Mad March in the PESH deli; in like a lion, out like a lamb?

[Medee]

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.
Silversky, boy, born Nov 1
SomethingSuitablyWitty, girl born Nov 2
okiecokie, girl, born Nov 12
Honeymoo, boy, born Nov 11
ReginaMonologue, boy, born Nov 13
Maswera, boy, born Dec 24
PollyPoo, girl, born Jan 5
MrsFC, boy, born Jan 7
ChoChoSan, girl, born 6 Feb
Ginhag, boy born 11 Feb
Muser, girl, born 15 Feb
CluckyKate, boy, born 18 Feb
Perfect Dromedary, boy, born 23rd February

UPDIFFED

Medee, Gah! Top of the list! Was due March 12
Casserole, cracking open the sunroof on March 31
Scorpette, thinking of displaying her enorma-bump at freak shows, due 18th May.
Laurielou, the unmarried hussy with the "surprise" diff, due 31 May (ish)
Rocketleaf, sprouting out all over the place, due 1st June.
TwinkleToes, supergluing her fanjo shut, due 20 June.
Orchid, hoping for a zen like child, due 1st July
Ginfox, loving the new mega-boobs, due 12th July.
LadyGoneGaga, Has lost her waist, due 24 July
Ivegotmrbitey, appears to have eaten posh spice, due 27th July.
Milanomum, eating for 7, due Aug 6th
Owlbooty, suddenly weeble-shaped, due 7th August
Ocarina, there's a what in there?! due late August
Mountie, too shy to shine, due Autumn
Truffkin, growing a padawan, due 17th November

Is nobody going to mention that medee has been rudely queue-jumped today?

Massive congratulations in order obviously, but medee, this is what happens when you dawdle!

well, no, was waiting for the Q-jumper herself, tbh. But yes, I get what I deserve!

What, what?! What's all this about a queue jumping? Is it Cass?

Well it's not you or me geegee! gin and sprocket also unlikely......

This is where my lack of ESH FB friends means I don't know what's going on!

oops link fail

I was given "What to expect when you're expecting" by my SIL. I was a bit about it but have used it loads. My sister sent me an aussie book, "up the duff" which I think has been written by an Australian ESH. Is very funny and you don't have to delve as much. What to expect has loads more info but was bit of an information over load early on.

I love the idea of a journal but am lazy. The belly book looks lush though. Plus would it bad for baybee's self esteem to read "FDH has been an utter cock today" on most entries?

Bitey if it's any consolation, I prefer to imagine you as a Bergerac type detective. Or maybe Columbo.

I've got the 'what to expect' app Bitey and am quite liking it (although the chatty American style is sometimes a bit annoying) the ESH book sounds good though, I might have a nose for that one. Although I lean more towards active learning usually, for pregnancy that's clearly not so easy to achieve and as I'm a big reader, I'm going for knowledge is power for the time being. Plus as I'm so early on and nothing is really happening yet, I want to read about what's coming so I can feel more pregnant.

I'm rambling, will shut up now.

Yes truff WTEWYE (for short) is a bit americano. It has been edited for the UK but the frequent references to gas make me blanche. Is very informative and just today I have used it to diagnose carpal tunnel of the toe. I did the advance reading bit to feel more pregnant too - it was really nice I'd forgotten that!

I fancy John Nettles btw, both as Bergerac and DI Barnaby. Columbo on the other hand just looks like he smells!

Oooh, I didn't know we'd had a queue-jumper! Presuming it's Cass - massive congrats if you're reading this :)

Ya snooze, ya lose, eh, Medee I think the baybee will come when he or she wants, spicy food, secks or whatever.

I have seen tastefully illustrated pics of the whole labour process in my NCT class today. I have changed my mind about the whole thing and am hoping that the Star Trek transporter beam will become publicly available to beam The Lad out of my womb by May . When she finished her talk on labour with, 'And then you deliver the placenta', I quipped 'then you pop it in your tupperware to take home', which made everyone laugh.. except for one of the geezermen, buahaha! Oh, and I segued the Poo Sieve into conversation too, just for youse lot. Another good sesh, even if the woman next to me had a cold, HMMPH. TYF is being pretty confident, for him, which is really ace to witness.

