seem so bad anymore.)

One of the big things I'm looking forward to as well is that I will achieve "Pregnancy Hair".

My mum had it, her mum had it...so by George, I hope I get it too. So far, my hair feels a bit thicker and slightly more resilient (though that could be my wishful thinking).

I have reached a point now where I am very happy to just go without makeup in public now and show off my preggers glow. Hopefully, my hair will follow suit and do the same!

I'm sure your "preggers glow" will be quite evident.  I look forward to following your pregnancy and resulting fantastic hair growth.

Oh thats wonderful. I just had a beby a year ago. And the extra hair is good except when it starts to fall out after you have the baby. It doesn't last for some people, I did research on it online because i didn't know that that would happen after i had my baby. I hated it, I thought all my hair was gunna fall out but the info i got said it happen to some women after pregnancy and sometimes it grows back thank god mine did.  

That is one thing I'm really afraid of! I know it's a very common thing that happens to a lot of women after pregnancy.

I guess I'll just have to put it outta my mind for now and worry about it if and when it happens!  :P

Besides, you take really good care of your hair, and most women don't.  :) So, logically, you are in any case going to lose less hair than if you were an "average" lady.

When I was pregnant I wasn't paying attention to thickness, so I don't know if I had any new growth. At the time I was just wearing my hair in a braid all the time. I think that increased thickness would make a difference to shorthairs, but nine months of growth isn't going to thicken up the ends, where we really want the thickness to go.

But my hair did grow lots lots faster, so it would be interesting to see whether your growth rate changes.

The thing I've noticed in the last few weeks is that when I wear my hair up in a bun, I have all these flyaway new growths. I'm delighted with it because, although they can be a bit obnoxious at times, I was having some thin spots around the front of my hairline that are now invisible.  :D
Could this be the first signs of positive preggers hair? I hope so!

I'm gonna get Mum-in-law to do a bit of a trim on the ends either tonight or tomorrow. She does a brill job. It's great cuz it's free and she listens to what I want done. (Better than many stylists these days!)

I need to get into regular split end dusting. To be honest, I couldn't be bothered most days as I'm simply too tired. However, I don't wanna pay the price for my laziness later on.

*Note to self - "Pull yourself together, woman!"*  ::)

To Dye or Not to Dye.

That is the question.

Ugh...I'm sick of having to colour my hair all the time just to keep it looking civil. I wish I had naturally red hair. Now wouldn't that be something?!

I'm gettin some serious "rootage" goin on up the top of my head, so I'm gonna have to do something soon. Somedays I really really RESENT having to colour.  >:(

On a lighter note, I have finally crossed the threshold into the 2nd trimester. I'm finally gettin past the nausea and am slowly gaining back some of my lost energy, so hopefully that will inspire me to do something about my appearance.  8)

Rua,
I am so glad you are starting to feel better!  And congratulations on your new baby-hairs.

When I worked in the salon, I had the opportunity to observe a lot of ladies' hair as they went through their pregnancies.  I did some research on after pregnancy hair loss for some of them and I thought I would share it with you.

According to the medical community, when you get pregnant you start producing a lot of estrogen and your hormone levels are not fluctuating monthly and this causes your hair to kind of stop before the fallout phase.  So your hair thickens up.  Then, in some cases, after your baby is born and the hormones return to their normal cycle, all the hair that has been hanging on,  CAN start to shed causing ladies to panic that all their hair is going to fall out.  It's not.  You won't lose any more than the extra you gained during your pregnancy.  But I've had a lot of clients whose hair stayed thick, and many many of them experienced very rapid hair growth during pregnancy and you certainly don't lose that!  So enjoy your pregnancy hair and glowing skin and don't worry about what might come out later, your body is smart enough to know when to stop.  You won't lose your hair.

I'm glad you started a journal!

strawberryfine

Oh, thank you so much Strawberryfine for researching and posting this here. That definately has put many of my fears to rest! I hope I end up like the ladies who don't lose their newfound hair, but I probaby won't be that fortunate!

