Due April 2009 - Episode 10 - Fanjo Warriors demand Padded Purple rooms......Great Expectations!

[KittyCatIsGettingFat]

New thread for us all! How many days this time?? {grin}

Anyone for a homemade choc-chip cookie?

I think you'll be ok Boffin

Ooh, frekkles is back - & sounds cheery! Great news on the flat. I am awaiting details!

Hahaha, laughing at LuLu's animal confused DD. Gorgeous Oh my God, don't say that about breastfeeding not helping you lose the weight! No! My world is crumbling under me!

I have no scales, so have no idea how much I've put on. It's probably happier that way - I'm fairly sure my bum can be seen from space these days, never mind the front of me.

BB's bump's dropped! I'm quite looking forward to that - I'm fed up of my boobs getting all sweaty from being forced up by my bump. Time really is marching on!

I love the 'pregnant lemmings hurling ourselves into parenthood''. What a great depiction

Nutty, I do get kicked everywhere at once. Sometimes he manages to hit me in the fanjo & in my ribs on both sides all at once. There's some serious star jumping going on in there, I think. He's huge. I told a lady earlier that I had 10 weeks left & she looked quite panicked & said 'he's going to be rather big, isn't he? '. I hope he's not going to be too big - it's all well & good everyone joking about it, but I have to get him out of my fanjo! My poor, poor fanjo!

Boffin, good to hear that your uterus has settled down. You had better do a labour thread if that happens, though - I'd hate to be missing out

In terms of eating, I've actually started taking Pregnacare in the last couple of days. I know that it's thought of as an early pregnancy type thing, but I'm really determined to be as physically ready to deliver this baby as possible & my diet hasn't been great for the last few months with sickness & whatever. I'm actually not usually that hungry (although when I do get hungry, heaven help anyone in my path), so just fill up on things I like that have little nutritional point to them, like pasta. So, I am shamefaced as I admit that I'm going to carry on eating carbs & little else, but am taking pills to try to make it better. It's a proud moment

Boffin, your MW sounds fantastic. If I had the money I'd definitely be getting an independent one.

Bleu, my arm was bruised for 6 days after my last lot of blood was taken - I looked like a proper junkie. I also seem to have scarred where she put the needle in - I do scar easily, but it's not what I expected from giving blood. I'm a blood donor & have never had any problems with that or other blood samples. It was obviously just a naff technique!

When I was lurking on the due in November thread, they were all sticking EPO capsules up their fanjos every night - they seemed to find that they dissolved quite quickly, so by the first time they were up to wee they'd pretty much gone. I'm not sure how much they helped, but desperate times... & as much as I love a good blow job, I'm not sure I'm going to be so keen at 37+ weeks pregnant. DP, on the other hand...

OH, OH, quickly, before I finish catching up & get properly memememe - by that point, he'll be DH! How exciting

You were doing the shocked face reading about the blow jobs, BB? You mean the face? How apt

Why on earth would you be allocated someone else's workload at the end of March? Are they stupid? Make sure you don't take any of it - people should be being allocated some of yours!

Boffin, I'm sure I could probably manage 3 times a day (at the moment, I don't know about in 6 or 7 weeks!), but it's DP I'd be worried about

Well done for getting your work finished, Auld - very impressed! I'm almost as impressed as DS staying quiet with his books for 2 hours!

Haha, I was just typing up a whole telling off for Boffin about obsessing about weight, but see that BB got there first

Now it's time to do a me post! This morning we went to give notice of our intent to marry & booked the date! On the 20th Feb, I'll be a married lady! A bloody huge, waddling bride, but nonetheless!

Which means that I now have 16 days to plan a wedding. Yesterday & the day before there were quite a few hormonal tears from me about how I'm going to look awful & it's not what I'd expected it'd be & I didn't want any fuss at all - even seriously considering dragging people in off the street - because I want to be married, but I don't care about how I get married. But now I'm feeling a lot more positive about it & am planning to just keep it very small & contained (parents & siblings only) & try to piece it together as best I can.

I'm about to start a thread somewhere out in the scary depths of MN to ask for help - I've been to one (pretty odd) wedding in the last 10 years I think, so I have no idea what I'm doing. If anyone has any tips, suggestions, or things to consider, I'm all ears - don't underestimate how little I've thought about this. I phoned my mum earlier & she asked, amongst other things, 'will you be having a cake?' - I'd not even considered the cake. It's all a bit sudden & I'm a bit flustered, so a lot is likely to get forgotten if nobody helps

oh congrats Springy! that's the day after my anniversary

great stuff springy!

don't worry about it. Don't have cake if you don't want / like it. The day only lasts a day, but being married is (hopefully) for ever.

