Due Fab Feb 2009: crossed fingers (and legs) we'll get through another thread without welcoming any early arrivals!

[MarkStretch]

Welcome.

Please feel free to add yourself to the list.

TinkerBellesMum - DC3 (girl), due: 01.02.09 (not expected to get far into December) (age 27, Birmingham)
Laidbackinengland - DC4, due: 23.01.09 (age 34, North Devon)
Nkweto - DC2, due: 30.01.09 (age 35, West London)
Mamagoose - DC3, due: 31.01.09 (age 32, Spain)
Questionkid - DC1, due: 03.02.09 (age 33, Wallington, Surrey)
PinkTulips - DC3, due; 04.02.09 (age 24, Roscommon, Ireland)
MsLucy - DC2 (a boy), due: 4/2/09 (CS a few days early)(age 38, North London)
Swampster - DC3, (a boy), due: 06.02.09 (age 40 , London)
Rosieposey - DC4, (a boy) due: 06.02.09 (age 36,Swindon,Wiltshire)
MarkStretch - DC2, (a boy) due: 07.02.09 (age 29, Norwich)
onwardandoutward - DC2, due: 07.02.09 (age 35 South West)
LittleMissNorty - DC2, due: 08.02.09 (age 40 in a couple of weeks, Kent).
KT1983 - DC1, due: 09.02.09 (age 25, London)
KazzaL - DC2 (suprise flavour), due 10.02.09 (age 35, Cirencester, Gloucs)
herbgarden - DC2, due: 11.02.09 (CS 02.02.09) (age 38, Berkshire)
TheHouseofMirth - DC2, (a boy) due: 12.02.09 (age 38, Wimbledon)
Littlesez ? DC1 (a girl) due: 15.02.09 (age 28, Manchester)
America - DC2, (a boy) due: 16.02.09 (age 32, London)
Rachrox - DC4, (a boy) due: 18.02.09 (age 28, Cheltenham)
Catstar - DC2, (a boy) due: 18.02.09 (age 36, Chessington)
Dinkystinky - DC2, (a boy) due: 19.02.09 (age 32, London)
Pluto DC2 (gender unknown), due 19.02.09 (Age 38, Kent)
DizzyBrummie - DC2, due: 20.02.09 (age 36, Berkshire)
Calico1 - DC2 due: 21.02.09 (age 40, West Herts)
mrsy - DC1, (a girl) due: 22.02.09 (age 24, Maidstone, Kent
Scubagroover - DC1 (a boy), due: 22.02.09 (age 31, London/ Kent)
Winemakesmummyclever - DC2 (a boy), due: 23.02.09. (age 35, Manchester) expecting cs @ 39 weeks.
Spottyshoes - DC2, due: 24.02.09 (age 28)
Lardybump - DC2, due: 24.02.09 (age 34)
Chilledmama - DC2 (a girl), due: 25.02.09 (age 32, Southsea)
Cocodrillo - DC3, due 26.02.09 (age 34 at the mo, London) expecting a CS at 38-39 weeks.
mumoverseas - DC4 (a boy), due: 28.02.09 (CS 2 to 3 weeks early) (age almost 41 Arabia/Crawley West Sussex)

Good afternoon all, espcially the newbies!!

Been lurking a lot oover the last few days - you've all been posting soooo much that by the time I've caught up I;ve run out of lunhc hour

chilledmama if you still need some freecycle advice, let me know and I can give you my work email (best hope for getting a reply from me)

TBM have to agree with everyone else, you are very brave, but I am sure being as well-informed as you are about everyhting that's going on helps you - I know that woudl help me - if I understand what's happening then I find it easier to deal with.

swampy - again lots more hugs & positive thoughts for tomorrow.

having a few very busy/eventful days - TBM DH called me from home last friday to say he'd made it to lvl 80 at about 4.30pm, so at least he wasn't distracted all weekend.

had people staying at the weekend and then had NCT group round on sunday pm - it's really nice as a lot of our little DCs are all at the same nursery now. but I'm the only one stupid brave enough to do it again yet.

