We will brook no argument for a boring, uneventful, blooming pregnancy; followed by a perfectly-timed pain-free sneeze birth; vol 5

[ScreamIfYouWantToMeetSanta]

Hi No Brookers! I do hope this has worked and is in the right place...

I've added a few extra sofas so we have plenty of space for all the Rat Smackers who will be joining us soon. There's also a nice long table filled with mince pies, yule logs, gingerbread snowmen and xmas puds! Plus some non-alcoholic mulled wine. I've strategically positioned a few clean glittery vom buckets under the table, just in case it's still a bit too early for xmas munchies for some people!

As you were...

Hi,Jen I am also 19+2 I have my scan on the 5th Jan. I was told I had anterior placenta at 12 weeks so wasn't expecting to feel early movements. I started getting whole body movement feelings a couple of weeks ago but no kicks yet.

All my shopping and wrapping is done so just planning to whizz around with the Hoover and chill out on the sofa! May peel some veggies later.

DH came home at 10.30am - minus sprouts and cranberry sauce though as he got scared by the big Tesco! Still sproutless here!

Oh yes, 5th Jan - mass appointment day!

I'm feeling very festive now. I've spent the morning with family and this afternoon we've been to our local church for the Christingle service. DS loved the singing, he was trying his best to join in

This is the first year he's really understood what's going on and he's so excited. It really is lovely to think that the next few Christmases at least will be like this and really magical with small DC.

The rest of my day will be spent preparing veg and putting the presents under the tree. I have my dining table all prepared and ready for Christmas dinner already.

pomme I hope you're not still sproutless. I sent DH out at 8am this morning to get all the bits we forgot yesterday. I did worry that he might not return for some time but he said it was worse yesterday than today.

dream I hope you have your feet up. If your DH says you've got to you'd be mad not to. I wish my DH would say that to me.

Biscuits how sweet of your DS only asking for a magazine. Mine said he'd like play doh please

Merry Christmas everyone, have a lovely day tomorrow. Hawthers I'm brooking for your labour to start before Wednesday but not until after tomorrow

scarlet, Dh only says that when its evening and easy!!! Been a lovely day today though, took dd to the botanic gardens and she loved the birds, running up and down the paths and the playground with these ramps she spent forever running up and down. I have done no carrying and no food prep. My dads wife has made her her tea, bliss.

Glad you're feeling festive, hope everyone else is too, and hope we all have a lovely Christmss day

And hawthers, into labour on boxing day, that's the plan! My step sister has three CS and feels she missed something- one for failure to progress, one crash section for complete placental abruption, not allowed to try vb for number three, so I know what you mean. In the end though labours grim, birth is just about getting one or more healthy babies out, I don't think it means as much as we all think sometimes but seems so important at the time. I don't think my step sister had an easy ride or missed anything really. I know that won't change how you feel, so I'll hope.for.imminent labour for you!

dream you've hit the nail on the head. The important thing is a healthy mini hawthers that we can take straight home - mode of arrival is irrelevant and pretty grim either way. Got my big girl pants on today but will be hoping for labour to start on boxing day anyway.

Hope all the brookers are having s nice calm festive time of it. Reheated lasagne for dinner hete, oh the high life!

We have loads of sprouts and only DH really likes them! Wish I could send some

At work here and MNing instead of getting on as usual. Last shift tomorrow evening, then a week off. We don't have to work Christmas day very often, but it does make it feel a bit less festive...

Hope you all have a lovely Christmas. :)

FX for Minihawthers safe and timely arrival :)

Evening all,

Just breaking off in the middle of decorating the Christmas cake. Much hilarity here - looks like it was iced by a blind person and we're making marzipan trees to go on top - they're HUGE!!!

We've just realised now that the lid won't go back on the cake box with them on top of the cake...

Anyway - I think the important thing is that we've enjoyed doing it .

Anyway , all the veg etc was done earlier and before I started icing the house was quite clean so DH is just setting the table whilst we're doing the cake at the same time.

Ah well, it's my first go - we can only get better.....

And v v sorry you have to work tomorrow Jagster - but yay for a week off. Are you having Christmas properly tomorrow or when you've broken up?

Presents tomorrow morning, nice dinner on Monday :)

We had to make a construction out of wooden skewers and tin foil to contain DS's first birthday cake! No box was big enough

Defo doing some baking next week, shortbread I think.

Icing sugar gets everywhere We made fairy cakes last week - I let DS do the hundreds and thousands on top. Still finding the buggers everywhere.

Oh my goodness, my bump hurts from laughing so much at the cake decorating. Hope I don't send myself into labour

3 hours 15 minutes to get that baby of mine to sleep, stopping me and Dh who had to keep trying to calm the menace... Kind of spoiled the family meal...

Anyway was just checking in case of any exciting hawthers developments, another 24 hours for that though

It's Santa time in the Scream parental household. Everyone running around hanging out each other's stockings! We'll all be in bed shortly, but as it's past midnight I just wanted to say MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! to all the No Brookers, to any lurking Rat Smackers, and to all the respective current and shortly-to-arrive DC! Have a wonderful day everyone!

Merry Christmas my lovelies xxx

Merry Christmas! Hope everyone's having a lovely day.

