Those rats are jolly well going to be smacked this cycle and AF shall have arrows, hatred and misery cast upon her! No argument shall be brooked on both points.

[SantaAndHisChristmasImps]

Rubbish thread title, apologies.

Where? I can't see it?
I shall have to start logging out of FB...

It's just beside the (28 posts) bit on the title. Why, oh why does everyone think that in order to stay popular they have to get into "social networking", which means some random link to facebook.

I've seen computer games that ask you to post everything you did on the game onto your facebook. Who would ever want to do that??

Just under the thread title, you might not see it on the mobile site - been reading a thread about it, its not very well liked

Ooh, a lovely new thread. I always feel a bit like starting a new note book on a new thread. So much potential...

Off out in a tick. In glad rags bought because not pregnant. We can all be pleased that we are not badly dressed in maternity clothes for the festive season. A shallow and meagre silver lining, but a silver lining nevertheless.

Will be back tomorrow with a woolly wine head. Another perk.

Stasi and Munkiii - sorry it hasn't been your months. I always feel gutted when Brookers' AFs turn up. Treat yourselves to some firewater wine and start planning SWI for the NY.

Pop - sorry you had a stressful day. Keep stroking those mittens and get your wheel going.

I am guessing that the loss of my friend's sight is down to steroids or similar - pressure on the optical nerve. She had a very diff pg, which is why the twins only made it to 26wks. I wonder also if she is in shock. The latest is that she is no longer in hospital but still can't see properly. Awful. Especially for her poor husband - plus they now have two tiny babies to worry about. Sounds like the most stressful situation ever really. And to top it all her little dog died (tho' he was a zillion years old). I should think they will be glad to see in the NY and hopefully find some stable ground.

TTFN all.

oh sorry you got af stasi, bad timing to coincide with the stress of your appointment. But as you say, you'll be happy & ready for the new month on Tuesday

Stasi, so sorry AF got you :( Holiday SWI sounds like a nice idea though...!

Popcorn, I have similar feelings about my job some days. I'm feeling very fed up with my job on Fridays (different employers), and wrote my email quitting today . Just have to get DH to proof it before I send it.

whimsical, as a member of the PSEP I can agree with the glad rags comment. I have worn my one and only maternity dress to several Christmas events already - and there's at least another three to wear it to! Haven't yet figured out what to wear when I'm seeing some of these people for a second, or third time... hmm.

Evening brookers!
Sorry for radio silence, I've been giving myself a good talking too and trying to shake off the cloud of doom which landed on me at the beginning of the week - think I'm getting there and what better place to get some positive vibes than here with the brooking ladies on a lovely new fred

Thanks for asking after me too bean, that was lovely of you. Really good news about your FSH results, I have everything crossed that beanlet no.2 will soon be growing. Hope DS is all better too.

Sorry to hear that AF got you Stasi, hope you're enjoying a lovely snuggly wine filled evening with DH and that you get rat-arsed enjoy a tipple or two tomorrow at your work do. I'm brooking no argument that your check-up will go swimmingly on Monday.

Yay for EWCM Popcorn, you go girl! Have to say all the sewing/knitting talk is like a foreign language to me I've probably mentioned it before but I'm soooo uncreative! DH always finds it hilarious that I have to suture people's wounds at work yet I have problems even sewing a button back on!

Well 4dpo here, no symptoms (apart from being a grumpy bum!) Still have lots to organise for Christmas and not many days to do it! It's always this time of year that I wish I had a "normal" job so I can be off work over the holiday period, I have got Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off though but I'd also like Boxing Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day off etc I love the sounds of your NYE Imps, I might suggest that to our family next year as clearly I WILL be on maternity leave for the next festive period!

See you tomorrow.

I'm sorry - I don't really belong on here (I'm waiting to try)

But I have to ask - what does smack the rat mean?

May not be around for a little while - virus is getting worse and I've been put on bed rest. Hope everyone is well.