A girl I know got married heavily pregnant. She found a fantastic empire line 60s vintage Pucci dress on ebay. Just had close family for lunch in a pub afterwards and then went home in time to catch Deal or No Deal and an early night. Job done.

Congratulations, Springy!

Where are you getting married?

Get someone to do photos even if you think you don't care - a friend who takes good pictures who can be trusted to get some of all the relevant people, if not a pro. (Pros take up too much of your valuable time anyway lining people up and making them do stupid catalogue poses.)

All the best weddings are very random so just consider the fact that you have 16 days to be an opportunity - a brilliant, cast-iron excuse to do everything as individually and personally as you like.

I can tell you lot off (just not my bosses!!!)

Oooh springy how did the registering go! what are the plans, when are you getting married, what have you decided to wear and are all your families coming down - am so excited for you!

Springy just on your points:

• I have chosen to ignore the breastfeeding lack of weight loss comment (it's not real - ours will come of straight away!!)
• I completely freaked last night when I realised it was now 7+ weeks and it had to come out of my fanjo - DH was just laughing at me!
• Believe me Springy I haven't done that face for a LONG while! see BAD wife!

Bleu am not really a cat person but have only ever met one cat that was nice and cute (cue more spd serial killings from Nutty!) so can't help you I am afraid!

Think the fresh air helped a bit and walking around! Dh will be back soon (yay) so am going to stop work and just go in early tomorrow so we can spend some time together

Also I felt a bit bad last night after all your 'distraction comments' (Yes Bleu and Kitty I am speaking to you - and Boff and Springy for that matter) and so decided to be a good wife - however DH was very honest and said that he doesn't think he can because he is worried about hurting the baby - I told him he wouldn't but he was still unsure about it - on the one hand I am kind of pleased as it makes me feel less bad about not obliging but on the other hand - I want him to want to do it!!!

Boffin, LOL at it being illegal!
The MW in the French overseas département where I was before told me off at 8mths, because I'd put on 9 kilos. "You'd better give birth, then," she said stonily, "because you should only put on 9 kilos during your whole pregnancy."
The MW here looked a bit stunned when I told her that, and said that they expect women to put on up to 15 kilos. God knows what that is in pounds, I have become a bit crap at conversion. I know my weight in stones, but that's it.

It's all nonsense, I reckon: I met a woman a while back who'd put on 25 kilos; her baby was 3 months old when I met her and she was fairly thin at that quite early stage, so anything is possible.

Must go, guests expected any minute.

Oh and another friend who got married heavily pregnant wore her H&M maternity jeans to the service as nothing else was comfortable. They went for a pub lunch afterwards and then she drove them both home.

OOoh springy you can have as much or as little as you want and we can help...

Basics

SERVICE

• Location for service
• Outfits for you and DH and any best men / bridesmaids
• Your make up and hair (optional)
• Flowers (optional)
• Music / readings (optional) depending if you are having a proper aisle walk etc)
• Rings (which you already have)
• All relevant licensing etc
• Photographer - best to get someone you know who is good at photography as this is VERY expensive - one of my friends did ours and it was fab!
• Invites (optional)
• Vows (you can write your own or just chose theirs!)

RECEPTION (Again optional)

• Location
• Food and Drink
• Decorations / Flowers
• Music
• Cake

A lovely meal might solve all reception issues!

Think that is everything but these are all optional things you don't have to worry about anything, you and DH in a room is all that is important!

IT IS SO EXCITING - don't go outside the thread - you can have everything you need here (and you know we might meet Nutty's 3 day goal!!!)

Have to say you absolutely cannot stress about anything - our wedding was exactly what we wanted and we just had what we wanted and ignored what we were 'supposed' to do and it was perfect!!!

9 kilos is a lot less than I shed during the actual birth itself. Ridiculous!

explains why French baby clothes are so teeny weeny. Most of my newborn stuff is/was French (hand me downs) but DD hardly fitted into any of it. And a she was squeezing into size 6-9 month Petit Bateau at 4 months. Take note anyone planning to buy chic Frencg babywear - especially if through catalogues where you can't see it. La Redoutte and Vertvaudet do some great stuff but buy to grow into rather than to fit now.

Ooh, ebay's a good plan. I really am wondering what I'm going to wear - I don't want to look like a meringue, but I want to look like I've made a bit of an effort, at least. At the moment I don't think that I care at all, but I know that in the future it'll be nice to look back & have a set of vaguely normal wedding memories so I can pretend that I'm not deeply shamed

We're getting married in the registry office - it's actually not that bad. We went to look at it today & the main entrance is quite grand & then leads out to here.

