December 2011: Scratching, squeezing, hatching and latching...

[LittleMissHumbuggery]

...and those of us left are doing a fair bit of bitching:o

I wonder if we could get a [pompoms] going on? Do we have the energy for a campaign?

Right, come on! We're a third of the way through the month and Nickelbabe needs new recruits for her advent thread. Get squeezing:o

I meant to say well done to seven for your first day at home on your own. I'm dreading the first day when it's just me and both DC's and DC2 hasn't even arrived yet!

Marking my place

Congrates io and MsB (and everyone else i might of missed )

DH goes back to work tomoro and i'm so not looking forward to looking after Hope and Air on my own and i cant believe how fast the two weeks have gone

Only 15 days to xmas where is the time going?

DH has two weeks back at work then a week off and then he can take 2 weeks off in feb for Airs birthday

BF going ok, Hope is going fine and Air is settling down really well and bonding more with his Dad (I know hewill have tears when DH goes back to work )

Testing out my new name - its cheeptrick

mmm I am dosed up on paracetamol and ibuprofen to sort my afterpains out...they are bloody horrible and kept me awake last night!

Bfing is going really well, lots is clearly going in as we have had 8 wet nappies and 4 poos! I'm pleased that I have the hang of it this time, DD2 is happy to share the milk too...although we do keep needing to remind her that Miri can't share her food!

Cheep good luck for your day with DH back at work. Pleased to hear things are going well for you with both Hope and Air.

MsB sounds like things are going well for you too...other than the afterpains of course

Warning: 'me' post approaching...

My day has gone from bad to worse. Managed to just about shift the headache, but then slipped and fell down a few of the stairs whilst holding DD (again!). I somehow managed to grab the bannister with one hand and keep hold of DD with the other so that she didn't hit the floor too hard. However, I've got bruises on the underside of my foot, my shins and my knees, and have pulled muscles in my thighs and all on the underside of my bump. I can now barely move and DH has taken DD out again! It's well and truly woken baby up though - it hasn't stopped wriggling about for the last couple of hours.

Congratulations to all who've sprogged. Not had time to register who has new nippers so will have a good read through tomorrow. Still stubbornly pregnant but tired and emotional with it as well today. Poor DH is getting it right in the neck but just had a nice hour chilling out together while DS naps (god love those naps).

Full moon hasn't worked it's magic all around but hopefully there are some slow burners who will be hatching tonight

Thanks for posting your birth stories mrsb and Oi, congratulations again! Hopefully more of us will be joining you on the other side soon .

Ooh Kate that fall sounds nasty you poor thing, I really hope you feel better soon. Perhaps a nice bath would ease your bruises a little? Sending across virtual tea and sympathy x

A productive day chez Pully, last things bought for baba, hosp bag repacked, painting done (hurrah) and just about to put a nice roast on.

Just watching Jamie Oliver and seriously I could lick the screen - blue cheese, prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella, wine, oh my mouth is watering and DP is laughing at my pathetic wimpers of longing!

Hi, congratulations msb! loved your story! Welcome Miri!!
Well, GingerBaby is not Ginger after all! The red in his hair was just blood after all. He has dark brown hair for the moment, and lots of it, and he is now Alistair Jude. I'll catch up properly when I'm home - and post some photos - probably later tomorrow. Hope you're all well and popping happily! Xxx

Oh dear Kate not good- well done for catching the bannister, but it doesn't half knock the wind out of you and send you a bit wibbly for a while. Just what you need!

Hah! So although not blond, he's not ginger after all Oi- knew it! Alistair Jude is cracking, and can't wait to see pics of him soon.

I wouldn't be surprised if our LO ends up being at least strawberry blond and curly- my OH's family is Irish, and although all of them are either blond or brown and curly haired, my OH is nearing a dark strawberry blond (and long and curly) and is very ging in the beard (my nickname for him when he hasn't shaved is ginger Jesus; his mates used to call him 'Hucknall' !)

Nickel's live thread is hotting up too, think she'll be adding herself to the calendar shortly...

Ah Kate that's rubbish - second Pully's rec of a bath, do you have any arnica on hand to help with the bruising? Hope you feel better soon!

Roasting a chook, my mum is coming out from London for dinner and said she will stay over if I want her to come to tomorrow's sweep. I wouldn't mind her staying the night so she doesn't have to trek back into town but can't think of anyone I would want less at a sweep than someone as squeamish and neurotic as she is (oh what a lovely DD I am)...the only person I want to be there is DH as he will hold my hand and keep me breathing and relaxed. I just hope it doesn't hurt as much as the consultant's cervical exam...

