December 2012 christmas puddings

[PrunellaDeVille]

over here, that came around suddenly

I'm going to batch cook some things like Shepherd's pie, Chilli, Lasagne, Chicken casserole etc for when he baby is born. It's going to be winter so having a freezer of yummy comfort food that we can just bung in the over will be perfect, Lakeland have big foil dishes for these sorts of things. Then I also know that dd is eating well too.

i saw this in JL yesterday, am hoping it goes in the sale

Aw that's cute pidj!

We did buy babies outfit to come home in on sat. The dcs helped! It's very cute, although my organisational skills are lacking due to too much time on mn a hectic lifestyle!

Right I need to get up for work!

pmgkt reread your post, sorry forgot to reply yesterday - glad yours isn't an issue either - it sounds like such a daunting problem but seems to be quite easy to live with and never know.
am i reading into your post excessively but - with a heart murmur is it likely it'll be passed on to LO??

spotty commiserations on the heart palpitations, that must be unpleasant, is it a symptom of pg that you've experienced before?
after early growth it seemed bump didn't grow much for weeks (2 almost identical bump pics on my profile at 8 weeks apart!) i shouldn't worry, i'm sure it's just because you live with it everyday you don't notice the tiny incremental changes.

still nothing bought here - except a chest of drawers, keep wondering about the old fashioned notion of keeping LO in one of the open drawers - would mean no need for a moses basket and one thing struck off the list
everyone else's organisation is starting to alarm me

Prunella I had it with dd, consultant never seemed too concerned she did mention a monitor but as I just got it intermittently nothing was ever done. I expect you're right about the bump. Scan tomorrow though eek!

Think there's some scans today too?

Pru I don't think it makes it any more likely, my understanding is that murmors are very common in newborns and in most peoples cases, as with my ds it mended itself within a day or so. Even if it is it won't make any odds to discharge times. They didn't investigate mine further til I was at least a year old. Have you done much research online about them and has someone told you exactly what is happening?

cardiologist was quite blaze about the murmur - reckons it's only pg related as it has never been picked up before and ECG and echo seemed ok. he seemed more interested in my super low blood pressure which i have at the best of times but has dropped each time it's been taken recently.
thanks for reassuring on the possible connotations for LO's heart.

shit 9 o'clock, how did that happen? really ought to be working by now but still in dressing gown in bed with the laptop, oops.
using a laptop on lap in pg - not a good idea?
must be off...

So far we've bought:
Pram, changing bag, Moses basket and stand, sheets, blanket, nappies, breast pads, clothes, scratch mitts, hats, snowsuit, steriliser.

I now need to concentrate on getting a caccoon for my pram and my bag things eg pjs etc

I will also be batch cooking as that is the only disagreement we really have is dh's
take on helping at mealtimes is to ring a takeaway also my last ds used to start crying at 4:30 and would keep going til 5:30pm every day for 2 months making mealtime a little difficult! so any tips or recipes would be great.

We have also started Xmas shopping which is early for us but will help nearer the time. I think with 4ds's and having an Xmas bundle I need to be a bit organised this year (but it does not come naturally)

Sorry to hear about palpitations spotty, they are an unpleasant and worrying feeling. Also sorry to hear about heart murmur worries too - I know I had one when born which healed. Heart as strong as an ox now as ecg showed the other day following mammoth bout of palpitations!

I too have wondered re the drawer Moses basket!

I do have lists [in my head] and agree that makes me feel super organised!

Trying to catch up, but I managed to drop the iron on my head this morning so im having to read everything several times to understand, oops!!!

I have been given:
Pushchair
Cot
Crib
Travel cot
Toys
Sheets/cot bumpers/curtains
Breast pump (was sil's so ok to share after a Milton bath!)
Furry bear jacket/trousers
Hat/mitten set
2 hooded towels

I have been promised:
Crib
Moses basket x2 (!)
Playmat
Crib sheets etc
Sleeping bags
Various knitted items from friends who like making these things

I have bought/made:
3 cardigans
3 pairs of dungarees
1 hat
3 cotton sleep suits with mitts
2 fleece sleep suits
Lots of nappies and wraps (reusable)

