Due March 2007 - Heading for the third trimester

[Booboobedoo]

Thought I'd start a new thread as the other one's about to run out.

Lunar - I'm buying nothing new either. We've still got four buggies and loads of equipment so we just can't justify it. DD's car seat is all frayed and ratty, so this little boy will get a new one of those when he gets big enough.

I had decided just to get him some new baby clothes, but my Italian friend has offered me all her 2nd hand ones (her son is always beautifully dressed ) so I won't even buy many of those.

We grew up in my sister's hand me downs (three sisters - I was the middle one so got to wear them second) and I'm a great fan of them as long as hey're in good nick. I'm sure I'll get him some new bits and bobs - in the sales no doubt

Anyway I'm treating myself to a Doula instead of a new buggy

Boo - I have fond memories of researching buggies. Spent far longer choosing a new buggy than a new car.

Lunar,
Most (non-clothes) stuff is already down from the (top) attic and into the (garage) attic. I did check with you last night (in the pub!) that the rocking crib whilst still servicable was held together by some rather long bolts and you didn't indicate any issues. If there is a change of plan here, then please let me know sooner rather than later!

I love buggies but I can't make up any excuses to get any more! I'm fully equiped.

I'm having a great time as my sis is over from scotland without her kids so she is playing with mine and cleaning the house! Ooh its lovely. We are off to a christmas fair shortly. And its a lovely clear day today here and this morning I saw a squirrel running through the trees behind my house.
Finally I'm not a grumpy cow for a change!

Hope everyones well.

nothing new for us although the two dds got new car seats - dd1 was too big for hers and it was UK one - so not really legal although sae iyswim. Got dd2 a convertible booster so the new babe can have dd2's car seat which is a birth to 4yo .

we are going to buy a new buggy with a toddler seat in case either of the dds get tired and need a ride when we are out walking.

my aunt has bought me a couple of things but if this is a girl then we probably won't need anything although it is nice to get some new things for the little one.

great concert the other night - great to be out without the dds - they had a fab time with their great aunty.....

picked up tickets to Wiggles concert we are taking the dds to - pantos in the UK for christmas = wiggles concert in Aus....

finish christmas shopping ( except for dh) today... yeh!!!

hi everyone, I've sneaked off to the library leaving dh in charge , not that he was very chuffed about it!
lunar - have you tried your household insurance for legal helpline? they might be able to give you some more advice. it's such a shame they are being a*holes.
buggy talk - my kind of talk!! my double buggy is permanently knackered. I'd love a nipper but too expensive I think. Meanwhile, I have visions of me and a ring sling with baby all snuggled up. I was thinking slingeasy but saw someone with a freedom sling who really recommended it (|I am accosting strangers in the street!) and they're loads cheaper as well (plus cute photo of bloke with tiny baby in sling that makes you go 'awwww')
cheaper than a nipper at least.
we're getting a m and p pram off dh's cousin so that will do us for the first few newborn months.
you know, sometimes I dread this baby arriving. I don't know how it is possible to have 3 pre schoolers and still be alive (hats off to kitty and others who already manage such feats)
I'm also hoping to get a doula but am very disorganised. the trainee ones are much cheaper btw(of course, you don't get the experience then either)
where is this list of intelligent q s to ask a doula??
nice weekend everyone

coping okay with the heat although it has cooled off a bit to the low 30's the last few days.... worst time of summer is usually jan and feb !! ( planned that well )

Morocco I'm going to have 3 preschoolers when this one arrives and I don't know how I'll manage! We need to follow Kittie around with a notebook! Kittie would you like to run workshops???

Afternoon all.

I'm only buying all the new stuff 'cause it's my first one. Enjoying it while it lasts!

Was teaching this morning. I've taken on a new dance teacher, and she was teaching the kids ballet technique to Paul Simon tracks. LO loved it!

Going to have to dig out some Paul Simon to listen to at home now.

