pagination with sticky posts

The following code displays 8 posts on the 1st page. On all succeeding pages however, only 7 posts are displayed. I am assuming this is because the 1st page also displays sticky posts (whereelse the succeeding pages do not).

• How can that problem be solved (I need 8 posts an all pages)?
• Alternatively, the sticky posts should be displayed on all pages, not only on the first?

My original code:

$header_query = new WP_Query(
    'orderby=date&posts_per_page=7&paged='.$page_to_load.'&ignore_sticky_posts=0
');

EDIT: Implementation of Daniel Sachs’ suggestion:

// query db
$header_query1 = new WP_Query(
    array('post__in' => get_option('sticky_posts'), 'posts_per_page' => 1));
$header_query2 = new WP_Query(
    array( 'post__not_in' => get_option( 'sticky_posts' ), 'posts_per_page' => 7, 'orderby' => date, 'paged' => $page_to_load));

//display
getPostsFromQuery($header_query1);
getPostsFromQuery($header_query2);

function getPostsFromQuery($header_query) {
    if ( $header_query->have_posts() ) : 
    // loop etc.
}

I am still looking for a solution that requires only one database access? And for the alternative solution with sticky posts only on page 1.

I’d suggest using two queries, one for sticky posts, another for all the others.

First:

query_posts(array('post__in' => get_option('sticky_posts'), posts_per_page => 1));

then query all the other posts

query_posts( array( 'post__not_in' => get_option( 'sticky_posts' ), posts_per_page => 7, orderby => date, paged => '.$page_to_load.'));

this should do it.