September 2019 #7

[easterbuns1]

I get nervous when it's so close to post 999..:

The nursery I want to use is so flexible they'll charge to the nearest 15 mins! And they have an outstanding rating and 5 mins from work. They do shut down for 2 weeks per year though - August and Christmas - is that normal? I've already said in my pregnancy letter than on return I'd like those weeks off as i won't have childcare, and obviously trying to book it at work that early is an issue - god forbid I were being organised 🙄

We went to see Olly Murs at the O2 last night, poor baby should have had a bump muff on!! I think the little thing has been traumatised!! Didn't even think but it was so loud 😬

@boodles101 you made me laugh - I got dh to shave my legs the other day - he did a better job than I do - I usually miss or cut near my ankles!! Think that will be his job from now on.

@kyles101 ours shuts down for two weeks at christmas which lots of parents get annoyed about. It means we only pay for 50 weeks and DHs university also shuts down so doesn't really affect us at all.

The week in August would annoy me though - I wouldn't like being forced to take my holidays when it suits nursery!

Yeah enforced holiday weeks are not ideal. I don't mind Christmas so much but the August one is a little annoying.

Hi everyone! See the chat has moved on to work stuff. My boss has just been promoted (well deserved) so there's a bit of anxiety about where his case load will ultimately go when I also go off in September. He was also my line manager; excellent and very understanding. Now worrying that his replacement won't be as decent, but I suppose nowt I can do about it.

Had my scan on Tuesday at 20w+6, everything is fine and saw her little face which made DH emosh. Very relieved. Baby was completely unbothered when the sonographer was trying to get her to move to see something- hopefully it's a sign she's laid back rather than stubborn!

Ordered the nursery furniture set as Argos have their baby event on atm. DH finally signed off on it when I showed him how much a cot + chest of drawers (draws? ) + wardrobe would be if we bought it all separately. It's getting delivered on 01 June so we have to have the nursery cleared before then. I'm glad to have a hard deadline as neither of us can motivate ourselves otherwise!

kyles 101 I don't think DH would mind shaving my legs but I think he will draw the line at shaving my bikini area 🤣

I think we’ve found a pushchair! It worries me that this was our first time in an actual shop but we fell in love with one of the iCandy pushchairs. We went to a local independent place who are doing a bundle deal with a maxicosi seat. Is 24 weeks too early to buy all this stuff? Half of me thinks “shop around” and half of me just thinks buy it.

@kyles my nursery closes for a week at Easter, 2 weeks in August and about 2 weeks at Christmas. It is SO annoying!!! However, it was by far my best option (5 minutes from home, lovely countryside setting, lovely staff etc etc) the other ones I viewed I just didn't like and some haven't got a great reputation either.

I still don't have a plan for one of the weeks in August this year and am starting to panic a bit!

Boodles ha ha - I recon mine would actually!! TMI!!

Ooh craicdealer that's exciting! The reason we ordered ours so early is we're quite easily distracted, especially in the summer so I can relax now knowing it's all more of less done. Will the Argos furniture be flat pack? Dh reckons the savings on the ikea stuff we brought was still just about worth it after the hours building then rubbish after. It's nice to have a little area set up though now so everything's out if the way, and I can go in there and have a little look through.
20w scan is so good isn't it - I think he/she has my lips and chin!

Excited no, I don't think too early but maybe do push a few more just to be sure? Maybe do some online research first too? We thought we loved the baby style oyster 3, but then thinking about what we wanted it for it didn't actually really suit.

Happy, ha, that's put my one summer week into perspective... as you say though, small price for the right place - do you get 5 weeks holiday? Is the August week this year too early for you to start mat leave I assume?

Just on train home now - don't know how you town mice do it, all the hustle and bustle and crowds. Love it for a day or 2 at a time but couldn't commute like that daily, I'm a country mouse through and through. Did have a lovely chap make room for me near the door on the tube though as I was struggling in the middle (shorty) and a lad jumped out of a priority seat when I got on which was very nice.

Not sure what we'll to with our Sunday yet, probably a quiet one. Anyone else have any exciting plans?