I still need:
Nursery furnishings to my taste
Clothes in nb size - have only bought 0-3 and 3-6 so far - just cheap white cotton
Avent bottles + microwave steriliser to match pump
Changing bag
Hospital bag and contents
Snowsuit
Car seat
Blankets (i have the yarn, just need the time!)
Sling - will go to sling meet nearer the time
Ipod+docking station for nursery (so i can play white noise/nice music not that dreadful tinkly shite you get with mobiles)

I'm assuming anyone who wants to get presents will buy outfits and toys because that's easy. I've also hinted to close family that Christmas presents will be more appreciated because I'll have an idea of what the baby likes by then. My wider family are of the cheque-writing persuasion so that's easy, just open an ISA in his name :o

Ooo I also have car seat

Im glad i dont look OTT everyone said im mad.

Ive bought everything apart from nappies and my hospital stuff.

I got a cute cot bed called little star!! I got the mother care bedding too!

How many breast feeding? My boobs are killing and cracking sorry if TMI. I do put cream on them nothing seems to stop it :(

Today is 20w scan day even though ive been getting up at 12pm 11am each morning.

think posative clarella, you can hide in the shed when it all becomes too much!!

stacey my boobs are leaking too, most odd!

cod you can buy all of my stuff for me as well? your clearly WAY too organised!
is there anything that has to be bought new, me and DP are very strapped for cash and we dont mind spending out on what we need to, but trying to do mostly 2nd hand! any advice?!
batch cooking advice- my mum used to put everything into big foil/ reuseable containers ready to be put into a slow cooker, then freeze them! so all she had to do in the morning was pop an 'ice cube meal' into the slow cooker and it would be ready by the evening.. i plan on following this on, maybe a good idea?!
and if you dont have a slow cooker?.. invest

sorry for those with heart problems, sounds horrible; but if the hcp's arnt overly worried then neither should you be :)

SCAN TOMORROW SCAN TOMORROW!
spotty/ baby brain someone else excited ;) ?!?!

good luck xmas eve! you finding out the sex?

Pru good news about your heart

Agree moses basket coverlets are just for show, no use at all. Will definitely be using muslins under baby's head to save on changing everything and will be using sheets in the carry cot too.

Erm, WRT lady, tidy down the sides and a trim all over to make it easier to keep clean. I have friends who have had elective sections that take everything off themselves, to save the dreaded orange bic razor

I have a car seat, a cot, a moses basket and bedding, a play mat and some clothes. I've also ordered my pram. I still need lots of stuff, but can't bring myself to start until after 24 weeks. I'm more than half way through my first blanket though.

I have been offered at least 3 breast pumps and lots of other stuff too, monitors, swings, toys etc. Hopefully we'll only have to get the basics and others will provide the frills.

Good luck for scans today

Bubbless Advice is to get a new mattress and a new car seat. Although, if you're buying a car seat from a friend and know it hasn't been in an accident then that's fine. Everything else is fine second hand, so long as it's in good condition.

Ive not bought all mine new, my pram is second hand but great condition as is the steriliser. My mum has also bought a few bits. Really the car seat should be new or from someone trustworthy (as is mine) so you know it's not been involved in an accident. Any mattress you use should be new and teats for bottles. I think that's it?

bubbles thanks for the meal advice I have a slow cooker so will be trying that out sounds perfect

bubbles Yeah i am

I think its boy and i do call him ralph(my bump and the name im calling him)

I dont mind either way if they are good and show me what bits they have got ive been craving a roast.

Baby kicks when i eat parma voliets thinks they like them or i assume [grins]

You will feel anxious tomorrow i do now!!

Morning All. Good luck for today's cans
xmas my nerves about today kicked in yesterday afternoon and I've got to wait another 5 hours! BUsy day at work too (says she on MN!)

Cod I'm so impressed! We've only got lots of bottles, a bottle warmer (DP's purchase even though I'm hoping to bf!) and 1 sleepsuit.

Hoping to have my bag packed by 30 weeks as I prefer to be orgainsed, also hoping to batch cook. Think our home is pretty much going to be an open house once LO is born, so lots of cooking and laying on of drinks will have to be done. That's why I'm secretly hoping for a Christmas Eve delivery as most people will be less likely to come out on Christmas day. AIBU?

