July '15 - starting our 2nd trimester

[StoneBaby]

Please come and join

WantToGoingTo he's taller than me too, and his feet a 3 sizes bigger than mine at a size 7! I will post a pic on the Facebook site later.
(of the boy, not the feet haha)

Yay for the first official July 15 girl! Congrats mrs

Ach want, don't start me on projects in our house! We moved in august and although we knew this was a doer upper, we hadn't realised quite how much work and money would be required. We've already had full rewire (and still trying to keep on top of the dust!), designed and fitted a whole new bathroom, new windows in bathroom, kitchen, dining room, French doors in dining room, knocked down a wall to make a huge kitchen/dining room (we are swapping what was kitchen to dining room and vice versa) oh and bought fancy pants German kitchen.... And still tons to do!! Like you say though, it'll be amazing when it's all done. Have you got to have a rewire?

Re measuring... It starts with the midwife then carries on all the way with measuring and comparing baby to numbers on a bloody chart I know for sure that all those graphs about what percentile dd is at at x number of weeks old etc contributed to my PND. Felt such a lot of pressure if she hadn't gained weight! Crazy. I will probably have to have a gtt again this time because of my bmi and although it was vile, I will do it again for the safety of baby. I didn't have GD last time but I'd never forgive myself if something as simple as giving blood, drinking lucozade then giving another lot of blood a few hours later could potentially save our lives. Bit dramatic? Probs. I'm like that

broody I am seriously impressed - we moved in June, also a doer upper, and haven't done nearly as much! We have re done the garden including cutting down 2 trees, making raised beds for veggies and landscaping flower beds with turf etc. we have decorated one bedroom, we have had our conservatory replaced including new flooring and plastering and painting etc and new light fittings and we have had a new boiler, gas fire removed new pipe work and new radiators. Thankfully don't have to rewire the whole house. Conservatory was rewired, but we just need to do little electrical jobs like move sockets as they are at present level with the floor and not above the skirting which isn't good as it puts tension on the wires. Our aim is to do bedrooms and loft before baby comes. We need a new kitchen desperately (had to concrete over holes in the floor!) but the boiler bein condemned pushed the kitchen down the list... We also need new bathroom and every room in the house needs decorating new flooring and new skirting. The previous people did a really botch job at fitting skirting themselves - it isn't even flush against the wall there is at least 1cm gap!! Oh the joys of owning a house :)

Glad I'm not the only one living in a fixer upper.

So far since buying the house we have had complete damp proofing, some electrical work (didn't need a full rewire thankfully), new boiler, new windows and doors downstairs, full plaster downstairs including new skirting boards.

Our list of what we are hoping to get done before the new baby comes is (what I can remember anyway), redecorate entire house, new floorings throughout, remove remaining half wall between kitchen and dining room, new kitchen and utility units, rearrange utility and downstairs toilet, reinstate 4th bedroom which will involve rearranging ensuite, bathroom and dd1's room, install new bathroom, ensuite and downstairs toilet, remove chimney breast from dining room and bedroom, insulate and board attic and install proper drop down ladder, replace roof over kitchen, finish off the flower beds in garden, repaint outside of house, install new fireplaces in backroom and front room. Argh it is going to be a nightmare but it will be amazing when it is finished (hopefully). Bit worried about how much it is going to cost through, just hoping not more than our budget! And hoping it is all doable before this one comes along! At least I should have a better idea by the end of the week!

I mentioned to the DH that I would like to paint the office (soon to be nursery) and maybe use some wall stickers for colour. (found this lovely one of trees and birds). Anyway DH says maybe we should just paint the whole flat. THEN next thing I know he wants to replace the kitchen cabinets too, new light fittings, new bathroom taps...I have created a monster!!
I pointed out what a pointless thing the kitchen etc is as we plan to move out at the end of the year and rent the flat out, the place is just fine for renting! We are supposed to be saving for a deposit! Anyway I give him 10/10 for enthusiasm!!

Thanks mister jmojo I actually have quite a bit of discomfort, and on and off sharp pains there today, been having since early hours of this morning... Rang mw earlier and spoke to a Dr there, so thinks kitten may have bruised me inside, but didn't think it was serious. Said to give it 24hrs and if it's still hurting, or gets worse to cb for an apt to get checked just in case... Just what I need! lol.

Congrats mrsryan on your first girl! Bet your really excited!

