The infamous Wagoners are welcoming new bumps, new babies, planning a wedding and, as ever, there's always shopping!!!

[SESthebrave]

This way Wagoners :)

Oh no Cant , what a crappy day. I hope the car problems aren't too serious. It sounds like you had a successful Ikea trip though .

Ouch Ses - how are the aches and pains today?

Kayz - hurray for scan date , not too long to wait.

I have my 20 week scan and consultants appt on 3rd Jan and I'm really looking forward to seeing the bean again and hopefully finding out whether it is a boy or a girl. I am seeing the consultant who did my c-section with DD so it'll be interesting to see what she has to say - when she saw me the day after the op she said 'I think we'll just book you in for your next c-section now' .

kay and rugby not long till scans

cant - sorry for car and dh probs !!
at least ikea was good

knackered have just picked up 100 betteware bks took ages!!
got lots of orders

How are you with ovens Cant? Our oven isn't working. The grill and hob are working but the oven won't heat up. It should still be in warrenty.

So its an Indian for tea tonight now.

Kayz - sorry for oven problems but enjoy your take away!

Cant - you just aren't getting any luck at the moment are you :( Hope that changes quickly for you.

Tink - sounds like you're busy with Betterware :)

Rugby - do you remember why your consultant said that last time? I've not discussed VBAC / CS for this time with anyone yet.

Aches and pains not great. Transferred a little into the other buttock this morning and then this evening my back has started to be really painful on one side. I'm hoping it's just a temporary boost of relaxin and will be better soon.

Hello everyone else - hope you're all ok :)

Kayz - sorry your oven is playing up but enjoy your takeout.

Tink - wow, 100 books, that must take a while!

Ses - sorry the aches aren't going yet, hopefully they won't last long. No idea why my consultant said that (unless she is assuming a second pregnancy/labour would follow the same pattern as my first), I saw her just a few hours after my section so I wasn't paying much attention. I think that she is just an old fashioned surgeon. I'm not too worried, she might be totally different now that I am actually pregnant and if I'm not happy I'll ask to chat to someone else.

Kayz- sadly i doubt i'm any good with ovens...

car was fine, just needed oil- shows how little DH knows about cars eh!!

On a slightly negative, but also a bit of a positive note DH has had a decent chat with his senior... DH is gonna step down to AM at work, work under a manager while he recovers, re-learns and improves himself to his usual level of work... it means a massive drop in wage (loose around 1/3 of his wage) however, his senior has said that DH hasn't 'failed' the company, and that by stepping down in an effort to help himself he's helping the company too. And that in 12-18m time he should be back to his position as Manager. To move to a smaller store his wage would reduce (as his store is the largest in the region) so much that the increase in fuel costs would make our income less than taking the bigger pay cut and stepping down a role. it's not the best, and DH still doesn't want me to work as he wants to come home and relax still rather than coming home and having to sort the kids while i went to work... i can understand him, but at the same level i feel like i CANT help because he's not willing to let me, so feel more pressure is on him still as the bread-winner... we'll just have to see how it goes and if needs be i'll get a job.

Bumps - so sorry that I forgot to comment on your lovely post the other day - DD2 sounds gorgeous and it sounds like you have all settled into life as a family of 5 beautifully. (almost makes me broody for another )!!

Can't that is good news generally for your DH. Hope it gives him the opportunity to recover properly. If you are really going to be strapped for cash, have you considered doing something from home, e.g. catalogues, or the fact that DD2 will be a nursery/preschool from Easter so you could potentially do something in those 2 hours a day, or doing mobile hairdressing in the evenings/ or from your home? Don't know if any of those are an option? I'm constantly looking at our budget at the moment now I've given up work and since DH works shifts it'd be really hard for me to do anything regular, but looking at what I could do to bring some emergencies/luxury cash in. Just my tuppenceworth for what it's worth!

So excited for others re. upcoming scans

P.S. Tink - 100 books sounds a LOT!!!

Cant, I think Star has a good idea there. Couldn't you do hairdressing at home?

