May 07 - W/C - 19th Feb 07

[Frenchsmallfry]

Happy Monday................

[largeginandtonic]

Morning all, thank you for the advice. It is a hairy situation. Chances are it will all be ok, Neil will be home and the kids fast asleep in bed and the baby will be a tiny 8lb. It is only the what if that is killing me, the more you have just means the more you worry about all others as well as yourself and unborn baby.

He cracked a joke about me being odd for worrying and i got a little tetchy, " i will get you some chocolate " he said.....

I can have DH's mum to stay at 38 weeks if she can get time off work and DH will be back when im 39 weeks. I have been in and spoken to the twins head teacher who was very nice. I could take them out of school if necessary. I speak to DD and DS #3's head tomorrow.

Really i would like to stay at home and have the baby in a birth in a box pool. The midwife said she would assess the baby size next time i see her at 34 weeks and i see the consultant at 36 weeks, i may ask to be induced on my due date or earlier if they think the baby is massive. Not ideal but if the baby is big at least i would be able to get it out naturally if it was under 9lb, the later it goes the bigger it gets! I would be able to organise child care then too. Think i will wait and see till then.

This baby feels huge but is only measuring a week over my dates at the moment. He is right under my ribs most of the time. Always the right hand side, im sure it's a head. I have started getting some mega braxton hicks too, they just get worse from now! I feel like it's flying by now, how bout all of you?

TYG what do you do if you cant get a replacement for your job? Have the baby on the table at work?! Your numpty dh needs a kick up the backside, shall i come and stay?

SOH the Ina May Gaskin yurt sounds fab, lets do it. We need more recruits though, anyone else interested?

AM you will have to let us know which mag your lovely room is going to be in so we can all have our claim to fame. " we know her " hee, heee

Am off to eat my flake

[Frenchsmallfry]

this week

[twelveyeargap]

Oh, FSF, I meant to say about the sea temperature. I have in the past, been swimming in the sea off the West of Ireland in January. Sea temperature of about, ooh 7 degrees or so. Felt positively balmy compared to the near-to-freezing air temperature.

I love getting in the sea. I've been like that since I was a baby, my mum says. It's quite odd.

[twelveyeargap]

LG&T, I completely understand why you're so worried. A very short term solution is that if the kids were "stuck" at school, you could get a local, trusted minicab company to pick them up. How many are in school? 4? They'd all fit in one cab. Not ideal, but you wouldn't have to panic about getting them home. A good cab company would send a trusted driver and give you the reg number of the car that was going and everything, so the school could be informed.

If you had to be transferred to hospital, well frankly, it would be no different now to if you had some other medical emergency (God forbid) and had to call an ambulance. I would assume that some sort of emergency police/ social services liason person would be called to the house until care the form of your SIL, friend or emergency foster person was found. They wouldn't leave your kids alone. And although emergency foster care isn't what you'd choose, at least they'd be being looked after, iyswim. The chances of that happening are so tiny anyway. N is a few hours away, but if you went into hospital and were kept in, would the Navy give him immediate compassionate leave to get home to the kids?

I liked the idea of different family member coming to stay. That sounded sensible, if it were feasible.

So that's the "staying in Portsmouth" scenario, but I know you really want to be near N when it all happens. Could you you speak to the school to see if some sort of casual/ short term transfer can be arranged, as there are extenuating circumstances. If that were possible, rather than enrolling, and then re-enrolling, then that would be something.

SOH, @ your DH. I finally got a lightbulb on the stairs last night. Went to go down the cellar this morning and discovered the bulb by the cellar door missing - had been removed to replace the stairway bulb and even though it didn't fit, it's now hanging about upstairs somewhere. I had to laugh. Have ordered about 10 bulbs with the shopping tonight. I will have a fully lit house eventually.

Hating being back at work and I've only been here for just over an hour. Nobody is interested in doing maternity cover for my job, though frankly I wouldn't be interested in a year's contract here either. It's all the insecurity of temping with the commitment of a permanent job.

[aprilmeadow]

I should point out that i did have help from a friend who is a graphic designer. Also we did project the butterflies & dragonflies onto the wall and then trace round them. The line and flowers were drawn free hand. We chose the colours to paint each element. It goes really nicely with the black out blind i got for the room. Just scary to think that they will most probably be appearing in magazines such as house beautiful, living etc & some parenting ones! Have asked my friend if she would mind doing a mural in J's room. He has a Noah's Ark b/o blind so might follow that as a theme....

[MKG]

LG&T

Seriously, How many times have you done this? I would think that by now you could just squat in a field and handle everything on your own . Your oldest are what 9? They are plenty old enough to be given the job of taking care of things that need to be done. Make sure you have a microwavable meals should they need to make sure the others eat. Give them a phone list in case of emergencies, and line up emergency people that know your situation and can be there in a few hours. surely the twins can hold down the fort for an hour or so until the calvary comes.

Odds are you will be just fine, but if I were you I would make sure that the kids know what to do in case of a baby emergency.