Happy Christmas! I hope all are as full as me, and having a lovely day. I have loads of gorgeous presents and am very happy :-)

Morning all, I hope you all had a fun, stress free day yesterday?! Just planning a quiet day today,a few card games with choc poker chips later perhaps. Entertaining and visiting starts tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing my mum who is over from France for a week. She hasn't seen me since I told her at 8 weeks!

Just checking in.

We're having a fabulous Christmas. DS has loved every minute of it. He was so excited yesterday morning to see the crumbs that Santa left from his mince pie he didn't notice his presents for a couple of minutes

Yesterday was very tiring but lovely. I cooked Christmas lunch for 7 single handedly (got me out of washing up) and the rest of the day was spent watching DS play with his new toys until he went to bed and then the board games came out. We've been for a lovely walk this morning and spent the rest of today relaxing at home just the 3 of us.

I hope you're all having a great time. Wants I bet you can't wait to catch up with your Mum.

Hawthers I've been wondering if mini Hawthers is showing any sign of making an arrival?

Hello all,

We had a lovely Christmas, I can't believe how much lovely stuff, and the sheer volume of chocolate I got! I survived the inlaws visit today, back on the bedtime battle. And getting depressed about it as bar leaving her to cry (Dh getting keen to do) I'm running out of ideas...

Any news hawthers?

Hope everyone else still enjoying Christmas food etc. Impressed at you cooking for 7 scarlet. I am definitely going nowhere next year, but already bricking it about making actual real Christmas dinner!!!

While I'm sat pondering on dd's bedroom.floor, where's Fishcakethese days? And reallife?

Also had lovely Christmas. Just DH and I for the first time - no stress, no in-laws or crazy grandparents or stepmothers - ahhhh! DH cooked most of Christmas dinner (I did the bread sauce and the gravy) and we had a lovely relaxing day. Bean even kicked DH, which she has been refusing to do for weeks! Two nice big kicks directly under his hand.

Wants, have a great time with your mum - bet she'll be so delighted to see you and bump!

Scarlet, Christmas dinner for 7, wow! Am awed. We started off for a walk this morning and had to turn back because Bean decided to bounce on my bladder making me feel like I was going to wet myself, even though I had peed before leaving the house .

Dream, how's the bedtime battle going? FX for a breakthrough soon. I know controlled crying is seen as the work of the devil on here, but Mum swears by it. She says Grandma made her ignore us one night when we wouldn't stop crying and it worked like a charm. You could always try it - you don't have to keep on if it isn't working. Maybe agree a time limit with DH in advance, such as if DD hasn't stopped crying in x amount of time, then one of you will go in. Hopefully that will prevent arguments in the heat of the moment. I'm not sure what a reasonable amount of time is, though - any knowledgeable people out there?

Hawthers, was thinking of you yesterday when reading a birth thread in Chat entitled something like Oh Shit, I'm In Labour, How Do I Stop It? The poster had gone into labour at 2am on Christmas morning and really wanted to be there for her first child to open presents with. Not sure if she managed that or not, but she got to hospital at 8 am and gave birth at 8.20 . Did you get through the day or are you cuddling little JesusHawthers right now?

too, one dd asleep. I won. Ended up shuffling nearer and nearer door, then zipping out, she cried for about 1 min then went to sleep. Hour and quarter total faff though so no great. She has been left and cried on and off for over 90 min. Another reason I'm not keen. Plus, I hear with leave-to-cry every setback like illness etc can mean you have to begin again. But most of all, it breaks my heart listening to her... 60's built house with no sound proofing anywhere. We only need a monitor on if tv on so no getting away from it. I have to confess though I have to time myself even to leave her for 2 5 minutes if she's crying not just kind if whinging. And she used to lie quietly, I never used to have problems or any tears at all...

It sounds heartbreaking. I wish there was an easy solution for you. Yay for her being asleep now, though. Is she still a bit under the weather? Maybe it will just gradually improve as she gets better.

Hi all! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I got lots of lovely presents (including some maternity clothes, hurrah!), and got thoroughly spoilt by DH. We successfully cooked and baked for eight, though after a day of baking and a day of entertaining I was so shattered that I really struggled to survive today's time at the in-laws.

Have been getting some very strong kicks (hurrah!), but sadly DH keeps missing them! Too, were the kicks your DH felt just pure luck? :)

Hawthers, hoping you've got a lovely Xmas baby....!

Dream, glad you won, though sorry it took so long :(

Cooking for six tomorrow (my two best friends from childhood, plus their OHs), then off to see extended family tomorrow. Could really do with a day at home to sleep and do nothing though...!

No baby here - looks like cs on 28th. Will be back then to confirm. Got to go to bed now , knackered

Well done musical, and carrying on cooking tomorrow

I need a can't believe it/ despair type emoticon... Dd is ill again. AGAIN!!! I've only counted her as better from hand foot and mouth in the last 3-4 days, ignoring her cough. Only another cold but she can't stay asleep for coughing, snuffling, sneezing etc etc. and I was so looking forward to a good nights sleep in my own bed... If i could be I'll for her i really would... and I'd get to stay in bed all night !!

X post hawthers, that's still lovely news, 2 days til you meet minih, eeeek!!!!!! And there's a million posts on here from those who went into labour hours before induction etc, it ain't over yet!!!