Graduated Elderberries (thread 2)

[Cavort]

Oops, seems we ran out of room without noticing!

I got this one:
www.natalys.com/poussette-cameleon-3-sahara-complete

It was recommended by several parents I know. I liked that you can use it with small swivel wheels in town or turn the handle around and use big wheels in front on rough terrain. Also apparently very easy to fold and unfold. Can be used with both Maxi-Cosi and Cybex car seat.

But I'm sure there are 100s of pushchairs that are just as good. If I was still living back home, I would get an Emmaljunga - that's "the" brand in Scandinavia, very sturdy and goes through anything. But it does not snow enough here to justify it.

My DSIL had the chameleon, is a lovely pushchair....

Or cameleon even

Wow, I'd need to sell a kidney to afford those prams....eeeeek. I plan to find one in a shop that I like then buy a second hand one on ebay.

We I say we and mean I are telling our parents this evening, I am excited but also shitting myself! Any hints or pearls of wisdom? So far this year we have had nothing but bad news and bad health in our extended family so I am planning to say something about having some good news to cheer them up, I've also got the scan pics to give to them. My OH will be no use at all, I asked when we will tell his folks and hes reply was 'when you start showing'. So very brave.

Think you were right first time Janey

And Cavort I'm sure BabyCavort isn't an ugly baby! Poor thing.

My 12week scan looks like a girl, but at 20 weeks, skull still same shape, but the face looks more like a boy. I'm starting to think that if/when I get an extra scan for low placenta I might be a danger in terms of caving and asking to know. Aaaarghhh! I don't want to know, but I'd like to have a strong inkling...

Pushchairs are a minefield. Luckily my parents have offered to buy ours in a show of mutual understanding - and have massively overbudgeted - so I'm beginning to think that a nicer pushchair with separate nice car seat might be a possibility. The ones you get with travel systems all seem to be really sparse with no support around baby's head and it looks really uncomfy.

How exciting mother!

I was useless, I just said "I've got something to show you" and shoved the scan picture of them. Weirdly, even though I just knew they'd be over the moon, I was shaking at the time. Very odd. Anyway, no bright ideas over here I'm afraid. Bet they're delighted though

Oh Mother! How exciting! (And totally scary). We i say we but mean i told my folks at 9 weeks when I was ill and that was awful. I'm a fully grown woman and had warned them in advance that we'd be trying but still bricked it. We didn't tell OH's family til a lot later, a couple or three weeks after 12 week scan, I think.

I'm sure it will be great. I like the idea of introducing them to a new member of the family Do you know how they might respond?

If it's their first grandchild, don't panic if they're a bit slow to look over the moon happy. Mine were. But they're now great - they just needed time to get their heads around it.

Also - don't apologise for it - go in and be confident and like a grown up mumma and not the little girl they (inevitably) still see you as. That was a tip I picked up after the fact from somewhere else on here - wish i'd thought of that in advance!

Good luck and enjoy - this will be the only time they here they're going to be grandparents for the first time (if they are) so enjoy it!

I would have probably bought second hand Mother but DH's lovely parents gave us money for a new one so it would have felt like we'd defrauded them to then buy a cheaper one second hand.

Oh your parents will probably be thrilled, no need to be nervous I just blurted it out to mine as i'm rubbish with stuff like that so no pearls of wisdom from me i'm afraid. I was past 18 weeks when I started showing apart from the bloat so your OH might have a while to build up to telling his!

oh pants

Brave my friend who's due around now was adamant she didn't want to know, but was referred for a growth scan at 36 weeks where it was glaringly obviously a girl. I suppose she didn't have to look at the screen but who could resist?

Oh that is exciting mother! I had all these plans to show my parents a scan pic in person and tell them they were going to be grandparents for the first time, but in reality my mum just got a phone call with me saying "oh my god the pee stick says pregnant!' and my dad got me telling him not to get too excited as it's really early days - as he whooped with joy regardless!

Yep it'll be their first grandchild, I think they will worry how we I will cope with the baby and the pooch. I think it will be fine, if anything getting the dog has helped prepare me, shes pretty demanding. I just plan to have a small travel cot downstairs to start with so I can leave them in the same room without worrying about the dog sitting on the baby etc.

