Shagged out viroids - JS Grads 2

[frakyouveryverymuch]

Our old thread ran out of space! The horror!

Ohh BB thats soooooooooooo soon .

I am planning mat leave from 1 week before my EDD, but 3 weeks holiday so I go on 2nd August. Plan to 'work' the 1st from home though

Esk glad you have them ordered!

Had a great meal least night - the restaurant was fabulously accommodating! Had 3 sips of champers and a sip of red wine...rock on!

I love being on maternity leave and there is no way I would have been able mentally or physically to be able to cope working any closer than I finished as that's really when I started to feel better and all the blood pressure and fainting issues I was having sorted themselves out!

Esk That sounds good you will still be able to have some space and still spend time with them.

Glad to 'see' you Frak you sound exactly how i expect to feel i.e. exhusted but loving have the adorable LO

COAF I hope your not missing too long!

On mat leave I have chosen to start leave on the 20th of July with is my EDD but then I have taken 3 weeks leave preceding that meaning will really start as of the 1st of July. I hope this isn't too optomistic - hopefully will be OK as everything going well so far bar massive canckles!

BB good question on the stretch marks ... I'm coming up 30 weeks and as of 2 weeks ago have got a 'set' on my right bum cheek ... right only not left and no where else.. really confused about the random placement .. yes I think my bum has got a bit bigger but my bump is really massive in comparison to normal tummy and none there ... I've heard sometimes you think your unscathed and then they appear after the birth . I am on constant stretch mark watch now and have taken out shares in Clarins!! Anyone else?

Mind you if I was so concerned about them why I have scoffed so much at my brothers BBQ this afternoon??

I think it's fairly random whether you get stretchmarks or not. My bum and thighs are covered in silvery old ones from where I suddenly filled out during puberty, but bump-related ones from DS are minimal. Dyna I do know more than one woman who only got stretchmarks after the birth...probably best to take a fatalistic approach, what will be will be.

On the stretch mark front I too have silvery ones on my thighs and back of my hips from puberty. Sometimes I think they are darkening again but as of this morning pretty sure it's just paranoia! From what I have read on other posts some people think they have escaped and then get them in the last 3-4 weeks. I have been told they are genetic so no matter what the lotions and potions you slap on they may be inevitable...doesn't stop me My mum didn't have any and my cousin had loads left over from puberty but escaped pregnancy with none....here's hoping!

Went to a real nappy demo yesterday and thankfully DH is all for it. Helps that some of the print ones are so damn cute! For anyone thinking of using them it is real nappy week next week so lots of places have offers on (Cheeks and Cherries being my fave!)

May go test drive pushchairs this arvo...!

Arrgh, I thought I was escaping stretchmarks but am only 33 weeks today so it seems there's still plenty of time. My mum didn't get them but she was 21 and 24 when she had me and my brother, so probably more pliable than me

How was pushchair testing vallinna? It's fun isn't it?

Had our first NCT class on Thursday - it was great, considering how much I was dreading it (we did it so we could get to know other people having babies near us, but did worry that we'd not actually want to get to know any of them just because we all happen to be having babies at the same time. But the people were all very lovely and the class was actually fun and went quickly, so that's good). Then I had a crazy day at work on Friday running a conference which included the most mental, argumentative, and frankly unethical participant I've ever met (i.e. recording conversations without the consent of the other parties and then refusing to delete the tapes ). Have been recovering ever since! This is the first time I've really started to notice tiredness/bump-struggling, etc.

7 weeks to go. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhh!

Where are you going for the pushchair road test vallinna. I discovered yesterday that John Lewis will match any price from any shop as long as they have a physical store anywhere in the country and aren't just an online business, including sale prices and any bundles. So I'm planning to find the cheapest bugaboo package I can online and ask them to match it, hence getting the JL guarantee and their fab customer service and a local shop I can go in and shout at when pushchair falls apart

Also on the nappies have you seen weenotions? Their nappies are gorgeous, lovely fabrics, lots of colours, personalised embroidery but so expensive for something that just holds poo. I've resisted so far... Thanks for the tip about real nappy week.

