Pregnany Update | The First Trimester

I'm going to write this while the hell that is the first trimester is still very fresh in my mind. As you can tell this has so far been my least favourite trimester - and I'll be honest in comparison to some of the stories mine doesn't even seem that bad but hey, this is my experience of those first few blessed weeks of pregnancy.

For those of you who don't know the first trimester generally begins from week 1 of pregnancy and lasts until week 12 so approximately the first 3 months of your pregnancy and is generally considered to be your pregnancy 'danger zone' and funnily enough is also considered to be the most difficult of your entire pregnancy (other than the obvious pushing the baby out!) which, even though as I write this I'm only 19 weeks along myself, I wholeheartedly agree with thus far.

My first trimester symptoms

Following the initial first 5 weeks or so pretty much symptom free it was around week 6 and 7 where things really started to ramp up for me - marked first by me eating an amazing Aberdeen roll, slathered with butter and my fave jam I proceeded to projectile vomit in my kitchen  (sorry guys but pregnancy ain't pretty!) The thing about 'morning sickness' is that it'll pretty much just suddenly hit you without warning or very much of that 'sickly feeling' you normally get (usually accompanied by a hangover or otherwise food poisoning) I must say I didn't have morning sickness all through the first trimester I was only really quite sick about 5 or 6 times and this wasn't even my worst symptom.

My worst symptom came in the form of something SUPER unexpected and something I personally had never heard of as being a symptom of specifically pregnancy before experiencing them myself and those are headaches. Headaches so bad I found it really difficult to function and at times I thought I was maybe being sick as a result of just how painful they were getting as opposed to morning sickness. Working solely with screens at work of course didn't help and most days I just felt as if I wanted to crawl into a pit. I'd come home, grab something quick to eat and go to bed - water and lying in a dark room seemed to be the only things that helped me. Since my midwife had warned me off of having any pills or pain relief I unfortunately just had to suck it up - and the fact I was cutting down on the amount of caffeine I have on a daily basis the effects were not pretty.

Overall, headaches aside I guess compared to some I have been pretty lucky during the first trimester, other than one other tiny scare during my 5th/6th week (which I may do another dedicated post for since the midwives I dealt with during that time were so great at their jobs and just so lovely)  I've escaped with pretty minor symptoms REALLY, though at the time in the throws of sickness, headaches and fatigue it certainly didn't feel like it. 

Hopefully this has given some of you who are still in the throws of morning sickness, fatigue and all of those lovely symptoms that come alongside the 'joys' of pregnancy a little bit of hope -my specific first trimester symptoms went away around the 13th week, so I promise it does get better and far more bearable!

As always I'd love to hear from you all, pregnant, not pregnant, mums, dads, brothers, sisters anyone at all be sure to leave your comments re pregnancy, coping and first trimester woes in the comments below I'd love to hear all of your experiences (and I'm sure my husband would too since he had to cope with my whinging!) Otherwise you can catch me on Twitter, Instagram and more from the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks,

H.Elizabeth

Family Road Trip | Baxters Highland Food Village Fochabers

 
Is there anything better than spending time with your family? Writing this I can already see my family rolling their eyes, well I have to get it from somewhere. Every weekend my parents spend time with my grandma and often take her out for the day, whether that's a jaunt to the shops, a trip to Dundee, out for lunch or maybe just chilling inside watching tipping point (it always seems to be on when I visit!) and sometimes, quite often actually, I'll tag along for the ride (you know, that and the free food)

So on this particular day when I tagged along we braved the journey Northward (it was snowing) for about an hour to Fochabers to visit the Baxters factory and their food village; note, if I hear the words, 'food' and 'village' in the same sentence I'm there! Having only recently visited the BBC Good Food Show I was still very much in the foodie mindset and on the hunt for some more culinary delights.

The Baxters Highland Village is home to a variety of specialist shops and sort of reminded me of a mini German market with an obvious Scottish Twist. From stores selling scarves, handbags and Highland fashion designer pieces to cook shops with a plethora of crockery, a cafe and let's not forget what we all came for, food stores and stocks a plenty, I was in my element. We took a visit to their newly opened seasonal Christmas store, which in all truth looked like Santa Clause had thrown up all over the shop, from baubles, trees, decorations, wreaths, plaques and ornaments to scented sticks you can literally hang on your tree this place had it all! Short of a real life reindeer  this would be a perfect Santas grotto / workshop away from the North Pole. Thankfully I was able to compose myself enough to not run out of the store with all of the glittery goodness and take a few snaps in the process.

Visiting the food village was enough to make the journey worth while, with chutneys, jams, spreads and samples a plenty I could have easily spent a small fortune on things I would just eat from the jar, and lets not get me started on their range of teas, coffees and hot chocolates! The Baxters food store stocks brands from independent retailers up and down the country which I love as it gives you a chance to try something a little different and can be considered a must visit and a haven for fellow foodies. Everything seemed to be quite pricey for the products they were selling, retailing a pumpkin spiced hot chocolate at £5.99 and I simply couldn't justify it with a cupboard full of hot chocs and coffee flavourings at home, so off we popped to the confectionery section - something we can ALWAYS justify. As luck would have it Baxters happened to stock my all time, new favourite chocolate brand, Seed and Bean who I discovered at the BBC Good Food Show in November - and given it is a little more difficult to come by in Aberdeen I plan to savour my Cornish Sea Salt and Lime bar throughout the festive season... maybe. 

We didn't stick around for lunch, none of us were very hungry on account of a lush McMuffin breakfast (oops) and Fochabers was just so cold and wintery we weren't sticking around in search for an eatery in town, so we headed on back to Inverurie for dinner, cake and a much needed hot chocolate. Overall I enjoyed my wee family day out (thank you Dad for braving the icy roads for our enjoyment!) I really think this would be a great family day out nearer Christmas, if the weather permits of course, it all just feels so festive and has put me right in the mood for Christmas.

What do you love to do with your family, have you ever visited the Baxters Highland Village? I'd love to hear where you go for your own little adventures, be sure to leave your comments below, or come share them with me on Twitter. As always you can follow more of my foodie faves and adventures on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, om nom noming my way up North.

H.Elizabeth x 

Granite City Girl Under the Tuscan Sun

Yes you guessed it, we're blasting off again (today we're throwing in some Pokemon references because the internet simply does not have enough geekery) this time we're off to bathe under the Tuscan sun to celebrate a milestone birthday for my father in law and my husbands uncle, so really all of these trips and holidays are justified right?  Although I'm not making any promises to stop jetting off on little adventures every now and then, even if they are only to Dundee.

I shall return with stories and pictures a plenty I'm sure in the next few weeks, though I'm not going to make any promises as to when that might be, so as annoying and vague as this is going to sound, 'I'll see you when I see you!'

Until next time folks, I'll try and bring home the sun!

H.Elizabeth x