There are loads of things that I can't get here that I can normally get in the states when I go grocery shopping. It's understandable and I expect it. However, now that I am pregnant I'm a bit peeved I can't get the following items I am craving here..
1. Any fruit flavor cream cheese (strawberry, blueberry) - had the biggest craving for a bagel with strawberry cream cheese and couldn't find any fruit type cream cheese. The bagel shops also only have the plain cream cheese. Very disappointing!
2. Cooking wines - looked everywhere for Madeira cooking wine and could not find any. To tell you the truth, I haven't seen any sort of cooking wines, sherries.
3. Fruit flavor cereals like fruit loops or trix - probably due to their high sugar content and additives, but still, a craving is a craving.
I'm sure if I went to a high priced gourmet shop I could probably find some items but I really am most disappointed about the cream cheese.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Here's looking at you baby
Our family just found out some surprising and exciting news. I'm pregnant and am 3 months along! We plan to have the baby in Ireland before going back to the US. I am interested to find out how the maternity care is here. I have been to two appointments at the national maternity hospital and it is more midwife lead as opposed to doctor lead like in the US.
Maternity care is free in Ireland for public care. You can pay for semi private or private care where you see the same consultant/doctor and will have a room where you share with another patient or a private room. We opted for the semi private care. I wanted to see the same consultant and not share a room with 6 other patients. I'm glad that the maternity hospital is literally just a minute walk from my apartment.
The first visit was with a midwife who asked about medical history and took blood tests. My second visit was with the consultant and I was surprised by the long lines waiting for the doctors. That is normal here and would be worse with public care. I heard private care is more similar to what I would be used to in the US. My consultant is known for being quick and it was a pleasant meeting where he looked at my chart and asked about my previous pregnancy. He also did a quick scan where we saw the baby laying down and moving its arms. Next I need to see my GP. The care is split between GP and hospital care.
I feel the care is more relaxed here. I had a bad delivery experience in the US so I am hoping my experience here is better. Everyone I have talked to here have had good experiences mainly due to the midwives.
I also told my work and they are required to do a health and safely inspection of my work environment to make sure it is safe for me and the baby. They are going to order me a footstool. I thought the concept was weird but after going through it I thought it was a nice idea even if they are required to do it.
Maternity care is free in Ireland for public care. You can pay for semi private or private care where you see the same consultant/doctor and will have a room where you share with another patient or a private room. We opted for the semi private care. I wanted to see the same consultant and not share a room with 6 other patients. I'm glad that the maternity hospital is literally just a minute walk from my apartment.
The first visit was with a midwife who asked about medical history and took blood tests. My second visit was with the consultant and I was surprised by the long lines waiting for the doctors. That is normal here and would be worse with public care. I heard private care is more similar to what I would be used to in the US. My consultant is known for being quick and it was a pleasant meeting where he looked at my chart and asked about my previous pregnancy. He also did a quick scan where we saw the baby laying down and moving its arms. Next I need to see my GP. The care is split between GP and hospital care.
I feel the care is more relaxed here. I had a bad delivery experience in the US so I am hoping my experience here is better. Everyone I have talked to here have had good experiences mainly due to the midwives.
I also told my work and they are required to do a health and safely inspection of my work environment to make sure it is safe for me and the baby. They are going to order me a footstool. I thought the concept was weird but after going through it I thought it was a nice idea even if they are required to do it.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
What a difference a year (and more) makes
So sorry that its been a while since I posted in the blog. I can't believe we have lived in Ireland for a year and a half now. Time is flying by. We just recently went to Vienna and Salzburg, Austria for the Christmas holidays. It was warmer than we expected but both places were beautiful.
We have definitely settled into our lives here in Ireland and it does feel like home. Work is much better for me and it makes a difference being here for more than a year. I was also promoted recently after a lot of hard work.
We were here for the best summer in Ireland in almost 20 years. Dublin in the sun is gorgeous.
We went back to the US for one of my best friend's wedding in November and there were so many reasons for us to miss the US when we came back to Ireland. Its been great here, but after this much time away, you do miss home, family, and friends. I appreciate them all much more since I have been here.
Connor is really enjoying our trips now and is always asking to go on the plane or go to a hotel. He loves seeing castles and we have been to atleast one park/playground in every new city we have visited. All of these travels have been expanding his knowledge of the world and I can see this when he points things out in pictures and books that he has already seen being here and traveling the world. This has been a great experience for our family and I am really glad we are doing this.
Here are some pictures of our recent travels...
Stonehenge, England
London, England
Madrid, Spain
Salzburg, Austria
Vienna, Austria
Paris, France
Happy New Year everyone!
We have definitely settled into our lives here in Ireland and it does feel like home. Work is much better for me and it makes a difference being here for more than a year. I was also promoted recently after a lot of hard work.
We were here for the best summer in Ireland in almost 20 years. Dublin in the sun is gorgeous.
We went back to the US for one of my best friend's wedding in November and there were so many reasons for us to miss the US when we came back to Ireland. Its been great here, but after this much time away, you do miss home, family, and friends. I appreciate them all much more since I have been here.
Connor is really enjoying our trips now and is always asking to go on the plane or go to a hotel. He loves seeing castles and we have been to atleast one park/playground in every new city we have visited. All of these travels have been expanding his knowledge of the world and I can see this when he points things out in pictures and books that he has already seen being here and traveling the world. This has been a great experience for our family and I am really glad we are doing this.
Here are some pictures of our recent travels...
Stonehenge, England
London, England
Madrid, Spain
Salzburg, Austria
Vienna, Austria
Paris, France
Happy New Year everyone!
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