May 07 - W/C -22nd Jan 07

[Frenchsmallfry]

Morning....

Morning all. I'm feeling very organised today. I had breakfast at home, made sandwiches for lunch, finished a very nice steaming mocha and I even got a seat on the tube this morning. Shame I'm now in the office and I've got work to do...

How about Velma for a girl then, Pebblemum? Savlon cream at night on your DS's nose. I find it great on the nasty cystic hormonal spots I've been getting on my chin. Anitbac properties and the cream heals the skin where it will go crusty (eww) on the spot. Or, if you have a Chinese herbal/ medical shop near you; ask for E101 Acne Getaway (odd translation from the Chinese). Herbal concoction that eases infammation and clears the blockages in the pores. I got it for myself and now DD uses it on her pimples. It's great.

DH put the kybosh on my "designer fabric" prams. Said they look like toy buggies. Tsk. Am holding out faint hope for the black and white one... He also baulked when I told him the price of a Mountain Buggy (and that was before I mentioned the additional cost of the carrycot and car seat, so I kept my mouth shut.) He wants me to go and see the considerably cheaper Hauck one now.

I'll give him a few weeks to get over the shock and try again.

How about Georgia, AprilMeadow? Then you can sing Georgia on my mind to her. Or get Cinnamontam to do it, since she has the pipes!

LWatkins, if your transfer option is two hours from your family and you get family accomm then I think I would probably take it. I know you have made friends in Bristol (never mind being settled in your course), but bear in mind things like you might find it awfully frustrating when your mates are out and about and you're struggling to deal with a baby and study. And if you're in family accom at a Uni, I suspect the uni will be more helpful in general. I really, really wish you well with it all. I had my DD at the end of my penultimate school year. I got into a good uni (about an hour and a half commute from my house as they didn't offer "family accom" to single parents - nice) and the creche had a massive waiting list. Only lasted a few weeks. Pathetic. The closer you are to help; the better. Even if it just means that baby can perhaps stay a night with a family memeber (when s/he is a bit older) to give you a break to get work finished.

Oh, and you're going to have to stay up all night and all day to get your body clock back. Try to do it at the weekend. Set alarms if you have to. This happened to me and to DH over Christmas. Complete nightmare for a week. You just have to grin and bear it for a couple of days.

It's snowing here............ HARD!

Sorry you didn't sleep Lwatkins, I don't know how I'd cope with out my sleep. I need every second of it?

Scooter glad you are back, sory to read about dd, hope you get some answers soon.

lg&t, god, your pains must have been soooo scary. No more since I hope?

Thanks for thinking of me yesterday AM; I was Shopping.

I tried to sit and write this post last night, took me half an hour, was just previewing and about to push post message and I lost the lot.

The buggy talk is all great, boring for those of you not buying a buggy but for those of us in dillemas it's very helpful.
I was in a ponder because of needing a double but really wanting a pram. Loved the ones you can use for either a single or a double like the Jane or the bebeconfort as we have no.4 planned but not for a few years so wouldn't need another double then, so want to be able to use whatever we get next time too. not sure this is making sense! Those two are very expensive and I am too tight to spend.

ANYWAY Yesterday we decided to go buggy shopping, we went into one of the massive supermarkets over here as they had a baby promotion on. Couldn't believe our eyes....... found a tandem buggy, fairly "normal" back seat goes flat for new born, hoods, raincover, swivell wheels, shopping basket,it's light and folds one handed flat and is not much bigger folded than my M&P's freestyler 3 in 1.
We had a good play with it like you do, and decided to buy it. IT WAS 74euros thats £51.00 to you and me.......... bargain or what.
So now dh has said as it was sooooo much cheaper than we thought we'd get one for I can buy a normall pram too for the garden and going places where there are two of us to push or to friends where dd wont need to be in the buggy. HEHE Oh it's exciting I get to shop all over again.

Sorry have to dash, have to be at French in 5 minutes. I'll be back at lunch, hope you are all OK BYE xxx

Morning all

Lwatkins i would def move closer to home. It is stressful enough having an a baby even if you have all your family round you. for you at the babies dad, how do they get away with it? It is soooo unfair.

