Due in June 08 - the rollercoaster continues...

[debinaustria]

Morning everyone

Hope you're all OK today

Deb

Upside down - glad you've got into Kingston after all

Rolf - linguist - I don't think so!! My German is terrible but eldest son Stefan helps me out all he can!!!

Going43 - most teachers like wine(unless pregnant), but a present for the school from Oxfam is a great idea, then just a handwritten card for the teacher from the children.

When I taught English as a Foreign Language (totally different thing I know) I used to dread getting presents tbh. I used to end up with the most amazing amount of tat. It was appropriate in some cultures but not in others too - so I'm interested that it is here - for when ds gets older.

But it made the givers feel good.

Ah but nobody ever gave me wine, and I would have liked that.

rolf, dunno where my answer went. Are you just being nosey or do you need help? My french is ok, used to speak russian but have forgotten most, swiss german is ok, high german ok, do translation work, so not bad. could mightily do without having to learn italian tho

Ernest - just being nosey . I knew someone whose DH was a diplomat and whenever he was posted to a new country he was given the most fantastic, intensive language training. My language skills are crap, to my shame.

no bloody intensive language training here - I very much had to learn on the job when we moved here and I'll have to do that again when we move to Milan in the summer

I like the idea of making christmas crackers from loo rolls - the kids would probably like that!

We've been trying to sort out what to get our nursery staff for Christmas. There's four main women who run the room my son's in and I'd like to get them something for Christmas. Would £10 vouchers for M&S be good? That way they can buy a bottle of wine and biscuits or re-gift it to their aunts or whoever if they like... This is my son's first Christmas in nursery and I'm not sure what the norm is. Does anyone know?

Morning ladies

How are you all this morning? We've had loads of snow and the stupid snow plough has just been down our road and dumped about a 5 foot high pile of snow on our car park!! GREAT!!!So, just waiting to hear back from the council to see if they will come back and clear it.

Aberdeenhiker vouchers would be a good idea - are you spending £10 on each of them? I used to try and stick to between £3-5 , but obviously that's up to you. All I'm saying is that they wouldn't expect £10.

How are you this morning?

Morning everyone. Hope it's ok if I moan.

I am sleeping really badly and when I can sleep, DD climbs out of her cot and wakes me up. I'm so tired I feel prickly and queasy. The children are all fighting this morning. I don't feel at all pregnant (probably because I'm too tired to feel anything but tired) and am fretting about it.

Ok, that's it. Thanks

Aberdeenhiker - I think the vouchers sound like a v nice nad generous present although it's more than I'd spend.

Poor you Rolf. I have been exactly the same with this pregnancy as I've been suffering from chronic insommnia. MOstly I have been going to sleep ok but then waking up about 1 or 2 o'clock and not being able to go back to sleep but for the last few nights I haven't been able to get to sleep when I go to bed and then have been restless all night. I've also been suffering with morning sickness during the night as well, which is pretty grim. It also doesn't help that my ds has a cough at the moment which is keeping him awake at night.

I'm so envious of my last pregnancy as apart from waking up too hot a couple of times I slept like a baby throughout - I didn't even have to get up to wee in the late stages!

Rolf and Josie I hope you get a decent nights sleep soon!

DD2 is not her usual self this morning, she normally wakes around 7.30 but I had to wake her at 8.40. She ws crying so much when I woke her and she also has a spot on her shoulder which I'm really hoping is not chicken pox, they will develop quickly if it is so I will keep an eye on her. She was crying so much when we left the house to take DD1 to school that I had to ask another parent who I barely know to walk DD1 to school which luckily didn't bother DD1 at all!

Hi everyone,

Sorry to hear your feeling rubish Rolf and Josie, I keep getting a blocked/dry nose and waking up in the middle of the night and can't sleep. It makes you feel really crap the next day and then I feel guilty for not having the energy to play with ds properly. Though according to my sister the feelings of guilt just get worse with your second so I've got that to look forward to!!

Sorry your dd isn't well going for 3 I've heard of a few cases of chickenpox up here in scotland, where are you? I'm sure it would be a great adventure for your dd1 to go to school with someone different, and not a problem for the other parent at all. I hope she is feeling better soon.

xx

Oh dear the guilt factor. Part of me already feels guilty about having another dc as I don't want to let my ds1 down by not having enough time for him. Sometimes now I catch myself thinking how will I find time for two - especially when ds1 is being crap about eating and taking an hour to feed! I'm guessing that when the new baby arrives both dc will have to learn to be more self reliant as I only have so many hands. And despite being able to multi-task as all women can _ I'm sure that I still won't have enough time to do everything.

Does anyone else worry about not loving your new dc as much as the first? I know everyone always says that you just have more love to go round but I just worry that dc2 won't live up to ds1. Do I sound evil? I'm not honestly I just worry too much!!!

Hi everyone,

i am also sleeping really badly. I am exhausted so generally go to bed just after the kids (around 8.00) and then sleep really well until 1-2 and then just doze until the kids get up 6.30. I have tried going to bed later but then get even less sleep. Feel headachy and a bit dizzy as a result. If anyone comes up with an answer I would really like to hear it!

I also have a scan tomorrow. It's my first and i feel really nervous. Am terrified there will be no baby, or that there will be twins. Obviously first option much much worse.

Bless you sybil. I know with my first that despite the postive pregnancy test, the sore boobs, the morning sickness, the tiredness, the weeing all the time, the thickening waistband and all the other pregnancy symptoms I had I still couldn't quite believe that I was pregnant. However, the first scan was sooooo magical as there was our little one looking amazingly like a miniature human and with the most cute button nose - I think I was expecting to see a fuzzy blob on the scan but it was so much better than that. It was only then that I really began to accept that yes it was all real and I was GOING TO HAVE A BABY! Enjoy your scan - it will be wonderful!

