Due May 2009 We're Nesting and Napping, Squeezing and Holding

[FiKelly]

here we go

Bursts of energy? Today I've felt great, really wanted to get on with things - spent some time in the kitchen cooking, then a very quick jaunt around the supermarket. But yet again, the supermarket got the better of me and I didn't make it all the way round. I REALLY have to give it up and let DH do it. I'm now sat with feet up and Eastenders omnibus, but the shopping still needs putting away and DH is at the rugby dressed as Roger the Ram entertaining the crowd...! Am a very proud wife...!

I've just had a lovely snooze on the sofa but can't get up yet as finn is still asleep and lying on my arm..

I've just had a lovely snooze on the sofa but can't get up yet as finn is still asleep and lying on my arm..

ooo sorry it repeated!

I wish I was getting bursts of energy! Nice new thread. I didn't realise so many people lived in or near York. I'm only about 30 miles away I think. My brother and sister in law live in York and I love going there.

We have our 3rd NCT class tomorrow evening. Looking forward to it - the other couples all seem really nice.

Hope everyone is having a good day. x

FiKelly Don't listen to your inner monologue if it tells you that soft play is a bad idea!!

I didn't want to do a soft play party because our local soft play wouldn't negotiate on food and I just don't think chicken nuggets and chips are ideal fodder for highly energetic toddlers. PLUS they wanted £7.75 a head for an hour of soft play then an hour in a playroom which would encompass their chicken nuggets/fish fingers/hot dog and chips. So of course I made sandwiches which ended up down the back of the telly, jelly which ended up mashed into the passing cats and fruit which I spent the afternoon eating myself!

I jest. It was okay for the most part, I had spent the week wrapping up the mini smarties boxes in coloured paper with some bigger boxes for bodies & heads, then the kids made robots. They had to colour in the face and body then get DH to glue the arms, legs, body and head together. It worked pretty well, they stayed quiet for about half an hour doing that. My other tip is for pass the parcel, I always wrap something in between each layer of paper (usually a milky way or mini fruit pastilles, but a snack bag of grapes could work too) so the kids have something to do while the game continues.

Musical statues didn't work. At all. They ended up running around in a big circle.

blotted i did same with pass the parcel at ds's 2nd birthday. tbh i'm hoping to be in the new house and then could hire a small bouncy castle for back garden.. if i do party from 2ish till 4ish can get away with not doing piles of food. our local soft play does same crappy food selection too.. ds has been to parties there and only eaten chips and ice cream.

Bouncy castle is a brilliant idea, just make sure you have spare hands around to help you and supervise the kids while they're on it. If you're not doing food I'd maybe run the party for an hour and a half rather than two hours, it's a loooong time to keep loads of energetic toddlers entertained for!

The only burst of energy I've had enabled me to make a carrot cake, but now I have to summon up the will to make the cream cheese icing......

DH is currently building drawers - he offered to build the cot while he's 'at it' but I said there's no rush!

Re the soft play thing - they all seem to offer the same chicken nugget/fish finger/chips deep fried crap. That puts me off having any parties there too - DD2 asked if she could have her birthday (in October!) at wacky warehouse - I think she cottoned on to my look of horror, because she keeps going on about it!!! I don't feed my children organic/wholemeal/hemp-woven food exclusively - we have crisps and crap ham and cheesestrings and (may I burn in Hell) chicken dippers, but they are treats. I do get furious with the choice of food for kids when out - my 2 don't mind - they love sausages/nuggets, chips and beans

But they also adore home-made food

afternoon all. for our DDs 3rd birthday, we just had 7 toddlers over for cake and ice cream, playing. Our house isn't tiny but even with a 'small' number of children, it felt crowded and messy. garden isn't an option for her since she has a dec birthday. next time, defn hiring a hall, possibly sharing with a friend whose bday is a week later.

listened to the natal hypnotherapy this morning which was good and the notes with it are useful as well. one thing struck me in the guide was that non-human mammals usually find quiet/private places to birth which makes sense for us to do the same for a more relaxing birth. my last labour which was 'unpleasant' was attended by a trainee MW who, not knowing better, stood around and kept exclaiming 'fantastic' as if I were a sideshow in a seal pool. this annoyed me and defn made me feel inferior, unimportant, etc. this time, I'm going to ask DH to manage those who happen to be in the room to be respectful for my birthing experience. does this make sense at all?

Hello everyone.

DS fell asleep at the grand old time of 5pm, so we're either in for a very early start in the morning or a very awake DS at 10pm! DH has told me he isn't going to his AA meeting tonight, so at least I'll have some support if it is the latter.

I've got the ironing out, making the most of the free evening but I'm still really tired and lacking in motivation. The place is a tip again after being pulled apart by an over-enthusiastic toddler all day!

DS was given a Yamaha keyboard today by a colleague of DH's, and has been happily playing with it for most of the afternoon. I'm am torn between feeling very pleased at his enthusiasm for the keyboard and feeling a bit irritated by the noise!

