Due Jan 06 - Looks like we've eaten loads of Christmas puddings!

[sweetkitty]

Right here's our new thread.

So who's going to be first for an early Christmas present then?

Thanks Rachey she is fine now running around like a maniac as usual.

Evening

Hope everyone had a good weekend.

SK - hope your DD is feeling better. Can sympathise with your DP as I'm feeling the same . DD suddenly glued to DH. It's all good though as I'm just chuffed to bits that they've bonded so well.

Lyra - sorry to hear you're feleing mis-og hon. Totally know how you're feeling. Maybe a good weepy film, bar of choc and snivel might make you feel better? Have heard same thing as you re: trying to get labour going before baby ready to come out.

Santaland, I'm sorry to report, was a complete rip off. Its at Earls Court and the website was slightly misleading to say the least (it had loads of snow, a big wheel etc). It was actually a glorified fun fair. And to get to see Santa you had to queue up for at least 1 1/2 hours. Not really on with a 4 yr old. It cost us £60 for the tickets. And then I got stung for another £6 for a light up thing and £2.50 for a balloon that DD wanted. Could have said no, but it was supposed to be fab day out for her. Actually, the kids had fab time, it was the adults that were being major Grinches .

Best bit of the day was chowing down on a burger, chunky chips and proper milkshake from Gourmet Burget Kitchen..... dear god, i thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Had to force myslef not to lick the plate .

Rachey - I so hear you g'friend about the vivd shirts/ski pants combo. Was a uni and can remember going thru my 'wigger' phase. Short, short black lycra skirt, ight tops and old skool Nike sneakers.... oh and the gold hoop earrings and bright red lipstick...classy!

Right, better cook some supper for my fella.

G xx

Thanks so much for all he sympathy, means a lot to know someone understands. I feel better now, had a nap at my mum's and that seems to have helped.

Got my bumbo, it's much bigger than I expected, and much rubberier.

ate my first choccy off the xmas tree - a smarties ball yum!

Georgie

Sorry to hear santaland was so disappointing for you, but good that the kids enjoyed it anyway.

Sweetkit

Glad to hear dd's better now and back to keeping you fit!

Tickle

good on you getting the house clean, can you pop over and do mine while you're at it? hope you get those mice sorted. do you have a cat? i can recommend one, they definitely keep the mice down!

finishing off trimming the tree with ds tonight, and hopefully getting the sitting room tidy too.

Ooh lyra know what you mean about feeling a bit low. General immobility getting to me a bit - and I don't even have all the reflux & spd that some of you other girls have to contend with

But definitely feel better after cleaning out the pantry... keep popping my head round the door to gloat DH finally picked up some washing from the bathroom floor too, and attacked the 'lone sock pile' (albeit in a rather melodramatic way: "you can't think of anywhere I might find 34 other odd socks can you??") so the house is definitely improving. Which is good, as it looks like my mother will be coming to stay!! She's no clean freak, but it would be nice not to be too ashamed

Santaland sounds like a dismal ripoff... but I went all weak at the knees when you mentioned Gourmet Burger Georgie. Ooh, used to go to the one on Northcote Road in Battersea. Those were the days

And Lyra, we don't have a cat, as dh loves the birds in the garden, and the lurcher & the whippet might have a problem resisting the urge to chase! But caught another mouse this evening so tally is 4... let's hope there is a mouse grapevine & they learn this is a no go area.

Luckily too self conscious to really embarrass myself in the early 90s... more jeans & jumpers kind of stuff, but remember some fairly hideous hair - what were we all thinking??

Sleep well everyone
Txx

Hello ladies - lots of nesting going on, it sounds! We've been doing that - sorting out downstairs so there's more room for DS to play (he runs round giggling like a loon now - lol!) and DH has been building wardrobes for our bedroom (and the orange knotty pine has all gone - hooray!). I know how down I felt when I was home after having DS in a total renovation heap of a house, so very glad it's all coming together. We're having the drive done over the next couple of weeks too - pricey, but worth it as our current drive is just a mound of rubble. I've turned my ankle on it plenty of times - the idea of that with a newborn and DS doesn't bear thinking about!

Having my growth scan tomorrow. Blood sugar levels have been a bit hit and miss lately and last night (after the tiniest bit of pudding at lunchtime - honestly tiny, but SO delicious!) I had the worst sleep - thirsty again and awake a lot. Incredible the effect sugar's having on me! But today I have been very reserved and my levels were still high after lunch and dinner (8.2 and 8.7 when it's meant to be 7.0 or under ) - aargh! Seeing the diabetes midwife too, so will discuss it with her.