Rocket, your dad is excited, I can guarantee it. He's just not in a place where he can properly express things like that right now I've had severe depression and sometimes you can actually forget how to express the big, positive emotions even though you're certainly feeling them.

John Nettles once sent me a postcard, with lots of lovely stuff written on it. I have never met him in my life, but yes, it was to me (to spoil the WTF factor, I wanted to be an ac-tor when I was young, luvvies, and a family friend worked on the set of Bergerac and asked him to write to me. What a gent, eh? And magnificent thighs, too).

Oooh, queue jumping!

Please don't tell me I've missed the ruddy magnums as well.

Scorps my SIL and I discussed The Sieve yesterday. Mr Boots looked utterly horrified and I suspect he may now be making plans to retreat to the shed for the entire birthing process. Splendid that TYF is getting on okay with the classes :)

Bites I have been keeping a diary (as a google document) since last May when I got up the duff the first time round. It's initially full of fluffy clouds and skippiness, then doom and more doom, then The Fear, and now it mainly says things like 'if Mr Boots doesn't stop snoring I am going to stab him in the head'.

I intend to take out all the mental bits and make it into a charming fluffy journal (possibly I will only be left with 1 side of an A5 pamphlet?) at some point.

Queue jumping!? Congratulations to whoever it is!

truffs hurrah for the 3+ :)

GG Good luck with the house. We have to decide whether to buy or not because we'll have to move when this one arrives or there just wown't be any space as any available space is already taken up by random plastic objects, high-chair and small clothes. Fuck knows where we are going to put the cot this time round.

Bitey I have 'Up the Duff'
I got The First Year from the What to... series and it was like a bible to me - brilliant, informative book.

Great news on the 3 plus, Truff!

I wish I'd done a diary first time round but was bit too lazy and sort of started one but didn't keep it up. am very vague on when he achieved all his milestones. and have conveniently forgotten how tough it is to look after young babies!

I have all of the What to Expect series and they are all good. Just need to read relevant bits though and not dwell on what could theoretically go wrong.

House hunting was good yesterday. 3 possibles from 6 appointments. Discarded two on basis of size and one on basis of being far, far too much work. (Elderly couple and stank of fags - yeuch). One beautiful inside but in an area I don't know very well...might be bit too far from friends and two in right area but both need some extending - lovely big gardens on those 2 as well. MiniG went crazy running around! Lots more to see though and obv have to sell mine first.

Will you move before or after, Milano?

Hopefully will get some news from Medee herself too - .

ohh congrates to the secret queue jumper!! Can't wait to hear all about it :o

Great news on the house front lady that all sounds very promising!! Work has started on our house today, hoot! Soon I will have a freshly decorated hallway and new floor is getting delivered on wed! Vey excited.

Had a lovely day yesterday, we did the JL nursery advisor thing, (free cake!) and although i didn't really need telling about most of it she had some interesting advice. Plus they price matched for the buggy against the internet deal I found so basically got the car seat for free (pending confirmation today) Then i found some really cute bargains in Next sale and we went for Wagas for tea which was nice although I ate far too much again. Any of my fellow 3rd tris feel like they can only eat like a bird before feeling like they will pop (and then are hungry an hour later?) AND i made £100 on eBay which is a bonus. Happy day!

I LOVE Wagamama's! Nearest one to us is miles away and I am always coming up with excuses why we really need to drive 20 miles to Solihull to visit! I love the prawn gzozas, yum. and chilli Ramen. Trick in 3rd tri, Rocket is to constantly graze as your tummy will be quite squashed up now but you do need the extra calories. Oh, and eat things dense in calories too. Cake?

What buggy are you getting, Rocket*? Is vey exciting. And also exciting to have smart new house stuff. I am usually a house slattern but due to selling the place is immaculate and I really like it like that . MrG most puzzled as is polar opposite from me. I am remaking the bed after he had "made" it as doesn't look right. And have banished the cats from our bedroom. Perhaps a touch of nesting also.

Got a quieter week at work this week. Good as was manic last week. But need to spend it researching mortgages and arranging viewings etc.