BB, it's not like he's not wanting to do it because of anything to do with you - he just has that crazy man thing of not wanting to prod the baby in the head with his penis - or wanting the baby to grab hold of it, which I've also heard of as a worry We know that it's daft, but then we worry about all sorts of things that they don't. Besides, after the baby's born & you definitely don't feel up for it, but you're back to having your body to yourself (kind of, at least), you'll be back here moaning that he won't stop groping at you

I am also very relieved to hear that our baby weight will be dropping off the second our babies' mouths touch our respective boobs. That's what I'd thought - very pleased to see that you're on the same page as me

Auld, you got told off for 9 kilos at 8 months? I'd be being put in the stocks by now!

Yay, a list! I should probably set up a separate thread, really - I don't want to bore everyone to death with wedding chatter for the next fortnight. I can bore you all enough with baby things as it is

I'm intending to not be stressed about it. I think if I start freaking out I'll just let my mum do it (she's so pleased that we're not just going to pull people off the street & that she's allowed to come that she'll do anything to keep it that way ), but I'd rather get a grip of it myself.

Springy have your parents met each other before?

And if you are happy not to be in control then do let your mum sort it out. The less stress you have at this stage the better.

As BB says - the two of you in a room together are the only essentials.

Oh and one of my favourite (and definitely non-essential) things at my wedding was bubbles. So simple, but made me so happy. DH vetoed sparklers, but in retrospect agrees that they would have been good too.

No, this is the first time any of our family members shall meet. It'll be... interesting

ha ha - well they will certainly have plenty to talk about

Ooooh Springy I LOVE weddings!! Congrats and so exciting!

One other thing you might want to consider are writing your vows - not sure if they let you do that here, but DH and I got to say a little, personal "I Love You Forever" type thing in the ceremony and it was sooo romantic... we then signed the marriage certificate AND a copy of our wedding vows, which we've framed and are hanging on our wall!

The other thing we did to involve our (very divorced on both sides) parents was the candle lighting thing - where the Mums light a candle each, symbolising their giving of the children away, and we then take those individual candles to light a BIG one at the same time, to symbolise our new life together. Twas very sweet, and it meant there was no jealousy after Dad walked me down the aisle! (the things we have to do to keep our parents happy... sigh)

said to DH that I was going to strangle the cat because he keeps pestering me for no reason. DH said, 'Ok. Don't worry about burying his body, I can do it when I get home.' He's a sweet Dh.

And are you planning a night or two away??? I can HIGHLY recommend a certain Purple Porn Suite in Oxford...

The parents meet for the first time at our wedding, well 2 days prior actually... DH and I got married within 5 months of him proposing and since he was over here and I was over there... there was no time for them to meet really as it was expensive for either to visit prior.

Lulu - I noticed that. I have just ordered a load of stuff from VertBaudet and based on their size guide have ordered everything in age 3.

O congrats Springy. We will help you plan! Shame we are not all local as Nutty could do hair, BB beauty and I could sing!!

My suggestions:

1. Immediately book a facial and a manicure, or arrange this with a skilled friend. The facial should be three days before the big day (in case of breakout - please advise, BB). Consider a makeup lesson and/or a professional makeup on the day. Book a hair appointment for on the day now as well.

1. Consider immediately booking an appointment with a personal shopper in a department store to help you find an outfit for a suitable budget. This is much easier on the pg person than trailing around the shops. If you don't find anything you like you still have mail order as an option, and the wedding shops.

1. Just book a restaurant or a room above a pub for the do, and let them worry about decoration and so on. (Are your parents paying for the reception?) However a check list might include:

• telling friends and relatives what to expect, timing and refreshment-wise
• possibly having a set menu of starter, main course, dessert plus cake (or cake can even be dessert).
• cake can be traditional fruit, chocolate or something like a French croque-en-bouche. a restaurant might be able to do something for you, or you could order it yourself from Waitrose or a baker's and get more control over what it looks like. It will probably be too late for a fruit cake now unless the baker already has one that just needs icing.
• Get a mate to do the photos, and if someone has a nice car, get them to be chauffeur on the day.
• consider giving out little home made party bags with a little card stating your names and the wedding date and some sugared almonds or sweets). Just cut circles of fabric and tie it all up in a little bundle with narrow silk ribbon.
• get a friend to be official bridesmaid and do a bit of running around for you, for example checking final arrangements on the day, inspecting the decor in the restaurant and so on.

I can't think about anything else at the moment but I will probably post again.

Springy - Those gardens look lovely. Pleeeeeeeeease don't start another thread. We want all the details here. A wedding is never boring. May many congratulations gorgeous girl.