Calling The Viroids - Just Shagging Graduates!

[gormers]

Just thought I'd start a thread for all those JS graduates, whether a newbie graduate or even if you left us a while ago and are well on your way. Would be good for us to keep in touch, see if we're all staying 'sane'.

Don't know about you ladies, but I am still filled with the overwhelming urge to PIAR (that's POAS for all you older graduates - after you left us we went a little mad and started harnessing the power of the ramekin!) I think once you start the habit it doesn't leave you!

Well, it's good to know that the Just Shagging method works. Even if we did once in a while just cheat a teeny tiny little bit!

Ooh I think I forgot to tell you my first NCT sale experience last week. We couldn't believe it! We turned up 20 minutes early because we didn't realise how close it was to our house, only to see queues going round the block - including for the people who had to wait an extra 30 mins to get in because they're not members! We joined that queue by mistake and because I wasn't wearing a coat this old lady in front of me said, in all seriousness, 'you can't have a baby. You can't even look after yourself!' Luckily we realised we were in the wrong queue and went to the other.

We're 28 and 29 and I think we were by far the youngest people there. It was the most middle class thing I've ever seen - even down to the very polite (but very determined) pushing and shoving DH was at the whole thing.

For £21 though we got two grobags, four sleepsuits, four dresses and two babygros. All lovely and in perfect condition. Can't be bad!

You wait till you try a nearly new sale with baby or toddler in tow

Right, that's it...eBay or new stuff for me

I am currently sitting here cursing the beautiful sunshine as it leave me with no excuse not to go running!! Suppose I better pull the trainers on. Sooner I go, sooner I can lie back on the sofa and watch some trash!

thanks ttl for your reassuring words :)
I was just over-reacting. every single twinge and change is worrying me. I suppose it's just because i've waited for this for so long, that it doesn't seem real, and that something must have to jeopardise it.

Enjoy your wedding, ttl and Star your dresses are lovely (don't worry about the flounces!)

My chorister's mum has been doing clearout in her house, and when I told her i'm pregnant, she offered me all the baby stuff she's been hanging onto. including things like changing bag, moses basket, shed loads of clothes etc, cot bumper etc.
She brought a couple of bags of it to church on Friday and it's amazing stuff - some of it hardly used! and
she said she got so much stuff for JC (junior chorister) that a lot of it is almost brand-new.
It was really good timing, too, because she was literally packing it up to send it up to charity.

nickel I know exactly how you feel - I really just do not believe it's going to happen! And though I'm feeling really positive and happy there's never a time when the thought that something could go wrong isn't in the back of my head.

Well, DH laughed at me in my dress, having spent about 20 minutes trying to zip me into it (faulty zip, not fat, though he's not convinced ). When I said 'does it look nice, or not?' he said, 'it doesn't look awful'.

So I've now just made him traipse round a load of shops with me looking for something better. He's got an injured foot

Bought a funky little tunic dress from Dorothy Perkins - not maternity (and it comes up very short once it's gone over the bump) and some gorgeous black earrings. With high heels (and tights, just to make sure my arse doesn't stick out - it's that short) it should look nice. And it's nice and fitted ... i just look terrible in flounces!

So anyway, it's not great, but it's better. And DH is now determined to tell me how gorgeous I look all day since he feels guilty about earlier reaction

we will need to see a picture.
men really don't know what to say, do they!

I survived the NCT sale, but I'll have to sharpen my elbows for next time !
Actually I really enjoyed myself, far more than just the early shopping perks. The only slight grump was that volunteers weren't allowed to start shopping before the leader-lady said so, which was after the group briefing. Except that as I was in a little back-office team so I wasn't on my feet the whole time we missed the all-clear, so a lot of the things I'd had my eye on had gone in the 3 minutes it took me to get back in there . There was an immaculate bugaboo cameleon there for only £300 which I fell in love with - rang DH who said "but I thought we'd agreed on the bee...we don't want to buy something less suitable just because it's there and it's cheap do we now blah blah blah.." I was more concerned about offending my mum who's offered to buy our pram, but I'd never ask her to pay out for a new cam. Anyway this woman was giving me "not over my dead body" type looks, and sure enough she was pushing it the second volunteers were allowed to shop.
Still, I got a nice bouncy chair, a feeding cushion thingy and a couple of sets of clothes (got in trouble about that as I'm supposed to accept that it may not be a girl). Would highly recommend going and helping if you can though. Seriously all the good stuff had gone by the time the doors opened! Great prices though.

don't worry, Esk - you can join me in the campaign to let babies be babies, regardless of what God gave them between their legs!
pink frilly dresses, boys, here we come!

