Due March 2010 - just because I'm pregnant at Christmas doesn't mean I'm a taxi driver

[annamama]

... new thread for oldies and newbies due in March! ...

Hi everyone, is anyone else feeling the same about Christmas parties....

6PM - so nice to be going out, love getting ready / dressed up
7PM - so nice to see friends and go out for the evening
8PM - hmm, starting to get tired
8:01PM - is it rude to leave now
8:10PM - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

xxxxxx

mumbot you missed out

7:30pm have millionth conversation of the night about when you are due, how big your bump is (or not) whether you have had any sickness, what names you are going for and how you are generally feeling.

So pleased my Christmas do has been postponed until January.

itwascertainlyasurprise - I know what you mean about having to wait another 3 months before we see our babies again. My 20 week anomaly scan seems like ages ago. I briefly thought about forking out £99 for a private scan nearby, but decided against it. I thought that cleft palate was looked for at the anomaly scan - but I think it can be missed. But there are other things that can be missed - so I wouldn't worry about it. what could they do now anyway? You're lucky that your MW does scans - I have to go to the hospital for those.

MandaHugNKiss I've found the liquid Gaviscon to be great, check you pick the one OK during preg.

Manda - snowing in London? Anyone else has snow too? Send some down to Kent please! DD has never played in snow and I'd like her to do that especially being half swedish and all... I know Mortlake, when I was an au-pair (many many years ago) one of my au-pair friends lived there, it was quite nice if I remember correctly. I would love to live anywhere in London, if we ever sell this damn house we'll probably be somewhere down saaarf even though I'm a north London girl really but too expensive as you know DB...

EmLou - add me to the list of people who think of you and send you positive wishes! Very brave of you to put on the christmas spirit for the sake of your DS... If there is absolutely nothing you can do I guess the best thing is to try to be positive and relax, and it sounds like you are trying to do just that.

On the way home from nursery DD fell over and landed flat on her face. There was a fair bit of blood. I checked her teeth first and they seemed to all still be there which made me feel a lot calmer. Her bottom lip has a big cut but it seems to be mostly superficial. Then I comforted her while trying to avoid getting any blood on my yummy mummy charity shop coat. She stopped crying pretty soon and carried on running along the road.

I guess you never stop worrying about your children, they are always in danger one way or another...

Pixie - get a "Big Sister" t-shirt for your DD! Or even better, have one made up in one of those t-shirt printing places saying "I'm not the mum, I'm just the big sister". Christmas present...?

Pixie your post made me laugh - your poor daughter - just dress her like a chav and she'll blend in!

IWCAS - I guess I always feel like a baby farm - I have a 4yo and 2 yo.

As for those expressing 'how do you do it?' it is bloody tiring! Not helped by working full time. DS2 bounced into my bed at 4 am this morning a achatted and wriggled until he fell back to sleep at about 6. Bless him (though gritted teeth). The pair of them wer bloody awful trying to dress them and get them to school / nursery in an hour. DH was away -t here were a fair few moments when I wondered how I was ever going to mange (Pixie - reassurance here would be good!).

Cleft palate may be picked up but nor necessarily - one of my NCT groups DD was born with one. It's not the end of the world!

Feeling smug today - have done my cards and wrapped my pressies - feeling prepared!

Emlou - sorry you're having a rough time. At least the odds are most definitely in your favour now should they decide to deliver early.

Hi all,just quick note to say i sent health in maternity form off 3 weeks ago and havnt heard anything. Rang then today and at least a month behind! X

What's the point in a 'health in pregnancy grant' that is supposed to be so you can eat healthily and afford ante-natal classes, that doesnt tip up till pregnancy is practically over!?
If you actually need the money then it is ridiculous. Bloody inland revenue!

Oh.... F-iddlesticks!

I completely forgot about getting my HIP grant sorted at my midwife appointment yesterday... and could have asked at my DR appointment today but didn't think/forgot again. Bah!

ang I suppose they leave it until 28 weeks to ensure the viability of the pregnancy? Although if the cut off for abortion is 24 weeks then we should be able to apply from then, technically, I feel.

Gah. What do I do now about getting it signed/dated by the relevant healthcare professional? Seems a complete waste of an appointment'.

Anyway, Dr's today. Was quite funny (and by quite funny, I mean not very funny at all) when I arrived at the surgery to find them in the middle of a power cut! Emergency lighting (which made for an interestin time when I popped to the toilet to provide a sample... as if it's not tricky enough manourving around a bump, doing it in the dark (with a long cardi on) is verging on hilarity!) and no computers! The Dr had to write things down... aw, it's was just like the old days! . So there are still white blood cells in my sample (seen courtesy of her shining her iphone in the direction of the dip stick!) and she mentioned, um, a word might be a 'c' word, which is basically taking a low dose ab longer term. However, she feels this is something my consultant should decide so I'm being referred back. Ho hum.