FSF glad you were doing something nice yesterday, the buggy was indeed a bargain! I would go and get a lovely single bebeconfort for the ickle one, they are so lovely to push and have very nice covers. I used to look after a little boy that had one, it was pricey over here though.

No more pains today and a quiet night thank goodness. Have just eaten huge bowl of museli, greek yoghurt and raspberies, yum.

Am baking today Im hoping to keep warm as it is soooo bloody cold here, no snow yet though. I still have my ugg boots on as my feet are frozen from the school run!

Morning all

Sorry to hear you are feeling bad Lwatkins. Not sleeping must be awful and with so much on your mind re uni etc.

Like the name Honey Lupins. We cannot agree on a boys name. I decided I would let DP have Tommy (not Thomas) and now the DDs don't like it! I like names like Seth, Isaac, Nathaniel, Aiden etc but DP is more "normal" and likes Andrew and Christopher and Thomas/Tommy! Good job we have a while yet and it still might pop out a girl!

DD1 is off sick today feeling sick and with a headache. Trouble is she does put things on a bit but how am I supposed to get her physically dressed and out the house.

LG&T - just about to go and do my profile. Also there is a distinct lack of birth programmes on this week so will keep looking.

That is soooo cheap. Well done.

A bientôt!

Lwatkins in my very humble opinion I think transferring to the university with family accommodation is the more sensible option. You will undoubtedly make some good friends- probably also with little ones- just through living there. And the peace of mind of stable accommodation really will be worth it. I do sympathise. I am in the middle of my second Masters and have to write a 4000 word essay, a 2500 word report and do a powerpoint presentation in the next two weeks. Chuck in an inability to sit in front of a computer screen and it's all extremely tedious! What are you studying?

LG&T if I come and live near you will you look after Mathilda while I study/work? I'm sure Phin would love the female company...

Feeling very this morning. A lovely lady let me sit down on the bus and she told me that I looked beautiful and that I was going to be blessed with a very happy baby. How nice is that? Better than the usual abuse I get from commuters.

Baby's very quiet today, probably scrunched up in a freezing cold little ball like her mother. It's snowing...

Yeah i think the move is looking like the more viable option, and i'd love being closer to home - i get so down some days feeling homesick cause im a good 7-8 hours away at the minute. It just means yet another move, but it isn't the first and im sure it wont be the last.
I'm studying Early Childhhod Studies - how ironic is that! Found out i was pg 5 days after coming to uni and was enjoying freshers week Also just split with ex (beans daddy) before i came! The s**t really did hit the fan that week and now my mum is claiming she's gonna write a book about all my anticts, and all the stress i've put her through, the poor woman! Wonder if it'd be a best seller, it'd certainly be funny!
Just had a shower and got dressed, washed my hair and have put on some make up and am actually feeling much better for it. Some days i really have to pull myself out of this slob routine i've got going on and remind myself im only 19 and despite looking pg, don't actually scrub up too badly with a bit of effort

That's the spirit LWatkins. Perhaps your mum and my mum can do some sort of collection of stories. "Teenage Pregnancy - The Mothers' Points of View".

Finally just ordered my appliances. I've never owned (in the loosest possible sense), my own house before, which is perhaps why I am so excited about the prospect of having a fridge freezer, washing machine and tumble dryer delivered. Maybe it's just because I like shopping. I have agonised for weeks over product reviews, doorframe measurements, subscribed to Which? Magazine and generally driven myself mad. DH is sick of me. However, if anything goes wrong, he can't say I didn't try my damndest to spend the money wisely!

Now I can concentrate on baby stuff... Yay!

Watch DH run for cover.... Wooo there he goes!

Lwatkins - being a single mum can be quite hard and studying at the same time wont be easy. Being closer to your family will mean you have lots of support from them and you may even get a night out to yourself once in a while.
Ive been getting into slob mode now and again too, it is so easy at this time of year but my neighbours have shocked me out of it. They saw my wedding picture for the first time last week and couldnt believe it was me, i look so different ie beautiful and not the double of waynetta slob Its amazing what a bit of pampering can do isnt it, when ive spent time getting ready (instead of the usual 5min dash) I feel so much better and my confidence soars not that pampering is easy with two boys to look after and a dh that decides that within 10mins of getting up we are going out then hogs the bathroom for 8mins so no one else can get in there