EDD 3/3
26+6
Boy

Afternoon everyone, hope you're all well.

Gosh you're all talking about buggies and the like!!

I haven't bought owt yet except for some reusable nappies (got a really cheap deal on some second hand ones) and one of those baby sleeping bags. I got a cot free from our local Freecycle network, but... that's it!!!

We'll have to see how the money pans out... haven't bought Xmas prezzies for anyone either yet

I need advice about a money matter actually. Don't want to take up loads of space here so I'm off to find an appropriate place to post... be right back!

if you could find time to go here and just gimme your thoughts I'd really appreciate it 'cos I'm in a quandry!!

{hmm[, it's bloody hard work having loads of young children, but somehow you muddle through. You learn to live with the exhaustion. Sorry , haven't got much positive to add at the mo!!!

ok,i was going to catch up after missing a day(due to all 6 of us throwing up and feeling like crap)but i will have to leave it till later when ds and dd2 are in bed...
i have had a run-in (well,dp has) with the karaoke neighbours and im upset now.they were making alot of noise last night so i went at 10.15 and asked them to turn it down,but they didnt so dp went and threatened to ring the police etc if they didnt.unfortunatley,the 6 year old was at the door as well and heard him.the woman came banging on the door this morning having a go at dp for threatening her children(?),so i had a word with her when i saw her in the street later and she claimed that shed turned down the music and that the woman who lived here before moved out cos of her kids not getting on with some other kids in the street,not cos of the karaoke(which is bs).ive told dp that i want to handle it the proper way,ie going to the council etc,but tbh i really cant be bothered with the stress and the worry.

sorry to rant i just needed to get things off my chest cos i keep crying about it

hope everbody's ok,i will read every1's posts later.

Divastrop, sorry to hear about your karaoke neighbours from hell. She sounds like a mare! Is she in a housing association or private rented? How rude of her not to turn the music down after you'd asked nicely. Hope you manage to get it sorted without too much stress and hope you are feeling a bit better too.

Tonight dh has invited round his colleague and her dp for tea. He's cooking a lovely stir fry. It's weird; for the first time in about five months I'm dressed up (well as much as I can with my belly!) and.... I'm even having a glass of chardonnay ! Feels like pre-pg; I'm even listening to the Best of Ibiza (cheesy I know) although here you could have the music at top volume and you still couldn't hear a thing through the walls!

Hope everyone's doing well... I'm about to dance round the living room to Café del Mar pretending I'm young again

Oh no Diva what a nightmare, you don't need this. What will you do if they carry on making noise? Weren't you concerned about something like this before you even decided to accept the house? Or is it my imagination?

hi everyone, not doing well tonight, feeling really low and tearful and have had a friend staying this weekend who doesn't have any children and doesn't really understand them, tho she is dd's godmother and so very good with her, she isn't a mum and at the moment i don't think people who don't have children can possibly understand what i'm doing or why i'm doing it.. i think she thinks i'm a nutcase.. plus she just keeps looking at my belly, maybe it is my imagination but i don't think so, and it is really doing my head in, i know i've put on weight and i just feel so FAT next to her..............arrrghhhhh just needed to let off steam. i think i'm either really depressed or just on a major short fuse due to pg hormones and recent illness

will post tomorrow, haven't had time to read all the millions i've missed, but hope everyone is ok xxx

kitty-yes i was told that was why the last person moved out of here,but also that she hadnt ever asked them to turn it down,so i thought maybe the woman didnt realise it could be heard through the walls.she told dp that she wasnt even in last night when he called round and it must have been before 9.45 when she got in from work,but it was 10.30.she then told me she was in when he called?!its not a housing assc. property but i dont know if she owns it or its rented.

rainbow-i went out clubbing with two friends last year when i was 27 weeks with dd2 and it was awful,they were wearing mini skirts+low cut tops and drinking anything they could get their hands on while i was sat in the corner like a fat frump in a maternity dress struggling to drink a half of lager cos i was so bloated and full of wind!it is truly awful being around non-pregnant women when you feel like crap anyway.people kept saying that i was very 'brave' when i told them i was going through pg on my own and 'ooh,i couldnt have coped with that,i would have got rid(or words to that effect)' and'do you think you will cope ?'no! i think im going to put all my kids in care then leg it to the loony bin!der...i'm a woman,coping is what we do

Hello girls, back again after two days in the country and not going anywhere again now - back to work on Monday .