Once it sinks in I think they'll be pleased. My OH is so scared of my dads face, as we arent married and I always said I wanted to be married first. I have meantioned to my dad previously about my OH wanting kids so he may be more prepared than my mum, shes 70 this year so surely a grandchild is a good gift?!?

Just one dog? I have 2 massive dogs and 3 cats. i worry about lot of things, but not how to cope with them - so unless there's anything very special about you or the pooch, you will be just fine.

As long as my dog still gets his walks I think he will be absolutely fine with a baby around. I don't think I will ever leave him alone in a room with the baby though. Animals are too unpredictable and I am too neurotic.

Was thinking the other day I'd better be careful with my cat as she roams around the house and has learnt to open doors, but I think you still need to be careful with a baby and a cat together alone. The cat doesn't like babies/children but will have to come round!

Mother, you'll be fine, you can't possibly screw it up as much as I did (did I mention I'm REALLY bad at this exciting news giving lark?) and my Mum was still pleased...once she believed me.
As for the dog, ours are both breeds that are regularly nominated into the 'most likely to eat babies' category by pearl clutching MNetters and MILs alike, I don't let it bother me. We have cats too and everyone knows they smother babies for fun and even 8 year olds if my hysterical SIL is to be believed (our niece only stayed over the once but miraculously emerged without being mauled to death by either of my vicious killer dogs or smothered by a cat, Although I can't say the cat was completely unscathed after being mercilessly pestered)

I have two hamsters. Dwarf hamsters, no less. One has a houdini gene and one is afraid of everything. I am sure they plot evil deeds in the thick of night, take down a few banks, mug a granny or two then look at us innocently come morning like nothing happened...

But apart from a bit of non-cage envy, think BB will overcome the scheming monkies that they are...

Let us all know how it goes mother because we're all nosey

Alex - ditch the cat! She is crap. Btw if you have a litter tray (not sure if you do?) you shouldn't really change it now. One of those overly-cautious things, but basically you don't want to get toxoplasmosis, and there's a very slim risk of contracting it from cat litter...

Cross post brave. Oh, I love hamsters. I had one a few years ago. He used to love me when I was sober - refused to come near me when I was smashed and used to run up my arm and sit on my shoulder to watch the tv. Friendliest little chap ever. Called minxie though as he somehow managed to lock my friend and I out of my car the day I bought him, little minx. To be honest I got him because as a single girl I didn't think I was up to a 'proper' pet, but he was pretty damn awesome. Would def let the baby have one when he/she's older if they want, as long as it was a well 'trained' as poor, deceased minxie....

I have one pooch and one cat, the cat is aloof and will just stay away the dog will be more tricky. It'll be fine, thats my thinking re the travel cot, then at least I can leave bubs sleeping in it in the lounge while I nip to get a drink or have a wee, Id never leave the dog alone with a bubba eirher, scary stuff.

No she doesn't use a litter tray, she goes to the loo outside and is very lovely and house-trained! Can't wait to see her face when a baby comes home though - the horror on it when our nieces visit is hilarious! She is naughty though and can def open doors - in fact I remember the night we conceived she broke into our room and we didn't realise she was there in the room like a pervert!

I don't think I could stand the lack of longevity of hamster-keeping. I would be a blubbering wreck every couple of years when they shuffled off their mortal coil. I am already distraught at the thought of our 8 month old dog dying and it's (hopefully) over 10 years away unless he chews the new balustrade again in which case I might do it myself sooner.

cavort - I'm ashamed to admit that's one of the main reasons I chose a hamster - not too much of a commitment. Obviously I sobbed like a child when I was told by the vet he had cancer. Little trooper lasted another five months after that though

alex - your cat really is awful. Pervert. Get rid please

She's lovely!!! She clearly prefers DH though even though I spoil her the most, annoyingly. In fact she'll prob end up coming round and loving the baby more too and I'll move even lower on her list of favourites!

cavort I'd be the same with hamsters, couldn't cope with the happy years/sad mourning ratio.

Since before I was born, my parents always had at least one dog and one cat. I'm still alive.