Fab Feb 2009: the bumps are a-jumping, the mums are a-grumping - roll on the new year

[dinkystinkyclaus]

A sparkling new thread in time for christmas

[oldkingcolewasaMOS]

enjoy your peaceful day and your bath calico. I'm having a lovely relaxing morning without DH and kids but know that chaos will be restored in about an hour. It was good while it lasted though!

[PinkPoinsettias]

marker as i'm heading out to the sales to pick up stuff for the kids with the money my mother gave me to get stuff for them...... better stock my labour bag too while i'm at it.

feeling rough, whacked my bump into the corner of the oven door last night and it's sore and kung fu panda keeps kicking the bruise

will catch up later

[turkeyandherbstuffinggarden]

Happy Birthday to all you birthday girls this week !...I'm only a year and a bit off 40 too....another "older" mum to be. I don't feel it though.

We had a lovely peaceful Christmas Day with in-laws. Ds was the only child there so he got lots of attention and I got to put my feet up on the sofa whilst auntie/uncle and grandparents ran around after him. She's a good cook my mil so very tasty dinner. They bought him an ELC kitchen so he was pre-occupied with making us imaginary sausage and chips and cups of tea most of the day.

Boxing Day was a bit less peaceful. As my nephew (4 nearly 5) has spent xmas in hospital with pneumonia we went up to London (my brothers family were supposed to be here near us with my parents at their house). My mum looked frazzled - my brother and sil are doing a rota at the hospital so inevitably aren't sleeping well. They have a 1.5 year old and nearly 7 year old too so my parents are looking after them at their house. Coupled with our ds yesterday it was quite chaotic (oh and my dad who can be quite a grumpy sod at times - you'd have thought he could pull himself together in the circumstances). We took ds and my older nephew to the park in the afternoon - ds to try out his new scooter and my older nephew his new bike with gears (v.excited about that) - It's been quite a difficult xmas for him so it was nice to get out and let him zoom around on his new pride and joy.

Needless to say I'm absolutely knackered today and can't muster up the enthusiasm to go anywhere. I might see if DH fancies taking ds to the park this afternoon so I can go for a kip. We're out again tomorrow so need to re-charge although NO WORK ON MONDAY !! . I do have a list the length of my arm though.

[dinkystinkyclaus]

Happy belated birthday Mos and Oooggs and happy birthday Markstretch - sending lots of festive virtual bubbly and uber-chocolatey cake to all 3 of you. Go on, treat yourselves.....

MoS - sorry about your traumas with your mums (I think when they get old they see it as a chance to take revenge on us for what we put them through as kids/teenagers!) - long may the peace and quiet reign now though. Am sure DD2 wont even remember grandma sleeping on the floor this time next year....

LittleSez - glad you're starting to feel better hon. Better to get the lurgies out the way before Feb

Herbgarden - does sound like yesterday was rather hectic. Take it easy today - let DS cook you up some pretend sausages and chill...

Pink - ouch poor you. Hope you get all you need/want to get in the sales today and your bruise doesnt get jostled. Arnica is pretty good for helping bruises get reduced.

Coco - hope the lurgy passes soon. Same for you Pluto. Cant believe how many nasty bugs there are doing the rounds this xmas.

Took DS to a little farm (with nice cafe, farm animals to feed and lots of play areas, racing tractors, go karts etc) this morning to meet up with DH's school friends who are visiting family in Brighton over xmas - was lovely as we all have kids of a similar age and they were playing together so nicely.

Re all those coming off the wagon for xmas - me too! Have been treating squiglet and myself to a little drink a day (bucks fizz on xmas day, a glass of cava yesterday and some mulled wine today - yum) over the past couple of days - figure I've been eating so much it wont even touch the sides!! Back to abstinence come Monday.

[TinselBaublesMistletoe]

Still hanging on although been on the edge of my seat waiting for things to start since Christmas Day ? I had a show and I?ve dropped! I?m under orders not to go into labour though as my grandparents are down from Manchester, they came to see us yesterday and my grandma was taken ill. Called an ambulance and she?s in the local hospital, they don?t know what is wrong with her and nothing is responding, they said there is an infection and she has fluid on her heart and lungs. I have this really horrible thought going through my head about going into labour now and (not wanting to say it out loud) the circle of life.

Funny conversation between Mum and the ambulance crew ?where will you take her?? ?We normally go to the patients nearest? ?what Manchester?? ?We don?t do Manchester? ?someone took my daughter to Liverpool a few weeks ago? ?from [name of hospital]? That was us?!