Wow I wish we had NCT sales

ttl most of the dresses I've been wearing up til now haven't been maternity. Phase 8 was my friend! Of course I am now a whale and I'm left with pregnancy/nursing vest tops and a few other very maternity-esque bits and pieces. Pulled on one of my pre-preg vest tops by mistake this morning and it doesn't come halfway down to my belly button Hope you and star are enjoying the weddings!

Lucky you with the baby stuff nickel! That'll save you a fortune. I dread to think how much I've spent

Have had a terrible day today, alternating between feeling knackered and crying. Managed to argue with DH twice - once about godparents (long post here if you're interested) and once about how he can't fit all the stuff I want him to bring back in his luggage which must be rubbish because the whole shipment was 26kg and I know we don't need all of it, I don't mind if he takes stuff out the packaging and he has 40kg of luggage allowance and must have left with less. I think his mum just gave him a bollocking though and he's going out to buy a bigger bag which he should be able to fit stuff into. I don't care about paying the excess luggage either, and nor should he after he bought himself a Nintendo 3DS or whatever it's called today.

at your haul Nickel. I have to admit once or twice I've been a bit sad that my Grandma died not long after DS was born (first great grand child, so she died a happy woman ) as when I was pg with him she sent me a huge box of stuff and I could quite do with something like that again .

Anyway we still have a few things left from DS (not much got rid of a lot to move countries) the Currant Bun will get regardeless of sex. Bright orange looks good on boys and girls and so does denim (no not jeggings - shudder- overalls)

How were the weddings girls? Good work on making DH suffer go replacement dress shopping TTL

Frakkle at least you only have a few weeks left of feeling huge. And surely that nintendo thingy will come in handy when you're in hospital and wanting a bit of entertaining (after all new borns do sleep occassionally) .

But we have a Nintendo DSi anyway! I don't understand why he needs a 3D one! His excuse was that it had a game with it that was his favourite when he was younger

Today has not been successful. I've also just found an important translation which I need to have done for Monday. It's horrifically complicated and full of terms which will require research to make head or tail of let alone work out what the English equivalent is.

Big hug Frakkle and hope you work out what your translation should be. DH has informed me that I've been very irritable this week, so I'm sure we'll all go through the knackered and crying stage at some point. Plus sometimes they just don't seem to understand. DH has just asked me to keep tabs on what I'm spending on baby equipment (so far everything has been 2nd hand) and make sure I'm only buying what's absolutely necessary, however good a bargain it is, then in the next breath tells me about the £600 camera body he would quite like for christmas please. I hope your DH sees sense about what he can bring back with him. (Are you having your baby in the country you live in now? or are you going elsewhere?)
Also sympathies on the Godparent debate. That's something we're taking very seriously too, not without complications - but will read your other thread properly and comment there rather than drag debate over here.

Nickel am at your big collection of goods, although people at our church keep saying that they've got lots of things, nothing has been forthcoming yet. Having said that I rather like shopping . I do agree with you about the unisex clothes thing, and will have no problem putting potential-DD into the blue stripey newborn romper thingies that came in a bundle I bought today. If the sonographer guessed incorrectly though, a DS would look incredibly silly in the very-definitely-girly kimono-romper thingy I also fell in love with! Don't think I'm brave enough to dress a boy in a dress!

esk I can't actually leave the country I'm in now (I wish I could, I really wish I could, I should have taken the ML starting at 35 weeks and left) so I'm going to be having the baby here. Which seemed like a good plan at the time and really there's no reason for it not to be a good plan, beyond the fact it's the other side of the world to everyone but my mother has said she will get on the first plane out if I need her to.

