Due May '09, a Spangle-tastic start, who will be next....anyone, anyone........?

[Grumpyoldcaaaaaaaa]

Starting new thread ladies, in honour of Spangle.

Well done, indeed chocbunnies

I am just back from the hospital and am a bit . They had no record of my appointment despite me having letter confirming date and time which I received weeks ago! The lead consultant is on annual leave, my usual consultant was in clinic at Epsom Hosp and my midwife had called in sick. Am so disappointed because I was hoping to discuss birth choices and book elcs and DH had taken a day off to lend moral support. They said I could wait to see a registrar from the labour ward but with my midwife AND consultant both away, they didn't think there would be much point. So am going back next week. Very frustrating.

Divedaisy good luck with your appoinment.

I meant to say about Spangle on the last thread - it's great that she had such a good birth experience both for her and for all the other first-time mums on this thread. Really encouraging. Sausage I am also a little ! We have everything ready and now I want to meet my baby.

I am taking DD to Grandma's this afternoon as DH and I have our NCT refresher evening. He is dreading it but it will be nice to have some time to ourselves.

Hope you all have a good day!

Thanks for the links detsy Unfortunatly the local library is closed Thursdays, but I will be going down tomorrow morning I think instead, the local soft play is too far away so I think a little walk to the shop might have to do us for today! Madi thoroughly enjoyed it, and is having a nap now as I think I've worn her out, there were ducks at the park and she loved em! Usually I get a bit up tight about her getting to close and making her hold my hand but today I let her go (its not dangerous BTW its a slight slope into the water so she couldn't 'fall' in) and she walked up nicely and stood still, more importantly she listened to me when I said stop and came back when I asked her, honestly I feel completly different now, I think I might just be ok with two kids now, oooooo my hormones are going mad, am trying very hard not to well up! I've spent so long not having the balls to do anything and now I have, I really feel amazing!

Right enough about me, me, me!

Very welcome, am so pleased for you - big congratulatory hug! Keep it up now and you'll be a new woman by the time LO arrives x

Choc well done you! It's not easy but each little thing like this will get easier and easier until ther'll be no stoppi g you. X x

Wooooooooooohoooooooo re spangle. Have just logged on in work to see if any news - I missed the fun last night am so pleased for her and hope all is well.

I wonder how Belgian is getting on?

Wow! I go to bed early (for me) and when I get back there's a new arrival, a new thread and all sorts of stuff going on.

Fantastic news about spangle and spanglet (love that name!), very exciting and all sounds very smooth.

chocbunnies - your morning sounds great, I'm glad it all went well even if it wasn't exactly what you planned!

momino - thanks for the update on HiPG, I was beginning to wonder about it as I'd sent my form off 8 weeks ago and had heard nothing.

detsy - I with you on wishing for helpers at times. We have no family at all nearby, and tbh even if they were near I'm not sure how useful they'd be! Woud love someone to clean my kitchen cupboards and fridge for me. And re-do the seal around the bath.

Hope belgian is getting on ok. And everyone who hasn't had a mention, I hope that you're ok too, and apologies for not mentioning you by name!

Last day at work today! Really tired though, DD had a rubbish night and was up for quite a log time in the night. She didn't sleep all day yesterday so bed time was a nightmare (way way overtired), she got herself in such a state that she was sick from crying so much. And then she woke again at 11 and got really upset for ages.

Ooooo Loose Women just talked about the HipG...anyone see it?

Also, I am ...my FIL (who is suppose to watch DD when I go into labour) has just announced that him and his new girlfriend booked a holiday to Cyprus the week before I am due!!! I mean ok...I know you have a life blah blah lol but I mean seriously! We don't have any other family or friends who we can ask to take DD (except DH's crazy sister who I will not even allow to hold DD) and so now I have this added stress of figuring out what to do...

Ok rant over...just peeved...grrr

chocbunnies well done!

I'm off to the hospital at 2pm want to give the consultant/specialist a good grilling about what birth plan I can expect, whether I have to be monitored all the time, how long I'll have to stay in afterwards etc, etc

congrats on last day of work flippineck

chocbunnies - well done you- sounds like both you and DD had a great experience. I didn't realise how difficult just going somewhere on your own was, never mind the thought of going to a new toddler group, so you have been very courageous and you should be very proud of yourself.

Thank you so much again for your support, it means so much to have you all there backing me! You lot are really good ! God knows how Id cope without you all!

Good luck Looby Hope it goes well and you get the answers you want.

Id be peeved to emmab - I saw the thing on LooseWomen too!

Enjoy your last day flippin !

Emmabemmasmom- not surprised you are - you don't need the stress of sorting something else out now- it's a bit last minute.

Let's hope your LO stays put til after your due date! How old is DD- would she cope OK in hospital in an emergency, or would you rather she stayed at home?

Oh she is nearing 17 months (18 months when due) and she is a little terror on legs, but in a good way! I do not think she would survive 5 minutes in the hospital, and I know for sure my DH would not be able to handle it either!

I was in hospital a few weeks ago because of some problems with this pregnancy. I was waiting for test results and ended up being there for 9 hours! Well 2 hours in, DH and I ended up getting in a fight because DD was being so crabby wanting to get out and run and he was loosing his patience with her, so I was loosing it with him and in the end I made him leave! Even though I had to sit at the hospital on my own and wait for him to come back when she was in bed (and we had the neighbor sit with her..didn't just leave her in bed!!) I am happy I made him leave...