Baby's still firmly breech and I'm getting Braxton Hicks a lot atm - and they're starting to hurt a bit, which they never did with DS.

I know it's going to be harder when I have two, but I am looking forward to not being pregnant any more. It's funny, I thought I'd feel all wistful at the thought of not having any more children - but for us, I really think that two is it!

DS been really funny today - has been doing comedy fake sneezes which go "ah-ah-ah-a...pop!" or "ah-ah-ah-a...beep!" He was 20mo on Saturday - I've been saying how DS will be 21mo when the baby's born...and now he's nearly that old, so that's scary!

Anyway, going to try and get an early night, in the hope I manage to sleep through it - doubt my thirstiness will let me though

ooh i'm happy now

ds helped me vacuum the rugs (well he did it actually!) and i've got all the pressies under the tree now, except a couple which are still to get, but nothing urgent. the sitting room looks cosy and festive now, and also reasonably tidy (it's the best we ever do).

dd is still not home from her carol concert, i think because they've had to take my mum home first, they should be back any time.

managed to stay up late watching i'm a celebrity get me out of here, so hoping for a good nite's sleep tonite, without waking too early. quite enjoyed the IACGMOOH, but couldn't imagine how she could eat those disgusting things without vomiting (kangaroo testicles, rats tails, vomit fruit, live worms and crocodile eyes!!!!) . the whole bushtucker trials thing was so extreme, they must have been desperate for more celebrity to go through with it.

my 2 nct buddies with newborns are doing well, they aren't getting much sleep though..... par for the course i guess, get ready girls!

no such luck with the full nite's sleep, i think the baby's getting me in training for 2 hourly feeds through the nite! oh well, there's always a nap later, thank goodness i don't have to go to work!

Tickle

what did you come up with as the best recipe for mincemeat (for mince pies)? I'm thinking of making some soon.

Wow lots of chatter. Good luck HM with your scan - hope all is well.
Tickle we had a mouse problem in our flat in London for a while and it really is awful you feel like your cleaning is going around in circles. We sort of solved the lone sock problem by buying about 5 or 6 pairs of exactly the same socks at a time so if you loose a couple they make up new pairs easily. Who knows where they go.
All the Christmas stuff is definately going on in the shops etc and most of the cards are done but no tree yet etc, things are a little different with it being summer I think in that it generally gets done a little later. I think we get the tree on the 15th or so?
Can I just gloat a bit and say GBK or Gourmet Burger Kitchen is a NZ thing and brought over by Kiwis. We have had them in Auckland for ages - don't they rock. Did you have aoli with your chunky fries too?
It is a bit of a relief to have my date etc as it will make childcare easier and dh starts a 6wk contracting position tomorrow so it will be easier for him to negotiate the time off etc knowing exactly what the dates are. Bit worried about the early baby being grouchy as dd was a really easy going bub and this one is coming out at 39wks exactly. May have to go with the lots of chocolate in pregnancy leads to a happy contented baby theory I was reading about the other day.

36 weeks today, yay!

Oh yeah, and do you remember those 80's 'bodies' that had poppers between the legs like baby vests? so comfy... not!

Good luck with the scan Hunker! I'm finding BH really powerful this time too - reminds me that I'll probably find the afterpains when I'm breastfeeding much worse too - warning to all of you having your second+, they get more painful each time!

Chuffed - a date! how exciting (that reminds me, last posting to NZ this week and why do you kiwis put beetroot in your burgers?!) I had to make a six week follow up appointment at the orthodentist for ds2 yesterday - the date they gave me would be the date I'd be induced by! It will all be over in 6 weeks....

Lyra - you are so organised! I think I need a tree... I don't know when I will have a chance to buy it though, AN appointments today and tomorrow, then off to Gloucester for work, then to my mum's for the weekend...still mildly panicking about finishing work stuff.

CHristmas shopping all done now bar boys' football shirts (total rip off). Have even got my mum a goat from Oxfam!

Yup would echo the Braxton Hicks getting worse, I never had one with DD, get them all the time now.

DD was 37+5 weeks and she is a lovely baby, wouldn't exactly say placid but she is really content and happy but she's a proper little independent madam. Must have been all those Creme Eggs! Am hoping DD2 is just as good.

Good luck with your scan HM and good luck on getting that baby to turn. Bound to be a boy all the hassle he's causing. Know what you mean my DD is 16 mo and I keep saying there will be 17 or 18 months between them, very scary. KNow what you mean I'm totally fed up with being pregnant now, at least once she's born I'll be able to turn over in bed.