Well, I'll enjoy it while I can! Thanks again!  :-*

maybe the post-pregnancy hair loss has more to do with crying babies  :-X
(i am just giving a good excuse to make the father get up in the nights  8)  )

Hmm...I like your philosophy. If I gotta shed a load of hair, then hubbys gonna have to recede his hairline. It's the only way things will balance out.  ;)

Hey Rua,

Could you use henna, or henna-containing shampoos to keep the red with less fuss?  Also, if you do a search for natural hair color enhancers, you'll find one for red hair that is 1/2 beet juice, 1/2 carrot juice that sounded interesting.  And if you do vinegar rinses, try red wine vinegar; I use it and it seems to keep the red bright.

Hope you're continuing to feel great!

Just think; this time next year will be baby's first Christmas!

I'm occasionally using a henna shampoo at the moment, although I don't see too much difference. I'm not sure if it's cuz it's a cheapie one or what.

I will defo try the red wine vinegar rinse though. I dunno why I didn't think of that one sooner!  :)

And I've seen the beet/carrot juice recipe before but haven't tried it, mainly cuz I never buy beets. I should make an exception for my hair!
Have you ever tried it before, SF?

Well, I tried the red wine vinegar rinse today and am very pleased with the results. Thank you Strawberryfine. This will defo go on my "to do again" list.

It's helped blend the ol' roots a bit so that maybe I can get away with another week before dyeing. (I'm so lazy!  :P) It gave a lovely shine too!

Anyhoo, I'm absolutely knackered and am off to bed now. This is Rua - signing out - for now.  ;)

I coloured my hair this morning. "Grenadine" from Garnier Nutrisse. I have used this particular colour many times before. I much prefer the staying power of Feria, but because Feria is a bit more harsh, and Garnier is quite easy on the hair and light on fumes (for the baby's sake), I decided to have one more go with this before switching back.

It gives a nice colour, but in about 2 1/2 weeks it'll be brassy and I'll be back to finding ways to make my hair colour vibrant again between treatments.

And I was really really bad.  :-[ I was in a major rush this morning and blowdried my hair. (Using the warm/cool setting at least.) It was very windy and cold this morning and I didn't want to catch my death.

I'm still losing a lot of hair. I can't figure out why I'm still shedding. I've been in this rut since July. I haven't gone bald yet, but I can't help but wonder what my hair would look like now if I hadn't lost all the wee hairs over the months. I was hoping this would cease with the pregnancy, but it hasn't happened yet.  :-/

Rua,
I don't think you've been all that bad, just blowdrying one time!  Every once in a great while, if I'm in a hurry,
well, we all slip up from time to time!  You're still a good girl!

Bet your color looks pretty.  Guess I'll have to go buy some beets and try that beet and carrot juice recipe so I can try it out before you do!

I wouldn't be too concerned with any shedding during pregnancy.  I've seen a lot of pregnant ladies hair go through changes and never once did any of them go bald.  I think having a baby just really affects your whole body~but it will be so worth it!  I know you'll make a great little mum!!!

Gotta go take my eggnog bath, put on my jammies, watch a movie, eat Chinese and drink a glass of chocolate milk or maybe hot chocolate.

Yum!

strawberryfine

Aww, Thanks! Talk about serious body changes. As this is my first baby, everything is so new, and different. I'm starting to get a little "poodge" in my belly now.

Let me know how you get on if you do the beet rinse before me!


On a side note, I am pleased to say that this is roughly the 4th week that I've gone without makeup. My skin has never felt better. My eyelashes are back to the way they were when I was a kid, long and curled. (I think makeup wrecks your eyelashes. I know mine were after nearly 10 years!)

I don't know why I have completely lost interest in wearing makeup, but I have. I just couldn't be bothered with it. And it's great! For the first time in my life, I'm totally comfortable with going out in public just as I am!

I met up at the local pub for lunch with a friend that I haven't seen in about 4 months. The first thing she said to me was, "Oh my God! You're hair has gotten so long!"

Needless to say, I'm pretty chuffed with that.  :D Especially considering that lately, my hair has been gettin on my nerves. (Although, when ISN'T my hair gettin on my nerves?)

And I have a hair objective that I'm going to stick by for sure. Aside from a possible dusting in the next week or two, I have vowed not to trim my hair at all until after January when I go to see my Mum in the states.

She wants to see if my hair has grown much since I last saw her in August, and I reckon I'll have a fair amount to show her by then!  ::)

That's great that someone noticed your hair growth, Rua!!     :)My hair's been getting on my nerves, too.  I wish
someone would notice that my hairs grown a little!