Glad your NCT class was good TTL. Our's starts next month and I have similar worries about getting on with the rest of the group - it seems that it's such a major selling point of the classes that it's almost more pressure to get on! Well, actually major worry is that DH I will get freaked out by the whole process of giving birth and faint or something embarrassing.

No stretchmarks here, and glad to hear there's a genetic component - mum didn't get any with either of us. But only 26 weeks here so there's still plenty of time.

Had a few moments at church thismorning. I wish being pregnant didn't appear to entitle others to say daft things without thinking. One person asked if it was really OK for me to still be riding my bike "because you've got that big hill" and "I know you're not ill, but you are pregnant". Amazing that, I could have forgotton where my house was or that I'm expecting a baby in the space of a 1 hr service. Then someone called over to me as I dashed by to the loo "goodness Esk you're getting huger by the minute". I'm not normally precious about comments about my size - am fairly small both frame-wise and bump-wise and I know people do make that kind of remark, but it was the in-passing nature of it, not preceded by a hello or followed by any kind of conversation. Came from someone who I seem to get on well with one to one, but who can be a bit different when there are others around.
Think I'm probably starting to get those hormones everyone keeps mentioning!

Glad your weekend with your family went well esk. Mine periodically talk about coming to stay for periods of up to a month and DH's family live about 50 yards away...So I feel your pain!

I'm with you guys on stretch marks being hereditary, but I'm still slathering on the bio-oil with abandon twice a day just in case!! I think you are actually more prone to stretch marks when you are young because your skin is tighter. At the grand age of 38 it's saggier than it was at 21 so less likely to scar

We did our 2 day NCT course last weekend. My normally well behaved DH was like a child having a filling at the dentist! Althought to be honest the whale music and statements read out like "breathe in a galaxy of stars and feel them spread through your body" and "breathe in through the right leg" did nothing for his mood!!

Your conference sounds like a barrel of laughs takethat! Poor you.

Well, I'm having a few moments of realisation these days where it is made clear to me I cannnot carry on as usual! I cleaned out the freezer on Friday, so yesterday I had a massive cook-off dealing with some odd peices of meat that I didn't want to throw out. I had to sit on a stool to cook and by the end of the day I felt like I'd been run over by a bus! Not impressed wtih my body!! DH commented this morning that I was tired and the babies hadn't even arrived yet!! The git!

Oh no bb ... 'breathe in a galaxy of stars'?? I am glad you warned me about this. I might not warn DH though, just for fun. Especially as he has taken none of my begging hints about Take That tickets. I'm now thinking I can get revenge on him via NCT . I already missed a chance by reminding him he was still wearing his name sticker when we went to vote after the NCT class the other day. Considering he took about five minutes to work out the ballot slip, and then needed the colour coding (green slips in the green box, white slips in the white box) explaining to him, it would have been so much better if he'd still had his name stuck on his jacket

Sorry esk about the comments. I don't mind people making comments either, especially as they're usually just trying to think of something to say and I'm sure I've said a million things like that to people before ! But on the odd occasion they do get to you, esp. if you're not ready for it. I really am getting fed up of people rubbing and grabbing my belly now ... especially my mum, who does it constantly. Only DH is allowed!

Had a big purchase weekend!

• Got all our reusable nappies and associated paraphernalia. It's Real Nappy week so saved aver £150 plus the £54.15 I get from my council scheme.
• Big newborn shop at Asda online - got EVERYTHING for £25! 7 onsies (sleepsuit things), 7 body suits, cardi/jacket (I wasn't going to get 'newborn' stuff as all the 0-3 seems to start at 7lbs but Mummy friends convinced me that even if you have an 8lber, they are short!)
• Test drove buggy - going to go the the Uppababy Vista. It is quite wide at the back but as the guy in the shop said, you are going to piss everyone on the bus off whether you have a tiny buggy or a 4x4 so you might as well just go for the one you really like! True sales man. The shop also had the swaddling muslins I like so got those.
• Plus HUGE delivery from my friend of Moses basket, baby sensor alarm, blankets, bedding and some toys!