Took the long way to answer there, but yeah...she would want to run riot and she is very very into her little schedule...fiesty little thing she is!

choco good job on you! I have the same issues with 'letting go'...glad you were able to overcome the urge! Let me know how you did it! You should be very proud!!

Well ladies, I had a lunch which I think encompassed my portion of carbohydrate, dairy and 5 portions of fruit. Admittedly that sounds a lot better when I don't tell anyone that I had a cheese sandwich and a huge chunk of leftover pavlova It was sooo good though! My sugar levels are really low this week, I keep telling myself that makes everything okay!

DD is in her bedroom and DS2 is sitting at his bedroom door, she's blowing raspberries at him and he's sitting shaking his head saying, "How wude, E'ica how wude!" and I'm sitting on the stairs where they can't see me trying desperately not to laugh. Little buggers. They were supposed to be going for a nap!

blotted anything with fruit counts in my books! I try to tell myself that when I eat a large chocolate bar with cranberries and granola...but it has cranberries and granola!! And how cute about LO's...hehe. To think when this one comes I have all the entertainment of 2 together to look forward to!

Right better get the kitchen sorted. Still piled with dishes from last night but I can't be bothered!! Anyone want a fiver to do my dishes?? lol

Honestly two together is so much fun, there's 14 months between my two and they just love each other to death. They fight a fair bit too, but they really play well together. Everyone thought I was mad for having them so close but I'd seriously recommend it

I agree that it's lovely to give your DCs a sibling, and although might fight, they enjoy each others company and find the same things funny. I can't wait for DS to be able to speak in sentences and hear them plotting together! My DD is a non-stop talker so i can't wait for the day when he tells her to shut up!

Choc ooooh big squidgy hug, well done you!

Just done a sainsburys mini shop and was hoping to get some rubbishy cheapo pants that I could chuck away - NONE! All frilly lacey jobs!!! Where can I get some knickers??!! I got some mothercare disposable ones, but on Dandy's advice I tried them on and can't get them over my thigh! Argh! Any suggestions? There's no tesco's near me.. would primark have some..? also can't find any cheapo front open buttoned t-shirts / nighties....gaaaaah!

That should be mine fight not might fight.

My 2 are 2.6 years apart, which was a bit of a bigger gap than planned due to a mc, the next LO will be 23 months younger than DS so slightly closer in age. There was only 12 mo between me and my sister and i loved having a big sister to play with, and a friend of mine has only 11 mo between her two- who are currently both under 2- a lot to handle, but great to have such a close sibling when older.

I'm glad about all the fruit comments - I brought cakes (M&S, not home made) into work today and managed to justify eating loads of rocky road bites by telling my colleague that because they've got sultanas in (as well as chocolate, rice crispies and marshmallows ) they're good for me, and one of my five. She liked my argument and has now eaten more than me!

I ate a bag of jelly babies last night- does that count as fruit?

Ahhh, I also welled up when I read about Spangle. What lovely news, big congrats .

The Health in Preg Grant doesn't go "live" until 6 April. So after that you can call the helpline number, and check about the progress of your application. That was what I was told last week by the helpline then.

I don't think anybody will get a payment until May though, though can't remember if I read that or was told it over the phone....

pulapula - definitely

sausage - have you got a Wilkinsons near you? I got some from there a while ago, think they were £2 for 4 or 5 pairs. Most recently I got them in Tesco, know that's no use.

If anyone finds a nice feeding nightshirt with reasonable support post a link please! Not seen anything with good enough support for a larger chest yet, so am resigned to sleeping in my bra for a few months.

Flippineck - well whaddya know - have just done a google search and there is one less than a mile away from me! Shows how often I frequent Penge high street! Will have a nose - thanks!

emmabemmasmom- We got the sure start maternity grant. I posted the form the day I was eligible too, I was that desperate!!lol you can claim up to 3 months before babys due and until baby's 3 months old. They base it on what Child Tax Credit you recieve, and generally with CTC it's based on your earnings from last year if you get me, well DP was earning alot less last year so based on that we were eligible for it, if they'd have based it on his wages now I don't think we'd have got it, you have to be recieving CTC at a higher rate, I have no clue what that rate is though. Cheeky I know, but I put my claim in before the new tax year started and they change all the child tax credit payments, we recieved our grant over a month ago. Well, I might as well of got it, while we were still eligible, I know that sounds really bad, but weve never claimed anything in our lives before, and we have to scrimp and save for everything we have, when we found out we were eligible i jumped at it, without it,we wouldn't of been able to get new pushchair etc, and we would of needed to as DD's was pink, and this baby's a boy.

Oh congrats Spangle, what great news!!!

Sausage - if you're down Penge High Street have a look in Sainsburys there, see if they have any undies. Other than that you might need to go to Croydon or Bromley...

I'm not having a good day. Rang the payroll dept to see if they'd got my maternity paperwork as they need to send me a form so I can claim Mat allowance - they've got it but when asked when I'd get this form they said they wouldn't issue it till I'd sent in my actual Mat B1 form not a copy! I wonder then they were actually going to let me know if I hadn't chased it?!? It seems stupid to send it in cos they know and I know I'm not entitled to anything from them

Then when I left work I was blocked in, in the car park and had to hot foot it back to the hospital - got quite bad Braxton Hicks on my way. Saw some worried faces as I raced past clutching my belly! Finally got out of the carpark - but was late picking ds up from nursery so will end up paying for that too.

Anyhow rant over...