Well hello everyone - this time for a proper catch-up.
So my news (the me-me-me bit) is that yes, am now 27 weeks pregnant with DC2, due almost exactly the same time as DD, just a bit after. We'll be a February family as my birthday is in February too. I can confirm that second pg are exhausting. I had horrible non-stop nausea from 6-14 wks and bone-aching tiredness that lasted until about 20 weeks. I have had a brief period of feeling great but the tiredness is now starting to catch up with me again.
What else... we moved house into a more spacious house but not a particularly nice area. DH has started his own business (eeek!) - this has been fairly stressful and obviously puts a bit of a strain on the finances. I am desperate to cut back on work but can't afford to and it will be a good five years before DH's business can be called secure (provided everything goes well). DH is much happier to be his own boss and has been working towards this for a long time so in a way feels a sense of relief, but equally there is a lot of pressure to make it work as he has had to take out a hefty loan. I went though long periods of not-sleeping because of this but thankfully it's all settling down and his overall calmness is keeping me sane!
It has made me think a lot about this time in our lives - babies, as joyful and and wonderful as they are - really put a strain on us. I find a lot of our friends who are at a similar stage 1, 2 children, trying to buy houses, get businesses off the ground, work for promotion or at least get secure in their careers - all seem to be tired and stressed a lot of the time. I've noticed the minor snippiness and squabbling that goes on that never did before and indeed I often feel the weight of that with DH. I adore him and wouldn't change him for anything, or the fact that we have DD and another one on the way - but gosh life was easy before hand! A lot of my mum friends are struggling with a certain amount of discrimination in the work place, as well as dealing with mother guilt, while those that SAH (god bless you girls!) often get overwhelmed with the never-endingness of childcare. I find it a relief to come on here (as sporadically as I do) to find that we're all essentially trying to get along as best we can.
All that being said - these threads are so full of the wonderful, cute, endearing, heart-melting things that our DCs do and really it's not all bad.
So that all sounds very negative (I have been quite emotional this pregnancy) but in general life is good! DD is currently having a morning nap (she still has two naps with the CM although is trying to drop her morning one but the CM is resisting). I only put her down this morning as she has a cold, cough and was up very late last night. We had friends round who are very continental and don't put their little ones down until 9/10pm.
She is a very fussy eater (aaarrrgggh) with us only - not with her CM (tears more lumps of hair out). I am trying to get stricter with her but it's not easy.
Her talking is coming along well, a bit behind some of yours, but is doing OK for a child in a two-language household. She has the same comprehension in French and English but usually resorts to French words first. She has a couple of expressions 'Ca Va?' and 'C'est Quoooiiiiii?' (how are you and what is that) and very much refers to herself in the third person as Toria. 'Bravo Toria peepee' when she does a wee in the potty (she sits on the potty from time to time and usually produces something but I don't want to force anything until after DC2 arrives as she may have a regression).
So IC and PA have moved back to the UK...? PA has a new baby - congratulations (you sound like you are doing a fab job with two - please give me guidance!)
Scones has a new baby too - ditto please tell me that it's doable! And also how have you managed to stay so slim and beautiful through two pregnancies? I look like a pregnant Mr Blobby and still have another 13+ weeks to go.
Got to go - DD is awake - will come back later and try and get back to all of you, although you're probably wishing I stayed away if I was going to post such a mammoth post.