Due Dec 2007 on the wind down?

[suey2]

has this worked?

becklespeckle if you are into theatre rather than musicals, the play version of all about my mother (almodovar film) at teh old vic has had awesome reviews. Stars diana rigg. otherwise check out the national theatre- st joan is vv good ( iam seeing next week) but a bit heavy. Present laughter (noel coward) will be lighter and good fun and there was something else... can't remember off hand but will check

no christmas stuff for me until mat leave! thanks god for the internet!

Hi everyone I have not been able to read all the messages for a while as the computer was out of action while we are getting our house painted, but have tried to catch up. In the end it has just left me feeling a bit panicked as everyone seems SO much more organised than me! So far I have managed to buy a snow suit and one of those things that go round baby's necks in car seats and, errr, that's it. However we have still got most things from DD so hopefully won't need to buy TOO much more. Only another 10 or 11 weeks to go though (if I am on time...)...

It's DD's 2nd birthday today so am rushing around in a panic. This time two years ago I was lying flat on my back while a team of surgeons stitched me up, watching my little girl being weighed...All of you first time mums, you really do have such a treat ahead, those first few moments really are the best most amazing of your life (at least they were for me - I know some women don't have such a good experience and are probably just left feeling relieved it's all over!).

Hope everyone is feeling as good as possible. I had my 28 weeks appointment yesterday and all well - the baby has shrunk from 28 cm to 27 cm in the course of 3 weeks so that's a bit wierd but am now less worried about having a whopper!!

I second what Claraq said about the moment baby is born.

The women in Black was really good, eerie altho predictable.

MixedMama - Christmas trees were stolen as an idea by the Christians from the native Pagan British people. Christmas was the Pagan 'Festival of Light' and was celebrated at the winter Equinox by tying red and yellow ribbons to trees in the forest and hanging lanterns of the branches. The symbolism was to encourage the sun to return in the spring, and for a bountiful return of fruit and fertility to the earth.

So there you have it - no religious symbolism, just a very old Pagan tradition.

(wondering if paganism is a religion now [hmm'

lol paganism is classed as a branch of religion now, but it is also mainly cultural and acts as an umbrella to many sub pagan belief systems like wicca, shaman etc... (sorry paganism is an area i study so couldnt resist)... however you are right xmas tree's have nothing to do with christianity at all... they are all about tradition

We only celebrate Xmas as a commercial holiday anyway - pressies and dinner (which has got decidely more Turkish over the years).

I think mine might have hiccups! Am getting a very rhythmic (sp?) jump like a really small kick! Hehe!

Happy birthday to your dd claraq!! Is she having a party? It's my dd's bday next month and am wondering what to do..

becklespeckle - I don;t mind people touching my bump either, in fact I quite like it. Don't mind people telling me I'm huge either but like you probably because dh doesn;t show that much interest.

Any 2nd/3rd timers feeling a lot more laid back this time round? I am so unstressed about labour, having a baby, aches and pains of pregnancy etc. Granted this is a very easy pregnancy but I think it so much scarier first time. So first timers, if you are feeling relaxed this time, you will probably be almost horizontal next time!

Had my 28 wk appt with mw today, all fine, fundus height 29cm and I'm 27wks so might be a big baby... but am putting that to the back of my mind and hoping it is more amniotic fluid than actual baby.

Cannot BELIEVE you are all discussing xmas trees - we're barely out of the summer!!

But Xmas trees are pretty - what other excuse do you need

i'm a second timer and feeling bit more scared this time - great labour last time so feel like I don't want to let myself down this time and want it to be just as good IYKWIM, also worried about coping with 2 children at home (I have to be honest and say coming back to work part time gave me a baby break and helped the PND) plus loads of bleeding this pregnancy which I didn't have before - I get slightly paranoid and think its my body trying to tell me something.... but then I do worry a lot!

Not many people have touched my belly this time but again I don't really mind they are all people I know and I know they are just being affectionate to baby

just had a lovely thought about potentially having a home birth with the christmas tree lights on
time to start xmas shopping - I know its sad but helps spread the cost!

That is interesting as I found that returning to work fueled PND with me, but that could be due to the fact i went back far too early and was desperately unhappy with the childcare etc.

Re: Xmas Tree. It has something to do with the Xmas trees in the forest not parting to let our Prophet through when all the other trees did. My defence is that I want a fake one so it is not really a Xmas tree, plus my parents will be coming to us this year and my mum will be desperately unhappy if DS doesnt have a tree with his pressies underneath as i have compromised for DH in doing things I didnt want to do. I actually think they would be offended if they turned up and there is no tree. I think the Pagan thing would make my argument weaker to DH to be honest.