My pregnant brain can't cope with all these acronyms. They should make dictionaries of them.

Grr MN ate my post so I will try again!

Frak Thanks for the concern but I am fine. It has made me realise that I do need to be more careful where I put my seatbelt over bump. It has really shaken my confidence driving though so I might go out with DH in the car and see how I get on. I hope your day is getting better. There are a lot of people on the due in May thread having issues with there DP?s and its hard as all feeling more emotional and tired than usual, it?s hard to think straight! My DH bought a new iPad as it will be useful for the birth so we can play games together or watch a film when we are in the hospital Sorry if you have already said but where are you?

Esk I don?t think I bloomed in the 2nd either, knackered at 8 weeks, 18 to 22 weeks and feeling good again now which is a miracle as I have been hardly sleeping at 33 weeks so maybe you will be a late bloomer as well!

I hope you had a fab time at wedding parties TTL and Star I am going to one in Penzance in 2 weeks time and gotthis dress to wear. Its not maternity and a bit granny like but has loads of pleats in the front so bump fills it out and I can wear a huge proper bra with it so I didn?t keep looking!

We don?t have NCT sales around here but that sounds mental! As TTL said I think they would be to middle class for the valleys! I had some bargains from TK Maxx: Grobags for $6 each, wooden mobile $12, cot set including bumper/blanket/cover $15, 3 hooded towels for $3! (sorry no pound sign) Even DH was pleased with my bargains! I cant usually be bothered with it in there but even ruggaming is fun when its for baby stuff!

nickel I understand how you feel - I'm really trying to make sure I am feeling really positive and happy there's never a time when the thought that something could go wrong isn't in the back of my head, its natural to worry.

ruggaming? Sorry should say rummaging!

Glad you're still healthily hatching your baby nickel :)

esk I am gutted for you and the Chameleon. You obviously need to perfect your evil stare for next time . I totally do not have one, but I am hoping that it's something you get from being a mum (my own mum's glare is pretty damn frightening ). Glad you had fun at the sale though.

coaaf the wedding was fun, thanks. Fun in a teetotal way. And not only for me: the drinks on the lawn after the ceremony were fruit punch/elderflower juice. The meal was accompanied by water or more punch. The speeches were toasted with more elderflower. And there was a ceilidh, a chocolate fountain, and cake-cutting before the bar opened at 9.30pm (which was a small table with a few bottles of beer/wine behind it). I did have a cheeky glass of red wine, in rebellion at the non-alcoholism of the day.

It was a lovely wedding and the bride looked absolutely stunning, and she definitely had the day she wanted (and is off on a 5 star holiday to St Lucia now ), and it was brilliant to catch up with friends I haven't seen for a few months (we all worked together until September and then all went off to other jobs around the country), so I did enjoy it. But what is a wedding without booze?! Also the speeches were a little bit 'it's lovely these two have got married but what is more lovely is the light of Jesus Christ' etc, which is the type of thing that makes me pretty uncomfortable. Not that I have any issue with people expressing their faith, but everything was a touch evangelical for my liking - especially as the friends I was with consist mainly of atheists and muslims

Whoops - hadn't finished responding to other people ...

and at the 'helpful' IT purchases by DHs ... though I would quite like a Nintendo DS or an iPad

snap I'm sure you'll be okay. Sorry about the bad day you had. I followed your link to the godparents' thread. We're not sure if we're having a christening as neither of us is Christian but if we do I think we'll deliberately choose Christian friends (not the ones who got married yesterday!) as godparents, as DCs would then have someone to talk to about religion/faith if they wanted ... I think your approach is good (someone of faith, but not necessarily of your own denomination) and I'm sure you'll work it out. I think you had good advice on that other thread about maybe waiting until the baby is born and you're back together to think it through ...

Glad you and esk are feeling a bit irritable, though, as I actually cried on the way to the wedding because DH told me I had a bit of biro on my dress, told me off for wearing six-inch heels (I did fall over as we left the house ), and said I look nice without fake tan (I was wearing fake tan at the time), after I'd had a stressful morning trying to find a dress and wasn't sure about my outfit, etc. I burst out crying and told him if he didn't have anything nice to say about my outfit not to say anything at all

Bit silly as he had actually said about 1000 times that I looked lovely/beautiful/gorgeous, etc ...