Tink enjoyed Christmas, it took her an hour to open her presents and that wasn?t even with playing with them! I think though we could have bought her her camera (Kidizoom) and some buttons and she would have been happy! Although she?s at her other grandparents at the moment with her Peppa Pig bike, all we heard for 24 hours was ?Grandad?s going to push me on my bike? they live on the top of a hill and their road is a crescent so you have to go up the hill to get to theirs! She didn?t get up till gone 8am and as the only child in the house it meant we got a lie in. her great-nan gave her a doll that cries, she told me the first time ?Bobba?s crying? so I said ?give her a hug, tap her back and say ?don?t cry Bobba?? so she holds it up and says rather firmly ?Stop crying!? I watch her sometimes and wonder whether I dreamed her AP upbringing!

Coco, with pregnancy and nursing your body will feed your baby first so if you are ill and unable to eat or drink it will be you that suffers not the baby. Ignore anything that says you must eat or drink certain amounts because your body will take it all first before feeding you. Eat to your appetite because it?s only you that needs to worry about being fed. BTW, I had one of those moments the other day; I was sick and suddenly realised how bad my pelvic floor is

THOM, I hope I can convince my doctors of something similar, I?m really pleased for you.

MOS, TBD is 43 in a couple of weeks ? we?re an age gap relationship

Happy birthday to anyone I?ve missed the last couple of days!

[dinkystinkyclaus]

Good lord TBM - sounds like Fifi may well be on the way. Will keep my fingers crossed for you- and your grandma.

[littleboyblue]

Afternoon ladies. Have skimmed past few days quick as ds up so have to keep lifting laptop or he turns it off.
Happy Birthday to those of you celebrating this week.
Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and lo's weren't too much of a handful
Not long got back so went to Tesco's and unpacked everything.
Lovely to be home, nightmare staying elsewhere with a young one. Had to stroke him to sleep every night!
Hope everyone else is well. Still no babies? TBM, fifi still ther I gather? Fantastic news

[onwardandmerrilyupward]

Hey!!!!! Is Fifi going to be a 35 weeker? That's practically a term baby !

[nkweto]

Happy Birthday all birthday gals!

Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, and well done TBM and Fifi for holding on, although it does sound like you may be on the move now..

LBB, we have just come back from Christmas away from home, and yes stayiny away with a LO is a bit traumatic ! not helped by the fact that DS and I joined the other sick February ladies and both went down with a cough/cold! But he enjoyed playing with cousins and being spoilt by the family in general..

got to go to bed now...but hope you had a great christmas and have a fantastic new yer.

[littleboyblue]

nkweto Sorry you and ds got unwell.
I'm jealous, I want to go to bed!
OMG, Ds said "car" earlier today. (we got him some cheap little ones for xmas) He said a word that's not "dada" so cute, he kind of screeches it!

[turkeyandherbstuffinggarden]

Mmmmmm I've had an afternoon nap

[PinkPoinsettias]

happy birthday to all the birthday girls hope ye all got spoiled rotten

am still sore and had an exhausting day between first day of next sale crowds, ds whinging and whining, people determined to make me reverse into them in car parks and idiots driving at 30 miles an hour on my 40 mile trip home but omg, it was soooo worth it!

got tonnes of clothes, lots and lots of yummy things for the baby and dd and some pyjama pants for myself. think me and baby are sorted if i pop now, short of maternity pads and other basics i've forgotton but at least we'll be dressed nicely and comfortably!

can anyone tell me...... aren't subsequent babies supposed to wait til you're almost in labour to drop down? kung fu panda has gone so low even my dad spotted it and i appear to be doing a fairly good john wayne impression when i walk

sorry so many of you are/have been sick over the last few days..... hopefully you'll all be fighting fit by new years.

now, am off to bundle kids into bed and sit down and relax for the first time in days..... i'm so close to passing out from exhaustion it's scary.

[PinkPoinsettias]

happy birthday to all the birthday girls.... hope ye were spoiled rotten!

sorry so many of ye are sick or have sick lo's.... hopefully everyone will be fighting fit by new years though.

had an exhausting day but so worth it, it's the first time i've ever gotton to the next sale on the first day and it was sooooo fantastic.... got lots of yummy babyclothes, loads of things for dd and managed to get a few pairs of pj pants for myself in dunnes for next to nothing to boot. damn near imploded with rage doing it between ds being a whingy little monstor and every other driver on the road determined to kill themselves or me but glad i did it

shattered now though so think i'll bundle the kids into bed and ollapse on the couch for the first time in days, was fun at my parents but not very relaxing!

btw.... aren't second and third babies suposed to wait til labour to drop down? my bump dropped a couple of days ago and kung fu panda's head is very low... so low i'm doing a fairly impressive john wayne swagger

[PinkPoinsettias]

lol.... guess it did post the firast time i typed it then!

just wasted 5 mins rewriting that fgs! stoopid internet connection

[theHoHoHouseofmirth]

Hello All!