Differs yoga tonight. AIBU to be cross that MrG put my yoga mat in the loft this weekend. Meaning I had to go up a ladder and through a hatch to retrieve it this morning?! He was decluttering but still...

Where is Meds? The girl is very quiet

Sounds like people had a good weekend all round. Big conrats to our queue jumper - when do we get the details?

Great news on the house hunting lady. Sounds a bit crappy having all these boiler issues, but hopefully this lovely sunshine will warm the house up for you and they'll never know the boiler is kaput!

Rocket good to hear you're excited about all the decorating. We've just finished getting ours back to normal after the roof leaks, bedroom and hallway decorating. It's looks fab and I'm pleased not to have decorating stuff strewn about the place anymore!

I had my 24 week MW appt last week. Despite having to see yet another midwife all was well. Squidge has become a booting monster and I am being kicked black and blue at the moment [simle]. The midwife told me the pains I've been having are round ligmament pain and that because I essentially have no stomach muscles anymore (I did kind of guess this as never really had a flat tum even before mini O) that everything is stretching too quickly, just because it can, and that is causing the pains. It was bothering me that they were quite intense and felt like someone was stabbing me all under the bump, but feel more assured now. We're off on holiday on Thursday for a week so I feel happy having been given a clean bill of health to go with.

I'm not going to ask if we have any laying news from Medee as I'm sure you are quite sick of people asking by now. Needless to say, I hope you're ok

Any news from Medee?

Sounds like peeps had a great weekend, which is what I like to hear :)

Especially good work on the eBay cash, Rocket. I, sadly, do not share your tiny-tum eating capacity - I am constantly starving and only huge portions can satisfy me (which is what I said to TYF on our first date, hur hur ).

Me, Mum, my Aunt and now Dad are doing a massive baby-stuff-buying expedition today. Talk about 'too many cooks spoil the broth'!. Was looking forward to a girly day, but my Dad is quite clingy and has to go everywhere with my Mum. Still, should be good

Talking of house-hunting, we went for a small walk round our local little estate (that sounds rough, but it's acksherly the nicest bit of town) and found 3 really nice houses up for rent. When we looked them up online, they are all well within our budget and have everything we're looking for, so will be contacting the companies for viewings ASAP. If we could move somewhere a bit bigger but nearby, that wouldn't be too stressful for me.

We live in a totally non-smoking building and every tenant has to sign a form saying that they and any visitors will refrain from smoking in the flats or communal areas, but someone downstairs smokes and all the communal areas stink of fags. We've become v PFB-ish and alarmed about this, as, if we stay here, every time I/we/TYF leave or re-enter the flat with The Lad, it'll mean several mins of him being exposed to all that crap. Exposure to smoke as a kid is partially responsible for some of my health probs (weak, preemie lungs), so it's upsetting me. Have reported them to the council, even though they're with a private landlord, as are we all here, but they're doing zero about it. Why would you move into a non-smoking block and then smoke?! Some people are such cunts!

Boo to your little bruiser giving you a hard time, Orchid, but yay for a great scan and the green light to your holiday :) Bet you can't wait!

Oooh, Orcs , holibobs - are you escaping the country or staying put? I am going to Holland at about the point you are now, do you need a letter from the doc to get insurance etc?

Rocket definitely cake. And porridge with condensed milk on it (calcium, oh yes)

GGGGG YANBU and Mr Boots does things like that quite a lot. I spend ages looking for something thinking I am going mental and have lost it and it transpires he's tidied it away. Cue swearing.

3 potential houses sounds v.promising; something with a big garden would be so nice for the little 'uns to run around in.

Barking mad inlaws have very kindly said they will buy us a pram. So I too am now interested in prams instead of just wondering which bleach to use to get the second-hand stains off some craptastic thing off ebay. What will fit in my tiny car-boot? What will last until Owlet is a chunky 4 year old? What is vomit-proof? Basically, what are you lot getting and why?

Yo PEShies and welcome to another week. The sun is out and in my book that makes for Good Times in comparison to recent cold and rainyness.

Orcs great news that all is well with squidge and that you can go on hols. Where are you going?

What car have you got, Owlster? What is budget? Will you want to take it off road? Will you want a travel system (where you can clip on the car seat) or just a buggy? Do you do loads of walking everywhere or will you be in and out of the car?

