Christmas Puddings 2012 - one bun has left the oven, who's next?

[PurplePidjInAPointyHat]

New thread!

Morning all! Eeeek about the next month bit! It was my first thought when I woke up this morning! I'm excited and nervous at the same time! We're heading away tomorrow on our mini babymoon. Going to a nice hotel not far from Bristol, in a place called Chepstow. Looking forward to chilling out, eating loads (no change there then!) and floating in the pool Re: baby showers, my best friend has arranged one for me - although I am calling it a non baby shower as I am funny about it too! Basically it is afternoon tea for about 6 of us. My Mum and my best friend are flying over for it, and the rest are friends from here in London. Looking forward to it :)

Alison We used to live in Amsterdam before we moved to London...I really like all the Christmas-y traditions over there too - hard to beat the olieballen whilst falling over ice skating

Spotty Thanks for the Mamas & Papas tip - now payday has arrived I might go and get one or two things

It's my second to last day today and I can't be bothered to do anything

I'd say to those who feel like starting m leave early, if you need to then do. I've been forcibly stopped by probably soon to be ex employer, but it's paradoxically meant i can do more healthy exercise in the day which is helping no end.. (has also meant i have no excuse not to crack on with the diy, dammit!)

My mother's coming up on Tuesday for a couple of days! They live 5 hours away and we get on really well, so am really looking forward to some major nattering..

I'm not having a baby shower, although there have been offers. I'm too superstitious. So I'm having a get together with friends in the New Year when the baby has been born.

I'm shattered this week, it has been craft week at the boys school, so I've been in to help, but ds1 and his friends are making their project from wood, so I've been sawing and screwing bits together and it is hard work, especially on a smaller then average chair. I was quite glad I had an excuse not to go yesterday

My arm hurts from the whooping cough jab and I have a bright red patch just like the flu jab. I don;t feel ill after this one, so that's something.

My baby must be getting bigger and stronger now, in the mornings dh can feel him moving around through the duvet.

Just got back from 34 week appt with the midwife and baby is 3/5 engaged! Does that mean I'm likely to go into labor soon? Freaking out!

My best friend organised a baby shower last weekend for me and it was lovely, loads of cake and games like pin the sperm on the egg and guess the baby food which tasted disgusting but I did get a lot of useful presents

It's ok brooke first babies can engage quite early

My hips and back are so painful today that I am finding walking difficult. I had a TOIL day and loads of stuff to do for the house - I have managed it but it has been a struggle!

Thanks spotty - scary stuff still, can't believe how little we've got left, doesn't feel that long ago that everyone had their 12 week scans!

35 weeks and starting to panic a bit that i haven't found THE perfect name options yet (team yellow so must cover both bases). It's always been something really important to me, i presumed by this stage i'd have it sussed but DH keeps throwing spanners in the works by not saying 'yes dear whatever you wish', darn him.
it's such a huge thing in LO's life, i feel very responsible for getting it just right. If it's not just right with 5 weeks to go i'm afraid i might rush into a poor decision. Those of you with DC already - how did you cope with magnitude of the decision?

Pru we still didn't have a definite with dd in fact she was called something else until a few weeks before when I had a dream she was called what we chose in the end I mentioned it to dp and he liked it but we didn't really discuss it again until she was born and that's what we went with! It will come to you try not to panic

Brooke you must be due around my induction date so I can be 'eek!' With you!

Pru you don't have to name him/her till you register the birth. Could you take a couple of days to get to know your LO before choosing a name? It seems there's some social stigma associated with it, but there shouldn't be - I'd hate to chose a name then not be sure.

We're kind of in that position too, though we know we are team blue. Just got 2 names I can't chose a definite favourite between. Keep jumping from one to the other, then wondering if actually I should go back to the books and choose a new name altogether!

I'm so tired recently, I barely have time for MN. I was checking the time every 5 mins last night, wondering if it was bed time. Started at 8:30, finally had long bath and bed at 9:40. Thing is, I'm still mostly sleeping through the night. Stayed in bed till 7am with only a few short wake-ups through the night to turn over/get comfy.