Heh, pixie I just asked DD whether she'd be worried about taking the baby out on her own in case people think she's the Mum (you all may remember Pixie and I have a similar aged DD's - mines 14 right now). She answered along the lines of 'Well, I hadn't thought about it... but now I'm worried!' Oops, maybe another Big Sis t-shirt is in order

anna so odd you know Mortlake too! Seriously, nobody ever knows it. Which is not surprising (unless they are rowing fans of course) because it's just tiny and wedged in between Richmond, Kew, Sheen and Barnes.

Hope DD's mouth is on the mend? Thank goodness her teeth ere ok! She might find it uncomfortable to eat citrus or salty stuff, but like you say it's more traumatic for you than it is for them.

eve-nin alllllll...

mumbot absolutely SPOT ON, though like Tigress I have to add my own which is
8.30 watch everyone descend into drunkenness (at which point they start the same conversations they had ten minutes ago with you about how great you look/size of bump etc etc) and content yourself with frequent proper sit downs in the loo

so true about loving the dressing up part for about ten minutes!!

nothing much here to add, xcept i had a real Terrible 2s moment with DD earlier where she ended up biting the inside of my leg...how on earth i didn't lose it with her i don't know but needless to say she spent some time in her cot thinking about it all. Any tips on Teaching No gratefully received

am at that saturation point with Xmas where I just think it would be better to stay At Home With The Curtains Closed. is there an [fgrinch] emoticon?!!

Off to write last of the cards. harrumpf.

HI all. No time for exptensive posting. Tonights jobs include:

Make 2 1/2 camel costumes.
Pretend to DS and DNEph that they are sheep costumes in disguise. They don't want to be camels.

Laminate baby Jesus x 50 for Toddlers party tomorrow
Cut out about 50 Baby Jesus' for Toddlers tomorrow.

Finish writing talk about how Jesus changed my life for toddlers tomorrow ( yeah - that ALWAYS goes down a blast with the Mums )

Iron. Iron like there's no tomorrow or else there will BE no work shirts for DH tomorrow.

Watch Spooks.

Watch ER

Stop DCs looning about upstairs.

Maybe have a beer.

See you all after that if I achieve it!

Hi, all!
"Finish off writing cards" - not started yet !

Iron - does not happen in this house - unless my mum is visiting and she is arrivingg tomorrow, hurray (and my dad, but he does not iron )!

Watch Spooks - defo!

Hope that DS3 will not have D+V again over night: poor thing needed 3 pit-stops during last night for total stripping down of himself and his cot. Showering him involved also a large stick to get the bigger bits down the plug hole, yuck! He has been ok during the day, so here's hoping...

Had MW appointment today - yep, baby still in there, wee heart still galloping like a horse, my urine was thankfully clear . I could have told them all that myself, but I try very hard to NOT treat myself, so behaved like a sensible patient .

So, Must Write Cards Tonight. DS3 and I will collect my parents at the airport tomorrow and once they are here I will not get anything done - but in a good way!

Why is there no ??

Ah, we have Spooks fans in the thread, huh? Will you all be suitably impressed if I tell you my friend James has written for Spooks (and Code 9). Also Dr. Who and Torchwood. I'm a terribe friend though... I don't watch any of the shows (well, I did go to his house to watch his Torchwood episode when it aired).

Actually, he and his wife are two of the people I've missed since falling pregnant - what with all the sickness then all the illnes I never seem to get out to the stuff (or more accurately, I say I'll be there and then cancel ) where I'd normally see them. Doesn't help that it's often stuff in the west end and I'm not really up to travelling that journey alone at night. Eh. Well, I won't be pregnant forever. Right? Right?!

evening ladies.
Just checking in really, not much to contribute. Sorry to hear general illness/fedupness continues. I am fed up and not in the Christmas spirit at all. Really just can't be @rsed, day to day stuff takes it out of me never mind getting excited about Christmas.
Went to DH's Christmas do on Saturday and totally agree with above comments mumsbot and the rest - except I had 'oh everytime I see you, you are pregnant' about a million times! We couldn't go to the party last year as it clashed with a wedding so yes 2 years ago I was pregnant but I didn't need to hear it from all of DH's work colleages and their partners!
Caitni thanks for the nappacino feedback. We were thinking of holding ours in a soft play centre in town as there is free parking, a cafe and somewhere to entertain toddlers plus lots of space so it's interesting to hear what others offer.
annamama sorry to hear your DD had a nasty fall - lots of blood is always scarey but glad teeth seem to be okay.
EmLouT fingers firmly crossed for you that bubs gets to stay in a bit longer and that growth improves. It's great you are being monitored closely and you are keeping your spirits up.

OMG - how can you ladies not be in the Xmas spirit with the snow today? Ok, outing myself as a total Xmas-tragic here, but perhaps that comes with the territory of being an Aus expat in the northern hemisphere (in the UK almost 4yrs - eep!), and I still feel like I'm in a Xmas card when it's cold, the fairy lights are up and then it starts to snow ...

That being said, on the walk home from the tube this evening I did realise I'd worn completely the wrong shoes for freezing, wet weather ...

Just saying hi to all - nothing much to contribute here, no Xmas parties to attend, no snow, no other children...and thankfully not feeling ill. For someone with a rather bah-humbug attitude to Christmas, being in southern hemisphere is great - I just pretend it's not happening.

