July 2015 - the thread in which bumps really start to appear...

[fattycow]

New thread, ladies!

Here is the stats list:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p3idkH2TaQYAy22I_N73k1_-G6Ezq67lAdhQvDjQkU0/edit?pli=1#gid=0

gotto we are waiting till after baby is born to do nursery / buy nursery furniture as well. We've a lot of other stuff going on in the house so won't have room to store anything. Also I want to know what baby is before decorating. DD didn't go into her room till 10 months so I've got time

MrsF do you mind me asking how much it's costing for your loft hatch insulating etc? It's one of the things on our list to get done but I haven't got round to getting prices yet. Realise it will depend on house size but good to have a ball park figure.

gotto, I wont be doing a nursery either. baby will be in with me for the first year or so and then when it does go into its own room depending on girl/boy it will be sharing with bro or sis so may have to swap rooms and redecorate then so definitely not doing it now! I do have my pram though and luckily I don't need much else wit dd only being 13 months

nature, don't know about the boarding up etc but you may be able to get the insulation installed for free. We did at our old house, nothing to do with income or jobs or family status etc, it must just be a government thing. We actually got a £50 m&s voucher too, so they paid us really, haha. It depends on how much of it you've got now - if it's less than 100mm (I think that's the figure), you'll qualify for free stuff. More though and you'll need to shell out. Defo worth looking into.

We moved house 1yr ago just last week (where has that gone!). Just me n DH in a good sized 4bed detached. So the whole last yr has been "nesting" as this is our family home now, so all diy jobs were in anticipation of that (Started TTC in May). Done such much to make it our own. Again plan was do loads diy over last year as when baby here, we can just focus on nice family things as all our house jobs will be done!

Gotto hope your move goes well. Lots of exciting things coming to you then!

I managed to persuade DH we'd need more storage up loft. He really thought we'd have plenty room up there (umm not for all the baby stuff / toddler toys) and didn't want to spend out.

We having all old boarding ripped out (was a crap job), bit extra insulation in, all new boarding, hatch/ladder and two new lights / electric switch for 1k. Other quote was £1400. So even a big diff between just 2 quotes! DH has done so much diy in last year, that although he could do it, think it's fair he gets a rest.

We obv only use one (master) bedroom at mo, another one we furnished into a guest room, so rather than two completely empty bedrooms, the smallest one will be a nursery and second empty (next biggest) bedroom will be the future kiddies room.

We've got a babybay co sleeping crib for first 6months (ebay £50 bargain), so nursery could wait for us too but just don't like all the empty rooms!

Wow thats costly for the loft, my dh done ours cos he fancied it one day. Loves a job that man. Bought the wood and ran the lights too with a friend. I really do take him for granted at times but he actually really enjoys doing things like this when he is off.

It may well be (but think it's 45m2 plus so pretty big loft) and to save us the effort we're just happy to pay. Think we are a touch "over diy'd" and fed up of doing it ourselves. Love our house but from end jan 14 to end of oct (nov &dec was bfp, baby excitement and xmas) so in 9months really we did all this (think you'll be amazed):-

I've been in charge of;-

• Selling all old furniture on eBay (mostly to weirdos)!
• Furnished house all new and lots of shopping (aka Accessorising!).

-Dug up old garden shrubs, planted front and back gardens all new with what I like. -planted 300 odd spring bulbs -Painted 30 fence panels and numerous garden sleepers

• Planted a herb and soft fruit garden
• Painted side iron fence railings.
• Pressure washed all the block paving patio and drive.

Hubby has:-

• Refitted a utility room
• Re-decorated main bathroom
• Painted every bedroom, inc ceilings and glossed all door frames and skirting.
• Hung some new internal doors
• Drained 1.4m deep garden pond then filled with 2 tonne of hardcore, compacted and laid base for gazebo
• Built (and painted every individual piece at least twice) of a 3m2 Gazebo

-built and painted a log store and x4 salad planters

• built and painted x4 6ft by 4ft raised beds - filled with 4tonne of compost soil. For our Veg garden!
• And sooooo many more odd jobs I can't even think of.

We've had tradesmen (With at least 3 to 4 quotes before getting job done) in to do:-

• New windows
• New boiler and radiators
• New wooden Venetian blinds
• New fitted wardrobes in our bedroom
• New electric remote controlled garage door
• New security alarm system and outdoor lighting.
• Repointed chimney stacks
• New greenhouse
• now the Loft!

The absolute last things we want to do (before baby gets here?!?) and then completely done:-

• get tradesmen quotes for new ensuite (hubby will rip old out and could refit it, but again just want to get it done now and save ourselves the effort!!).
• hubby to change 9ft bifold doors between living room to garden room extension in to sliding door (one bank hol weekend)
• hubby to change 16 garden room spotlights from ugly brass to nice white (purely cus of me and only for "cosmetic" reasons)!

He has been a star over the last year, I'm v lucky. Plus he put his back out the other week (has a history of a slipped disc) never seen him in so much pain (physically shaking, and crying) so it really scared me and I don't want him hurting himself before baby arrives!!! There's no price no paying that's worth that.