Insy - no wonder you are worried - you've had a lot to cope with. I'm sure that the shock of having a new baby will be less this time though, plus you'll know what to do. Will you go back to work after mat leave this time? Maybe that thought could keep you going through tough times? You're right it will be hard but I'm sure we will all pull through just fine

Love the idea of a homebirth with Xmas lights. Was just relaying my little fantasy to dh at lunchtime of me sitting feeding new baby in the rocking chair with all the xmas lights on while he and dd made a lovely dinner for us. He thought bleeding nipples and a tantrumming toddler was more likely... well every family needs a realist I suppose

I feel very calm about labour, oddly, but I did the first time as well, through ignorance then though. I feel quite in control and am mentally preparing all the time in small ways. Last night I added a little tracksuit we bought when we found out flavour to my box of bits. I have been wanting to it all week, sounds silly, but was on my mind and I just had to it.

MM what does he think about a fake one? Sounds like a good compromise

Not sure. I just told him that when we moved (that was April) we would be having one as it would offend my mum not to have one but wouldnt offend anyone by having one. He doesnt really care he is just being difficult. I am going to get him to decorate it with me and DS as i have fond childhood memories of decorating the tree. Plus, it is for DS who will love it.

Skid - I feel really relaxed about it, feel like I've got the 'been there and done that' attitude. Just worried how I might cope in the early stages with DD who will be 2ys, newborn and the sleep deprivation. I do tend to get a bit ratty when I am tired.

Yeah i am more worried about the after with DS and a little baby.

Yeah i am also worried about how dd will react to the new baby, but I am not anxious like I was last time which is so nice because it means I am not a nightmare to live with, and means the baby isn't getting lots of stress hormones. Think I got myself into a bit of a state last time because dh was rubbish and completely unsympathetic. This time I expected him to be rubbish and so it has been fine (in fact he has been slightly less rubbish than expected).

My Dh keeps saying that I am making it up (all the aches and pains).... but he is taking a healthy interest so cant complain.

Does anybody else feel weird when their dad comments on size or any aspect of the pregnancy. I am very close to my dad, but some things just make me feel weird.... very strange, just dont expect him to comment. With DS1 he only ever commented to DH and that wasnt specifically about me.

Afternoon ladies, my internet connection has been down until now... typical!

Sorry for moaning ladies, I know the websites have great information on but sometimes there's the "what ifs"...
Thelady - thanks for the link and the info that does helps.

Mimicakey, you weren't rude at all! Tt's a mixture really of pregnancy side effects (really bad lower back ache so under the physio for that, made much worse when sitting on hard work chair), terrible headaches (made worse by staring at my VDU all day), dizzy spells and extreme tiredness (caused by under active thyroid I'm told). Then there's a bit of crap from boss and a colleague too which is really stressing me and making me very anxious.

Mixedmama, it's hard getting LO into a routine but once it's done it's so much easier to get them to bed and it's lovely knowing what time they'll be in bed. My DD has been in a bedtime routine from 6wks but had a different one since I stopped feeding her before bed (16 ish months).

Only one person has touched my bump and I don't think I would normally mind but I don't know this lady well.

I've been doing a bit of Christmas shopping as I'd like to take the presents for my family down to them in October (our last trip down before baby) will save me a fortune on postage.

Hope everyone is well

MRSskidaddle, your comments about your DH made me smile, I have similar thoughts/expectations of mine!

I have to admit I have worries about the birth despite it being my third! My other 2 were both over 9lb and I am only small, it seems that lots of 3rd babies are considerably larger than their siblings so that is a concern! Also being due on 27th December is stressing me a bit, I don't want to miss Christmas with my boys!
I had a dream last night that I woke up and my baby had been born! It was a girl and she was quite little (early perhaps?) but I seemed to have been asleep through the labour and birth! I even fed her in the dream but was told the milk would take a few days to come in properly because it had not been a normal labour - very bizzare but nice to have a dream with healthy baby, she was very cute!
I was telling my DH about my aches and pains last night (was v sore after work) and when I apologiesd for moaning - he said "don't worry, you know I don't listen anyway"! I don't like to moan but this pg is so much more physically demanding than the others!

oh beckle I bet it's a girl then. I know it is probably an old wives' tale but I know of so many difficult girl pregnancies and so many easy boy ones - so you never know your dream could come true!

Sometimes dh pisses me off with his lack of concern. For example last week he complained about me having put the light off after going to bed early so he couldn't read. I told him how sorry I felt for him and how hard it must be to be occasionally deprived of some bedtime reading when all I had to do was carry two babies for nine months each. That shut him up

that sounds like my DH bespeckle.