Can't wait to see Gingerbaby photos - I bet ours will be either be white blonde or bald as an egg!

Don't know if I mentioned how my aunt and uncle have adopted a little girl from the DR Congo, 3 months old - they arrived there last week to take her home, and ran smack into the election unrest in Kinshasa. They're currently stuck in their hotel (luckily with their daughter) and have all paperwork to leave, except an exit visa...and all commercial flights are grounded anyway (they might be evacuated if it gets any worse). They seem remarkably upbeat even though I could hear the machine gun fire outside the hotel even over the rubbish skype connection!! Anyway their DD is adorable, though she has a huge belly from malnutrition and is full of parasites, poor little baby - should be easy to deal with once they get out of Kinshasa though.

They've given her the middle name of her (and my) grandmother who died a couple of years ago - we were going to do this if ours turns out to be a girl, and at first I thought they might think we had somehow stolen their idea but then thought - it would be two little girls 3 months apart in age joining the family - one through birth and one through adoption, so how nice for them to share a middle name of someone who was special to all of us and emphasises that they are cousins, both fully part of the same family and very much loved and wanted.

tinsel, I think it's lovely they share a name and hope they get out quick. Sounds a little bit hairy there.
Good luck with your sweep tomorrow, hope you did better than I did when they couldn't get in!
I am trying to be more stoical today. Will call tomorrow to book myself in for induction. Feel as though everything that can be attempted has been so going to try and chill for the last few days. Hopefully, relaxing may even bring labour on.
I am GLUED to nicjelbabes live birth thread. Thrilling stuff!

oi Alistair Jude is a gorgeous name.

cheep love your name change.

kate hope you're ok, I'm surprised it hasn't made you go into labour.

After doing well yesterday today has been pretty bad. I'm exhausted, the house is a tip (which isn't important but it's bothering me), I don't have time to give DS as much attention as he wants which makes me feel like a crap mum and to top it off my milk supply is dropping as I don't seem to have enough time to express often enough.

Sorry for the rant, can anyone who already has 2 DC's tell me when it'll get easier?

Hi, all.

nickelbabe seems to be getting on with it, judging by her thread

Thanks for the encouragement to swear, FirstNoel. I've obliged now that DS is out of earshot!

Tinsel, Darcies and mopsytop, I think I've got the same holding pattern as you - period pains, stabby pains and pressure! Now that I know what you mean about the stabby pain, can I ask: do you think it's the baby headbutting the cervix? I've tried some clary sage oil, but it's just made me want a cup of tea, whereas there is some ice cream in the freezer which really needs eating instead, so the tea is a very unwelcome craving!

sevenswansaswimming, ahhh, of course you made it through the day in charge! And the subsequent day is the down after the up, then there will be another up... Is there any chance you could get a cleaner for a Christmas present, even a temporary one?! By the way, are you sure your milk supply is dropping, or could Eva actually be feeding more?

KateKringle, I'm sure you'll be fine, too. If you have any "help" coming after the birth, you may well find that you are desperate to be on your own again! "Well-meaning" people can often wind toddlers up... (though of course I hope it's not going to happen to you, I think it will happen to me!)
If you do get extra help after that very frightening-sounding fall, though, just take it and try to relax. I'm sorry; I can't remember how old your DD is, but is she old enough to take the warning about not being carried any more?

I like your new name, AirOfHope!

msbaublestwinkle, how are you feeling this evening? May I ask: I thought ibuprofen was a no-no, or is that not for breastfeeding, just for pregnancy? Hopefully it's working for you!

DecktheHawthers, sorry you're tired and emotional, hoepfully you will feel better after some sleep.

OiMistletoe, I was just thinking back today, to your house-exchanging schedule, and wondering whether you had sent your buyers a birth announcement with a told-you-so postcript/subtext?

Tinselperion, the family middle name sounds a beautiful idea. The babies will of course have their own first names, but the second name will tie them together tightly! Poor baby, though, 3 months old and so much has already happened to her!

plu ibuprofen has a very short half life, so is one of the preferred analgesics for bfing. Tis working wonders, am able to leave it a bit longer between doses now, afterpains are more like period pains than agonising now.

oi one of DP's favourite boys names! It is lovely.

tyel what a beautiful way to connect the two babies, I hope your Aunt and Uncle and DD stay safe and get home soon.