Good luck with the sleeping, I'm really hoping it will change in the second trimester as it's awful feeling like a zombie all the time. It doesn't help when people keep telling you how tired you look - I just want to tell them I'm pregnant and that's why but have been biting my tongue and making excuses about work and my ds tiring me out! Roll on my scan next week when I can tell the world!

Sorry to hear about the other non-sleepers, and I hope your DD feels better soon G43. Silvia - I have the same worries about the scan. They are such a mixed blessing aren't they? Good luck with it today.

I've been dithering about whether to take DD to her swimming lesson. We both really enjoy it (I go in with her) and it's a lovely warm hydrotherapy pool.

Sybil - goodm luck with scan, I am with you on what you are feeling, mine is in two weeks.

Everyting Ok here, sleeping OK but tired during day, off to clean a room now as someone wants to stay tonight, which is good as will pay for grandparents christmas pressies.

Josie57 people have probably guessed why you look so tired and are waiting for an announcemnt. Yesterday at ballet DD1 was messing around near me with another girl and when I told them to be careful DD shouted out that she had to be careful beacuse mummy has a baby in her tummy. One of the mums said she had guessed a while ago because I looked so awful!

Morning all
So sorry so many of you are feeling rotten at the mo. I thought I was getting my energy back and so did what would be a normal clean and tidy up on Saturday morning (nothing major - washing, mopped the kitchen floor, changed sheets etc). By 8pm I was completely zonked out and I still haven't really recovered!
My bump is getting quite noticeable now and am currently sitting here with my tights pulled up to my bra to avoid the discomfort - hahaha - how attractive.
Just thought I would drop a note re the presents...
Rolf - re the Oxfam Unwrapped stuff - my brother gave our whole family these one year and it was one of the nicest presents I'd ever had - I've still got the card and it must have been at least five years ago. It was a surprise to get something so unusual, but it was really wonderful at the same time and I read the info about who it would help over and over. I think you can even put funds into schools - pay for pens and paper for example, which would be most appropriate for a teacher.
Ernest, if you want an easier food thing to make, you could try mincemeat slices - I got the recipe in school cookery lessons when I was about 12 and still make them every Christmas - they're like mince pies, but much less fiddly - the whole thing takes about 10 minutes :-)
Here's the mincemeat slice recipe - I use butter not marg.

5oz vegetable margarine
3oz soft brown sugar
8oz wholewheat flour
4oz porridge oats
8oz mincemeat
11x7 shallow baking tin

Melt the marg in a saucepan with brown sugar. Mix flour and porridge oats in a large bowl.
When marg and sugar have turned liquid, remove pan from heat and begin adding the flour and oats, stirring well.
Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin. Press the mixture into the tin firmly using the flat of your hand.
Next spread the mincemeat evenly all over the bottom layer. Then finish with a final layer of oat mixture.
Bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 mins at gas mark 6, 200 C. When the top is golden brown remove it from the oven and cut it into squares (leave them in the tin until they are cold to make it easier to remove them).

I think I'm going to have to make some tonight now!
Ttfn
China

Thanks for the advice on nursery presents everyone! We're from canada and I'm never sure about what people expect here.

I've got insomnia too - it must be the hormones. I'm awake for an hour at least in the night, which is horrible because I'm so tired in the daytime. With my son I found it was really bad but this time I'm coping better (taking naps, plus have learned how to function sleep-deprived) and I guess because I expect it, I don't mind as much.

However, I've no other pregnancy symptoms at all anymore (except exhaustion). Rolf I'm glad to hear I'm not alone...

Sorry to hear some of you aren't sleeping, we had ds appear inthe middle of last night saying he couldn't sleep, I was too tired to get up so he just got in with us, but he is a wriggler so I didn't get that much sleep either.

China - recipe sounds great - would it work with plain white flour? I really fancy it but haven't got any wholemeal?

going43 - hope your dd is better soon, if it's chickenpox they are normally worse just before the spots.

Josie - I had all the same feelings when pregnant with ds2, I couldn't imagine loving 2 of them and couldn't imagine how the 2nd one would be. I didn't need to worry it's quite natural and now I'm having my 3rd and Ernest his having her 4th so that's proof that it's all possible!!

Update on the stupid snow plough, it returned and cleared all our car park(even the snow it hadn't dumped there) which is a huge job for us(well dh this year) but only took a few journeys for him so it's really saved dh a lot of work.

Chinasuprise - LOL at you sitting with your tights pulled up to your bra. Last week I came to work all week with my trousers unbuttoned and the zip half way down - I did make sure that my shirts were long enough to cover . This week I have given in and have got my maternity trousers out and they are sooooooooooooo comfy! I do remember wearing some quite odd combinations of clothes last time, whilst at home in order to be comfortable. It's a good job I'm married otherwise it might have put my dh off .

I'm sorry about everyone else's insomnia but also relieved that it is not just me .

Haha - yes, I've been doing the trouser unbuttoning too - and using a hair band to extend my waistbands.
I reckon I've got about two more weeks and then I'm just going to have to fess up!
Deb - am sure the recipe would be fine with plain flour. The most difficult thing about it is not eating all the oats/butter/sugar mixture before you finish the recipe. Mmmmmm.

The recipe for those slices sound wonderful!

dd IS FINE NOW, COVERING HERSELF AND THE KITCHEN WITH GLITTER. Sorry about that! There is still only one spot so I think she just has a zit. Both girls have had it before but as dd2 was only five weeks old it is likely that she isn't immuned, neither were ill when they got it last time just spotty and gp said it's because it was the start of the season so it was mild.