I don't think we'll go for a sexing scan this early. What with money worries anyway, I'd rather wait the extra few weeks to find out!

Oh wow nature sounds like you have got your work cut out! Your and broodys efforts make my house works sound like minor DIY we aren't knocking any walls down t least! Our house needs all new windows and lintels too but that is in our 5-10yr plan we also want to put in a wood burner where our gas fire was - again probably looking at 2-5yrs at least. Houses cost so much money, we have spent so many thousands already, and we haven't even done the half of it

Wantto don't scare me please! Hoping it isn't as much work as I am dreading. I am used to doing pretty much everything DIY related myself (I hate paying people to do stuff I can do - I even learnt to plaster!). But I just don't have the time anymore so we will be paying someone to do the lot so I am hoping it won't be too bad! We were planning on doing it over the next 5 years but are fortunate to (hopefully) have all the money we need to do it now. And it will be lovely to be on mat leave with a finished house!

Lol nature we plan to do what we can ourselves too :) clearly we had to pay for boiler to be done, and conservatory. We did pay a plasterer (god knows why though he do a shoddy job!) and a tiler but that was cos of lack of time wanting it done before Xmas. Think we will do everything bar plastering in the future though. Yes we are lucky too, we had a pot to start with though it is fast diminishing and we won be able to continue to save at the rate we have been once baby comes. So now is the best time I think!

OMG to all of you re-decorating and building! Impressed at the effort. We both work long hours and just knew we'd never get round to DIY so chose a (second hand) new build. Have had the garden done, but afraid we just paid someone to do it. Im sure the house wont be as cosy and personalised as some of yours, but if we had bought a doer-upper, it would still be a doer-upper in 10 years time. Just the thought of having to rearrange the furniture to make the nursery is enough!

Wildfire we felt the same after needing to do a bit of work to the last house. We were ideally looking for a finished house to move straight into! But this house offered so much potential and was in the perfect location so we had to buy it. Even Dh who is DIY phobic and hates having to do anything like that was enthusiastic about this house. Just hadn't planned on getting pregnant with DD1 the first night we spent in the house! Haha! Which slowed the progress down somewhat! I wouldn't swap it for anything now though as I love where I live so much, we can't imagine ever wanting to move.

I'm in a similar situation to you Number3. I just started a new job this month and I have to work for 6 months continually to qualify for any paid sick time after I give birth (I don't qualify for maternity leave because I'm in the US and you have to have been somewhere at least a year). I'm due July 6th and my official 6 month date at work is July 1, I won't have holiday earned by then, so I have to pretty much work up till my waters break! I'm also only going to get 12 weeks off because that's what's considered the max here in the US. Plus I'm the main wage earner so there's not the option of me taking an extended leave.

I'm not happy about it, but I've have worked hard to get my head around it and come to terms with it. But, I'm finding other people's reactions difficult to deal with now though -- i.e., my mum and my siblings back home in the UK repeatedly warning me that only taking 12 weeks off is impossible, and we'll never manage it. It's frustrating. The "helpful" advice just makes it worse.

missmorse

Well I can absolutely reassure you that you will cope, just as I did the last two times I done it.

You may feel weepy for a few days, but before you know it you will be back in to a routine at work

Thanks number3 :)

In an ideal world I'd be able to stay home. But if I can't, I'm sure we will cope. We're actually lucky that my husband will be able to stay home part time and (hopefully) his job will let him do a lot of work at home. So really it's not as bad as they are implying.

Now our only problem is if the baby come early! If it comes after July 1st I get 3 months sick leave on full pay and my employer continues to pay their part of our health insurance. If it comes even a day earlier than July 1st I get zilch... Come the end of June, I'm gonna be willing that baby to stay put as long as possible!!!

I have to say from my experience I don't always think it is a bad thing to be away from your baby and be working. Each to their own I guess!

Hi all, glad everyone seems happy, there has been so much talked about its took ages to catch up and now I can't remember half of it

Prams - we have a bugaboo cameleon already having got it for dd 1, and still good now, it just needs a new basket, but I will also need a decent umbrella fold, car seat, moses basket, sling, bouncy chair, etc so thats still loads to pay out!

We had the downs risk through as low so that's really reassuring but it didn't acruelly give a ratio, so me being me is still a bit unsettled because I would like to have known the actual figure. Midwife appointment isn't till 18 weeks itenstead of 16, so like miss Eskimo I have got scan withdrawal symptoms. I have had 4 already, so suddenly feel a bit abandoned. The next scan isn't till 23rd Feb, then it will be done by the consultant in the fetal medicine unit, so thats already making me nervous.

