The PESH Deli - Going MAD for Hallowe'en.

[Scorpette]

Tales from the dark side, from a coven of evil hags obsessed with ghoulies. Hellish talk of FJ and puke will chill you to the marrow. Unspeakable horrors from our uterine crypts do creep - but thankfully, we're also having baybees...

BESH BAYBEES
dontrythisathome, girl born March 25.
Cheggers, twinz girlz, born April.
FannyPriceless, boy, born June 8.
CurlyCasper, girl, born June 24.
CUNextTuesday, boy, born June 29.
AlpinePony, boy, born 1 July.
Carrots, boy, born July.
IggyPiggy, girl, born July.
Cosmosis, boy, born Sept 5.
Backinthebox, boy, born Sept 7.
Skatergrrrl, girl, born Sept 10.
VAG, boy, born Oct 2.

UPDIFFED

silversky, the biggest farter, due 18 October (first baybee).
Honeymoo, 3 wees a night, due October 31 (boy).
okiecokie, self-confessed control freak, due November 6.
SomethingSuitablyWitty, benelux babe, due November 14.
ReginaMonologue, knows when all the sales are, due November 20 (boy).
maswera, jungle hottie, due December 11.
PollyPoo, wants to name her baybee after the dog, The New Messiah is due December 25.
ChoChoSan, "and Lo! The lord did resurrect her petrified womb", due 31 January.
CluckyKate, hatching an egg, due February 2.
Perfect Dromedary, defied medical science, due February 24.
Ginhag, reckless cake-carrier, due 28th Feb
Muser, will she ever stop puking?, due February 27.
Medee, finally over the Haribo craving, due March 12.
Casserole, living on hula hoops, due April 10.
MrsFC, joining whether she wants to or not, due 22 Jan.
Scorpette, now carrying a RL baby in addition to Clothilda and the squid, due 21 May.
Rocketleaf, no longer jealous of morning sickness, due 3 June.
Twinkle Toes, supergluing her fanjo shut, due 23 June.

So come on in and leave your broomsticks and pointy hats by the door!

Funny my mum had a speed addiction when I was about 10. Got prescribed it for weight loss when we were living in the US then got a wee bit too into it. (I suspect she has a rather addictive personality fags/booze still have a hold) I didn't find out until years later and then all those night she stayed up on the sewing machine made sense :o

That is very funny! Did you have more new clothes than anyone else in your class?? You get all your craft skills from her then?

Rocket, rollies are just as bad as normal fags (and worse for delivering a pure hit of nasty).

My Mum gave up smoking for both her pregnancies, which does give me some grounds for pointing out that if she's done it twice, then the third time will be the charm...

There's a weird sentimental attachment to the idea of smoking for her, as my Granddad was renown for being a massive chainsmoker and everyone who knew him, including me, has so many hilarious and fond memories about him smoking. He was actually cremated with half a fag in his pocket; he used to say that the only thing that scared him death was that he wouldn't be able to smoke in the afterlife. He wasn't joking about that, either. On t'other hand, my paternal Granddad died horribly of smoking-induced lung cancer, so I can't understand how anyone can have seen that and still smoke (even though there's no genetic component for her, of course). My Dad did give up after that - guess the fact it was his own father was the key thing.

My Mum uses it as a way to carve out time for herself, as she's a people pleaser. She's got to find some other way of giving herself that space. She wants to give up but is naturally intensely attached to her 'me time'. I imagine that's the case for quite a few smokers.

Speed sewing! HAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.

So true. I did some of my best smoking alone and used to miss the breaks on the fire escape. Weird how I am now completely anti it, considering how much time and effort I used to dedicate.

Changing the subject slightly, but is anyone else bricking it about all the shitty new cuts and policies? What a perfect time to bring my first child into the world

(Although me and TYF will still qualify for child benefit - does this make us paupers?!)

Yes scorps defo, esp now that work know i am diffed they are advertising for my job :( Although my boss has mentioned the possibility of a different role P/T which would be good. I just hope they don't find someone VERY soon. :(

Plus TB works in education so has the sword of damacles hanging over his head right now. Worrying times.

It is all very worrying. I am not convinced I will have a job to go back to after my maternity leave.

Thanks for the warm welcome.

TH and I both work in the private sector and I have been made redundant 2 times in the last 3.5 years. My company might get sold and there might not be a job for me. I work part time from home so not sure I will be as lucky again to get something like this. TH was made redundant 2 years ago and now the current company he works for has merged with a larger organisation and his job is at risk too.

Not sure where all the private sector jobs are going to come from to mop up the public sector ones...

Big welcome loujalou - any friend of polly's must be fantastic! :) Where did you place the Chorizo? There are degrees of risk you know. I famously ate raw prawns during my pregnancy and lived to tell the tale.