I've only got 7 weeks left now until my c-section, which is a very scary thought. Even more so, DS arrived at 37 weeks so if this one follows suit, it is actually only 6 weeks. Eeek!

Evening all. We had a meal at the local Harvester tonight. DD yelled and threw her food so it wasn't the most relaxing experience. I guess she was quite good for her age but I'm finding her a little tiring especially the yelling. Thank goodness she sleeps well 2.5 hours naps for the past 3 days and 13 hours at night.

By the way I have just booked 3 treatments at a spa as DH got me a 'spa day' for my birthday in December. So on Sunday I have a facial, neck, back and head massage and a pedicure booked. I can't wait!!!!

momino that's one of my reasons for no trainee mw coming near me in my birth plan..

llareggub will keep fingers crossed if you hear patter of feet at 10 that it's quickly followed by back to bed!

febes your spa treat sounds yummy

re expanded bump.. dh said a lovely thing today he said i'd a very sexy bump this time and was looking very hot.. amazingly he wasn't even angling for nookie! he wanted to take some bump pics for the collection so i did my face & brushed my hair while ds was napping this afternooon. good job too as dh took pics inc my head.. i've uploaded them to my profile as they're not bad [says me who hates having her photo taken]

Frazzle and FiKelly thanks for the suggestions - we are in Alloa, near Stirling. Where in Tayside / outside Glasgow are you two?

Gleneagles is just over the Ochils hills from us so I may look into it if they are doing some good deals at the mo. Also knew of Crieff but not stayed there - it has a good family friendly rep, but this will probably be a wee overnight away from DS if we can persuade Aunty and Uncle to do the honours.

Re: 3rd Birthday - I hired a local hall for DS in November - they had lots of stuff to play on in one big hall, ie climbing frames, soft spongey stuff etc, with staff that supervised for 1hour and loud music, then they all went into another room that we laid on the food for them - for the other hour, tables chairs provided and plenty run around space. we got lots of balloons, I did all the food which suited us as DS anaphylatic with any milk product, and allergic to eggs and peanuts so it made it easier knowing he could he what he liked for once at a party! - usually i take along a bag of stuff to these parties and dish out as they go.
2hours was ideal - any more would have been too much for everyone. we did pass the parcel and musical statues but that was it.

i think at 3 they just need loads of run around space.

Fi, I will defn put 'no trainees' in my birthplan this time. I hadn't thought about it before...

Hi all, hope everyone is well, thanks for responses last week to cs packing, ive not been able to reply until now as no laptop.

Fikelly at how neat and tidy your bump is! No way am I going show mine now!

rosie I'm no longer in scotland.. 1989 I was at university in dundee 1993 nr Aberdeen for work experience 1994 moved to edinburgh and 2004 had to move back to west country to help my mum and dad. our family is scottish and scattered from glasgow up.. so these days we go for hols and see family.

Fi,

Great pics- never mind the sexy bump, the boobs are pretty amazing too

bekkaboo when i nab the laptop from dh in a while i'll post a pic of my bump with ds last time.. i still can't believe how small i am in myself this time in comparison to last time.. just wait and see!

lovely bump, Fi.
mine's twice the size. will have to take a pic later so you can see to believe! baby has taken all the food I digest and bump expanding outward. not sure my boobs have even had benefit .

FiKelly - its a small world - I looked at your profile - I was at DJCA 1989 -1993 and did Printed Textiles - I see you did Constructed Textiles - although I admit I don't recognise you in the pics -sorry.
I retrained in 2000 and for the last 7 years have been a landscape architect!

rosie we're in Broughty Ferry (Dundee). So not tooooo far from you. If it's just the 2 of you looking for a night away I'd call Gleneagles reservations and ask what offers they have on. Sometimes they do a night with B&B with dinner included or B&B but including a spa treatment/golf etc and it is a really fab place to go for a treat with your DH. Their new ESPA spa has been voted best UK spa this year and is TO DIE FOR. Obviously it's not the cheapest but depending on how much you wanted to splash out on your DH might be something to consider for a treat.......God, I sound like I should get a job doing PR for the place, but we do like it there. [pines for relaxing hotel break......can't see that happening any time soon with 3 kids in tow - boo]
DH just made me a fantastic bacon sandwich for dinner with a cup of tea (heaven) and has gone out to the cinema leaving me with the laptop and the prospect of a lovely hot bath. Feel like I've a cold coming on so may just head bath and bedward soon.
DD1's 3rd birthday was in the house with her little friends from playgroup. Music, balloons, lots of toys out, pass the parcel, musical bumps etc and a birthday tea with lots of cake was about as fancy as it got. I remember they had great fun as DD got a slide for her birthday but the weather was awful so we put it up in the sitting room with her pop up tent filled with balloons at the bottom and they all spent ages playing on that and hiding in the tent amidst the balloons. Oh and they were all in fancy dress too which was fun. God, can't believe she's almost 8 now. Whatever happened to my baby (she's behaving like a teenager at the mo).
Sorry enormous post. Baby going nuts too - this one is a real wriggler.