THREAD 13 Jan 2014 - Grab those bags, we're nearing the top of that rollercoaster!

[Toothfairy78]

OK I caved. Here's thread 13!

bunt so sorry you are having such a rough time. Thinking of you....

Tarka WTF? Unbelievable!!!

Humpty loving the feel good vibes coming from the Humpty house!

Thanks for the bodyshop tip! Have just ordered my Xmas pressie from DH (yep, you read that right!). Ordered a bodybrush to try and get rid of some of the cellulite I have accumulated being preggers....a satsuma lip balm, a choco lip butter, satsuma shower gel and satsuma body lotion, all for £9.50 inc delivery! Amazing!!!

FFS space! What is wrong with in laws this year! Could have given a tad more notice! I told people in November if I wasn't buying for them this year....

Grrrr, relatives, why are they so difficult? Apparently PIL are now threatening a February visit again after me having thought I'd fended them off for a bit. No, I don't care that my house isn't spotlessly clean, life's too bloody short and if you try to clean ANYTHING, I will not be responsible for my actions. So there.

Phew, rant over.

Sorry to choco and bunt, it sounds like you're both having a hard time. Also big sympathies to anyone dealing with toddlers at the moment.

tooth, I loved your list - you forgot to put in a hard hat though!

sultana, I'm wondering how your cats managed to break into the microwave? It's my favourite place for hiding food from mine, so I'm worried now. Did they work out how to press the button to open the door? I liked your combination of body shop stuff, but doesn't it make you go round smelling like a chocolate orange?

Looks like some babies will be with us really soon! It's all getting a bit real now. My EDD is 14 Jan, first baby, team pink

Wow that's so cheeky to send a list in the first place!! Is it stuff you can't take back then? I'd not even bother giving the presents to them just out of principal (but I'm mean like that!).

Been and bought one of those starter packs from Asda with 2x vests, 2x sleep suits, booties, hats and scratch mits in newborn size for my hospital bag as we only have 0-3 size or bigger. And I bought toiletries so I can now pack my hospital bag!! Also OH bought me some new slippers from TK Maxx and they are sooooooo lovely. I'm easily pleased nowadays.

What has everyone packed clothes wise for yourself? I have a button down nightie and that's it so far. Wanted some pjs or something from asda but they were all stupid novelty ones. What else should I pack to wear?

I also wondered how the cats got in the microwave!

Thanks for the advice on tens machines. I just bought one off eBay femme tens, £13.50 including postage. Need to get new pads but should still be cheaper than hiring one and this one is still on mothercare for £50

For the ward I've packed one nightie and one pair of pj bottoms with a vest top. Plus dressing gown.

Me three, wondering how the cats got in the microwave.

Sorry to hear about the in-law problems. Makes me even gladder that my in-laws are normal.

I'm meeting a friend tomorrow -- she's visiting London from Zurich, where she lives. I'm going to take her to Borough Market and then maybe to Covent Garden to get frozen custard in Shake Shack. Not that my entire life is ruled by food or anything...

Perhaps if I go downstairs really quietly, I'll catch them practising with screwdrivers (the cats, not the in laws)!

Still havnt managed to catch up with you all- might get to tomorrow as im back in hospital again-same ward/room/bed! Only got out thursday night!

Very high bp at diabetes clinic with +protein. then high again with ++ protein at midwife/consultant appointment, then admitted to hospital. Scared the midwives with BP reading of 178/101 and that started a barrage of tests inc urine-now up at +++protein and ketones! If anyone knows what a 'gas test' and body being acidic means please let me know, im too tired to see dr google

Please all make sure you have your bags packed! U never know when u will need it

Sorry to hear of difficult in-laws.

choco sorry to hear the pain is worse again, really hope they factor that in to your possible induction date.

Struggling to catch up with the thread, I am exhausted. Since I got home from hospital I have had crap sleep due to clingy, ill children getting into our bed and a mattress that is too firm. I am up and down most of the night with pelvic pain, trips to the loo or vacating my bed to sleep in dd1's bed due to children's knees and elbows. I am ordering a mattress topper tomorrow in an attempt to salvage some sleep.

Hospital bag for me is constantly packed, but baby clothes are still under the bed, washed, folded and bagged by size. I figure I can get DH to grab it out nearer the time. Still haven't bought nappies, but might just stick a pack on the Internet shop this week. Being as dd2 is still in nappies we always have wipes and cotton wool pads here anyway.

I have some button down nighties, but being number 3 and having had numerous docs and midwives staring at my lady bits with this pregnancy and previous births, I am not at all worried about sitting there with my boobs out having hitched up my top. A high waist for pj trousers is essential for me post cs, maternity leggings do well post delivery too.

Due date is 28th Jan, team blue, but booked for c section delivery on the 7th, if I get that far without more bleeding. Might need early baby stuff if he comes sooner.

Oh dear. Sounds like time is needed.

Huge hugs to another, bunt, choco & curly.