Monday night I went roudn to my RL friend's house to cook her and her DH dinner and wash-up too - she was 11 days overdue by then

tuesday night i slept on the sofa

had mw appt yesterday lunchtime no diabetes, but iron is low, so big fat juicy iron tabs for me now

then DS had the paed at 5.30 and we finally persuaded the paed to do the blood test for coeliacs, it wasn't fun getting the blood, but it's done now and alhtough I want the result to be negative, I also want it to be positive so I can prove my point to all the docs.

home for about 2 mins and then off to guides - which as my co-leader is off having her baby (RL friend above) is doubly hard.

Then DS woke at 4.30 this morning and wouldn;t go back to sleep, we resisted going into his room and he foudn his bottle of milk eventually, but he was too hysterical by then to go back to sleep.

Tonight I;m covering brownies for another friend as she is in dubai for work and then we have a meeting afterwards.

Saturday, off to the zoo with the brownies as well

when do I get time for me

Good grief KazzaL - am exhausted just reading about your week! Make sure you start toning down brownies/guides commitments after xmas or they'll all be there at the birth with you

Wow Kaz, I'm a bit worn out just reading that post myself!! :0

with regards to baies and noise.... while i totally agree noise is necessary, and always laughed at people pre-dd who kept everything perfectly quiet if their babies were sleeping..... i learned within hours of dd's birth that she didn't subscribe to that mentality!

every time a baby on the ward cried... she woke up. every time i moved in the bed... she woke up. everytime there was the tiniest noise from anywhere at all.... she woke up. and this was on her first night in the hospital so was in no way a learned behaviour, things were even worse at home.

it wasn't that she couldn't sleep with noise but she was very easily woken by sudden noises of any kind.... she still is at almost 4 although she's learned to put herself to sleep again without shouting the house down in the last year or so thankfully.

ds was a differant kettle of fish altogether and happily slept through action movies and dd shouting near him from birth.

kazza... good luck with the blood test results... having been there with dd i know what you mean about wanting them to be ok but simultaneously wanting to be right so you can prove to the docs your not the hysterical over protective neurotic mother they'd like to make you believe you are! at least if you get a positive you can finally change your ds's diet and he should be alot happier

never had a moses basket but did have a crib and actually put up bumpers despite advice as dd used to crack her hands off the bars flailing around the place, we moved her ut of it fairly quickly as she didn't seem to like being restrained like that. ds was in it til he was so big it was groaning under the weight of him though as he seemed to be alot happier cosy in the crib than in the big cot with all that space.

both mine were movers from day one too... ds rolled onto his tummy at 4 days old and both of them went adventuring around the cot/bed/floor whenever they were put down

my kids are sorted for xmas but haven't bought for anyone else at all yet so much for my plan to be more organised this year, seem t be chasing my own tail moneywise the last few weeks.

Afternoon all - currently having my daily dose of "balamory" and my lovely mum has just finished making my curtains so she popped in to hang them up. They look great so the ancient musty ones are now resigned to the wheelie bin.

Lots of chat since yesterday here....Hello "sorkycake" glad to see you over here...it seems such a long time since the TTC threads.

I too have a light sleeping ds as I think I've said before but he has always been able to nod off in the buggy or car seat which is great if you need to go on a long car journey - at least you'll get some peace at some point if you have to drive a fair way or if you need to go out shopping. I've always done naps in the middle of the day in quiet upstairs in the cot if I'm at home and then at least I could get on with stuff. If he was downstairs with me it would have been recipe for disaster. I'm hoping no2 might take after dh and sleep like the living dead.