Bonsoir everyone and hello Tremolo. Someone in the very first brooking no argument thread compared getting pregnant to the village fete game of smack the rat - to be successful at either you have to have precision timing! At that moment, the rat smackers were born. Hope you stop waiting soon and come and join us - you are automatically awarded one pregnancy just for joining this thread you know...

Well what a busy bee I've been this evening - home at 5:30pm, took rabbit to vet for myxo job (had to wait for ages as they thought my appt was at 4:30 which was a bit annoying), have braised red cabbage, made smoked mackerel pate, made tamarind mayo, made a Yule Log (okay, I've put chocolate onto a ready made roulade and attempted to make bark patterns in it), helped OH reassemble the TV cabinet after having painted it last week, set the Christmas table and had a quick tidy up. Am knackered, but know that tomorrow will be even busier - starting at 6:30am when I pick the chickens up from the butcher.

Bean your comment about being a blessed mother of one reminded me of something OH's Grandma said last year. It was her and her DH's 76th wedding anniversary (I know!) and we had a gathering with OH's Grandma and Grandad, OH, me, MIL, FIL, SIL and her husband and child - everyone was having a lovely time and his Grandma suddenly said "Look at all this happiness I've got from just one daughter" (MIL being an only child). Bless her.

Right, bed time! Night all.

Smegs! Boo! You poor poor thing. Hope you turn a corner tomorrow.

I thought I had lost you all!

Stasi I am so sorry AF is here. I am brooking no argument at all that your check up is all good. Maybe AF is being considerate and visiting you one last time so you can get your all clear. Then she will bugger off until the next one I do know what you mean about disappointing others, I am exactly the same.

Imps you are one busy bee. I made a sicy aubergine stew a la Nigel Slater, and have started my festive recipe book. Am sorting out all ingredients tomorrow for my festive baking/hamper making weekend. Our rabbits hate the vets. They need to go and have their jabs too.

Smegs I am worried about you What has the Dr Said?

Olives you are so going to be on maternity leave next crimb, you mark my words.

Hope you are having a wine fuelled fun night Whim

Bean your poor friend. I really hope she is on the mend soon

Imps that is such a lovely story, am in tears again after listening to Milli Wives on radio and now your story. Really lovely though - just hoping I get the one DC.

Poor poorly Smegs hope you feel better very soon.

Stasi hope you had a nice evening sofa snuggling with DH

Beedle no symptoms apart from being overly emotional and sentimental boob ache has gone, so nothing to report.

How was the parrrrrtay musical? I've no doo's this year, it would have been perfect for pregnancy! DH and I are going out to the beefeater for a mooing steak next week, though. Yay for quitting crappy jobs!

Gosh bean your friend sounds like she's had it rough - makes me feel very ungrateful I hope she is better soon. If it's shock, then being at home at last is bound to help.

Olives if it's any consolation, I'd just have to look at something that needed suturing and I'd be passed out on the floor :o

Blimey Imps that sounds like a successful evening! That's a really lovely story about your GMil :)

Hope you're feeling better, smegs

Oh it's painful dealing with inefficiencies isn't it Popcorn? It's such a hassle taking time off work for appointments.

I tell you what else is painful - the length of time it's taking for potential new firm to get back to me about offer. I am being driven quietly insane and the thought of working here without having the satisfaction of having handed my notice in is getting me down a bit now. It's funny how you're all talking about work Christmas parties - my firm isn't holding one this year on the basis that no one seems to enjoy them very much. Speaks volumes, non?

A festive recipe book Maybe...tell me more...

BTW I nearly passed out at the butcher when I went to collect the chickens for the weekend - 2 local free range large chickens (each feeding about 5 people) - £35!!!!!!!!!!!!! . I'm just focussing on how I'm supporting animal welfare and local trade and that therefore £35 is a small price to pay...