One of my friends is in labour at the moment. It's not going well - she was induced on Saturday morning and is still no closer to having a baby despite lots of interventions and midwives arguing about what to do next.

I don't want to do this any more!!

Hope everyone has a good week ahead - it's the last week of term so apart from frantically trying to get 42 3&4 year olds to produce an Easter card and bake an Easter bun of some description I doubt somehow that I'll be doing very much actual teaching.

Hi viroids!

Now, this may just be me being mad (and/or a bit windy) but I think I've felt the baby move a few times now? 12+1 today, is that possible with first? I know all the bumph seems to say its impossible before you're 16 weeks, but last Thursday I was sitting in the car and got a load of rising bubble feelings where the seat belt was pressing on my tum (happened about 8 times, surely not wind?); this morning I was lying quietly in bed with a very full bladder and definitely felt a few gentle kicks/nudges low down - enough for DP to feel too... it would have to have been massive air bubble!

What was your experience?

I wish I was at your work Esk! My first day back after hols and I have revenue and strategy planning....started well too as I couldn't remember my passwords for my computer

I hope your friend is OK - don't forget for every bad birth story there is a good one

Katie highly unlikely, although I thought exactly the same thing! It is possibly a muscle twitch. I was convinced I felt that fluttery movement at about the same time but the midwife told me it was most likely some muscles have a good old twitch! I am 18+2 now and still not wholly convinced I have felt Baby Pod move. I think he has! Normally after lunch and if I am lying very still. More like he is turning round than the bubbles or butterflies I have heard about. Pretty sure outsiders can't feel anything until much later. We had a scan on Friday and he was moving loads but you could see then how 90% of the moves still didn't touch the sides!

Very odd, but very nice, to be referring the the 'it' as a 'he'!!

Sorry for the typo Katee

No problem vallinna

Hmm. Didn't feel like a twitch, more like something pushing up iyswim? Felt it when I was pushing down very gently with my fingers. Could it be that the MWs just assume we can't feel anything, and you did have some flutters? Just thinking that every pg is different... but at the same time, do realise that baby is only about 8 cm long at the moment, so still v. small.

Certainly didn't feel like anything I've ever experienced anyway

morning all!
have read all your updates.
and at all the right places. (i'm there are too many to reply to all individually, i might get stuff wrong...)

I swear my sight is diminishing, i'm wearing my glasses again

I've just installed my spy window to celebrate the release of the last Alex Rider book.
I'm BOGOFing all the spy/murdermystery/detective/secret agent books.
Hopefully that'll shift some...
(feeling very wary at the moment - last week was very very bad sales-wise and it's worrying me. I don't need any more worries, but hey, got to have something to think about when i'm not sleeping! )

Going to be spending the majority of the next couple of days sorting out my VAT return. Hard work, but guaranteed to make me smile (always pay out more VAT than I receive, cos of selling books, so I always get money back fro mthe VAT Man )

Yeah for Team Blue Vallinna! Have you chosen names yet?

I was invited to an NCT sale. DH's Aunt and friend were going. So that holds true with takethat's experince with sales being popular with the Oldies. It turns out that the sale opened at 9am. But they were planning on queueing from 730am! I not a lover of bargin argy-bargy at the best of times and the thought of standing outside a hall at 730 (630 as it would have been, the clocks went forward) so I avoided the experience!

LOL for nickel's nickname for bump as JC (junior chorister). Are you sure you are planning something more majestic with those initials?!

I've got a pregnancy seatbelt thingy *cowboy. I'm yet to get it out of the bag though. Glad you are okay.

all round!

I'm not feeling very happy with my pregnancy body/figure today. I'm 24 weeks now and def look preggers. I don't feel attractive or sexy. I want my normal, not great, but it will do, figure back!

Sorry, Brassica - Junior Chorister is a real boy! He had his 9th birthday yesterday, so definitely not a bump (sorry to confuse you )