Esk I am in London so I went to a shop in Swiss Cottage called Huggle. TBH it was just to see the Vista as it is the only place 'near' me that I could see it 'in person'. Will probably buy it online. I had looked at the Bee (just feels too small and low, and as inpractical as I know they are I really want a carrycot for the first few months!), Cameleon (heavy to push, the Vista as sooooooooo light I could easily move/turn with one hand - all be it empty!) and the iCandy Cherry (the carry cot isn't rigid - the Vista sold me as the 2011 version is ventilated so can be used for overnight sleeping). I also checked out the Baby Jogger City Select but it was really heavy. The shop did a good deal on the Vista (£50 off RRP) but I can still get it for a further £15 cheaper online. If I have any issues I am hoping it is easy to deal straight with the manufacturer.

The Wee Notions site is great! I think I may get myself some funky breast pads from there (not like I am going to really give a damn when I am sore and leaking!)

I am another one with NCT anxiety! However I am yet to hear any real horrors! My Mum still has quarterly dinners with her NCT friends nearly 30 years on!

LOL BB loving your stretch mark logic! Your NCT sounds very to me! If ours is like that I am bound to be really immature and just giggle

People's comments are really insensitive. My bump is still minute so I am constantly getting - oh, not really growing is it?! Oh, cheers for that, actually he is growing fine thanks. I have had 2 random tummy touches from friends of my Mum. I thought I reacted very well. I had thought that anyone risking that may possibly lose a limb (which I would then beat them with) but I managed a nervouse laugh and shrunk away from their touch instead. Not bad really

Still playing with the car seat....

Esk - i know what you mean - a man in our choir made a couple of inappropriate comments along the lines of "oh, are you starting to get a bump yet?" - this was at 8 weeks, and I was being a bit paranoidabout getting fat from overeating! - i had to have a go at him, because he is one of those peopel who has no personal boundaries, and he was looking at my stomach while he spoke about it.

I don't mind people asking how i'm feeling, but I don't want people commenting on the shape of my body, thank you.

I also had 2 people have a go at me for nothing at all on sunday - I normally wouldn't notice, but now I'm hormonal, the slightest thing upsets the hell out of me! One choir member had a go at me for chastising my Junior Chorister for leaving his surplice in a crumpled heap, saying "leave the poor bugger alone, you're not his mother!" (in a nasty tone. he should know better about that too, because he used to be a teacher, so he knows I'm in charge of JC when he's in the choir)
and the tea lady, having a go at me because I joked she was hiding the chocolate biscuits (they were upside down, so it looked like they were digestives, which I hate, but I like chocolate digestives - I only saw they were chocolate because someone else picked one up and turned it over - I wasn't exactly going to put my grubby hands all over biscuits just in case they were nice underneath, was I?) hse had a right gripe at me. I nearly cried in front of her, but I managed to get over to DH first, so that I could calm myself.

DH told me not to tell anyone (you guys soooooooooooooooo don't count ) but we just had an offer placed on our flat!!!

Aaaaah congratulations vallinna! Are you upgrading? How exciting! And in this market (even though you're in London) pretty impressive :)

I have had the following insensitive comments, though I have been very good at just laughing them off:

'You don't look pregnant, you just look fat!'
'If I didn't know, I'd think you'd just eaten way too much at Christmas!'
'Are you definitely sure you're pregnant? Have you had a scan and everything or are you just basing this on tests? Because your bump looks very small'
'You look very glamorous for a pregnant woman' (which sounds like it's a compliment but was said in a 'you're a complete bitch for not being flat on your back and waddling' kind of a way)
'Oh my God you are huuuuuuuuuuge. Is it hard walking around like that?' (which was given the previous comments)
'It's good you haven't got all fat like most pregnant women, and your skin and hair actually looks quite normal. You must be really pleased' - err, I would be, if it wasn't for you saying I 'actually' look 'quite normal' and trying to detect signs of fatness/spottiness/greasiness on me!
'I think your scans must be wrong because you're carrying as if it's a boy, so I wouldn't start thinking it definitely is a girl just yet'.

