Due May 2009 - our bellies are getting as big as Santa's

[FiKelly]

It'll be an alternative merry Christmas for us this year ;)

Morning ladies.

Good news about this £190 grant! We're not sure we can afford a holiday this year so may put it too that as most of the things we need for donk (sorry, baby) are already sorted due to borrowed stuff and hand me downs and PIL have paid for pushchair/pram.

Re: names. We don't know the flavour (I wanted a surprise) DH wants a boy and keeps mentioning the name Angus (after the guy from ACDC) I'm not sure if he's joking or not we both like the name Poppy for a girl. What are your thoughts?

Thanks momino

DD 3y & 2mths old. I've never really left her before, I work evenings when DH is at home, I don't class that as leaving her properly.

I hope I keep myself together..... I know she'll be fine but it's me I worried about!!!!!

bantam73 - sounds like your DD will be absolutely fine if she's as keen as that to go - which is great. Bet she'll go skipping in and you'll be blubbering outside the door (or at least that's what happened to me when DD1 started school!) Best of luck anyway x

Ooooh and fantasy spending the £190 grant - wouldn't it be wonderful to go for a luxurious spa day somewhere and have lots of massage and a facial, maybe a pedicure (and perhaps a teeny tiny glass of champagne at the same time?). Might make us feel a bit fabulous and pampered for a change as opposed to fat, frumpy, worried and exhausted (or is that just me ?

And can someone tell me why maternity clothes have to be so horrible? (I am currently wearing maternity jeans, black Isabella Oliver cowl neck jumper and a chunky grey cardi over the top (bought the other day in Debenhams maternity section) - so in theory I should look ok. But I just feel quite hideous. Is this just me?
(am shying away from the possibility that I feel hideous because I've put on a bit of weight from over-consumption of Chocolate Oranges, the kids Selection boxes and After Eights over the past couple of wks ). Anyway - BOO to maternity clothes I say (and why are they so bloody expensive? when you'll only wear them a few months and then want to burn them?

Ok I know I'm rambling here. Am just putting off doing some very dull paperwork. Byeeee.

Fantasy £190 spend: 2 bottles of champagne, 10 packets of liver pate, 2 whole camenberts and a party sized sushi platter.

All just for me

delighted, I agree about maternity clothes. I'm wearing the same things over and over so they're looking grubbier as well.

what i hate are v-necks, where are there so many vneck tops? and I hate maternity clothes described as 'sexy' because sex is the last thing on my mind and not close to how i feel in pregnancy!

ooh 1stmrsF - I'll swap you a french facial for half a bottle of champagne, some pate (must be chicken liver please), plus a small sushi selection! Heaven.

Momino - yes, v-necks and bloody wrap overs! I expect they are supposed to accentuate the cleavage and draw the eye up and away from the enormous bump. But truly I'd rather people looked at my bump rather than gazing at my boobs thankyou very much! Plus those wrap overs are so annoying

Dandy and delighted - come on over! I like the sound of the mojitos, but if we're having cocktails, we must dress up too.

Wrap tops: driving me MAD! (I have even posted on the pregnancy forum asking for help tying them ) I usually like V necks, but as my attractive old lady bras are so high cut, they just show under everything...

I am finding that most encounters with people I haven't seen for a while does start with them staring at my bump - it's quite disconcerting!

Not as bad as them TOUCHING your bump though (pet hate of mine - get off me!)

Ooooh I love a good party. Shall I make some margaritas too?

I'd spend the lot on pate. I really, really miss it.

I do like the spa idea, and might keep the money for a spa trip post-birth when my c-section would has healed and my boobs have stopped leaking and I'm managing to express enough milk to leave DS2. I quite like the idea of treating my newly married friend....hmmm!

I guess in reality it'll go in the pot to be used for paying bills when I'm no longer earning any money. [sigh]

Hmmm now where did I put my floor length sparkly gown? Must be here somewhere........

Wrap tops - I've borrowed a black Seraphine one from my SIL (that she apparently only wore twice as it was so irritating) - I've now worn it twice also and won't be wearing it again. It is too low at the front and leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination unless I wear a high vest top under it which spoils the look of it.
I also have an Isabella Oliver 3/4 sleeve black wrap top that I had in my last pg and did manage to wear quite a lot last time (but I was heavier then). This time every time I put it on I seem to end up with gaps showing my skin through the wrapping, going to the loo is annoying as have to unwrap and re-wrap completely (otherwise it all gets bunched up), plus it is a bit low cleavage-wise. (I must be turning into a prude). And it is a TOTAL NIGHTMARE to iron as there are yards and yards of wrappy stuff which gets all crinkled.
Maybe I'm just moany because I'm a different shape/size than last time (pre-preg was a 14/16, this time pre-preg an 8/10) so nothing really fits properly. I have an extensive maternity wardrobe of borrowed clothes for which I should be really grateful, but truthfully I hate it all because it's not mine, is all size 12/14/16 and so doesn't fit properly. Guess as I get even bigger it will start to 'fit' better. But that just depresses me too! [can't win!]. I have bought a few new things which are Ok. Shame I have to leave the house every day - pyjamas fit me quite well!