Happy Birthday to you all you birthday ladies!

LittleSez, Coco, Pluto, Pink & Nkweto sorry to hear you've all been suffering but hopefully that' sit now and you'll all have a fit & healthy New Year

Herbgarden - hope you managed to have a more relaxing day today.

Hit the sales with MIL today and got some new boots as mine were dying, 2 pairs of half price shoes for DS in the John Lewis sale and some very cute baby things in M&S. I bought two wool all in one things which I know I shall regret as they've got buttons on crotch (how mad am I?) but they were too cute and soooo seriously reduced in sale I couldn't leave them there.

[littleboyblue]

Hey. PP I haven't actually heard anything about when they are supposed to drop but sure 'it' won't happen just yet?

You ladies are soooo lucky to be out there shopping, I hate not having money this time of year!

[PinkPoinsettias]

yep... very pleased that i asked my mom to give money for clothes shopping rather than toys this year. kids didn't need any more plastic tat and i got so much badly needed clothing today

have a vague memory of ds dropping quite early too but then he wa born 2 weeks early so can't remember if he was born soon after he dropped or not

[littleboyblue]

I have been told it's quite common for 2nd/3rd etc babies to engage early and bob in and out iykwim. Midwife mentioned it last time as ds (1st) was 1/5th at 33 weeks but was out again a few weeks later and they said it normally happens with next ones. Could it be that?

[MrsChristmasY]

Yeah - I heard that, lbb, think they can pop in and out and don't properly do anything till labour is established. Bet the John Wayne walk improved the Next sale experience no end, PP!

[PinkPoinsettias]

that would definitely exlain it alright.

right... really must get off the dan pc now! soooo shattered!

night all

[PinkPoinsettias]

lol mrsy... ds kept plonking himself down on his bum in the aisles and people were tripping on him and i couldn't bend over to lift him

[MarkTheHeraldAngelsStretch]

Evening all..

I have had a lovely day. We went to the seaside which was freezing but great and then to my Dad's for dinner.

Just topped off my evening with a big fat glass of pink sparkling wine and half a box of chocolates

I feel I must mention, however, I have had lots of tightenings/BH today. Some start really low down and then spread upwards through my bump. Very odd sensation- anyone else?

[littleboyblue]

Hi MS. Glad you had a good day, braver than me going to the seaside.
I'm getting a bit confused now about if I'm getting tightenings/BH as coinsides(sp?) with a pressure on hip bones plus skin on underside of bump feels like it's too weak to continue holding everything there.

[mumoverseas]

morning all, glad everyone who has been ill seems on the road to recovery now and we are all just exhausted which is normal.
MS, glad you had a lovely birthday and treated yourself to some yummy wine. You deserve it, you are only 30 once (boo hoo!)
I've had a lot of BH this time round, don't really remember getting them the last few times. Think maybe we've all been overdoing it?
I've just had (finally) my special breakfast in bed bacon and brie baguette which my wonderful DH just brought me (after a wonderful lie in) - it was much nicer than the last attempt which was a bacon and port salut sandwich.
Well, I'm busy packing today. After weeks of decision making, I'm back off to the land of sand tomorrow morning. YES, I KNOW I SAID I HATED IT AND WANTED TO STAY! We weighed up the pros and cons and it clearly is better for everyone (including me) if I go back. Poor DD has been ill (as have I) most of the time we've been back here, she is missing her friends and nursery (as am I) and more importantly, as we know I will be having a CS, I have no one close by our UK house to help me (I think you've all got the picture on how 'helpful' my mother would be!) If I have baby here, DH would only be allowed a maximum of 2 weeks leave and I would pretty much be stranded. In KSA, his office is on our compound and he is only 5 mins from home if I need him. DD's nursery is 5 - 10 mins walk, we have a houseboy to do all the washing, ironing and cleaning etc. As you can see, not a difficult decision in the end!
So, we are back to KSA tomorrow and will no doubt have fun at LHR with my bump and medication etc but ho hum.
anyway, thats my news, hope everyone else is ok and has a fab day.

[littleboyblue]

Mos Goodluck with the packing today. Can't blame you for going, does sound a lot easier, and aark at you, houseboy....
Think you're right about everyone over-doing it, very hard not to this time of year though isn't it? Luckily I didn't have to do too much over xmas, mum cooked all meals (even for ds) and took him out, I just had to bath him really as everyone else has back issues!
I'm so tired! Can't wait for nap time, forget the ironing, and the hoovering, and the washing up.