[ShowOfHands]

Oi LG&T you gin soaked old hag...

Firstly.... ((((((((((((((((hug))))))))))))))

Crikey. I don't know what to suggest. DH's sister is an option but I know you're probably worried that you're labour will be super-fast and she can't get there in time. Do you have a kindly neighbour who could come and sit with the clan if you go into labour at home and alone? Plus, it would likely be so quick that you could put a film on and sit them in the other room for the duration! What about other family members? Could one come and stay for a week at 36 weeks? One at 37? One at 38? I know you'll be heavily pg and won't want the hassle of a house guest but it could be reassuring especially if they're willing to help out. I wish I lived closer to you! Please don't worry about shoulder dystocia now. You know the position to get into if it happens to try and remedy it yourself? On your back, knees by your ears- usually works- and if that doesn't work you just call 999. It is unlikely to happen though. And chances are, like you say, that you'll give birth in the night when the brood are fast asleep.

If you go into labour and are alone with the children and there are complications then the midwives would find a solution. They would have to go in the ambulance with you or one of the midwives would have to stay with them while they found somebody to help. This is still a worst case scenario, you are highly unlikely to have problems.

What if you call DH's sister as soon as labour starts whatever the situation so at least you know you have an hour until another pair of capable hands arrives? Would she be willing to do this?

Oh bugger it, I'll come and live with you and then the only concern is that we both pop at the same time.

No chance of hiring a doula? I know they're expensive but an option I suppose. Bill it to the Navy!

TYG- get making some stuff. The things you list should be easily manageable. Your nursery sounds lovely. Oh and not only do we all think DH is a dinkus, my DH is horrified at his behaviour too. In fact, I told him this morning about the lightbulbs and he said he wants to be careful his pregnant wife doesn't fall down the stairs- spooky. Are you alright? Take it easy and let DH grovel.

Ditto AM you clever old bean. I love the 'mural'. Bit pinky, but otherwise very lovely.

The two best and easiest things to do with lemons, apart from putting them on pancakes is to make lemon curd or make a lemon sauce (like a white sauce but with lemon added) to go on white fish. I like it with cod. Yummy yummy.

House hunting is a bloomin joke LG&T. I'm giving up and starting a commune. Quite fancy Ina May Gaskin's farm set-up. That'd save your labour worries LG&T, come and live in my yurt. You can make yummy food, I'll knit and crochet all day and the children can all run around in a meadow.

[largeginandtonic]

Thats what i thought, im not happy about making them all enrol in anew school for a few weeks and have a new baby too. Does not seem fair to them. Chances are the baby will come at night with no problems but im just worrying about the what if....

a) they are all at school and i go in to labour, how do they get home?

b) i go in to labour and they are all at home but dh is not

c) Dh is at home and so are all of them, he would have to look after them and i would be on my own. Thats sort of ok till he has to deliver the baby!

d) The baby gets stuck (shoulder dystocia) and there is no midwife, no dh and all the children

e) Some other complication arises and i have to go to hospital and the kids and i are home alone

There are too many things to worry about, the midwife said just go to Plymouth. Easier said than done. Im racking my brains for alternatives any advice greatly appreciated. I have one friend who could walk the kids back to hers if i went in to labour at school but she is a child minder so has limited numbers depending on which day i go in to labour!!! No one else to call on, the closest family are an hour away (DH sister) The rest a good 4-6 hours away. DH will be home on paternity leave fro 39 weeks, till then im on my own.

Might have nother gin.....

[twelveyeargap]

OIC - I didn't realise the navy would be moving you. Gosh, going to Plymouth for all that time. And yes, the school would throw a fit about the SATs. If it was for that long, I think you'd be legally obliged to enroll the kids in a school in Plymouth and then the school in Portsmouth wouldn't have to keep their places.

[MKG]

I told dh the other night that my back hurt and he asked why. I told him that maybe the fact I'm creating a human life that is now pounding against my insides and I have an extra 24 pounds to carry may be causing the pain to that he said, "Does the baby really weigh 24 pounds?" I told him he was an idiot and that our ds weighs 24 pounds and until he will walk everywhere and not just in the house I have to carry him places.

Last night I dreamt that the did an ultrasound and discovered that I have liver cancer. It was very weird.

[twelveyeargap]

Sorry about your back, but I'm very glad to hear you're resting.

LG&T, S would laugh in my face if I gave her something like that to wear. Very cute though.

AM - I can't get over how fab your mural is! Puts my apple applique ideas in the shade somewhat! How absolutely lovely. You must be very proud of yourself, even if you're tired.

[largeginandtonic]

Ha ha, thats better. The mural is lovely AM, you are clever. I cannot draw at all, am totally useless. I cant sew either, in fact im dangerous. Luckily DH is a whizz with the needle and thread, he is good at arty stuff too. When we were first together he used to paint me cards, awwwwwww.