I never did the moses basket in the room thing either....ds and us slept so much better when he went into his own bed and we had one of those baby sense mats under the mattress where the alarm goes off if your baby stops breathing. I dread to think what I would have done had it gone off for real but luckily it never did (only if I forgot to turn it off when lifting him out). I was a big fan of swaddling with a miracle blanket (mothercare) and ds loved it til he wriggled out at 14 weeks and we then went to the grobag option and he still has one at nearly 2.5 years. I always go for the next size up so that they grow into it (although you have to be careful about the newborn sizes as they have to be a certain weight). If you do get one - try to find one with the little velcro slit at the back so that if you go out at night and take dc with you you can then pop them in it, put them in the car seat and lift out the other end without waking.....

nearly finished my xmas shopping but we've had a no adults xmas presents agreement this year and I find kids really easy to shop for so have done little bits and bobs as I've gone along.

dinky - have you already bought your cellophane for your homemade biscuits? I bought a roll from a lovely card shop last year but this year found some christmassy cellophane bags at lakeland. I made fudge for the nursery staff last year so thought I might do the same again this year so wanted to be prepared.....

Right, off for tea with a mate and her kids and then tomorrow off for weekend with dh and friends and NO KIDS ! Hurray ! Might even go crazy and have a glass of wine although it seems to bring me out in a very large blotch all over my face. Attractive.

Bye

Has anybody started washing clothes and things for new baby and got bag packed?
Was gonna start the washing after new year but thinking about starting it sooner so it's done. But also thinking 11 weeks is a long time to have vests and grows sitting in a drawer.......

All looking forward to your curry night?

All baby prep is definitely postponed til after Christmas but then I'm due end of Feb so I've got a bit longer.

Definitely looking forward to curry tonight, having one of those totally glum days and deciding whether it is wise to kick useless hubby out when I'm six months pregnint. Sigh. Sorry, I'll feel better after bhuna and some sleep.

LBB - you just worried me!!! I haven't thought about doing any of that yet. Like you, was planning to leave until New Year - we are having new kitchen installed over the next two weeks then moving Little O into the "spare" room. When all back to normal I must start thinking about my hospital bag. I just remember last time being totally unprepared for the amount of absorbent materials I would need - maternity pads, breast pads, nappies, muslins etc!! And even though I didn't think I would have time to read anything, I was desperate for some magazines (was in for 4 days and hadn't realised DD would sleep so much!).

I have been annoyingly busy at work so haven't had time to catch up on the thread, but hope some of you are still on for the curry tonight?

Another vote here for Grobags! I started off trying to swaddle DD, but she didn't like it and was much happier in a grobag. We had a crib but she grew out of it in a couple of months. We had to put rolled up towels along each side to stop her arms bashing about too.

Thanks for wise words earlier this week about introducing Little O to new baby. It got me all emotional about the reunion - I hope I'm not in hospital for too long and wish I was brave enough to think about a home birth ....

Also, Little O doing fine in her new nursery room. They let her keep Igglepiggle with her and she's been sleeping and eating well so think she is happy .

See some of you tonight hopefully .....

Hello new faces!!!

Sorry - glum and selfish! Big up best wishes to swampy for tomorrow xx

nope, hsven't sorted the piles of stuff in babies room yet so not much point washing them til the room is done, need to buy paint at the weekend.....

i did have a rather random panic attack the other night that i should really have a bag packed for myself and one for the kids just in case i go early as my mother and dp would be worse than useless at finding stuff to bring into me or clothes for the kids while they're at my parents (not to mention with my current backlog of washing it might be no harm to have clean clothes put aside for us all as dp 'can't understand' the washing machine and my mother would have heart failure at having to root through my nasty piles of washing )

o dear god.... i'm giving myself palpitations just thinking of all the crap i need to do!

eejaykay sorry you're having a bad time. Wish I was coming.

eejaykay - sorry you're feeling crap - I'm sure a curry will help - hope you all have a nice time tonight

I have got the "newborn" clothes out of the loft, sorted into neutral and pink....I have LOADS. And then slung in the wardrobe waiting till nesting instinct and mat leave kick in to get them washed etc. Pretty sure the nursery was all sorted and ready by this stage last time ....DD's new bedroom is decorated and ready....but full of unwrapped Xmas pressies atm....will get her moved in soon.

