With disbelief and minimal drama, the PESH are ambling into springtime diffedness!

[SinkyMalinks]

Antenatal fred fun for BESH graduates

CRESH

Faith - pinky faithlet arrived 14th April 2013
Pinkr - suitably pinky one arrived 25th August 2013
Jethro - blue one arrived 23rd September 2013
Noks - a surprisingly breechy pink one arrived 12th January 2014

PESH

Frankel - EDD 4th March
Sinky - EDD 18th March
Merks - EDD 21st March
Driz - EDD 7th June
Draf - EDD 19th June
Kat - EDD 20th June
Winks - EDD 26th June
Dor - EDD 18th August
Ginger - 20th August
Euro - 28th August

Pleasantly busy here, isn't it?

:)

So, first day of maternity leave. This feels rather odd. I'm trying to plan my day out so that I don't end up faffing around doing odds and sods. The plan so far is college work 9am-1pm (with a mid-morning break for a snack), then lunch, then afternoon spent either tidying the house or sorting baby stuff. Today's aim is to pack my hospital bag and see what I'm still missing.

What's everyone else up to?

Sleeeeeeeeeep!

Sounds like a good plan Frank. Lip balm. Pack lip balm.

Hope scan and tests have gone well Euro.

merk I read your post about laying on the sofa and groaning loudly to KFZK as it seemed so familiar!

frank that sounds very disciplined. I am saving box sets for if I get there!

So, my Harmony bloods have been taken and viability scan done. All is looking good. Centime even gave us a wave! It was my first external scan. I had to restrain myself from whipping my knickers off. We get the results and have the 12 week scan in 2 weeks. If all is well, I will force myself to start believing this is real and not just too many pies!

Great news Euro.

I'm really not as disciplined as I sound, I'm currently on the sofa with my feet up (fluid retention is back!) and have just eaten an entire bag of Mini Eggs Plus I'm being pummelled from the inside by a very active Turnip - probably due to the E numbers in the Mini Eggs I'm going to go for a walk round the village in a minute to get some fresh air and see if I can get the fluid shifting.

Congrats Euro. Are you finding out the gender (Harmony was how we found out)?
Frank is your fluid retention all over or specific to one place? I have v swollen hands, worse overnight and on a morning, when they are quite painful. Everything else seems normal size though

Merks I had one episode where I woke up with puffy face, hands and feet which was pretty scary but it has mostly been just in my feet. I've taken my wedding and engagement ring off to be on the safe side as they did feel a bit tight. I'm finding gravity is my best friend in dealing with the puffy feet, so propping my feet up at every available opportunity. The same would probably work for your hands, if you made a point if holding you hands above your head a few times a day and circling your wrists to help shift the fluid.

I have also been saving box sets Euro... Well done on your excellent centime growing. 2 weeks to 12 weeks- should give you at least a few days of total security before you start the fretting cycle afresh (I'm such a voice of reassurance eh?)

I've had to take my rings off on a few occasions- often in the really early hours when I wake to pee and realise my fingers are really puffy and my ring finger is numb.. I'm so disorganised though that I'm sure I'll loose them
If I leave them off for any length of time...

Bump was going mental today for me as well Frank. It's nice to know he's happy, but I could live with a few less arching back/popping belly sensation!

merk that is up for debate. I would prefer a "surprise". KFZK wants to find out. I might give in as it could help me bond (I am still feeling very detached atm). I had a feeling the mc'd one was a girl. I feel this one is a boy. I am probably totally wrong!

The puffyness doesn't sound fun. I hope you deflate soon!

I think its hard to bond with something you can't see... Even a fluffy penguin chick would be hard to love if it was not visible! Its a tough one when one of you want to know and one of you didn't... We were the reverse as I was desperate to know.

I took my wedding/engagement rings off a couple of weeks ago... A third ring I wore on my right hand had to e cut off

I think the bonding really starts when you start feeling movement. Before then it's hard to believe there is something in there, despite all the scans. I think that's one reason why blokes can be a bit detached, for want of a better word: they've not been feeling those movements or having conversations with the bump (or is that just me?!). I've been encouraging HWHNN to talk to Turnip and frequently grab his hand to feel her moving around as I figure it helps him to connect with her.

12 week scan all fine. Just one baby in there. Phew!

Hurrah Dor How are you feeling?

That's brilliant news dor! I can't believe you lasted to 12 weeks. the 12 week one will be my 5th...

frank that's a good point. But with my first pregnancy I was talking to embie right from the start. I haven't engaged with this one at all yet!

Last time I'd had two scans by now buying I wanted a private scam here I would have had to travel to the uk soon just had to sit tight.

I feel relieved.

Good, how's sickness/tiredness doing?

I swear my body has been holding out for maternity leave: right up until the weekend I was doing fine, not too tired, able to get about pretty easily etc. Now I'm just knackered! Went for a 15 minute walk around the village yesterday and it nearly killed me! I've spent half an hour cleaning the kitchen this morning and I'm now knackered! I think my bump has dropped too, it feels like it's resting on my thighs when I sit down!

I feel much better. I am tired but that is because The Little Mister has chicken pox and has been sleeping poorly.

I feel very relieved that I have seen the little baby now. At least there is something there!

Poor Little Mister is he very itchy?

I think so but he just can't tell us. He is rubbing his face a lot as he has a lot of spots so I keep covering him in cream in the hope it won't scar. He looks like he has bloody leprosy!

Congrats dor I can't believe it's 12 weeks already. And poor little mister. Chicken pox are evil!

I am really pleased we found out, euro as it made it a lot more real. Talking about "our son" instead of the baby makes a difference. And I finally believed something might come of it, after the 20 week scan. I agree with frank that movement is even better for making you realise something alive is in there... I've now felt the little one every day for a week or so and am still completely in shock and delighted when it happens even tho he likes to distract me in important meetings. SB felt the baby move for the first time today and he's been having more conversations with my belly than I have... I haven't had any to be honest.

Frank I thought that was what leave is for. Putting your feet up and relaxing. Cleaning the kitchen

I'm told they call it nesting Drizz I also did a washing load consisting entirely of baby clothes which are now drying on the clothes aired and simultaneously looking very cute and freaking me out!

Frank are you having those 'I can't believe we'll have something small enough to fit in those!' thoughts?!

I cleaned out 2 cupboards yesterday when I should have been writing another bit of thesis. I'm not sure if it's nesting or avoidance!

I am itching to clear out the bathroom cupboard and give upstairs a good Hoover (have been avoiding while we have been assembling the majority of ikea). Which is v unlike me, so I'm edging towards nesting rather than just work avoidance.

Frank, you know how you said your body was holding out for may leave, then crashed? I think mine was listening and copying, except I have 3.5 weeks to go....