DD's been up since 6 this morning very unusual for her but she heard Daddy getting up and was desperate to see him so I was up too, am completely shattered and she is asleep on the sofa!!! She feel asleep in the car on the 5 mins back from mother and toddlers.

Hope everyone else is doing ok, take care x

BABY IS HEAD DOWN!!!!

Ahem.

Yep, it's turned - wow! Has been incredibly wriggly the last couple of days, so must've done it then - I'm so used to enormous movements from him or her that I probably didn't notice. Is now trying to scrabble out from the feel of it - lol!

Had the scan, baby's measuring a little bit small, which was a surprise - but nothing to worry about. Have a beautiful picture of this baby's profile - was amazing to see one so far on as the latest I've had a scan before is 19 weeks. Blood going through the cord well, so that's good. I have another growth scan in a fortnight (five days before Christmas - OMG it's all getting very close, isn't it?!).

Totally butchered having blood taken - have massive lump on the back of my hand now as couldn't get blood from my arm (stupid non-existent veins!). Will make work fun tomorrow as will be v bruised - whole of the back of my hand aches!

Rachey, I had bad afterpains with DS when bfeeding him, so NOT looking forward to them this time round as I know it's rare to have them first time! I took paracetamol for them which was funny as had actually given birth without any pain relief!

Feels a bit strange thinking I might actually get a waterbirth with this one now - I'd been so convinced it was going to stay breech and that I'd need a section! But because of the diabetes, I know it's possible I'll be induced early - which I don't really want.

Was very good and didn't ask what sex the baby was - in fact, made a point of saying I didn't want to know - lol! Figure that after all this, I need the surprise to look forward to!

Chuffed, how exciting to have a date!

Anyway, will finish my rambling - my hand's aching

Well done Hunker! Hope you get your waterbirth! Any clues on the sex from his/her heartbeat? We were talking about it today and despite no truly scientific evidence, there was no-one in the room who went against the theory! (midwife agrees too on the quiet).

I've seen the midwife today and this babe is well and truly head down - she had a student with her and it was nice for once to be a demonstration model! No sign of anything engaging which was not surprising. She also said 'it wasn't going to be small...' again not surprising, measuring 37cm at bang on 36 weeks. Everything else fine thankfully.

The boys are making chilli (am increasing their skills!) although it is really bolognese with peppers instead of mushrooms and a bit of cumin. Kidney beans and chilli are added after their portions are taken out! 11 yr old chopping and 9 yr old stirring!

And yes definitely keep the paracetamol on hand for the afterpains, IME they really do get stronger!

anyone heard from horseshoe? wonder how she's doing.

Brilliant that the boys are making dinner, Rachey - hope it's nice!

No clues from the heartbeat - has been over 150 and about 120 when I've asked, so I don't ask now - plus this time it was so wriggly the doctor could see it moving quite clearly, so she wasn't fussed about hearing it for long! She said, "Does the baby always move that much? What, even at night? Oh, poor you!" - she'd seen all kinds of wriggling going on!

Anyone else got heartrate guesses? DS's heartbeat was always quite fast, iirc.

Don't have a clue about heart rates sorry!

Afterpains - yuck didn't have them either last time. I had Co-codamol last time afterwards.

Hunker - thats brill about the baby turning and that you might get a waterbirth.

Great news HM - very wiggly in scans often indicates a girl according to what I have been told...it is nice to speculate though.
Had tons of braxton hicks with dd and with this one, no afterpains with dd hopefully not too many with this one too. Boy it sure is still moving though.
It is nice to have a date but I am getting worried about the lifting dd thing, I sometimes just get impatient trying to convince her to come somewhere and just lift her up and I won't be able to do that soon - only 5wks - so scary really. About to start sorting out baby clothes so that we can prewash all the stuff we might need and box the rest together.
Measured 33 at 34wks on Monday so can't be as huge as I feel although dh keeps saying it is an 'impressive' bump.

Hi girls

Good going Hunker!! Went to the midwife yesterday, and mine is still firmly upside down So I have an appointment on the mainland on Tues to manually turn him... so he'd better get his act together before then! Could your wriggler have a quiet word??

Just saw a piece on bbc news about a Scottish mum who gave birth 5 wks early, at home, on her own, BREECH! And baby wasn't breathing, but the ambulance phone operator talked her through it and she gave heart massage & all is fine. Wow! Reminds me not to go far from my mobile in the next few weeks!

Well done to Kiwis everywhere for inventing GBK Would you like to open one on a small island in Denmark??

Lyra I used Nigella's suet free recipe from Domestic Goddess. It was really good, & used chopped fresh cranberries instead of glace cherries. Great for veggies too Through rigorous controlled testing, found brown rum was nicer than brandy in it too

Hunker I have 20 mths between my first 2, then 3.5 yr gap, and 20 ish mths between these two. It's a lovely gap (imho!)