Went into City Centre today to have my first antenatal class. Met up with a friend afterwards for lunch. (She commented on my hair being in good nick which was nice. Two compliments in one week! I'm doin great!)

We went to Boots Chemist where I bought a load of girly things, including a new wide tooth comb. (It isn't overly wide, though which is a bit disappointing. It was the widest one I could find.) I really must invest in a proper wooden one like all the ones I keep seeing people post about. My last comb was plastic and one of the teeth broke. A HUGE no-no to use, I know.)

Got some hair dye to stock up for the next time I need it. 'Twas on offer! Can't beat that!

Had KFC for lunch. OH MY GOSH - It was soooo yum. I love their chicken strips! (How sad am I? Gettin all excited over KFC chicken strips?? Oh dear.  :-[)

Rua,

Excitability about food is just one of the many pleasures of being pregnant.   ;D  You should enjoy it to it's fullest.

Oh believe me I am! Can't get enough of it!

FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!

Ok I'll stop now... ;D

This has nothing to do with hair, but I just wanted to record this...I don't know why. I've been having the most strange and vivid dreams lately. One in particular stands out to me because it's one of those "recurring" type dreams, and I rarely get those.

I'm driving down a narrow canyon and my Dad is sitting in the passenger seat. We approach this sharp bend in the road where a rock wall is on one side of the road and a cliff drop off is on the other - no rail guards.

Everytime I approach this bend in the road, my Dad tries to take the wheel and I'm fighting to keep control of the car. Everytime, I get us around the bend safe and sound.

Until last night.

Last night, I approached the bend, and my Dad again tries to take the wheel. He jerks a little too hard and we end up careening off the edge of the cliff.
I'm not scared of dying, but really irritated at my Dad for doing this. I look at him, and he gives me the look that I remember him giving me so many times as a child. "Now look what you've done. This is all your fault."

He never says a word - but his expression does all the talking. I shout at him, "Why did you do that? I had it under control! This isn't my fault!!!"

And then I wake up.


WOW! Freud would have a heyday on that one, eh? I'm not sure if I'm dreaming like that because I haven't seen my Dad in over a year and am going to be seeing him in January or what. Maybe my subconcious is trying to come to terms with what our interaction is going to be like when I finally visit.

We've never had a good relationship. He's not a communicator at ALL. When I rang him in work to tell him about the pregnancy I said to him, "Da, your gonna be a Grandpa."

Dead silence on the phone. And then him sobbing. He just cried and cried. My mum told me later that he came home from work and started crying all over again. He rang the relavtives to tell them the good news and bawled on the phone to them too.

For someone who has such an impossibly difficult personality and tough exterior, he sure can be a big softie.

I suppose that's one of the reasons why - through everything in our traumatic relationship - I love him so much.

Rua,
I have no idea what your dream means, but when you visit your folks
DON'T LET YOUR DAD DRIVE AND STAY AWAY FROM MOUNTAIN ROADS AND CLIFFS!

I think that should about take care of everything, don't you?
(And it's not your fault.)

Also, congrats on your two hair compliments, and in one week!
I salute your decision to wait until after January to cut your hair.  Let them see it all; I bet it looks gorgeous!

If it's any consolation, mine has been getting on my nerves a bit lately, too.

strawberryfine

For some reason, I'm hungry. ??? ??? ???

Oh! Maybe you're having pregnancy sympathy hunger pains! I rang my mum last night, and she said that's exactly what she's having! LOL

Then again, it could be because in just about every post I make on this board, I mention food. I'm a terrible influence. You are best not to follow my example. (I went on a Pringles binge yesterday. Oh my word, they were so yummy!) D'Oh! See what I mean??

And I will definately take your advice while on the roads in January! Such a strange dream, eh?