Gosh that's a lot for a chicken, though it's been a while since we had one (probably because we also always buy happy hens)

DH didn't go to his work doo as it's expensive and, being NHS, they have to pay it all themselves - they just went to the pub instead! Our work did have a Christmas party, but it was at Head Office and they wouldn't pay transport (i.e. £80 train fair) so none of the home workers (of which I'm 1 of 3) attended

Hello not much time to stop today, poorly DH and very poorly DD.

Cd1 here but am thinking of Brie, wine and lots of Stilton.

Hope everybody is ok, will try to read back later xx

Ah... thank you Santa it makes sense now
Well I very much hope to be joining this thread in 2012, but I have a health problem at the moment and need to get the all-clear from my doctor, although they have said it is looking promising... I've come off the pill anyway

Of course, you'll all be preggers by the time I join! Good luck to all!!

Morning gals!

It?s Friday woohoo!!! I?ve got all my pre-Christmas pamper prep this weekend, nails glittery, spray tan, hair appt, yay! First of a few big Chrimbo nights out on Saturday [I am resolutely trying to ignore it is also me birthday this weekend and I will be 35 eurgh ]

Olives, due to my weird 5-day-early ov this month we are near as damn it on the same day [6dpo today]. I have no symptoms either. My boobs are a little bit tender today but that?s almost certainly because I spent most of yesterday squeezing them to see if they were tender

smegs hope you feel better today, best to get the germs out of the way before the madness next week!

Bean I know nothing about anything medical but everyone else seems to have pulled your socks up for you so chin up missus!

My OH told me yesterday his colleague?s girlfriend took 2 years to get pregnant after coming off the pill, she?s mid-20?s, perfectly fit & healthy and fertility tests all showed nothing wrong, she had 2 mc?s but they just hung on in there and waited for fate to roll the right dice really, she has lovely little boy now; I thought she?d just fallen off the pill and into pregnancy but just goes to show, that put a few things into perspective for me!

Everyone else cheers [my memory is shit, sorry, ] ? only 9 sleeps til the fat man?s been! Ho ho ho and all that

My head hurts...

One more party tonight, then I better sober up enough to dtd tomorrow.

Who's baked something restorative?

Depending on your antidote of choice...

Poor Smegs - sounds rotten. That noodle soup, which Imps has made gallons of, should hopefully reach a spot.

Whimsi - no sympathy from me but hope you have that "next-day hysteria". My distant memories of hangovers were that you could actually have quite a lark (but then I was prob still drunk)!

Olives - glad you made it back. Sensed you were down but hope it's passed. I think we can all of us say that this TTC gig really gets to us sometimes. But you are among people who care here. And one ovary gone must be scary but the other one will be a winner. We promise.

Scarlett - yes, my socks have been pulled up to knicker height. Thanks!

Munkiii - sorry about AF. Whacking great bit of Stilton for you. And a big hug.

Pop - ba-humbug to your bosses. Hope blood results are good.

Tremolo - hello. Hope TTC is a smooth journey for you whenever you start.

Imps - OMG £35/2 clucks - crikey moses. And darn those work baskets you have to deal with. I hope you get your new job asap, and a pay raise so you can afford those organic cluckers. Yes - love your MIL story. One DC is a huge blessing if you think about it - you get the fun and the games but perhaps less hard work/guilt/illness and hopefully that DC will go on to have loads of kids and then one gets to be a supergranny. My DS has a better chance of a stable relationship at a younger age (as we are very settled parents, compared to my rather hairy childhood, divorced parents, bipolar siblings etc) so fx.

Poor DS has a temp again and hacking cough. Tucked him up but now rather worried that I'm not in the same room as him when he's so poorly... Still, he must sleep. I have crept up and listened outside his door. Sounds like Hannibal Lector got in the room somehow!

7DPO here. Temps weirded up by DS's illness and waking at strange hours so who knows what's going on. I feel relaxed and well and prepared for AF a BFP!

Thanks for the Brooking for my friend - I'm sure it will help her. She's had it rough but as I say I do feel that IVF at 45 was pretty full on. Still - we all understand this massive urge to procreate...