Hmmm, well I don't actually have a job, so I guess I'm spared the worry of whether it will go - but I do wonder when the hell I'll ever be able to get one again... When we went away 2 years ago there was much talk of the recession so we thought we were timing things well to miss the worst of it - but then come back a few weeks before the biggest cuts evah - nice!

Just to wade in to the smoking debate - and since we can all say what we think in here - I personally think it's somewhat OTT to not let someone hold your baybee just coz they've 'ad a fag. (Again, no judgement on other people's opinions/behaviour - that's just mine in the same way as some folk are prepared to recklessly carry cakes ). Anyway the main reason I mention it is because I am actually quite surprised that I think that (disclaimer: may change mind completely when baybee comes out) - I grew up in the 70s household of both parents smoking heavily around us utterly unapologetically and I hated hated hated it - and it made me such a militant anti-smoker. Astoundingly, they have both given up (for health reasons) so I guess that has made me more chilled about it - but seeing threads like 'AIBU to not take the baybee to my parents because they smoke' do amaze me - that people will virtually cut off close relatives for the sake of fag smell. Seems crazy to me - how much harm can the smell of it do...?

Anyway, not sure why I felt the need to witter on about that... Welcome LoujaLou

loobylou welcome to the gin fest. Fill ya boots.

On the AIBU theme, MIL is Going to take care of k9 when I head hospital bound and I have asked her to NOT inform the world and his wife when this happens. I would rather we contacted people after the happy event. When I said this yesterday she got miffed. I mean it's our bloody news to tell not hers. She said oh but X wanted to know. My reply was tough. AIBU? Do I care! Not a jot. Jog on.

Looks like nbr 2 baybee at NCT maybe q jumping this week. Considering I was supposed to be the first looks like I am going to be last!!

Hello lovelies and welcome loujalooloo!

On the smoking front, I have not had to step in yet. My SIL smokes and FIL has a couple of cigars a day. My rule is if I can smell it they can stay away. I've yet to face a situation I feel uncomfortable with, but I'll sure as Hell speak up when I do.

Cuts and job shiz are turning me into a wreck. It was already a big worry for me before yesterday. His job looks safe, but I'm already uncomfortable about mine. Firstly because of new boss coming in and changing everything while I am off. I think I'll be going back to something completely different, which makes my bid for flexible working difficult. I need to know the set up I'll be working from and if I get anything wrong, I am fucked because you can only apply once a year. And now the sector is facing a huge reduction in Government funding. There must be a threat, because my colleague/cover is working on ways to make us both indispensable! So much for being able to go on maternity leave and literally leave the office behind for the duration

BTW scorps we should still qualify for CB too. Neither of us earns over the threshold.

Any sign of baybee laying? We need cheering up.

curls I am almost in exactly the same boat as you. I wrote to the woman who' going to be my new boss yesterday and am going to submit my application for compressed hours today. Got to do it now cos of getting Ratus's name down at the nursery. But it's not a foregone conclusion, ad if I can't have it it will be a potential nightmare. Oh, that's if I still have a job of course

Louja welcome to the deli madness lady...

Redundancies are very scary. Particularly when you're diffed and feeling even more vulnerable/replaceable. Mr Moo was made redundant quite soon after we moved house and then put on a contract which they terminated the day before we got married. It was a very stressful first year of marriage. But we came out the other side - new job, new baby and all is well just about thank fuck. Having gone through all that, I can only think about one thing at a time and not worry too much about what might happen. Although I do.

Mas I know I'm probably a bit judgey and OTT on the smoking front. But in all seriousness would you let someone hold your baby who had been handling household chemicals all day that were proven to cause all manner of nasty things, including cot death? No you wouldnt. you'd ask them to wash their hands, change their clothes and be careful. It's the same thing. It's only because smoking has been socially acceptable for such a long time that we think well it's probably ok. Babies and kids can't make a decision so we have to protect them and having grown up with a brother who had severe asthma and glue ear (no doubt helped by my smoking dad) I don't think it's worth the risk. No matter how small people perceive this to be. Rant over!! :)

I have been worrying about cuts too. TG will lose his job with the PCT in 2013. He seems very confident that he will be taken on by the health authority or whatever replaces the PCT but with extra redundancies coming up I am worried that will not prove to be the case. My accountancy experience is well out of date now and tbh I'd really rather not go back to that kind of work, so I'm left with admin/shop/catering jobs, none of which will pay brilliantly, and of course, with unemployment rising the chances of getting said job are narrowing by the day. I want to retrain but again, money is the issue. Trying not to think about it too much, but it makes me wonder if we should call a halt to the moving plans and start saving some money while we can (we have absolutely nothing in reserve, we are both shocking with money).