TYG the navy wont move us, he will be back here in September for a year long stint in the naval college and then will get a ship here. It is just bad timming having the baby now, if we had known then we would have waited to have the baby in sept, but then i wouldnt have met you guys, so always a silver linning... Im debating on going to Plymouth to have the baby but am not sure what the school will think about me taking them all out of school for potentially 4-6 weeks. DD has her bloomin sats in May too so they may go extra ape. Not sure i really want to go either, its nice being in your own space when youve had a baby. Oh the dilema....

[Frenchsmallfry]

Thanks lg&t,
lol at N, farmer might like a lemmon with his bread and cheese.

g&t yummmm can't wait for the summer, I will have a very long one in hand most of the day. Would you like a slice of fresh lemmon for your's now?

anneme, squash sounds a good idea too.

Richard Hammond calling................ttfn

[lillaura]

hi all im back sorry long evening ds has found his energy - lol - altho still hot and cuddly , ive put him to bed expecting him to wake tonight so if he doesnt itll feel like a massive bonus! ahha medised love the stuff 'mummys magic medicine' but couldnt afford it today as discovered dd has head lice aaaggghhhhhhhhh and was not expecting the lotion to be soooooooooo expensive - medised will be stocked up tmrw !!!! along with more headlice lotion not being caught out like that again (cost 2.00 just for bus fare to pharmacy) but managed to get most of my kitchen back in order this afternoon as its been like a storage room for all the decorating etc over the last few weeks - sanity now i have it back although not sure if i can remember where i have put everything...

april you should feel very proud looked at pics they are gorgeous -

anneme - dd had dry night last might but prob just cause we were all awake due to ds, but thanks for warning - i hadnt thought about that need to spend some extra time on her maybe????

[SKYTVADDICT]

Hi all

Been shopping today and bought some flip flops for my hospital bag and also washed my old dressing gown.

Welcome back to all, I've been struggling to keep up as it was!

All our wardrobes are fitted now, DP should be starting to decorate our room in the next couple of weeks.

LG&T have your birth video and will email you for your address soon (when I get round to it!).

[largeginandtonic]

Hmmm let me try that link again here hopefully

[largeginandtonic]

AAAAAAGGGHHHH MKG!!!! >

How have you been? Its been ages!

Am off to look at the mural piccies, back soon

[largeginandtonic]

Evening all so nice to hear all the chatter again.

FSF n says put them in a box at the end of the drive and sell em, leave a jar out for money. Make lemon curd, it is sooooo yum. Put some in a vat of olive oil and you will have lemon oil, v delish on salads, stirfrys etc. You can preserve them too will look in to it and get back to you. We made roast chicken for dinner and guacamole for lunch with waaaay too many nachos

Lupins eclairs are easy peasy, just make choux pastry, water, marg, eggs and plain flour. Then stuff with whipped creaam and make a yum choc sauce to go on top (or scoop out of bowl with a table spoon) Will post the recipie if you want it.

TYG have you got light yet in the hall? Very dangerous, bad husband. Stop moving furniture around too, bad TYG. The bouncer and crib sound lovely! You lucky thing, i remember seeing the little baby sling that Bill Amberg does when i had the twins and really wanting one. Of course any kind of sling wearing with twins was a no no so i never got one. I have a baby bjorn now that ive had since DD and i love it still.

Apple green and white sounds very nice, although im a huge fan of pink gingham. SOH and TYG you should both have your little girls dressed in these soooo nice

I think they make them big enough in the teen section for S too TYG. Tell her she has LG&T to thank.....she may never speak to me

Im having a G&T, a weak one.......

[aprilmeadow]

Hello

Welcome back TYG.

Spent all day working on the 'mural' in Ella's room. Have up loaded some piccies for you to see. We even added some nice shimmer paint to the butterflies & dragonflies to give them definition. Tomorrow i just have to move J's cot in and dress it in pink and take the final shot.

Knackered!

[MKG]

When Life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

[anneme]

FSF - my mum makes really nice lemon squash if you would like a recipe

[Frenchsmallfry]

lg&t, whats on the menu today? Have you been preparing any culinary delights.
I have a lemon tree full of ripe fruit in the garden. Any suggestions so they don't go to waste? Have to be simple please this is me we are talking about.

[Frenchsmallfry]

Hey, MKG, good to hear lifes good for you. I think thats good timing for your babes to arrive. I'm so hoping someone pops their's out on my Birthday, 14th May. Just not me,

[MKG]

Happy Sunday to everyone. Life is pretty good lately I have to say. I've put myself on modified bedrest because I have really been struggling with my back. Cleaning the house makes it impossible for me to do anything else, so I try to spend as much time as I can off my feet. I take care of ds, cook, and do laundry. I can't spend too much time out walking ([sad} no shopping trips) or my back is in so much pain.

Other than that I have nothing to report. I've been given instructions by one of my best friends to have this baby between May 12th and 19th. So she can be around for the event. I told her I would do my best, but we'll see.

[twelveyeargap]

OWWWWWWW Anneme. Poor you! Poor DS, but I'm convinced baby's heads are bouncier than adults...