I should be going to sleep, can't settle til I know when Nickel's baby is born!

Oh, that's interesting about the ibuprofen - so it clears the body quickly, or at least the milk? Thanks for that.

Thanks everyone. A bath sounds like an excellent idea, I'll have one before bed. Thankfully the fall didn't bring on labour - I don't like the idea of trying to push when I've got pullled thigh muscles!

Third bad thing of the day happened when I whacked the bump with a door handle (you'd think I'd be used to the size of it by now!) so I'm hoping that's it now

DD is 19 months old and can't manage the stairs on her own. She either needs to be carried or have her hand held. I take the carrying option when I'm trying to carry other things too. Guess I'd better start taking it more easy now. DH is now off work as he had so much leave accrued for the year, so that should be a help at least...and the right kind of help too plu!

P.S. msb, I'm not sure we're going to hear about Nickelbabebaby tonight... go to sleep and sleep off the pains instead...

Right all, I'm off to bed for a 5.30am start to go off and have this baby!

Thanks to all for the lovely conversations, advice and laughs. I hope that I can update you on the outcome asap, and work out how to put photos on seeing as I have demanded asked the same of so many of you! Will probably be Wednesday at the earliest though, unless I can access MN through OH's phone.

Good luck to all those ( plu, tinsel, darcies, mopsy, etc) who are getting close, and especially to all those who are having inductions shortly.

See you on the advent calendar soon!

Good luck chinchilla, will be thinking of you!

firstnoel, good luck! And the pompoms are out, of course....

Really glad you are OK Kate and not too shaken. I had a 23 month gap between my DDs and was still carrying DD1 to bed a long way into pregnancy. It's just what you do when you think they need you. Story of being a mum!

seven, that feeling of not being able to cleave yourself in two is something every mum gets with their second DC, it seems more profound the smaller the age gap. I felt it got a little easier at about 8-12 weeks when Dd2's feeding pattern was more established and we all got a bit more used to each other. In the meantime reassure yourself that you don't need to be perfect, just "gpod enough", and try to give everyone little bits of time as you can (that includes yourself!) if baby is settled then 5 mins with DS and a book, if DS is plonked in front of telly then feed baby. If baby is napping then sit yourself down with cuppa and cake, or a nice hot shower. And be assured it WILL get better. You're doing great. ((((hug)))). Don't forget the ultimate backup that all babies fall asleep in the car!!

Good luck and pompoms for you chinchilla - I hope it all goes well, see you on the other side!

Well done and Congrats msb and oi :o fantastic news!

oi I agree about gas and air, I hit OH over the head with it as he kept trying to give it me bless him! I'm so glad you are ok after cs. I will ask you all about it, as we have decided when we have another I'm going to have one. After what happened, as I don't feel comfortable the fact they don't know what happened!

Thank you for everyone on advice re colic (if it is that), we have him on detinox as there was no infacol in Asda, and Dr brown bottles lol he brings about 3 burps a feed up on it, after we have massaged tummy, cycled legs etc and is better than the 1st 2 nights he had it aethelfleda thanks for the link, I tried holding him like that the other day, but I don't think I did it correctly, so I'll give it a go later!

He has just settled down now from 9pm!

ybr glad you're not in too much pain now! My stitches are still getting worse 2 weeks later, the mw didn't listen when I said they were pulling, and not dissolving, or the fact I still couldn't sit down! Now the whole of downstairs feels bruised and swollen!

pully netmums blah!

bec I have everything crossed it starts naturally for you... hurry up baby we want to all meet up shin, this time with babies!!

lots of pom pom waving

Off to get an hours kip before LO is up screaming again :( poor dude

good luck chinchilla, see you when you're a mummy!! x

Good luck chinchilla see you on the other side

Thanks for the kind words aethel

So much for my nice relaxing bath before bed, I now have insomnia to top off my day!

Ah kate, you and me both - woke up and had sweated through my pyjama top and for some reason my nether regions are so itchy it feels like i've got ants in my pants!! Not very conducive to drifting back off to sleep WTF is it with this pregnancy lark...i'm not particularly in tune with my body but I do expect it to behave in predictable or at least explainable ways! I know that's a pretty privileged outlook to have as I am almost never ill - but pregnancy isn't an illness either or so I keep being told

Maybe a few pages of my book will help...