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...

Oh Biscuits you poor thing!! Am also on hand if you need any shopping ideas!

I still feel a bit stupid Generic

I think you might be right that's it's kind of worrying about him rather than the presents.

It's just the last thing he needs to have to look after incompetent me too.

I just feel like I want to crawl into bed and curl up under the duvet!

All I need is stocking filler type stuff but for both sets of parents and dh's bro and wife. Think my sis is almost sorted (stuck on her hubby though) and I did DH and DS ages ago. Although I might buy DS another present just because I've thought of it and it'll make me feel slightly less hopeless!

Thank you all ladies - I will just say in a moment of clarity that I am well aware of the mountain I am making out of this molehill!

Biscuits sorry to hear you're feeling so stressed out :( I hope you have a chance to sit down, take a breather, and feel a bit better. Xmas shopping can be really overwhelming with all the crowds and going round in circles trying to figure out what to get. You are NOT a loser, you're lovely! I hope you manage to come up with at least a few things today, and start to feel like it's more under control.

Scarlet sorry to hear you're feeling so unwell, a sore throat is such a pain! Hope you feel better soon, and The Snowman at Xmas time is definitely a good idea!

Generic I have to ask - every time someone writes on here they always put something about them being "un-MN". What does that mean!?! Why are hugs "un-MN" is there a campaign against them on a thread somewhere? Or are there certain kinds of hugs - MN ones and non-MN ones? I see this comment all the time from people and I have no idea what it means!

Biscuits my first thought it to get to a book shop as they will have all sorts of nice things in there and most people love a book, whether it's a novel, a cook book, autobiography, gardening etc, whatever their interests are. Don't worry about making a mountain out of a molehill - I would not attempt Christmas shopping personally, so you are not being silly at all! Don't worry about your DH, just send him a text in an hour or so to say you've broken the back of it. Look forward to a relaxing evening tonight, safe in the knowlesge that you've finished the bloomin' shopping!

Scream I think it's just because MN is not one of the fluffier forums where people are always writing 'hugs, hun xxx' and all that malarkey. Mind you, we are allowed to give each other hugs if we want!

I've bought myself some shampoo - does this count?

At least I've broken my shopper's block! Picked the shampoo myself and everything....

That is progress - you've got your purse out once, you can do it again! Go girl!

I'm getting back in the game I think. Sorted out my sister (most important a have to post tomorrow). Might leave the rest of 'em and make DH come with me.

Still slightly freaked out by a shopping induced panic attack. Am I really a man? Finding it hard going walking around too and squeezing my girth round the busy shops

Well done on sister present. Can you go home, research the rest online, then make suggestions to DH later? You can then go and collect things at a later date (hopefully with DH).

That's my plan generic - see if I can get an evening baby sitter wed or thu and then go again with DH.

My bump is knackered from walking around - I'm going to be immobile in 3 mths time if I carry on like this!

Go home and have a rest for a bit! You've earned it.

Well done Biscuits - and if the worst comes to the worst you can always give someone shampoo for Christmas!

Now pop your feet up and have a nice cup of tea.

Bugger - I shouldn't have gone for the brunette shampoo - that has seriously limited my options......

You could buy some brunette hair dye to accompany it

biscuits, I would have had that exact panic if I hadn't been given ideas by everyone I'm buying for, or their oh. I've been stressing enough about making up this blinking photo album for my dad. Which i finally finished after hours and hours of work... Amazon next day delivery biscuits, that's the answer!! This year I'm giving grow-your-own Chilli sets, a torch, etc so clearly not inspired...

Dd had a mega-nap til 4:30, goodness knows what'll happen at bedtime now, but as this is unheard of for her I figured she must need it...

Sorry to hear your shopping isn't going too well biscuits
I am going to have to finish my shopping at the supermarket as I have no car to get into town! ( luckily it is an 'extra' store a 25 min walk away)

I'd always imagined you as a blonde biscuits!!

Nope - I'm a natural poo brown Pomme

Although I am prone to many the odd 'blonde' moment (said with my tongue firmly in my cheek - obviously!)

biscuits, I'd imagined you brunette, I imagine musical as a tiny willowy blonde...
Funny isn't it how you get a picture of someone in your head based on imagination alone!!

Trying to get dd into bed. She's still never gone down for me in these last 3 'difficult' months, but Dh working til 10. His mouth blisters and foot blisters bothering him and he's really stressed at the minute too. He had a young guy from his patient list commit suicide end of last week, and he's so, so gutted about it. Wondering if he could have done any more etc. He's losing a lot of sleep over it. So I'm worried about Dh while he worries about his patients...

Right, to get awake baby off my chest/bump and into her cot... Fx.

Sorry biscuits I posted before your superb shampoo buying! You are so obviously back in control:).
Some kind people from church have offered their car to us to use in Christmas week so we will be able to go to church on Christmas morning and visit DH's relatives as originally planned.:) it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

Oh Dream, your poor DH - what a horrible thing to have to deal with. Your DH certainly sounds very conscientious though so I'm sure he did everything he could - but the very fact of being so conscientious would make him go over it again I guess?

Hope dd goes down for you soon though, and that your DH gets home too to get a bit of a rest. It must be so hard for him to still have these blisters dragging on .

Has your DH got much time off over Christmas. I think some rest is well over due in the Dream household!

wants what lovely news that you've got the use of a car. I bet that'll make a really lovely difference?

Glad you got your shopping sorted biscuits, I finished mine off today (apart from one book, hoping it won't suddenly be out of stock when I go and get it!)

Funny what you were saying dream about mental images of people, I bet I'm imagined as "little" because of my name. I'm not! (seen the pics of your bump now though, so I just imagine you standing sideways in front of your fireplace!)

Me too little! Dream lives in front of her fireplace sideways on in my mind.
I imagine you petite and dark.

I also imagine Dream to be in front of her fireplace. Always.