If I remember correctly a 'gas' test is looking at the blood gases. It's a way of seeing how your doing & what's going on, they can check for indicators by doing this & if anything shows then they know which way to head with more specific tests, especially useful if the follow up tests are ones that take a little time to get results from as it means they don't head off up the wrong garden path. I'm sure 'medically' that's totally wrong but I think the gist of it is right!

Toby we just had a shake shack open up here a while go, but I've yet to go in. Frozen custard sound amazing!! I'm a bit obsessed with breakfast smoothies from a juice bar called Pulp at the minute. Its banana, strawberries, yoghurt, oats, honey and root ginger (and probably some other magic stuff) all whizzed up. They are totally amazing and i keep making excuses to go to this particular mall so i can get one. I tried to recreate it at home, but it was a bit of a let-down.

I'm also on the lookout for PJ's. Mum bought me a nice set last time round but they top was about 3x too big for me, and the trousers weren't stretch so felt a bit restrictive. I'm thinking i'd like a nice, soft jersey set if i can find something. I might get a chance to have a look next week.

What's with everyone announcing they're 'not doing presents' with 15 days to go?! Do they not think people (especially those growing new humans and due to pop them out imminently) are already organised by now?!

DH and i are celebrating 10 years since our first date today . He is taking me out for a posh dinner tonight. We actually found a babysitter, so it will be the first time we've been out together of an evening since July! Lets hope we can think of something to talk about

Another sorry you're having a rough time. I keep saying to DH we need to buy a bigger bed. DD takes up 3/4 of it when she's in with us (which thankfully is rare) and we both get shoved to the sides/kicked in the face/headbutted (in the most loving way of course). I always end up on the sofa. Hope the topper works out and you manage to salvage some sleep.

Curly well, at least you're familiar with the routine now i guess! Sorry to hear your back 'inside' though. Fingers crossed for some good test results for you.

another really sorry you are having such a rough time being back home. Really hope your mattress topper works!

Curly poor you being back inside. Blimey, lots going on with you! Really hope they sort you out...

gummi smelling like a chocolate orange....hadnt even considered that! Lol!

No frickin sleep for me tonight apparently. Gonna be knackered later!

You are cracking me up wondering how my cats broke into my microwave. Well, still not sure which one did it, but the microwave was one with a handle you pull rather than a button you press. It was still impressive though as it had quite a firm clasp. However, I used to come down and find drawers and cupboards open in the morning too routinely - one cupboard didn't have a handle, so can only assume they pulled it open from the bottom.

When I had a small under the counter fridge with a handle, I once watched one of my cats stand on his hind legs, wrap his front paws around the handle and then move backwards! Hey presto, an open fridge! I kept thinking I hadn't shut it correctly. Would never have believed it was one of the cats opening it if I hadn't seen it for myself!

Wish I had videoed him doing it - could have made £250 on you've been framed!

Sorry you're having a hard time, curly & another :( it'll all be worth it!

Purple, those smoothies sound delicious! I'll send you some frozen custard if you send me a smoothie :o
Happy anniversary! Hope you have a lovely evening.

sultana, the sneakiness is reason #382 that I hate cats. They're bastards! Mine gets up on the worktop at night and roots through the food recycling bin if I forget to put something heavy on the top to keep it closed. Heathen.

How are things now with you, extra?

Hi space

I just put my wedding ring on and for the first time am concerned that I might not get it back off. Time to leave it off, I think!

Poor curly and another

I hope test results come back soon showing something nice and easy to fix.

Also hope some sleep can be grabbed before LO arrives.

purple, you have shamed me . It was 9 years since our first date last week and I forgot completely. I obviously wasn't the only one, though!

Can't believe someone mentioned frozen custard and I missed it! Custard is one of my favouritest things.

sultana
I have a pull handle microwave as well. Luckily it's perched on top of the tumble dryer, so they would have to learn to levitate before learning to open the door. Also, they're probably too stupid. Unlike yours, who are clearly planning world domination!

Sounds like a good Swap, Toby, although i can't vouch for freshness by the time it reaches you!

Gummi we only got ourselves organised enough to get married last summer, so i like celebrating this anniversary as i feel like I've done far more time for my crime than the wedding certificate shows!! I actually won a gift voucher on the radio for a 'light bites with champagne' thing at a Michelin-starred French restaurant, so we are making use of that this evening. DH says if its poncy bits of fluff coated in a foam of whatever, he is stopping at the chippie on the way home! So sophisticated…

Am amazed at all these magical cats! You should all have nanny-cams set up to catch them in the act. Who knows what else they get up to when you're not looking...

choco sorry to hear your in again! Poor you

casabu has some soft jersey hotmilk pjs on sale today toby and also reduced expensive leather changing bags if anyone's interested and also some less practical designer sunglasses which I'm going to go for!

curly sorry your back in hospital, are they talking of inducing elcs?

Sorry your having a hard time bunt

WTH Tarka that is unbelievably rude

Humpty loving the relaxed maternity vibe still on count down here.