I don't know about my hair looking gorgeous now (it's in a mass of fuzzies on my head cuz it's morning here and I haven't brushed it yet)...but I'm hoping it be will by the time I get out there!
;D

During your pregnancy you willl have a lot of weird dreams. I did. Esepecially like that, I had one about me and my mom and we were being chased by someone and they followed us home and were keeping us locked up in there and then I remember they were going to take my mom out because they were going to kill her and I went after them with a knife and saved the day. But that wasn't the weirdist one just wait the farther you go along in your pregnancy they get worse. I hated mine, some of them I was very violent in. Especially towards other women, some things happened with me and my hubby during my pregnancy and I would have dreams and I would beat the stuffins out of other women, and I am not a voilent person. My hubby was shocked when I would tell him about them. But don't worry too much about them its just the hormones.  :)

Oh I know what you mean! I've had strange dreams involving violence as well. My mum said that she got the same thing when she was pregnant with me and all of my sisters.

In fact, last week I had another dream that involved me trying to order a chicken sandwich from a fast food place and this women kept badgering me and badgering me to hurry up so I turned around and clocked her. Hubby came running towards me to pull me off the woman, and all the while I'm shouting, "All I want is a chicken sandwich!!"

It's SO not like me! LOL!! Scary!  :o

Rua--I was laughing out loud reading your post about the chicken sandwich dream.   ;D

[quote author=Rua link=board=journals;num=1101230958;start=15#22 date=12/14/04 at 11:07:42]Oh believe me I am! Can't get enough of it!

FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!

Thats' me, too.  Only- I'm not pregnant!!
I had very vivid dreams too, when I was pregnant
I'm wanting to cut my hair, too!! We'll encourage each
other not to do it

LOL Rua!!!

My mum and law trimmed my hair for me finally last night. I've been puttin it off for ages. I think though that I put it off for too long. I had quite a few splits, most of which I'm hoping were taken care of last night.
She only trimmed off a wee bit - less than 1/4 inch.

And I've decided that I'm unimpressed with my latest dye job which took place early last week. It's already gone brassy. Looks like it's back to Feria for me for next time. That's the one thing I hate about colouring red. It's so hard to keep up! Good grief, what I'd give for lovely NATURALLY red hair.  :P

Haven't had any over the top dreams lately...but the week is young.

And Baby has been havin a go in my tummy...kickin and somersaultin around in there like nuttin' else! What a pet!  ::)

That's a good sign the babys's so active!

Rua,
That's so sweet!  I hope you can enjoy every moment of your pregnancy-and then when the baby gets here-look at all the aunts he or she will have!

SF

My Journey With COing Begins....

As of two days ago, I decided to finally take the plunge and start COing. So far, I've loved the results. The first wash I did I used L'Oreals Elvive Conditioner. My hair felt fantabulous afterwards. I haven't ever been able to get a comb through my hair without struggle until now.

Then I made a slight mistake. My brother in law got married yesterday, so I decided after my CO wash to put my hair in pin curls. My hair was lovely for the wedding but absolutely tangled and a mess afterwards.  So this morning, I decided to do a CO wash again using the same stuff. My hair is still really soft, but I reckon I may have to slightly dilute the conditioner, as it's a bit heavy for when you are not shampooing.

I'm not giving up on this yet though. Since reading the old CO thread that was dug back up from the Long Hair Care forum, I'm gonna keep it going.

Any conditioner recommendations or CO methods anyone would like to share with me? (Seeing as I am so new at this!)

:)

It's official.

I am a CO convert.

WHY OH WHY didn't I start this sooner? *smack in the gob*

Since starting this I've modified it slightly so that I am putting slightly watered down conditioner on my scalp to give a bit of a massage. I put one or two drops of very mild henna shampoo in the mix because the conditioner I'm using is quite heavy and it seems to do the business on lightening it up a bit.

Then I put straight conditioner on the ends and let it sit while I finish showering. Rinse....then cold rinse...then I'm done.

When I comb my hair wet now, the comb glides through without a fight. (I was having the hardest time before.)
And I am losing MUCH less hair which is amazing! Anyone who has seen my panicked posts about hair loss around this site knows how big of a deal this is to me!

As well as this...the little scalp buildup problem is slowly disappearing. And no more scalp itch! Who would've thought it?

There is hope for this fine haired lassie to one day have EXTRA LONG LOCKS!  :D Yay!

Rua,

I'm so glad COing is working so well for you!  I have no doubt that you will reach those beautiful extra long locks!  It sounds like you solved your hair loss problem; whoda thunk it was breakage from tangles maybe? Sounds like you've got it well under control now!

