Now you know the reason for the silence and lack of posts this year.
This little bundle of joy is due to arrive in August. We were due to have the first antenatal appointment at the beginning of February but not knowing the system here proved to be a major stumbling block and we were turned away a number of times due to misunderstandings. We were even booked in for a termination at one point by mistake! The staff assumed that because we already have three children and Carole is over 40 that we wanted one.
The birth rate in Spain to Spaniards continues to show a long term decline, though immigrant births are showing a sharp rise. The cynic in me thinks that given the paperwork and toing-and-froing to various health centres, doctor's surgeries and hospitals, it's enough to put most off the experience of wanting a baby here; of course us foreigners only find out about the system after the event.
At the scan this morning the nurse said it could be a girl, though our less scientific methods indicate a boy - as usual we disagree with the authorities.
Now all I have to do is save up for a bigger car (Oh, God! Not more paperwork!) and an extension to the house (our local builder says don't even go down the paperwork route for this).