And kitty - yours sound pretty close, but think of my mum... my sister and I were born on the same day, ONE YEAR apart! Aaaagh! She says she loved it, but not sure if it's that that made her delightfully dotty BTW she has her flights booked, staying for 3 wks. dh says there is lots of work to be done up at Rosendal

ok - off on mouse patrol
T x x

morning all!

congrats on your baby turning HM & really pleased for you that your LO isn't growing too big. Sounds like you'rein the same "not quite in the high risk box but we're going to monitor you to death anyway" situation!

Saw MW yesterday & she confirmed that I'm not allowed to even first stage in water at the hosp (!!?) & I'm going to have to be monitored throughout labour & stay in at least 24hrs to make sure the baby's ok afterwards. I've decided to stay at home as long as poss when it all kicks off (v subtly suggested by MW) and wallow in my pool here

Tickle - your mince pies sound gorgeous (they are the only thing I'm really pining for at the mo - and there are loads of offers on my fave Mr Kipling ones at the mo too- purgatory!!) My sister has that recipe book so I may just have to get the recipe & make some for my lot as a treat (not that I'll eat any of course (ahem!!))

Lyra - glad you're feeling brighter. It's horrid when you have a blue spell isn't it (I struggle to pull myself back up every time I go to the hosp)

Afterpains - OMG had forgotten all about them!! Seem to remember someone saying that lying on your tummy helps too.

If you're going on wriggliness to determine sex then I'd say a boy. I feel like I've got a sack of eels strapped to me most days!!!

Good that we're all hanging on in there (don't know why but I had sort of convinced myself that someone would pop early (?!) & best go & get dressed. Enjoy the frostiness!! x

hiya freezing here today don't have to go anywhere today so going to have a nice quiet day at home with DD.

Iris - sorry to hear about your constant monitoring at hospital, if I don't make it to 39 weeks I have to go in too which I'm not happy about but you have got to think it's only a few hours of your babies life he/she will be home before you know it.

Tickle - would post you over one of my cats but they are so useless I think a mouse could wander across the carpet and none of them would bother with it, think the only way they would kill it is if it crawled into their bed and they rolled over and squashed it. Hope babe turns around for you soon too.

Spooky as well was thinking I had better do some prewashing the baby clothes this week, has anyone else started packing their hospital bag yet, think I'll start next week, ordering the pram next week too think we are going for the e3 now.

morning

just got back from walking bella and a turn round the village incorporating cappucino and reading the paper. V civilised!

I'm thinking about washing baby clothes too, and bedding, and I've started knitting a little blanket for the moses basket. i have got lots of blankets, but they're all too big. hope the grobag fits in, i'm just waiting for one from ebay.

very hungry today, already eaten a banana, a pain au chocolate (for the iron you understand!) and 2 m&s sausage rolls. and i quite fancy another sausage roll!! they were supposed to be for ds's packed lunches, oh dear!

tickle

i've made up a mincemeat recipe, but will try nigella's next week, everyone adores mince pies in this house so i'll soon need more. my recipe has roasted pistachios and pine nuts, dried cranberries, chopped dates and apricots and a base of aldi luxury mincemeat, plus brandy. hope it's good.
how is your mouse hunt going? do you trap them alive, or is it a case of exterminate? what do the kids think?

sweetkit
hope you enjoy your cosy day at home with dd. i think i know what you mean by an e3 - is it one of those pushchairs that looks quite sporty, and the baby lies down behind and almost underneath the toddler? or have i got it completely wrong?

i've cat-ed horseshoe again, so hopefully we might hear from her soon.

very frosty and sunny here too, gorgeous.

it's dd's last christmas school play this afternoon, looking forward to seeing her. she's a "customer" at the inn, whatever that means, and she has a few lines, so i'll be nervous on her behalf. my mum's coming over to watch her too, so she should have plenty of moral support.

off to try not to eat any more sausage rolls, and to tidy the kitchen. laters.

e3

Hope that works, I know it's ugly looking but doubles are not beautiful at the best of times, like the idea of babe lying flat and cosy in the back for the first 6 months, then the 2 of them in a pram the size of a normal 3 wheeler.

Think you are all far too domesticated to be making your own mince pies, no one likes them in our house but always feel the need to buy some from Sainsburys (although I used to get loads free usually in August when I was at work).

Need to go DD is lifting my top to poke my belly button!!

sweetkitty

what colour are you getting?

I think I'm getting the boring grey/charcoal one.