How's baby? Still kicking and flipping?  Take care of yourself!

SF

I think you're going to find that your hair color fades more slowly with the CO wash.

Oh, I really hope so! My colour does tend to fade very quickly anyway. It would be great if the COing prolongs it!  Do you find that to be the case for yourself too, eKatherine?

And thank you, SF! Baby is doing grand! Still flappin away in there. I'm 18 weeks now. Funny thing happened in church yesterday. I was singing a song and the baby started "punchin" me and having a flutter fit. I must have woken the wee one up or something cuz apparently Baby does NOT like Mum's singing. LOL!!!

Maybe it means that Baby LOVES Mums singing !!

My son did the same thing when dad played the piano one day don't remember what the song was but he loved it started jumpin round and kickin, he had never done that to anything else except when dad played the piano. Yours might be a music lover too, mine now hears a song on tv and dances to it, maybe thats what they were doing dancin in the womb. LOL

wrote on Dec 31^st, 2004 at 2:32pm:

Maybe it means that Baby LOVES Mums singing !!

'Tis possible I hope! I come from a long line of music lovers. (Myself included.)

Thats sweet about your wee baby, Lego. I've got music playing right now while I'm typing (Dusty Springfields "Spooky" to be exact!) and Baby is just a-hoppin in there. I'm loving every minute. I've get this perma-smile on my face whenever Babe's this active.

;D

wrote on Dec 31^st, 2004 at 1:31am:

I think you're going to find that your hair color fades more slowly with the CO wash.

i was wondering that today too (i dyed my roots yesterday and am so happy with my nearly black roots). i was thinking of only using shampoo before and after dyeing, so just around 6 - 8 times a year.

My color hardly fades at all, though I really can't say whether this is something I can attribute to CO washing.

I'm going away to visit my Mum in the states next week and I can't wait! I'm a bit worried as to how my hair is going to react to the very dry climate though. The last time I went there, my hair dried out really bad....but then again, I wasn't doing a whole lot to care for it at the time.

I'm really glad I've started COing. Hopefully that will give me some sort of a defence mechanism.

I'm curious as well as to how my Da is gonna react to seeing me. It will have been well over a year since I last saw him by the time I walk off that plane. I'm sure he'll be a bit bowled over to see me with a bump. (Even though he already knows about the pregnancy, I don't think it's sunk in yet.)

I'm planning to stock up on hair goodies while there. And beef jerky! And cheetos! YAY!
I have a friend here that wants me to bring him back corndogs, but I don't think that's going to be practical. LOL!  ;D

Oooo, corndogs are the best!  *laughs*  

Just bring lots of extra moisturizers with you, Rua.  I've been here in the states.. in Louisiana, to be exact, and although this state has a fairly "tropical" climate, it's still been rather dry.  I've been using lots of overnight moisturizing creams on my skin and face (cocoa butter is the BEST!)  and oiling my hair every day with JoJoba...

Just as long as you keep a careful check on your hair and skin you should be fine... precautions, precautions.

I'm sure your dad will be so happy to see you!  Parents always are.  *smiles*

wrote on Jan 4^th, 2005 at 3:53pm:

Oooo, corndogs are the best!

Oh I know! I love 'em with lots of mustard! I wish you could get them out here. My friend who wants me to bring some home with me tried them for the first time when he was on holiday in the States and has been dying for one ever since. They must put addictive chemicals in them. LOL!

And I will defo bring lots of moisturizer. My Mum lives in Utah which, despite it being winter there, is VERY dry. Even the snow is dry if that makes any sense. My husband can't cope with the combination of altitude and dryness, as everytime we visit, he gets nosebleeds.

I just get bad hair!  ???  :P

My hair gets terrible flyaways in the dry climate.  It's humid in the summers where I live but its dty now, especially with the furnace going. I've noticed with the
better care this winter my hair's not so bad, with the
touch of jojoba oil I put on the ends at night.
'

Rua,

I'm wishing you the grandest of trips.  Enjoy every minute and if anyone wants to wait on you hand and foot, by all means, let them!

(((((HUGS)))))

SF

I'm someone who doesn't get sick easily. It's been months since I was last noticable ill. (Not counting morning sickness.)