Weird how people think there's a certain bump/body size you should be at certain stages and then start telling you off for not fitting it! MW says the bump is exactly average/very slightly above average each time. Funny though! I don't really care as I love my bump and I'm really enjoying being pregnant, but if I get any ugly baby comments I'm going to swing for these people

Oh, I fogot to tell you....DH fell asleep in one of the "whale music" NCT sessions. I lovingly squeezed his knee, hard, as that segment came to an end!

I've been quite lucky with the tummy touching! So far no-one has come close. I think I give out "bog-off" vibes! Once in a while if I think we're in a heightened state of risk, I put something between my bump and the on-coming agressor. Like a pot plant!

Oooohhhh, congratulations vallinna. Hope your offer is accepted.

My favourite insensitive comment has been "so, is it still twins?" Are you asking if one of my babies has died f*cker?!

OMG TTL I would be in jail for some sort of violence related offence had some of those been said to be

We are sort of upgrading...more across-grading if that makes sense?! We live in a 1 bed flat and clearly need more room but we are very central so we going to have to move out of the centre to get more bang for our buck, which makes me very

Nickel 9 times out of 10 I have gone the other way with my hormones and really mellowed out....but the 1 out of 10 time I completely lose it with either rage or tears - normally for no apparent reason!

Yep, it's the parent's trade-off I reckon. If we're ever able to get out of this house (I suspect we'll have four kids in our 2-up 2-down and we'll have to start storing them in the loft ) then it'll be boring 1970s suburbia for us, I expect

bb: one for DH falling asleep, one for 'heightened state of risk', and one with a bit of mixed in for the wanker who asked you that about your babies! Lucky you didn't have the pot plant to hand. You could have brained the bastard

God BB - just read that final line! My (non-IVF) friend got so sick of people assuming her twins were IVF that she just got very VERY direct!

I'm back, way earlier than I thought . I still have lots of reading to catch up on, but will do that when I'm less tired (so in about 6 months).

Nothing much happened over the weekend, apart from realising my bump is huge! It's all neat and tidy and out the front, but boy is there a lot of it! I'm going to be massive by the end of this!!

Oh did see the stretch mark talk, mine appeared in the last month of pg last time. Mind you I was consuming a small mountain of chocolate each week so that may not have helped (Currant Bun is a far healthier craver)

Just to reassure any NCT worriers, the classes I did when pregnant with DS were nothing like BrassicaBabe's. No new age nonsense at all, just lots of practical advice, and I'm still friends with three of the other mums (albeit they still live in my old city).

Had GTT this morning. DS was very good while I was out, apparently, and had lots of fun with his grandpa :)

Awh at your DS (and Grandpa) Star!

Do they give you the GTT if they think the baby is big or are there other indicators?

In my case it's because there is type 2 diabetes in my immediate family. Had to have one last time too, they're pretty tedious but it's a good excuse to sit around reading trashy magazines for a couple of hours

My mum decided to tell me last night that I had bad eczema as a baby - you couldn't have told me that before I went to the midwife when I told her "no, no history of that!"

I've been trying to be a bit more radical with my boy's names

I know i've settled on James, and I love it - it's the best name ever, but I have this uncontrollable urge to use a name like Obidiah or Zachias - proper 18-19th century names!

LOL Nickel a bit like us and 'Fox' - which we relegated to a middle name!

Just had an extra £3k added on to the offer for our flat...if only we could start a bidding war Cautiously optimistic about it all

well done!

How about Gideon nickel, or Algernon? Fine nineteenth-century names in my opinion. Roderick and Ebenezer not bad either