The above is why my mum keeps telling me to slow down now I'm pregnant! Lol

Anyway lying in bed waiting for the hubby to wake up, in 2.5hrs we'll be seeing our bubba again and get to know her or him! Sexing scan excitement.

Sorry mrsf, but that is just showing off! Good luck with your scan later.

Best of luck with the scan MrsF, exciting stuff! Still buzzing after our private sexing scan on Thursday

You've done a lot in a little time MrsF. We have done loads of work on our house (it was a repo so it needed a lot of work!) but it's taken us 3 years… Now re-landscaping the garden. Mind you we did move in at 36weeks pregnant with DC2!

Sorry if you, or anyone else took offence by my list of diy jobs. As that wasn't the intention. Thought at most someone might say thats more work in 9months than growing a baby so focus on that now.

we've worked bloody hard and yes spent a lot of money making a house our family home over the last year. Isn't that what lots of people have to do if you buy a 'doer upper' and need to live comfortably in it asap. In the idea that get it done upfront and next 10-15yrs be nowt to pay. Obv when on mat leave and pt hours and more babies planned makes sense.

Everyone is different and some will do no diy or live on a building site for years and others will do lots like we have.

I wouldn't speak down to anyone doing whatever they choose to do.

I've didn't write my list just for that post, it's on my phone for ourselves to keep a note of all our hard work. I posted it to show how we've prepped for having a family home for over a year and how we want to focus on doing all the nice things when baby is here with definitely no more diy (for many years to come).

Guess I'll stick to just posting baby stuff!

Yes Sophie, my list would have been nonexistent if we were preg with 2nd when we moved in. well done you.

Excited for scan yes of course but... always have that nervousness feeling until I know all is ok too. Tis a funning feeling in equal measures I get before scans but hope def buzzing for days after!

Good luck with scan MrsF!

We live in rented coz we can't afford our own place just now so no DIY for us, but that's quite a list you have!

Our baby is getting some removable nursery wall stickers though - which I'm very excited about!!

Mrsf your list is impressive, good for you knowing what you want and getting it done. I'm the same when I want something done it needs to happen straight away and with a baby on way I would want it done too. its great having a dh that can do everything, I love it
Don't think anyone took offence to your list.

I think I finally felt baby last night - a flip flop in my uterus.

And we bought our buggy yesterday - uppababy vista Ella, the green one. I love it!

I certainly didn't take offence, I'm just desperate to get back into our own place! We had to sell our house in Scotland when we moved to south and due to price difference we can't afford to buy down here. But when we can I'd love to get a doer upper because we love putting our own stamp on a place.

No offence taken at all MrsF just incredibly jealous that you're such a self-starter.

It took me and DP about a month to decorate one room and it's not even finished yet. As a result, have a joiner in next week to build some cabinets and bi-fold doors and decorators in the following fortnight to paint and paper the entire house. New carpets for the stairs and landing to follow but I'm thinking cork tiles and a rug for the nursery (easier to clean up the bodily fluids...). Just the kitchen to sort then, which is the scariest job of all (no idea where to start).

Impressive list mrsf. I don't think anyway took offense to you posting. A lot of us are in doer upers (broody included) so we are probably all jealous of your progress. My list which is that long is all the things we have to do not what we have done

We had major stuff done before we moved in but I'm the diyer in the family (Dh hates it) and we found out we were expecting DD#1 as soon as we moved in so our plans had to be put on hold. It's not all bad living with plaster coloured walls and no floor coverings Hoping to pay someone to do it all for us before DC#2 comes along now though as I hate doing diy if it's time I could be spending with DD#1 instead.

I'm off to kitchen showrooms again today. Also may finally put up the stairgates now DD1 is very much a climber. Apart from that it's a relaxing day for me to try and get over this bug. I need to finish my MNwoolley hug square as well.

Have a good Saturday people.

zampa I'm hating sorting out the kitchen. it feels like such a big expensive decision to get wrong!

Is it just me who's a bit confused? I can't see anyone expressing offence, or speaking down to you mrsf?
Good luck at your scan, then put your feet up - you've earned it

I don't think anyone took offence MrsF, it was just conversation! I think Broody's showing off comment was tongue in cheek, she's living in a doer upper too!

I'm confused too Lordy! I didn't mean any offence & I am sure broody didn't either - isn't she in the middle of building work?

nature we have plaster coloured ceilings at the moment from getting stairs to the loft removed & replace with a loft hatch. Very inoffensive to my mind!

I have my anomaly scan today... Nervous but looking forward to it.

Just put in planning to build porch/wc. Need to dig up
Half garden to put in the drainage. Hoping it will come through so we can build it over easter weekend.

And then block pave driveway. Hoping not to be carring newborn over huge hole. And that dd can play in garden over summer. Bit worried as when taking chimney out we had every floorboard up as things seem to snowball.

Good luck with the scan sophie. Mine's still 5 weeks away

I'm 19w + 1 I think, feels a bit early!

naty what are you doing re: drainage? We are digging up paving stones to put some lawn in, wondering if drainage is going to be an issue...