It's tricky isn't it? Because I'm sure they don't remember how big they were exactly at the same stage and I've had just as many people saying 'oo you don't look very big for twins' as I have 'gosh you're big'. Got to take it all with a large bucket of salt I think.

My favourite was a colleague who said yesterday that I wasn't big enough so I clearly wasn't eating enough and when I left the meeting told me to go and eat something - so I did!!!

I almost added shoes, but then realised there would probably not be enough money left for pate then and (how my priorities have changed) I think the pate has it. On the other hand, I haven't worn any of my ridiculously high sparkly shoes for months so they will feel like new when I get them out!

Dandy ooh yes, Karen Millen or Dune for the heels for me. With a matching bag?
(overdraft will def be required).

Last week I was told by one friend I looked 'very neat' and by another that I was 'enormous'. Although to clarify, the one that thought I was very neat thought I was due in March . She also added the word 'tiny' to her description, but revised that once I told her it was actually May

Just to let you all know another boy here!! BUt he had his legs tight together and I saw 3 white lines which I thought meant a girl, but the sonographer said she was pretty sure it was a boy. I don't really mind, but might go for another later scan to check, one of those 4d thingys maybe - anyone had one of these? Also thought I would let you know that I discovered Presidents Camembert - the one in the round box in the supermarket - is pasteurised so we can eat it!! Have a look on the back it definitely says made with pasteurised milk. Hooray! Hope all well
x

Oh, and by the way I am huge! Got on the scales and nearly passed out, I have put on far too much weight. Started off as a 12/14 5ft9in so pretty average, and now have massive bump and have put on over a stone and a half! Ooops. have always had to restrict my eating to stay remotely trim so have used pregnancy as an excuse to gorge myself, not too unhealthy, just lots of food, I am always hungry. I am now going to try and have some self control!

HtheH, congrats on your boy! seems like so many having boys hope there's chance enough for me . Also, not meaning to rain on you but camembert is mould-ripened no matter whether pasteurised which still makes it risky for listeria so don't eat uncooked. I think someone (alapala?) said baking it -my favourite way- should make it safer.

Oh God! Does Listeria has symptoms or does it just slowly damage the baby? I ate half a camembert on News Years Eve! I thought as it said pasteurised it would be fine. Should I worry?!
Anyone else got really blocked up feeling ears? I haven't really got a cold just pregnancy congestion and don't feel ill, I just feel like I permanently need to equalise the pressure in my ears. Very odd feeling.

H, no don't worry please! listeria is only a risk. i ate camembert (just a little piece!) and some stilton and just fine. French, Italian pregnant women eat unpasteurised cheese and meat without worry. don't worry.

about blocked ears, i've had them since last year and they ring when dd's hit a certain pitch of yelling. gp said i should put olive oil drops in them but I found it doesn't work. in any case, i think sinus is also a problem at this moment as my entire head feels like a brick. paracetamol is helping some as is spicy food.

i do know that 'stuffy' ears are a common pregnancy thing. hope it gets better for you.

I also ate some (uncooked) brie at christmas (so tasty) and no ill effects. Also had some wine and champers on NYE (oh i miss it).

I asked my DH if I could spend the £190 grant on myself as it is for the mummy, and he said yes! I will probably end up spending some on baby clothes (I lent my newborn stuff to SIL who then gave it to charity as didn't think we'd need it back!), and some on clothes for me after the birth. I remember not being able to fit into my normal clothes for a while after having DS. I wish it was a bit more and could cover a boob job - not looking forward to the after-effects of the 3rd bout of BF - I already have one boob bigger than the other due to having a favourite side first time round (i needed to keep my right hand free for the phone, drinking tea, remote control ).

Thanks for the info, am looking forward to asking mw about the grant, although I suspect it will be spent on house stuff...

pula I like a lot of your names from the prev page - I teach a lovely Finlay (altho his is spelt Findlay) and an absolutely fantastic Harrison. In fact, if it went with our surname, I'd be having Harrison myself as its lovely. We have Aidan on our list but the welsh version Aeddan, altho I'm not too sure about giving a kid a difficult to spell name!

I am so tired today, our neighbours came home at about 1.30am and hade very very loud sex for two hours!! When I got up at 6.30 they were at it again... made me feel great seeing as I am finding it difficult to sleep at the mo because I am having really bad pains in my hips at night plus our sex life has been pants since I've been pg.

I can see the funny side today, and don't think I'll be able to say hello to them without laughing for a long time, but at the time it was really annoying!

I think I'll need to put the £190 towards either lipo or a breast reduction that will be well needed after this !!

On the 3rd pregnancy I am much more relaxed about the food thing. I figure (in my twisted head) that the advice given for people in different countries is so contradictory, they don't really know what the various risks are. E.g. my Dutch friend was allowed to eat anything but no horse riding !! So I have had wine, blue cheese, runny yolks and rare steaks this time around (yum). Not saying this is right for everyone, but I am happy with my personal decision on this.