Wowsas a few days away doing birthday-related things with DD and I've missed so much! Massive at lady garden trimming.. I kept 'on top' of things when prgnant with DD as best I could so when I did go into labour it wouldnt be horrific at least. There is prob something to say don't do it but I used a cream as I was horrified of cutting myself where I couldn't see

Worried Re heart issues, hope all is OK. Welcome xmas. Best of luck for the scans over the next few days..

I am highly organised and am a shopoholic so I've bought most things.. Pram and car seat ordered, and have bought clothes in a few sizes, couple of hats, steraliser, blankets, muslins, a couple of bottles just in case, and a chest of drawers to keep all my purhcases in :) I need to buy some sort of cot/moses basket as DD's became her cotbed and recently broke, and then I will feel like the important things are all done minus packing hospital bag etc. Am slightly concerned it leaves 18 weeks with not a lot to buy...

Re second hand I would always get a new(or from someone v close to you) car seat, and I would buy a new mattress, new bottle teets and soothers.

Great tips on the cooking front- after DD I lived on a diet of jam on toast, and take aways! bubbles and spotty thank you! I have a stupidly small freezer and no slow cooker... I know what I'll be asking for my birthday!

Weight gain- think I've put on 4kgs since my booking at 8 weeks? But in the 2 months beforehand I put on quite a bit of weight (i'm talking stones) as I had stopped my diet and given up smoking. I'm concerend as my appetite has stepped up a gear in the past week or so, and i think i literally put on 4 stone with DD

Ah I need to tidy up the house after all the party devastation and it's a MESS and have to find all of DDs lovely new toys a home (amongst all baby purchases) before she is back from preschool and my stupidly long post has just put it off even more...

Just logged on and am now freaking out at how disorganised I am!! We are moving back home to NI almost straight after the baby is born so we are going to keep the "big" purchases to a minimum as we'll just have to pack them up and move them. For example, we're not going to have a pram here (we're in London) and just have a sling for the few weeks that we're still here. Going to write a list now though of the other smaller things that we'll need. Luckily one of my favourite things in the world is writing lists Now, where did I put my coloured pens and stickers??!

Re: lady topiary....is anyone else finding it a bit of a struggle already?! Certainly not impossible, but let's just say the visibility to that area is a bit reduced!

Glad to hear the good scan news and good luck to those who have scans today! :)

One more thing - with breast pumps, a friend told me that you can't use them until 6 weeks after the birth? is this true? Why would this be?

Had scan today, everything okay. Blue team for us.

We're getting a sling to make going for walks in our village or popping to the local shop easier for us. Don't want to have to get the pram out every time.
I'll also be doing the cooking in advance. My step dad cooks seems to think he's cooking for an army so left over pasta sauces and curries get frozen in double portions. The first meal probably only took 30 minutes, and the second takes as long as rice/pasta takes to cook. I always loved mystery bag night when I lived with my mum because he could never quite tell us what we were having.

We're going to step up our buying once we've had this scan, I'm trying to leave it as long as possible just so I don't have to find a home for everything yet. We'll probably spend a weekend sorting out the house and then do everything then. MIL has said she's going to 'go mad' once she knows the sex, I'm just dreading an influx of crap in the coming weeks I have to find homes for.

Prunella my laptop has been on my lap throughout pregnancy, I think the worst thing that's happening to me is it's encouraging bad posture and making my back worse.
2blessed get everyone else to bring the food/drink, you've just had a baby you can't be running around after everyone! Anyone who turns up at my house post baby empty handed will be sent to the shop to fix that. I'm making no cups of tea or doing any cooking, for a few weeks I'm going to enjoy being a bad hostess since I'm usually so on top of everyone's needs.
Cookies DP has been told the first thing I want post birth is a cup of tea and jam on toast! I'm taking jam in my hospital bag.
WeeJo I'm doing quite a lot of lady topiary blind now, I feel fairly confident in my skills but I can't actually see what it looks like afterwards!
Xmas and everyone else with scans today good luck. All my dreams last night were about people I went to school with/worked with finding out the sex of their babies, but I was only asking so they'd ask me about mine and nobody did! Only 4.5hours left for me. I'm not nervous, I'm just very excited I just want it to be now!