Gosh (I never say "Gosh" in RL, btw. I have a dirty Irish mouth), I've missed you ladies. I felt VERY cut off this last week. I worked SO hard and wouldn't you know there was one thing I forgot to show the new girl and was racing through it at 5pm on Friday. Oh well. I've just emailed her instructions about it. I mean, I've lived that job for over three years, so it's not really surprising I can't just "walk away" from it and not look back.
LG&T - Hope all is well in Plymouth.
Pebble - Congratulations on your "probably pink". Loads of time for "her" to turn yet.
April -don't know if you're now happy with your stork pressie. I'm off to Brent Cross today to get fabric for the baby's room, for blinds etc. DH going berserk that I haven't told him what paint to get yet. (He's a changed man. He got up early one WORK morning last week to "finish painting the decking". I think my real husband has been abducted by aliens.) I digress; I'm going to pick out my secret present whilst I'm there. I need to check back the recent-ish threads, but I think my person only recently found out the flavour so might be pleased with some suitable clothes.
Speaking of shopping... Blimey. This is by NO means a boasty thing, BUT I have to tell you guys this becuase I was SO overwhelmed and pleased. After my YEARS of hard work and my killing myself this last month at work (admittedly after quite a lull at the start of the year), I got feckin' BRILLIANT presents on Friday. My friend organised the Timi and Leslie change bag I was coveting and the lovely cashmere blanket. In the big card, signed with really lovely personal messages from everyone I've ever got on well with or helped a lot, there was another envelope with... £500! In cash! In manner of Victor Meldrew "I don't BELIEVE it." I'm just so chuffed and my friend said after work, "They all love you, TYG. They all said such nice things and they were throwing money at me." Awhhh.. I was sobbing when they came over. Loads of people came over to my desk and my boss gave me the biggest bunch of flowers I've ever seen (later found out they were from him personally) and he told me how much I'd be missed, etc, etc." I was BAWLING. Honestely, if there was anything that might make me feel like going back to work, it was that I didn't realise how appreciated I was.
Anyway, took my £500 and went to Mothercare (avec DH, who enjoyed it really, despite complaining on the way) and bought: vests, sleepsuits, crib sheets and blankets, muslin squares and sterilser. Was about to pick up an Avent breastpump when DH says, "No, have a look at the Medela website first. They probably do the best ones." Cue curious look from yours truly. Turns out Medela make suction/ vacuum thingys for healing wounds and when doing research into the company (for work) discovered they do super-duper-supposed-to-be-most-like-baby-sucking breast pumps. Have ordered one of those online, storage bags and bottles, plus all their specialist bottles and teats, which I've been reading on here are really good for giving breast fed babies occasionaly bottles. Hmm, also ordered lots of lovely organic baby bath products, bum creams, talc-free powder -all that stuff. Umm, went on Blooming Marvellous website and ordered changing table, wicker baskets, cute little mini-clothes rail, shelves and a couple of random bits. That's pretty much me now. Phew! Have only a couple of boring things to buy now, like breast pads. Yawn.
OK, so back to reading through last week's thread and catching up.
Scoot- feckin' wagon in that service. Should be sacked for failing her clients. Oh and the Saturday food shopping. Agree with your DH there, although the shelves aren't always refilled from the daytime hoards emptying them. Have also been to IKEA at around 9pm on a Friday. Surprising civilised.
Befnalbunny - how is the BP?
SOH - I love fairs. We had a carnival come to our town twice year, when I was little. The excitement! How it changed over the years. I remember going on "swing boats" and "chairoplanes" as little 'un and by the time I left it was all "magic carpets" and other vomit inducing things. Mind you, my absolute favourite thing is a Waltzer. I love em.
OOOOOHHHHHH YYYAAAAAYYYYYYY I just read about the test results. THAT'S FANTASTIC. I'm so happy for you both.
The Saturday shopping thing... It's something to do with Saturdays. I notice people drive REALLY badly on Saturdays. I think it's something to do with a combination of factors. People who normally commute on public transport get back in their cars, people who are normally at work are impatient to get things done for the weekend and they seem to want to get it all out of the way on Saturday, instead of on Sunday. Honestly, I drive around quite happily all week, except on Saturdays where I seem to get at least three times every journey. Beep -HOW DARE you let someone out in front of you. Beep - how dare you make use of your right of way on a roundabout... and so on.
£1000 in Mothercare sounds ridiculous and IMO, a bit boring. Don't they want to shop around and have fun if they have all that money to spend?
MKG - Gutted for you about your H, but if it's any consolation, I went through a really, really tough year with my DH just after we got married and we came through the other side of it, despite us both thinking it wouldn't last. Sometimes you hit a wall and once you find a way over the wall, things are ok on the other side. You're being very wise in neither taking all the blame or giving it all to him. It never does any good. THat's not to say that he's not being a git, I'm sure he is, but sometimes we need to find another way to fix the problem, than go head on with it.
Welcome cameroonmama! I quite like Jasper, but I know what you mean about the West London thing. I was saying to MKG a while ago that I think actual "baby showers" only seem to happen here with rich mums in West London. My cousin (who lives in Notting Hill) was over the other week and said, "ooooh, would you like me to arrange your baby shower." Had to laugh. REally lovely of her, but (a) I've only lived here for a few years and don't really have hoards of lady-friends to invite to these things and (b) They'd all snort with laughter if my lovely (rich!) cousin sent them a list of "must haves" from Harvey Nicks. HOWEVER, a name is a name and will only sound West London if you live there and there are loads of Tarquins and Marmadukes running about with him.
Cinammontam - very exciting about hte veggies. DH in his weird unlike-him domesticity has seedlings growing ALL OVER the house, inc salad leaves, tomatoes (from seed), thyme, (we already have rosemary in the garden), mint (for mohitos!), red peppers. He planted carrot seeds in a patch in the garden yesterday along with seed onions. The peas are to go in soon and we're waiting for the seed potatoes to shoot. He's attemped to "squirrel-proof" the outside stuff so fingers crossed. Really hope he gets a decent crop. He's been so sweet about checking his seedlings and watering them and keeping them warm. He must be nesting!
Right, if I haven't mentioned you, then "HELLO!" and it's nothing personal. It's taken me AGES to write this already. I started before 8am!