It is exactly 4months until my due date (and ds1's birthday as he keeps reminding me, as if i would forget). Im not sure if it seems ages away or not, i think it depends on my mood sometimes it feels as though it is dragging and yet at othertimes i start to panic that i havent bought anything yet, not that i need too much as i still had some things from ds2. The baby is now moving a lot more, no really hard painful kicks yet just little pokes which feel strange but reassuring, neither Dh or the boys have felt it yet but then they are normally around when the baby seems to be asleep, im sure they will get to feel it soon though

LG&T I had really bad stomach pains on Sunday, One minute i was fine and then i these pains suddenly started. I was a bit worried but within 5hrs they had gone, ds1 had been awake Saturday night saying his stonach really hurt so I wonder if its some kind of bug doing the rounds. Glad you are feeling better now

Well i think the no sleep thing has actually been a positive, im really energetic! Have tidied bedroom, done my dishes, put my washing on and sorted out lots of paperwork! Did walk into the kitchen earlier to find that very drunken flatmates must have decided to have an egg fight in the early hours of the morning though. There is egg and egg shell everywhere, sometimes i really hate living with students! Would be sooo nice to have a little place for me and my girl come september - just for us

No wonder im freezing, one of the blomin children had flicked the switch in the airing cupboard and turned the whole heating\hot water system off!!!! Gah, kids.

I have been baking cakes so at least the kitchen is toasty. I have just extracted Hugs from the toilet, he was washing a sock in it...

Dominos have just dropped a flyer through the door, lunchtime special, buy ant medium pizza and get a free dessert: sticky dippers (breadsticks with cinnamon and sugar and a sweet icing dip), Toffee delight (toffee sponge topped with creamy vanilla cheesecake flooded with toffee sauce), Chocolae indulgence (sticky choc sponge smothered in creamy choc sauce) Oh the torture......all for a bargain £6.95

SOH course i will look after Matilda for you, just drop her off monday and pick her up Friday, Phin will be so pleased. My parents bought the kids pressies at the weekend, Phin got twins. A boy and girl baby, she called them Oscar and Charlotte, Oscar is still in her room. Poor chap relegated for being a boy! Things do not look good......

Well done Lwatkins on getting something done.

I've decided I need cheering up. Nothing majorly wrong just house not big enough, too much stuff, to much to do etc and that is before the baby stuff!

I have been trying to give myself small tasks rather than look at the bigger picture but today it isn't working! I am thinking OMG I have so much to do and no engery to do it. I am sure I could find some time but really don't feel well. Don't know if its still the tonsillitis, the antibiotics are nearly finished but I am still coughing. I am sleeping fine at night but just feel tired all the time.

Sorry for the moan! Really not enjoying being pregnant at the moment but really looking forward to meeting the end result.

Better go and empty the airing cupboard (next on my small list for today).

LG&T your brood sound lovely. LOL at Hugs washing a sock in the toilet. Our toilets usually have cats in them- for some reason they like to sit in them and shut the lids. Scares visitors I can tell you!

Poor little Phin. My SIL grew up in a house of boys (she's 18 now) and although she had the odd moment of desperately wanting a sister, she loves being the only girl. She does however play prop for a rugby team and would never wear a dress!

12YG if we ever move into this bloomin' house, we're refitting the bathroom and kitchen. How ridiculously excited do you think I am? How many hours do you think I can spend staring at roll-top baths/shower-heads/work surfaces/ranges/floor tiles? We're getting a big American double-doored fridge thing and I can barely contain myself when I think about it. It's so exciting, first house, appliances. OOh...then there's the nursery to decorate...remind me how excited I was when I live on a building site and I'm heavily pregnant!

Lwatkins it's not so long ago that I was living in shared student housing/halls. Oh the horror! Fireworks let off in the kitchen, riding biffa bins down hills, nobody washing up, riding ironing boards down stairs. Elements of it were lovely, other elements like your worst nightmare. Used to love sitting up until sunrise, talking, drinking, listening to music. Didn't like them nicking my food and using my pans to cook it!

SkyTVAddict, you sound like me. Try and focus on one thing at a time and then descend into 'it's not worth it, we'll never sort it, there's too much, I'm only one person, aargghh etc etc'. You're probably run down too. Can you go out for a while? Have a cup of tea and some cake?