Spongecake, sorry about your MW troubles. Is she who you'd have with you at birth? On that point btw, what's everybody's positions on that with your local setup? I asked my (community) MW if I'd meet the midwives who might come and attend if I have a home birth and she said they used to have a team of about six and you could get to meet them all, but now because there are two birthing units in the area they're sort of pooled and you could basically get any MW who works for the area, so there's no way of knowing. also, I think it's only one MW - some people seem to get two sent to them.

Muppet - I get slightly breathless from time to time, but what I'm finding more now is I start getting contractions when I'm first walking. Somebody else mentioned this the other day, can't remember who. I only identified the feeling as contractions about five days ago after reading Sheila Kitzinger.

Diva - hope you're feeling better. Our neighbours occasionally play loud music but it's usually between about four and seven pm if they do cos they've got two young kids. Always seems to coincide with when I lie down after for a nap an early shift though...!

Lunar - can't BELIEVE your HR dept's reaction. All previous advice given here seconded by me. (or alternatively, do you know anyone in the kneecapping business ?)

Boo - I'm thinking of a Bugaboo too. Did you get the Cameleon? I've just come back from a walk to town and had a scoot around Mothercare - started welling up a bit at the thought that after years of buying baby clothes as presents for my family and friends when they had kids, and seriously thinking it was never going to happen for me, now I'll be buying them for my very own babe. Have also realised I'm going to need to make a list of everything I'm likely to need and start shopping soonish - any suggestions for can't-do-without essentials?

Kiwi - hello, don't think we've been on the thread at the same time before.

Foxy - on the moving front, first was interested to see someone talking about their in-laws moving to Cardiff from London, cos that's where I am and if you want a smaller place but with the advantages of city life couldn't recommend it more highly! On the coast, nice centre, with a park right in the middle, got hills and lovely countryside all around if you want to get away for a few hours, but got everything you need from a city, 2 hours from London by train. Personally, I couldn't stand the thought of living anywhere but in a city - I grew up in a small town and knew I'd never be going back when I went to uni (in London) - no offence intended to anyone living in small towns/villages btw, we're all different. If you're a Londoner born and bred, I think the advice about renting for a while is definitely a good idea - will you be able to manage without, potentially, public transport, entertainment, a variety of shops to hand and possibly pavements, depending on how small the place you're thinking of going to is! Seriously, I often feel a bit trapped when we go and stay at my DP's dad's in the country because you can't walk anywhere very safely along roads as there's no pavements hardly in the village - I can't imagine what it'd be like with a pram/small child, especially at night.

Mossy - please keep up the tales from the workplace - hilarious!

Rainbow, you're very quiet atm - hope you're ok

26+3

oops, cross post, hi Rainbow nice to see you back.

Hi Calli we have the same system here, you don't know who you will get. That is one of the reasons I have a doula. It doesn't matter to me then which midwife comes as I only focus on the doula. Maybe you should look into getting one.

Rainbow I feel fat and frumpy too

right,caught up

eids-which rough area of essex did you live in??

laidback-all i can say about stress incontinence is i had to change my jeans twice yesterday after throwing up

booboo-what do you teach?did you say you were a sining teacher ages ago or have i gone insane?

fox-i am curious to know how you managed to drop a loo roll down the toilet whilst on mn?!do you take your laptop to the loo with you???

lunar-i will be re-using some stuff but had to explain to dp the other day that we will need a new double buggy as well as a single buggy for the baby,as dd2 is still going to need her pushchair till shes at least 3.apart from that i will have to buy dd2 a bed so the baby can have the cot,and new matresses for the cot and moses basket.cant get anything till i get my maternity grant at 29 weeks though.

morocco/rosy-i will have 3 pre-schoolers as well,i didnt think of that!
kitty-we need workshops!