On our 20 week scan we got quite a good look at babies nose and lips, just like our little dc4 ❤

I am despising train travel atm, no one is giving me a seat. DP says "Just ask them to move!" But like, i dont want to. If they said no i would probably launch into some insane rant and look like a looney.

I am still umming and ahhing over prams. I like the look of Nuna Mixx the most but the weight is putting me off as we live somewhere with lots of hills. Also like the Balios S but again worry about weight. Then my light option is a Cosatto but the prints i want with four wheels are more £££ than i want to spend. Hmmm.

If anyone is just after a basic infant carrier type carseat Cosatto have lots in the clearance section for around £50 instead of £150. I have had two of these seats before and had no issues.

A week or two closed at christmas is standard for nurseries, i also know a couple that do a week in august. HOWEVER some charge for closed weeks and others dont, so that is worth asking about

Didn't even realise nurseries closing was a thing! Ours have always been just Xmas Day, Boxing Day and NYD closed!

I think it is often the case where there is no one to run the business reliably for a week / two while the manager is away. There tends to be a very high staff turn over in early years due to poor pay.

@kyles101 , I'm freelance so can technically pick and choose how many holidays I get but as it happens have a contract until September which I really don't want to miss days for in August as it will be just before I plan on finishing for mat leave. I used to have a brilliant freelance nanny but she's now packed it in so we might have to fly some of DH's family over so I can do my final week! Desperate times!

The good news is we don't pay for the weeks they closed (I would be raging if we had to do that).

We are still unloading boxes from the house move and I think tomorrow will be much of the same. Sigh. I'm hoping DD sleeps until at least 7am, that's my one big wish for the weekend!!!

@excitednerves I have brought literally everything now. Have brought it when I found deals on what I wanted and saved over £500 so far

How normal is it to pay for holiday weeks either way if they're in full time? Do you get 5 weeks holiday allowance and have to pay regardless anything over that or something generally?

@kyles101
The main nurseries local to me charge for 51 weeks per year. There is one that charges for 52 but they stay open apart from bank hols.

@kyles101 for us we pay every day that their open (but then like I said they're only close 3 days a year). And obviously we do still have to pay for the days that we don't have DS there due to us being on holiday etc.

I was feeling this pregnancy was zooming past but feel like it's dragging now. Hoping our next busy couple of weeks will speed things back up.

It is the norm to pay for bank holidays. Some also charge for closed weeks e.g. christmas. Policies differ re holidays you take, some charge partial fees but most charge something tbh as they are keeping the place for you

We pay for the full 50 weeks they are open, no holiday allowance. And they are open all bank holidays except the 4 at Christmas and New Year.

@excitednerves ooh which? I’m going for a raspberry but feel like they’re not very popular (worries me!)

@kyles101 I have done sooooo much online research. Lol. It’s turned into an obsession! How do you choose!?!? Online they all look good, but heading out today to push a few more. We definitely ruled some out after yesterday too.

@hsunshine that was the plan - pick one then wait for a deal but currently can’t beat the deal we saw yesterday. Typical!

@moraxella we liked the icandy lime. Haven’t seen the raspberry. It doesn’t matter if it’s not popular, as long as it’s right for you.

Still recovering from the baby show. Open until closing. My poor feet.

Despite our initial insistence we were pre-dominantly going to test prams, cots and car seats and maybe only buy a couple of small bits while there, the allure of show prices was just too strong. We wound up buying a pram, cot, car seat, sling, bouncer, steriliser, and some other small bits. Some buyer's remorse (not 100% on the cot) but overall relief (and hurting feet) that most of the big things are out of the way now.

@excitednerves if you like it then no reason not to? Baby will be here soon enough anyway. I only looked at 3 but tested the one I got for a while and checked it all in my car

The wisdom of Mumsnet prevails. Been to 3 more shops today, and love the Mamas and Papas Flip XT3. Anyone had or used an M&P pushchair? I haven’t seen many reviews of them but loved pushing it round the shop, and it folds so nicely!!!

Ha ha excited sounds like that's the one to me!!

Picked up some nursery curtains from dunelm yesterday and they're hideously creased - hoping they iron out...