Getting really real with some babies nearly on us!!

Saw someone mention scratch mits is everyone packing them? I hadn't even thought of them but then noticed they are on the midwife's hospital bag list...

I stupidly ran out of anti acid medication and now waiting on a GP appointment to get some more, I thought it was bad on the tablets... no sleep last night!

Loving the mad cat stories, they kept me sane when I couldn't sleep last night.

Grr to inlaws and their gift lists! I totally sympathise space and tarka, my BIL gave us a list to choose from last year, cheapest thing was a £40 game. We got nasty flavoured olive oil on a tacky stand in return. Apparently, this was my fault, as we didn't give him a list from us. Twat.

I've told them all this year that we don't do lists for adults! I'm happy if someone wants to give us idea of what they might need/like (e.g. My brother has asked for warm stuff for his chilly flat) but I'm not the flicking argos catalogue. Rant over.

Sorry to hear you're back in hospital curly, never heard of a gas test, but hope your BP and proteins come down soon. Sorry to everyone else having a crappy time too

Thg buyer of our house pulled out on Sunday, with a really nasty personal message calling me a liar and saying all sorts of horrible things. (I'm not a liar, she just didn't understand one of the certificates we obtained and thought we were trying to pull a fast one. We weren't.). Spent a lot of the day in an absolute heap, then she e-mails at 3am saying she's changed her mind. I don't trust her at all now, but we have to exchange today. Argh.

Hi everyone - sorry for going AWOL, been feeling a bit sorry for myself with off-on contractions since last Thurs, totally knackered, only at 2cm, then they just stopped yesterday. Humph. My mum had the same apparently...

Anyway - struggling to catch up but sorry to hear about those suffering/back in hospital hope things improve pronto.

I thought I was organised for Christmas but keep receiving extravagant bags full of presents from DS's mates and families - lovely of them but they're all much better off than us and it's a bit awkward..! Am thinking maybe DS and I will make some homemade Christmas biscuits for them or something then at least we've added a personal touch.

Hope everyone has a good day!

Cross posts - enjoying the woman sounds like a nightmare!! Annoying to finish in those circumstances but I guess changing her mind is a good thing...

That's horrible, enjoying, but at least it's back on. Once you've exchanged, there's nothing she can do anyway. We had three buyers pull out on one house (admittedly at earlier stages than this), but one of them also accused us of lying. She had done some research into the street and found out some stuff we didn't know and therefore hadn't told her. So of course that meant we hadn't been completely straight with her. Bitch!

Sorry for all the crappy inlaws/scrooges who expect to be given things but not give in return.

I'm sorry Curly you're back inside and Another that you're having a crap time of it. DS takes up our bed when he comes into it too, only he constantly talks about Thomas the Tank Engine. I really hate TTTE.

Howls@ the cats taking over the world! We don't have any pets because I'd be the one to look after them, but I love this image!

That's rubbish about your house. Are you deffo gonna go through with it with her?

Extra - It's all a bit shit really isn't it? Bloody contractions. Don't worry about the presents people are giving you. I think a nice box/bag of home made Christmas biscuits more than makes you even. I would love that!

Even though I was shattered, I couldn't sleep until about 12 last night. Then I woke up at 3 amazingly horny. DH wouldn't oblige. Bastard. Then up at 6.30. I'm holding out for tomorrow when DS in in nursery and then going to my MIL's as i'll be able to sleep in and then going out with friends.

Today I'm going to clean. I've already started doing the kitchen, i'm going to blitz it (again) and then steam clean everything. It all needs doing really. Then, moving onto the living room, i'm gonna finally sort out the recycling (box from the cot needs tearing up and then put in the recycling bin), hoover everywhere and just be ruthless with mess.

After this, hopefully should be around midday, i'm going to have lunch with DS then we are going to paint. I want to make Christmas cards with him. Then hopefully he'll nap, and I can nap, then the afternoon goes quickly because we are both napped and rested.

Of course, this is if I can get motivated properly. My phone comes back from being repaired tonight and I don't have a CD player for music. SO all of this will be difficult without my cleaning playlist (yip... I have a playlist)

Right, this is a massive post. Gonna go clean. Hopefully won't be back on until midday ish

Hello all

EDD 18.01.13, 1st baby, team yellow. So 34 +3.

Well, I'm on annual leave now before mat leave kicks in. Did mad shopping trip yesterday to try to sort out Christmas gifts and get our house organised. Then came home and tidied up and reorganised some kitchen cupboards...just realised this may be nesting instinct?! Think I did too much as got the period type cramps again and had to sit down.

Up early today on 2nd day off due to delivery, damn it - they arrived at 7am!!!

Hugs to all who are suffering and unwell and to those in hospital. Hope you're all better soon.

to everyone feeling ill and those in hospital. I hope you're all better soon.
Nothing at all to report here, except that you've just all pointed out that it is a fortnight to xmas and I haven't bought any presents. Oops.