I have the opposite problem in my house LG&T. The other two would rather jack up the thermostat, than put some socks and a jumper on. We'll be North London's greatest contributors to global warming and my slavish devotion to recycling will be a waste of time. I've woken up more than one morning, barely able to breathe with the heat in the bedroom because "someone" left the heating on "continuous"...

Wait til DH sees the first gas bill for the bigger house. That ought to sort it out. The thermostat will be taped at 18 degrees and we'll be allowed an hour of heat per day.

TYG can you email me your shiny new address please. Do you know it yet? Takes me ages to remember a new address, phone numbers are the worst, i still have a mind blank on this one and we have been here since last August!

So pizza for lunch then anyone? Im very tempted....

OOOH, big American style fridge. That's what I'm getting. Hence, the obsession with; "will it fit through the blummin door?". Now I just need to book a plumber to get the water supply to the fridge...

It's SO exciting isn't it?

Keep the jobs small SKYTV. The more (small) things you tick off your list; the better you will feel.

Back from French

It's still snowing here, would like snuggle up and not go out again today but have a Midwife appointment this avo. Brrrr better brave the elements.

lg&t I'm going to e-mail you soon, I am coming back a week on Saturday for a week, going to do London and Bournemouth for the first part of the week and then up to Grans on the Wednesday eve. Will be there until Sat. If it's ok with you I am going to come and annoy you at some point, will need some "normal" company other than Grannie.

Sorry you are not feeling great skytv, Do something nice for you!

Hooray a visitor!!! We can go for big breakfasts, eat cake and drink tea. Bloody brilliant, anyone else coming to stay?

Skytv i would get your iron levels checked. A major indication of aneamia is tiredness. If the doctor\midwife try and give you iron tablets, smile sweetly and say thanks, but go to the chemist and get some FLORADIX, it's magic. A tonic type drink you keep in the fridge, it wont block you up like the tablets do either. In fact if you feel crap i would start taking it now.

I still have not ordered the pizza.....

I'll have some pizza with you LG&T. Got to trek out in the cold now to walk across campus and buy a new annual bus pass. Be back in about 25mins, so ask sexy delivery boy to coincide if you could... and if he could wear leather and have a cheeky smile, I'd be very grateful.

Oh, I've just noticed you can email people from their posts now. That's new isn't it?

And you can see who has a profile. Ooh lovely buttons.

Must go out in cold...

It's taken me 4 hours to catch up today (inbetween bits of work). Lets see:

drkgpink - need more details about the massage. Sounds fab.

Lupins - have you booked your dentist appt yet? 12YG is right. Get it looked at Infection / Absess is not what you want. Be brave. We're all rooting for you.

SOH - you are a blue version of pink me (IYSWIM). I had my heart set on a girl, but feel like I should just be really grateful for being pg with a (hopefully) healthy boy. It took me ages to conceive too and I had an mc last summer too, so I know EXACTLY how you feel. Mathilda was one of the names I was thinking about. It's lovely. Now I'm grappling with Oscars, Leons and Theos.

LG&T - sounds like you had a fright at the w/e. Glad it seems to have settled down. Hope it was just a nasty bug that is now history.

Scooter - Glad you're back and your DD is on the mend. Poor little thing. You must have been worried.

12YG - you have quashed(Sp) my icandy dreams. I thought it might be "the one", but sounds like I'm likely to be disappointed. Going pushchair test-driving at the weekend, so we'll see if I get inspired (at the moment just overwhelmed)

Belgium was fab. A bit wet at times, but Brugge is sooo beautiful and peaceful, especially when compared to London!! We had the lovliest time. That's it until maternity leave. No more adventures.

Now back to the serious business of naming our baby - who by the way has started to kick AT LAST . Lovin' it.

Hi, still haven't done the airing cupboard but have washed up and had lunch.

LG&T - think you may be right about getting iron levels checked. I know I have not been eating particularly well so just made the effort to have a healthy lunch (salmon/toms/carrots/bread followed by dried apricots). That was healthy for me as I have been having peanut butter and banana followed by chocolate.

I need to go shopping - tried Tesco on line but they can't deliver until Thursday now. May send DP with a list tonight. Its so cold out but sunny here.