Well, everyone in my family and all of my friends have gotten some nasty flu bug thats been going around since mid December. My body has held out fantastically. 'Till now.

I'm the last one of nearly all the people I know to get it. And it's horrible. I can't take (and am too scared to take) anything for it for fear of hurting the baby.

So, I've stuck to taking a couple garlic tablets and Vitamin C and trying to wait it out. At least I have the LongLocks site to comfort me and give me something to pass the time!

*aaahhhchhoooo*!

Poor Rua!

Old remedies work the best for colds.. lots of vitamin C of course.. if your nose gets clogged, trying steaming your head over a pot of good hot water with a towel over your head to keep in the steam.  It also helps to add some tea tree EO or Eucalyptis (sp?) EO to the pot.

Also, I'm not sure if they carry it there, but pregger ladies can take tylenol.  If you're still iffy about it, take half a dose.

Poor Rua!!!

I hope you "shake" this bug quickly!!!

Remember: LOTS OF FLUIDS!!!

Hugs and warm thoughts...

nightowl   :)

Thank you Red and Nightowl. My mum bought me a jar of Vicks Vapo Rub which is absolutely the business! Love the stuff.

I'm hoping to be over this by next Friday. I hate flying with a stuffy nose! The pain!  :(

Hope you get well, Rua!  I know it's hard to travel when you're sick.

Ok, Rua.... I might be too naughty - but I looked through dozens of internet recipes - and this one sounds the most like "real" corn dogs - and a fun size, too.  Just think - If you start practicing now - you'll be one of the favorite mom's in your neighborhood - what child would NOT like these?!

Li'l Corn Dogs
1 pound little wieners or smokies - about 48
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons Shortening
1 egg, slightly beaten
toothpicks
vegetable oil for frying
Dijon mustard

Mix together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir in milk, then add shortening. Gently stir in egg until mixture is smooth.
Insert a toothpick into the end of each wiener, leaving about one inch of toothpick exposed.
Holding each wiener by the toothpick, dip into the corn batter. With a butter knife, spread the batter over the wiener so it is evenly covered.
Gently drop the wiener into hot oil (360°) in deep fryer and cook until golden. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Serve warm with Dijon mustard.
May be prepared, frozen, and stored in freezer bags. Heat frozen wieners for 8-12 minutes at 350 degrees.
Makes 48 corn dog snacks.

nightowl

Here is the other "good" sounding recipe... (but the little ones sound more fun!)

Corn Dogs

1 cup corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted shortening
1 pound frankfurters
Wooden skewers
Mix corn meal with flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg and milk; blend in melted shortening. Mix well.
Skewer frankfurters and dip in batter. Stand skewer-side up and fry in deep-fat fryer at 350*F (175*C) until golden brown, about 2 or 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
Makes 8 servings.

nightowl

Oooh - WOW! That's so brilliant! Thank you so much for those recipes, Nightowl! I can't wait to try them out. My child is going to love me! YAY! YAY!

;D

MMMMM Corndogs.  Always buy' em at the fair during the
summer.   :)

I coloured my hair yesterday so that I don't scare my Mum and Dad away with my roots.

The colour came out fantastic...one of the best dye jobs in a long time. Then again, it could be because I haven't used Feria in months and it is hands down the most vibrant home colour I've come across.

I did a major conditioning afterwards, and now my hair is all nice and shiny. Eat your heart out, Pantene Pro-V commercials!  ;D

I'm still battling with this bloomin' cold which has got me slightly worried for when I fly out this Friday. (My eustachian tubes in my ears are too small, so every time I fly, the pressure causes a pain that is absolutely excruciating. Makes me nearly cry!  :'( Normally I would take a load of painkillers to try and curb it, but I can't now with the wee one.)

I usually go temporarily deaf after a flight. Having this cold is going to make things even more complicated - as it will extend this deafness to about a week.

"Hi Mum! I can't hear a word you're saying but it's great to see you!" LOL

I hate flying!

Well, I made it back to the States safe and sound. Its brilliant to see my parents and fam.

The first stop I made was of course, Walmart. Then The Taco Maker. (Or my gosh...the absolute best crisp bean burritos I have ever tasted.)

As you all know, my life revolves around food these days.

;D

Glad you had a safe trip!