Won't leave it too late to do my bag though....and this time, I will pack more than 3 babygro's ......3 lasted about 2 hours after DD was born

I will also have to sort out a few days worth of outfits for DD whilst I'm in hospital as DH panics with "does this skirt go with this top" and I'll be visited by a child still in her jammies

Hahaha. My dp is useless at dressing too, but that's because he doesn't care if a top matches the bottoms. I had lay in the other day, got up and ds was wearing grey tracksuit bottoms (hate tracksuit bottoms) and a grey top. Both plain. Ds looked like he was about to stare in a prison film. And dp expected me to take him out like that!!

He sometimes has trouble dressing himself - especially if a tie is required....let alone a little girlie, that needs tights etc .

Will also make sure she has plenty of meals in the freezer for her....as I'm sure he'll be enjoying the local take-aways.

I'm sure they'll manage just fine

I give birth at home Catstar because I'm too lazy to go to hospital, nothing brave about it

Sorky - another lazy bird here for home birth ! Had the last 2 at home and hopefully DC4 (dd1) will also arrive at home. It is so much easier if everything goes to plan (also had a precipitous labour last time so no time to get to the nearest hospital 10 miles away)

Hope you London gals have a great curry tonight...I am very envious I'm coming up to London on Saturday to see a new car (well more like a minibus) and to attend my SIL's 40th party.

Swampy . More hugs to you ....glad you are still around. I hope you get some clarity from the consultant tomorrow and that you will have a better picture of what you are facing with your baby. My SIL was in a similar situation to you about two years ago and I recognise what a difficult time it can be. Wil be thinking of you tomorrow.

Mslucy...where are you ? Has your day got any better ?

Hello all - London curry ladies,will see you tonight at 6.30 (table booked under name of dinky at Malabar Junction in pregnancy brain means you need a reminder - i have to religiously write everything down nowadays or I forget it 2 seconds later [goldfish memory emoticon]). We're down to 4 (or should that be 8 if we include our passengers?) tonight - Catstar, Eejaykay, Nkweto and me (hopefully we'll be able to identify each other easily by the bumps) as Mslucy (hope you're feeling better today) and Mumoverseas (hope little one feels better soon ) cant make it - though am sure we'll be able to pack away enough curry for 6 . Am in purple jumper and black trousers and indian to help you identify me.

Herbgarden- thanks for the top tip re the cellophane bags - will check those out as cellophane purchase was on my list for this weekend.

Dinky Stinky.. thanks for the update.. will see you shortly..

((((swampy))) know we are all thinking of you..

Rosie congrats on the wedding..

Welcome all newbies

..sorry havent managed to catch up with anything else..! lots of chat in the last few days

Dinky

Here you go - this the page with the bags....£1.99 FOR 50...

www.lakeland.co.uk/cellophane-bags/F/C/storing-preserving/C/storing-preserving-food-bags/product/120 07

enjoy the curry !

hello there.
bit better today.
sorry about yesterday - had a really, really awful day and felt rubbish about everything.
been very busy teaching students and absolutely knackered now.
hope you all have a lovely curry - mine's a chicken tikka/tandoori chicken with dal/sag paneer on the side.
Ideally I like to share the nan/rice so as to keep my options open.

dribbles

have work to do tonight as well which is a bummer but need ££s so I can buy Stanley a few nice things.

Really really sorry Swampy, I've just been on the FB group tonight, I had no idea - I'd not caught up with the thread. We're thinking of you, and hoping the news tomorrow is more positive. Lots and lots of hugs.

Thanks nkweto It was a really lovely day!

I'm exhausted and really grumpy and have been on my feet all day and my life is one long BH contraction at the moment...mank mank moan moan.

Also down as we lost another 2 Royal Marines today in Afganistan and that always depresses me...

Feeling quite emotional about the whole thing...going to bed!!