Those with did to do - us too ! It's so exciting but adds to the pressure. We bought a doer upper about 18 months ago, and are just waiting for the final plans to be drawn up to swap over the existing kitchen and utility room, build a new side return extension to become a kitchen and widen the current opening into the conservatory. Also, to add a porch/ boot room, and redecorate dd 2 bedroom. That's hopefully the plan before July, and to carry on trying to get the garden into a usable state. I just hope we have got enough money set aside from the sale of our previous house to get it done, but it's going to be close. Then, in the next 5 years or so I want to redecorate the rest of downstairs, so that will mean 2 new fires, one hopefully to be a wood burner, new flooring and extra furniture, redo downstairs loo and bathroom, add a loft conversion to make an extra bedroom and ensuite, and repaint the ourside and redo the driveway. I am dreading the work and the cost, and makes me want to bury my head under the cushions when I think about 3 dc s running riot in the middle of it all . We are used to doing it ourselves too, but are going to have to get people in I think, otherwise I can't see how it will get done. Dh says he thinks it makes good sense to get someone to do it, instead of us trying to squeeze it in at weekends, then he can be working the ot to pay for it, rather than relinquishing the overtime and then wondering where to start. His words "they can have it done to a professional standard while I'm scratching my arse looking at it ..." I didn't know whether to agree or not

Question for you ladies.... Will you be telling anyone what names you've chosen for baby before he/she is born? I ask because I've just been on fb and seen an update from an old school friend - she found out baby is a girl so told the world about that a few months back but has now announced what she will be called by saying "thanks for coming to my baby shower, [baby name] will be so spoilt when she arrives!" I know I'll sound a misery (to some) but doesn't this just spoil any surprise?

Didn't tell a single person what we were intending to call DD, I knew someone would make a comment and it would take the shine off it. I also think it's a bit odd when people announce the name in advance, I think it makes it less exciting somehow when the baby arrives if everyone already knows the sex/name etc. Obviously the birth of a healthy baby is fantastic and exciting in itself but I love hearing what a baby has been called when it's born . We won't tell anyone again this time.

Whilst on the renovation chat, we bought a doer upper about 5 years ago. We have done loads of work but, against my better judgment, let my DH turn a bedroom into a bathroom. Effectively making our 3 bed house a 2 bed.
We are now converting it back!!!
In fairness, we didn't expect to stay here so long (the plan was to make a quick profit). However, things changed, we fell in love with the area we live in and to get a bigger house here we would need hundreds of extra £££.
So, we have the joy of builders starting in a couple of months' time. No DIY this time as we have a deadline!

We'll tell people if it's a boy/girl but will keep the name a secret until he/she is born.

On the subject of house improvements / building work... We want an extension building. Timing wise, I don't think it will be done before I go on maternity leave. Is it crazy to consider building work that would still be ongoing in the 3 weeks I'd be at home before baby is born and also possibly first few weeks after he/she arrives??

No, names will not be revealed broody that way no one can have an opinion, they will just have to like it!

I won't be telling anyone names broody or the sex. I know the latter but I'm not even going to tell you lot as I want to keep it between me and OH. It's nice to still have a little secret.

Ive told the boy name (what we would have used if dc1 was a boy, as this is bound to be a girl so it doesnt really matter.
We have no clue about a girl name and really cant agree. As he has a common surname its got to be unusual.
I have seen on threads where the 16w sex scan gets it wrong - in fact i think even at 20w nhs one is only 80%. .. People saying nhs are silly only to find they were correct not the private one. Just if youre thinking of buying everything in the pink/blue. (Also a friend was told girl for a boy).
Did those who did harmony find out?

Zampa we found out the sex last time but told everyone we didn't know! We're going to find out again this time but haven't decided whether we're going to tell people we've found out or not.

Glad it's not just me then I love the surprise of a name too - it's often one I'd never have thought the mum and dad would go for! Dh and I have a little short list of names for boys and girls but we'd never decide before baby arrives in case we didn't think it suited baby (and defo wouldn't divulge to anyone because people will always have an opinion). We had two possible names for dd but she hasn't ever looked like a Grace so we are pleased we went with Poppy xx