I have a Mamas and Papas Pliko Pramette from last time. Pro's: lightweight and has the pram bit without having to shell on seperate carry cot, easy to put up and down, good size basket underneath. Cons: not uber trendy, not great off road (ok for the park), nor rear facing in pushchair mode( although the newer ones are I think - called Pliko Switch).

I have been looking at an ICandy Peach which I love but think prob can't justify given I already have a travel system . Maybe a bit big for your boot though. Although they do an iCandy Cherry which is smaller and lighter which is very nice. Lots of people like Bugaboo Bee's for small lightweight options but I am tall and think the baby looks a bit low down for me?

If you are happy going straight for a lightweight umbrella fold buggy the Maclaren Techno XT is suitable from birth and one of my friends had and got on really well with it. But you can't put a car seat on. I have a Maclaren Quest suitable from 3 months which is nice as a lightweight buggy for taking on hols etc (we used it most of the time).

Also I used a sling a lot so my pram didn't actually get that much use!

We decided to get the bugaboo bee for the following reasons.

Its from birth with just one seat so no extra carry cot (we have storage ishoos) until about age 3 depending on size of child and can face forwards or backwards.
It folds down very small and is very light (we have a small boot too)
It turns on a pin when pushed with one hand (i am weak and lazy)
It fits a maxi cosi car seat which we are being given a base for.
I found an internet deal which mothercare or JL will match which basically means to get the car seat for free (see here)
It looks cool. :o

Down side is if you are planning on off roading a lot the wheels prob arn't up to it. (but we decided we would get her in a sling/carrier for anything like that, and that would prob be able once a year)

Squeee, move Truff, move and then we can meet up for cake!!! We're actually in Leamington though (considering Warwick also) but lots of cake options between the two places!

Forgot to mention, in the house open day who should come round but my ex-es ex girlfriend! Random or what - not sure whether she clocked it was me as haven't met her for 10 years but I def recognised her.

Would be great if you can move, Score - you wold feel so much better about the smoke situation. Is horrible having to smell that smell.

Scorps enjoy your shopping expedition. I'm just about to head into town myself for a brief bit of pre-holiday shopping. Mr O has (at last!) decided that the 5 pairs of underwear that he currently owns are not enough to last until we go on holiday and through the holiday itself, so I am on a pant buying mission amongst other things!

I might also pop into Pumpkin Patch as I saw a nice sleepsuit thing that I like as squidge's first outfit.

Owlie yes we're escaping the country to somewhere that should be guarenteed a little more sunshine (although is currently very pleasant here). Mini O is super excited about going on an aeroplane. I think he likes the fact I told him they go really fast. I reserve judgement on how excited he is going to be after spending four blessed hours on it though! You don't need any special letters etc as long as you are a low risk pregnancy and fly within the airline's restrictions. I think most airlines are fine for travel without supporting notes from doctors until about 28 weeks, but you'll need to check. We have got travel insurance that covers differs and have got an E111 card (or whatever the new one is) to allow treatment within the EU. I have had stern words with squidge that they need to behave whilst we're away as 25 weeks is still too little for any shananigans and I don't really want to have any dealings with foreign hospitals where I can't speak the language. I've just photocopied my pregnancy notes so that I have a record of my blood group etc - just in case.

We have a Bugaboo Cameleon and have been very pleased with it. People will have heard this before but it's the only pram that fits in my very small car boot as the wheels come off and the seat is seperate from the chassis. My Silver Cross Pop does not fit in either mine or Mr O's cars! Pluses for me are:

• It has a sleep safe mattress so we used it as mini O's bed for the first bit rather than having a moses basket as well. We were given a moses basket stand and put the carrycot upstairs on that each night.
• It turns very easily for shopping/getting in and out of lifts etc
• It's big! Mini O looks tres comfy in there even at 2.5 years. He is now outgrowing the Silver Cross and we won't get away with using that much longer.
• Everything washes nicely and comes apart easily.

I know it's got a bad rep as a 'yummy mummy' pram, but I haven't got a bad word to say about it (apart from cost).

Oooh GaGa my Dad lives in Kenilworth so not far from you. I can see cake eating expeditions being arranged in the future!