[I realise I can't complain. So many if you can't sleep!]

One week left at work!

How does one register a newborn? Do you have to make an appointment at the registry office or just turn up and what does it cost?

Mummycox you'll get the info at hospital. With mine you make an appointment. The basic birth certificate is free but you have to pay (£5?) for the detailed one, which is the one you have to have for passports etc.

I wrote my Christmas cards today, ready for birth announcements to go in

Very organised pidj! Oh a tip as well phone the tax credits people and get your form for child tax credits so you can fill in as much as you can pre birth. One less thing to think about afterwards. First child anyone earning under £26000 is eligible and second child anyone earning under £32000 not sure about subsequent children....

I did the same pidj, a week or so ago. If the baby comes more or less on time (due 7th) then his/her name can go in, otherwise I'll probably just send them as they are.

We have to make an appointment to register births, but I think you have 6 weeks to do it. We also didn't realise they only took cash and were counting out pennies to get the extra certificate

Latest i can possibly go is 13/12. Not sure if I'll sign his name (have done "Dear X, Merry Christmas love Pidj PidjDP x" no "and" but space for it iyswim) then we'll print off a photo with "Pidj and PidjDP would like to announce the safe arrival of PidjChick weighing XlbYoz on Z date at Stupid O'clock in the morning. Mum and baby doing well" underneath, bung one in each envelope and whack 'em in the post quick!

With DS1 we knew from day 1 of finding out we where preg what 1st name we liked, but we argued till the very last minute over his middle name, funny thing I wanted one name DH wanted another,
Thing was the minute he was born and placed in my arms I looked at DH and said he's having the middle name you chose, mine just doesn't suit him!
This time we had DS help us, DH & I had 2 names we liked for 1st name so we let DS decide, then the middle name kind of fell into place once the 1st name was decided!

In Holland Dad has to register the birth within 2 DAYS!!!!
So we can't afford time delays when name choosing! Lol

We found a boy's name really easy to settle on, really early on. My husband had been thinking of names before I even got pregnant, it turns out.

we have no names chosen at all not even any that we really like and can agree on :)

Pidj that's so organised of you, my mind wanders occasionally to the thought of cards then away again.
We've had a name for a few months now and if I don't think it fits he'll just have to grow into it since DP hates all the other names I love, everything else we agreed on was more a "well yeah, it'll do" name rather than something we really liked.
I went to bed nearly two hours ago and had to get up again because I was starving and still am after a massive bowl of cereal. Same happened this morning when DP got up at 5.30 for work, but when I made dinner I barely managed half because it filled me up. Am I going to have to start napping before I eat now just to get my stomach ready?

pidge it really is organised of you. I am actually deeply in awe of anyone who manages to get their act together to send Christmas cards. I manage it some years, but other years not so much. I wonder if I could combine with birth announcements this year but so many of our relatives are overseas, the last posting dates for those countries will have gone by the time he's born and I've done them. Perhaps I could send happy new year cards with his picture on them.

Picking up on the baby shower discussion, I wasn't going to have one as neither I or anyone I know well is particularly into them, but I'll focus my energies on something to wet the baby's head once he's here. Perhaps a sort of "open house" within strictly defined times, for people to pop over.

On another Christmas note, I'm contemplating putting up my decorations in the last weekend of November. It's insanely early and I'm aware it makes me look like I've got a screw loose - normally I go for the sooner of Advent Sunday or 1 December - but there's a high chance my induction will be booked for the very end of November / early Dec.

I wouldn't imagine it's a problem the last weekend of November, maybe a few people will think it's a bit early but to me one of the really exciting parts of having a baby at this time of year is bringing him home to the house all warm and done up. There are also probably people who already have reindeer on the roof and Santa coming down the chimney, me and my mum always text each other with our first done up house sightings and it's always well before the last weekend of November!
I'm actually really looking forward to Christmas decorating this year, I've not had a tree in three years due to no space where I've been living so really excited about one going up. Get more excited by decorating than I do about Christmas day itself.