Hello Ladies!
First off, welcome Madcatsazz!
Warning: this is a VERY long post, pages and pages I have just looked through!
Glad to hear that many of you are reuntied with family members that were stranded far away!
I've seen off DH and DS to Legoland this morning, and I just had my 36 week appointment at the surgery down the road. It went well, my iron levels have gone up a bit! Now the day is MINE! Am going to try to finish making curtains for DS's room and the nursery! I will NOT watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse today!
ML what a brilliant birth story! Thank you very much for telling it, gives me hope! Olivia is such a gorgeous newborn, I'm loving the pics! Glad your feeding is going well - I SO know what you mean about the engorgement, I had to hand express into a muslin on several occasions on the train after having DS because I was so full I was in agony! (It was after that I got a second manual breast pump for out and about!)
Littleowls it's brilliant that Joel is feeding well! I hope you're feeling good, too!
I have a mouse update for you all! After a few nights of being kept awake by the mouse scratching around in my closet and stealing bait of the traps but not setting them off, we put some poison trays down and haven't heard the mouse since. Last night, I was downstairs watching telly and I saw "downstairs" mouse roaming around. I watched it crawl into the trap and click, the hatch closed! Hooray! We caught it! DH just took the trap out with him to release the mouse far from home. So, I think we're making progress! Tomlin I contemplated not telling DH about the biscuits I found under my bedside table, but I was so relieved that there was a reason why the mouse was up there and not just that we had such a bad infestation that they were everywhere, so I had to fess up. Besides, I'm terrible at keeping secrets!
Booboo I am so hyper alert to mice now, definitely mouse police! I keep thinking I see them when they're not there! I'm frustrated because since last week I have done all the deep cleaning and tidying that I can, but I can't do the hoovering anymore, and DH hasn't bothered even though I keep saying it needs to be done! I threatened to do it myself today, so hopefully that will motivate him to do it. Yesterday I saw that mouse going along eating the tiniest crumbs off the floor! I need to borrow your DH Squirtsmum!
Racquelwelsh good to hear from you again! My hospital is a 30 min drive away so I'm a bit nervous as well. Especially as DH and I don't drive and will have several friends on call to do the driving, but there's all the coordinating, etc. Glad you're leave has started as well!
Thanks to all for participating in the bump measuring! It makes me very happy to hear that there are others of you in the same size range as me! I have put my 35 week photo from last week up on my MN profile and also on the FB page. My BF in RL is 20 weeks now with her second and doesn't really look pregnant at all, another with the very strong stomach muscles like MDM - I'm amazed that your waist is still smaller than your DH's!
Pamelat the mixup with your MW visit on Saturday would have really upset me, too! That sort of thing is so frustrating!
SK I can relate to not having family around to help, it really is a struggle sometimes, and I just have the one DS so far! I hope that the timing of the birth of this LO works out well for you. I know it's nerve-wracking hoping that "things work out", and I tend to worry even when things are out of my hands.
Carikube I hope your DH's suspected hernia is doing better, that would be very bad timing when you need the most physical help at the end of the pregnancy!
Angel I hope your embarrassing lump has calmed down again and isn't causing you too much pain! I hope you're resting now that the bathroom painting is nearly finished!
Pigley well done for staining the decking! I am amazed at the energy you had to do it!
Sazzles your photos on FB are very cute! I think Harvey is a great name. I love that Jimmy Stewart Film "Harvey", though! I have quite a crush on Jimmy Stewart, my DS is named James Stewart!
Hobnob I'd probably go forth and use the name that you'd decided on, even if your friend who lives a bit of a distance away has a baby with that name, but spelled differently. As far as choosing names goes, DH and I made up our minds quite a while before we had kids about what the names would be, so I'm glad it's settled. However, since I got first choice with DS1, DH got preference with DS2. We have been telling everyone the name since we found out it's a boy, and nobody has said anything negative, luckily. But we're the types that wouldn't care what other people thought anyway, it's been decided for so long! I think I mentioned before that DH chose the name after one of his favourite football players - but after my Jimmy Stewart tribute it's only fair!
MyFirst thanks! I am able to keep up with the replies only by having 2 MN windows open, typing on one, and scrolling back to the last time I replied on the other and going through! I like the name Oscar quite a lot, too! SK I also really like the name Elliot!
Pigley my DH is definitely not as interested in this LO as he was with my pregnancy with DS. Last night he happened to glance over as a huge foot drifted across my belly (complete with clicking sound) and he said "Whoa! That was a big kick!" and I said "Yeah, that's what I mean, all the movements are big like that now!" I guess it's pretty common for men to not be as interested in subsequent pregnancies, the novelty has worn off! I'm sure the DH's will be very excited once it all kicks off and they're born!
James your anxiety dreams about the birth, etc sound very familiar to me, I have the same exact worries. I like to know what's going to happen and when, that's part of the reason an ELCS was appealing to me at first, but I've definitely decided to go the more unpredictable VB route now. I just keep telling myself, by June it will all be over with and we can get on with our new life! Glad to hear that lots of others are feeling anxious, too! Nice to know we're not alone! Pigley your dream about being double-pregnant is very scary!!
Pamelat I hope your exam went well yesterday!
Alle I hope you're doing ok now, it must have been scary to be having the early contractions and then not feel the baby move after!
Alexw happy first day of your maternity leave!
MDM not long until your leave now, too! That's great you get to leave early tomorrow for your scan! LOL about your DH now thinking one of your name suggestions was his idea! Hope you're feeling better - I've found every time I've had a cold while pregnant it has taken me about 3 weeks to get over it! You'll have plenty of time to rest next week, definitely try to take advantage!!
Hollyoaks about the potty training, I would say if she wants to wear the pants and it doesn't wind you up too much when she has an accident then let her. See what happens, she might pleasantly surprise you! Just be sure to have LOADS of changes of clothes for her at the ready when others are watching her. My DS is having frequent accidents again in the last couple of evenings (he's been overtired and that's when it tends to happen now), we've been toilet training for about 6 months and I thought we had it cracked. ItsHappened I know exactly what you mean about the toilet incidents with DS from not tucking (or holding it out whilst standing)!
Schipo that's great that your homebirth has been approved!
Sazzles I have the Mothercare 4 position carrier and it's quite good. I only used it for a little while with my DS though, as he was so big and I hadn't built up my monstrous toddler-carrying muscles yet! I'll be using it again with this one, though! How annoying the MW lost your notes, good thing there haven't been any problems! Hope you're able to postpone your interview at work, it figures the timing would happen like that, eh?!
ML I hope your kids get to fly to Disney soon! It's good they're taking it so well!!
Newmomma so glad to hear that baby has turned!
Heffa LOL about your parents asking if your call was the big red button, as if you'd just slip it in to conversation! I'm so glad to hear that your doctor recommended a VB for you, it makes a difference to be given advice one way or the other. I think I'd still be on the fence about it if the consultant hadn't recommended a VB as well.
SK I love your Bumps and Babies photos on FB! So sweet!!! Yes, I am hungry all the time, and then get heartburn as soon as I lean over!
Over all I'm feeling pretty good, but I am having a sciatic nerve pinch now which makes walking (waddling) longer than 5 minutes very painful and I'm waking up with sore hips again. Also, been having abdominal pains, but don't think it's BH, I think it's from being a bit constipated from the iron tablets and then eating dried apricots so it's making me a bit gassy. Sorry for TMI! But wondering if anyone else is finding that you feel so full of baby down there that you can't quite find the right muscles to bear down on?!
I hope that you're all well and getting lots of rest!