Aaagh, everytime I come on here I freak out at the amount i have missed! I want to keep up with everyone but just can't get on here often enough.

Oh well, I actually have only 3 weeks left of work so then will really be at a loose end and will be here all the time !

All doing well here - I have 2 (or at least one, still can't tell when one or both are wriggling around) very, very active babies in my belly. When I lay down my belly jumps around all over the place - I love it !
Ds had a really bad cold and bronchitis this week, but we have pumped him full of the drugs the doctor gave us , and he is now much better.

I just read Rainbow's last post which has made me very sad. I am so sorry you are feeling so bad. Maybe your friend is looking at your belly in awe and amazement! A pregnant belly is something quite astonishing. Maybe if she makes you feel bad and doesn't understand then she isn't the rihgt friend to have around at the moment ! I confess that I am hybernating and only socialising with my mum friends, I find it hard to handle anyone else, I can only talk about babies, toddlers and pregnancy. Last weekend we went ot dh's brothers for drinks with a load of his and dh's childhood friends and wives. I disappeared into the bedroom to put ds to sleep and didn't reappear again until it was time to go home !

I hope everyone else is doing OK.

Hi everone - My names fatfox and I'm a bit pissed

Having weaned myself back onto wine, I've had too glasses this evening - one was bubbly so its gone straight to my head (hiccup)

Rosy and Rainbow - a fellow MNer has burned a copy of Kitty's inspirational DVD so I'll post it next week to you Rosy. Rainbow, it as Paddlechicks666 from your relationships thread. She's lovely and was worried as she hadn't heard from you for ages so I told her to pop on this thread.

Kitty - Have you had a busy day with the DC's? You sound abslutely knackered

Morocco - that list of intelligent questions is on Doula UK, which also has the Doulas, so you can find one near you and read their CVs.

Moss - I can't advise you but am heartened to read your experience as I'm going to do the same thing with my bank. I never get the time to listen to but must dig some out. Its really good for the soul to let yourself get lost in some great music me thinks.

Diva the karoake queen next door. You did mention it B4. How about if you pop around during the day when you're in a chirpy mood and she's not feeling defensive and have a chat - or even maybe ask her in for a cup of tea? I always ingratiate myself with my neighbors first, so then I feel I can approach them if they annoy me - but as friendly neighbours 'cos we've bonded already. I'm always asking my neighbours to shift their car (their daugher keeps parking in our space) but 'cos I'm "friendly" they can't really refuse. It might be worth trying that route B4 going to the authorities, otherwise you might both get entrenched and she's less likely to cooperate. Although if she really is a mare it won't work I suppose.

You can find out from the council or land registry who owns the property.

Agree with you about "coping is what we do" - it always seems to be women who have to cope and men who indulge themselves

Callieco - nice to have you back. I've got no idea who my MW will be - whoever is on duty that day? BTW I love Shiela Kitzinger - her breastfeeding book was my bible after I had DS. Re. must have - lots of those baby vesty things which button up under the bum and lots of newborn clothes as newborns poo and vomit a lot and you have to change them 3-4 times a day. Two good nursing bras if you want to BF. Decent baby car seat. A snowsuit/warm all in one perhaps?

Muppet - I took a builder upstairs today to look at our guttering. By the time we got to the top of the stairs I was panting like a sweaty breathless dog

Had six MNers from my local thread over today for a book swap. We all bought our fave books along and swapped them between ourselves, so now have a pile of juicy new books to read

Hey fox, lucky you! I am stone cold sober, far too serious and its saturday night ! My life seems to be a battle against tiredness at the moment, its getting dull!!!!