Welcome Louja, glad you made it in here. Told you they weren't scary.

On the smoking front I am an ex-smoker and absolutely hate it now. Luckily my parents and pretty much all of my friends have given up. The only ones remaining are FIL and my sis. Oh and BF hairdresser friend. They all say they will go outside and smoke but FIL will only do this if Boo is in the room - if she has gone to the loo or another room briefly, he will spark up. My sis constantly stinks of fag ash and has always smoked around her own children (one has asthma) which is the reason I won't let Boo go and stay with her. Well, that and the reason we just don't get on. TG smokes da weed sometimes. Well, when I say sometimes, he is either smoking every night or not at all, he does not do moderation. If he smokes while I'm diffed, he sleeps in the spare room because I can't stand the smell. If he smokes when I've laid the baybee he will sleep elsewhere. He did a lot of research about smoking and SIDS when I was pregnant before and it seems that night time is when you are breathing out all the toxins which can be a contributing factor in SIDS. Obv this was 4 years a go and advice could well have changed again by now. Anyway, I am rambling and will now stfu.

30 years ago it was far more acceptable to smoke whilst it isn't today. We are now more educated regarding the risks of smoking and it is far more anti social amongst our generation. Fortunately there are no heavy smokers in our family but I would feel pretty strongly about it if there were. It is so nice to go to a restaurant with mini C and not worry about the smell of smoke. I can't believe that only a couple of years ago this would have been an issue. Fair enough that a small bit of exposure to smoke is probably not going to do any harm but it is so much nicer (for me and kids) not having to be exposed to this. I have no objection to people wanting or needing to smoke but I would just prefer they kept it away form me and within their own home/garden.

Welcome Loujalou any friend of pol's is welcome round these parts and many congratulations on your recnt win! Great news - you can now take a nice well deserved break from the shagging if you like.

My mum said when I was born and my first brother it was acceptable to smoke in the wards after the baby was born . However, 22 years ago when younger brother was born it was not the done thing. So although she smoked like a chimney until she found out she was pregnant she has never smoked since.

Fortunately I don't know many people who do smoke so its not an issue for me.

Do I get extra points as my baby was probably being made whilst I had my first appointment with the lovely FC nurse. Hopefully if this is a sticky bean then I won't have to go back there.

I have no problem with being paranoid about smoking and possibly excessively protective. This is one area where I will follow the government guidance properly. I believe the guidance is that if you've had a fag in the last half hour you shouldn't be holding a baby. Reasoning being the toxins hang about afterwards, so it's not just a smell thing.

I wouldn't be overly protective about one offs, but if it's someone the baby is seeing regularly then they're going to have to adjust their behaviour.

I forgot to welcome Lou. Hello!

The FC finishes his job at the end of Nov. He doesn't seem too concerned at the moment, but we have some savings t cover us for a while. I said last night that he'll have to sign on. He looked aghast. Then I explained that he would be allowed to smoke if he signed on - but only Rothmans or Royals.

Hopefully he'll find something else soon as I have no intention of coming back to work here, and even if I did I wouldn't earn enough to count anyway! honey - I think you work in the same sector as him - any finance jobs going there...??

I KNOW I'm being particularly precious about smoking, but I am unapologetic I'm afraid. I do wonder if I would be more forgiving if it was my family & not ILs, but I don't think so. Mainly because if I can do it, well so can they.

silver - YANBU. I would be FURIUOS if anyone passed on my news - it's my news - not theirs!

I agree Silver no way would I want anyone spouting my news before I had spouted.

Oh, and I meant to ask pony, I sprayed hair product this morning & breathed it in - have I harmed my baybee?

I was not carrying a cake though. Phew.

Thirded silver. I don't think anyone will be told I'm in labour as (1)if it turns out to be a false alarm I'll feel like a knob and (2)what if it takes forever?

My announcement is coming with strict instructions as well. No posting on social websites until a post from either me or TBG is seen. I would hate someone to read it on Facebook who should have been told it personally.

When I was in hospital recovering after having the boy child, FIL turned up. I wouldn't let him in. I didn't want to see anyone till I was ready. OOH I AM A MADAM.

We made sure only people who had to know were aware of labour. MIL was dog-sitting, for example, and BIL was reserve dog-sitter and at one point we could not get a hold of either, so they and their other halves knew. After the birth, once we knew all the calls had been made, we asked BIL to post on mine/SFF's FB wall to get the message out. We were pretty knackered and were happy for the grapevine to take hold by then.

it's a shit situation, isn't it cunty. I now have an appointment to meet new boss in a few weeks.