Hello everyone. I am not avoiding you all but my computer has yet again died. I think I have a corrupt version of windows as it just wont start up. I am sneaking onto my dads while visiting but as soon as I am back up and running I will catch up properly.

bye for now...

hello bumps. :)

Star & Kayz- it's a good suggestion, but I've been out of hairdressing for over 7 years now, and I really would be stuck if anyone asked for something current. and obviously cant afford to re-train... DH's shifts are odd, from one week to the next his shifts are different each week (either a 6pm home time or a 8.45pm home time) and we can't even sort a regular pattern out for me to just do a couple of evenings, and family live too far away so can't really have the DC's, and I'd hate to work weekends as with them being at school now its the only quality time I get with the older 2... Our bills will all be covered, food and fuel will all be covered, but our monthly spends will reduce drastically to around £200 every 4 weeks... I know a lot of families survive on much less, but with such a big drop from what we're used to, plus needing to put money aside etc it just seems a massive drop in money. We used to live on much less when we had just DS and we were fine, our rent was more than our mortgage is now, and we never went hungry... but we have 3 kids now and are used to much more money coming in... I'm sure we'll cope, but I just hope its no longer than the 12-18m projected as it's gonna be tough. seeing as the Dec wage will be DH's last at the current wage we've decided to make Xmas extra special and then hopefully we can end this year on a high note after all the shit we've had thrown at us in the last part of this year!

Can't, won't your tax credit payments go up if your income's less? We have a pretty low income but we don't struggle as we get shit loads (and I mean absolutely LOADS) from tax credits - child tc and working tc. Also the fact that we get working tc means that we get free prescriptions and dental which helps too (especially given the state of DH's teeth!). It may be worth you registering as self employed too as then you may qualify for working tax credits if you don't already. Could you just start off doing children's hair if you're worried about being out of date?

hi cant

how about betteware which i do
i get about £30 a week it is a fair amount of work
i do it in the mornings about an hour a day

Tink- no-one round here orders betterware or avon really, i only know as we have a new rep every month or so, so people must realise they make nothing and give up...

Moosy- i do expect tax credits will go up, but we do get a fair amount now, so i doubt it'll go up too much, and going through the direct.gov website it does say our amount would go down... but I'm sure that/s not right as I don't see how we'd get more with a higher income. As for registering as self employed, it's not really do-able till I can drive anyway, and we wont be able to afford the lessons now... i was planning on starting learning just after Xmas... but had to change plans.

Off to the Good Food Show tomorrow, our Xmas present off my parents... I'm super excited, even more at the fact that the kids seem to be dead excited too- DS wants to try a 'water buffalo burger' as me and DH had one last time we went (while I was PG with DD2)... And DS has a list of Chefs he wants to see, he's wants to see Gordon Ramsey, Gino, Jamie Oliver & the Hairy Bikers... He said it'd be good to see Greg Wallace and John Torrode too- I think he's a budding little chef!! :)

cant hope that you enjoyed food show

i ordered bits on my very accnt to pay off next year

had a gd day today went into town this morning have rentedtwilight new moon and lost series 4

Hi All

Cant- hope you enjoyed the food show. I've been a before times plus to the masterchef one and it was great fun :) Sorry for the stresses with income- sounds like a good solution for your DH though.

Star - how are you enjoying life at home? :)

How is everyone else?

Monday blues here, plus its freezing.

Off to sip my hot coffee

bye for now xx

i will join you ginger :(
dd1 of is inset day

Hello.

Cant, I'm very jealous! I always think the food shows look really good. I must go sometime.

DS1 has got Wednesday off due to the strikes. DS2 will still have play school so no idea what to do with DS1

Hope everyone is ok.

Hello! Just a quickie as ds2 is full of cold and will only sleep on my chest Very alien to a Gina girl lilke me but I have to say it's rather nice Jeez I'll be co-sleeping next
All fine here though pretty tired and getting sick of wearing my maternity clothes...Need to get motivated diet-wise but very hard not to pick at biscuits etc when I'm tired. I suppose it is early days though!
Will try and catch up and hopefully post back later xxx

hi diege poor ds

i have opened a very account and ordered some bits on buy now pay later in 12 mnths

Rant alert......

DH decided this morning that he wasn't feeling well and wasn't going into work. He said he hadn't slept well and had a stomach upset. It transpired he had a knotted stomach which he put down to work related stress.

He has been saying for weeks that he's feeling stressed at work and not enjoying it and threatening to be off sick due to stress.
He has been actively looking for new work and has an interview on Wednesday which is something.
He has however managed to eat during the day and has ordered a curry for his tea but says he doesn't plan on going to work tomorrow.
I went to work today and dropped DS off on the way and picked him up again on the way home. Got home at 6.45pm. DH then has done nothing about getting tea for me and him sorted other than offer to order a curry (he knows I go off curry when pg, so I declined but he's ordered one for himself). He also didn't do anything towards putting DS to bed.
I'm feeling very pissed off but don't feel I can add to his stress by telling him how I'm feeling. Hence I'm offloading here (sorry!)

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!

I also did the strict mummy routine at bedtime with DS by refusing to let him watch Peppa Pig on the iPad after I told him he could watch either Charley Bear or Peppa Pig and then go to sleep. He chose Charley Bear and I stuck to my guns and he is still crying and calling for me.