Off on the last roadtrip before parenthood tomorrow - driving a couple of thousand kilometres to Namibia to look at big sand dunes, really looking forward to it. Even though it means getting up at 4am tomorrow - eek!

Wishing you all a wonderful, healthy, restful festive season, with lovely food, cooperative families and the kind of gifts you have always wanted (incl. happily growing baby for Emlou).

I know Mortlake I know Mortlake!!! Lived in Wandsworth for 2 years so very familiar with that part of the world. You want places people have never heard of, try growing up in Wales!

Hi AfriBaby nice to hear from someone new, don't worry about the not having older children part. There are plently of us on here who have joined to share stuff about the pregnancy they are going through now. (there is just also an awful lot about other kids too)

I've never heard of Mortlake Is it in Lord of the Rings?

Make 2 1/2 camel costumes.

Managed one. Looks like I'll have to lower the hump.

Laminate baby Jesus x 50 for Toddlers party tomorrow

done

Cut out about 50 Baby Jesus' for Toddlers tomorrow.

DH Accomplished this

Finish writing talk about how Jesus changed my life for toddlers tomorrow

Done. Sort of

Iron. Iron like there's no tomorrow or else there will BE no work shirts for DH tomorrow.

Nope not even close. DH looks crumpled.

Watch Spooks.

Oh yes

Watch ER

You betcha

Stop DCs looning about upstairs.

Mostly

Maybe have a beer.

Resisted the urge

Also listened to three teenage scallies carol singers murdering we wish you a merry Christmas and then holding out their hands for the 70p I had in my wallet!

Also, avoided 2 phone calls from Mum. Listened to the slightly narked message about how she was coming up today (from Kent. Near Mortlake you know ) and how it would be nice to talk to me before she sets off. Ooooops I thought she was coming up tomorrow. [bad daughter]

Also learned how to work the church PA system and decipher the tangle of wires and spaghetti to get my tie mic working so I don't have to bellow over rude Mums who won't stop chatting throughout the nativity can beheard clearly.

Enjoy Thursday. No snow in York. Maybe in Mortlake though.....

It's funny you should ask, arcadie because I think the tower I can see from my window that has a huge burning all-seeing eye atop it was some sort of inspiration when it came to Lord of the Rings...

No snow today, hurrah! Maybe I'll venture out and do... something. Something related to christmas, like actually buying one of themany gifts I still need. Hmm, but more likely buying the 'christmas' sandwich that appears in Pret each year. I LOVE it and they donate to charity every time one is sold, so everyone's a winner, right?

Manda/Aradie - that would make Crouch End, like, the Shire?

(Note to self - must wax feet ASAP...)

db
xx

designerbaby do you have Gorilla feet?

ArcadieAngelGabriel you made me laugh out loud with the idea of laminating baby Jesus. I'd love to see laminated wise men etc as well. laminated donkeys?

Much peace love and happy pregnancies to everyone over Christmas. All the snow we had here yesterday has gone now.

Shroomer - nah... but am evidently a Hobbit.

Ladies, I have a question for you ...

How do/did you manage your MILs about your 1st pregnancy, esp. if your MIL has been itching to have grandchildren for years? (I'm not kidding - she's been dropping increasingly unsubtle hints for ages, and then she wonders why DH & I live in the UK, and DH's brother & SIL are in in Singapore).

The reason I ask is that with the bub due in early March, both my parents & DH's mum & her husband will be coming over from Aus (tag-teaming it a bit so not at 100% the same time), which is great. Except that my MIL is talking about wanting to be in London & Europe for 3 - 4mths.

I may be doing her a disservice, and it will probably all work out Ok, but I guess I feel like while I've known her as a MIL (figurative & actual) for 10yrs, I've had 4yrs of managing her from a half-a-world-away distance.

I know she just wants to be here to support us and to be as involved as she can, but I'm nervous that it'll be hard to make sure that March onwards is about DH, bub and me - first and foremost - without excluding her given that she'll be making such an effort to be here.

(my parents are a totally different story, and are on the same wavelength as me )

Am I getting my knickers twisted unnecessarily, or am I right to be trying to pre-empt an awkwardness? (in my own head, anyway!)

beanzmum - a couple of things to think about IMHO...

3-4 months is a loooong time... Is there anywhere else she can visit/stay for a bit of time? Ecourage her to use your place as a 'jumping off point' for further European travel. It's what my in-laws have done in the past and works quite well.

It is important that you have some time together as a family - adjusting to all your new roles, IMHO. And its also important that you're able to build yourself a bit of a new life/network of mummy friends etc. which may well be hampered by having long-term house guests... This is actually quite important - you'll need a social life of your own (with babies, that is) while your on mat. leave, for the sake of your sanity...

It also depends largely on how much help they'll be and how much running around after them you'll have to do...

Will they be independently mobile while they're here? Have their own transport etc.? i.e. Can they do their thing and you do yours for the most part, while still enabling them to be around at bedtime and for the odd shared day out etc.?

Worth thinking about and setting some T&Cs before they arrive, I reckon...

db
xx