I'm also feeling stressed as I'm at that stage of pregnancy where my symptoms have faded but I can't feel any movements and I'm wondering whether everything is ok. I have a consultant appointment tomorrow afternoon so I'm hoping they'll offer to listen to the hb with some success.

Sorry - just had to get that all off my chest.

oh ses

sounds like dh is having a hard time!!!
it must be so hard for you!!

good luck with appmnt tomorrow
it must be hard for you too

Oh Ses, it just seems tobe that time of year I think - I totally empathise, hope DS has settled and DH has done something for you this evening. I was there last week - DH went to his parents on early Sat am and got back in time for tea on Mon, he went to work on his Nan's house, so could was doing hard labour from 8am til ca. 4pm each day, but there's no electric so couldn't work around that - apart from that his Mum was cooking for him, he just sat around watching telly and getting some sleep - I was fuming that he didn't even bother to call [grr]. Plus I had PMT - not a good combination - I did manage to not cause a full blown row, but only because I'm feeling grateful that he's allowed me to give up work, so he's riding that gravy train at the mo (the extremely tight budget we're going to be on is not helping!)

I do think that parenthood is a tough test of any relationship and add anything extra into that, such as stress, pregnancy, PMT and it makes it really tough. I hope your DH redeems himself tonight/tomorrow!

P.S. am really glad that I didn't make a big thing of it with DH 'cos he had spent some quality time with his Mum, Dad, Nan, brother, sister, neice and nephew - which is a rarity, since his brother lives abroad. His Nan then took a sudden illness on Weds and passed away on Thurs eve - very sad, but mercifully quick and we managed to get there on Thurs pm so DH could say goodbye, although she wasn't conscious. Funeral is on Thurs. feel now like after she had had nearly all her family around her for a weekend, she just had had enough

Anyway sorry for that off topic, really feel for you Ses and hope things have perked up now!

Will post another time in response to your question Ginger, since really must do some ironing now!

Thanks Tink and Star. I did just re-read my post and think that it sounded a bit unsympathetic, pg, tired and hormonal but hey that's the way it is!
Am glad that I didn't offload on DH as I want him to talk to me not feel he can't tell me what's going on.

Star - sorry for your DH's Nan's sudden passing. How is he? Yes, I guess with hindsight it was good for them all to spend the weekend together and hope that will help with some good memories.

DS did settle. DH now tells me he's got the next 2 days as annual leave and will be back at work on Thursday. I hope he's ok to go back Thursday as I don't think wallowing at home will really help. FX one of his other options will come off and he can hand his notice in soon.

Diege - hope DS2 is doing better and you can indulge the cuddles.

Cant - hope you enjoyed the food show and that DH's new solution works all round. I also wondered whether you could start doing children's hair? I know for me, I would just want someone that could do a basic cut and be patient with children.

Ginger - hope your Monday improved.

Tink - hope inset day was ok.
Has everyone with school age children got them at home on Wednesday due to the strike?

Hello Moosy, Kayz, Bumps and anyone else lurking :)
G'night!

Fingers crossed for you DH's other options Ses. It feels to me at the moment lie everywhere people are working so hard because everywhere is so short-staffed - boo to recession!

Great suggestion re. Children's hair for Can't - agree with you totally.
DH is doIng ok thanks, was close to his Nan because they've always lived close and hi Mum was her only child - his Nan and Grandad played a big role in bringing the him, his brother and sister up.
Hope the next 2 days give your DH the respite he needs.
You didn't sound hormonal at all to me!

morning all

Ses- sounds like things are tough for DH and thats having impact on you and O. You didnt sound hormonal or unsympathetic- glad we are place to enable you to rant. :) Maybe if he is usually considerate you could let it go this once and give him a hard time if it happens again. Although i'd be a bit if my DH had been at home all day and hadnt picked up the SG... Hope thinsg are better today.

my turn for minor rant.

So the SG has been daddys girl forever. She wants him primarily in every situation since as long as I can remember. Its reached new heights with her being really stroppy with terrible twos. Last weekend my presence was barely noticed by her - it was daddy daddy daddy. Daddy to hold her hand, help her with lunch everything except bloody toilet trips....

Its hard to swallow as I am no comfort to her really. This morning, I went to help her with her teeth and she just shoved me shouted/ bellowed "leave me alone, I want daddy" several times. This was final straw for me and I am reall y quite upset. This isnt a phase and I dont see how its every going to change. I have visions of us never getting on and its killing me at the moment.

Anyone got any experience of turning this kind of thing around? Does it change? We dont know how to handle it. It makes DH feel bad and me feel worse.

Sorry got to post and run- back later xxx