Hey all,
This is my second attempt to post this morning - I'd started one and got half way through when my dog decided to jump on my laptop and lost it all!! I couldn't be too mad at her though because she looked so proud that she'd been up to my room and found my little red-devil teddy that DH got me for Valentine's day and worked out how to make it whistle!! So... here I go again!!
First of all, a big thank you for all of your responses after my slight melt-down last night. It's really really helped me to know that I'm not on my own...
Daisyj, hey hun!! Oooh, so not long for you to go either. DH and I did contemplate a home-birth, but I'm so paranoid about things going wrong (and if anyone's been to Torbay - trying to get to Torbay Hospital in the Summer is virtually impossible due to holiday-maker traffic), that we decided against it. There is a birthing pool at the hospital though so I will add it to my birthing plan that I'd like to use it if no-one else is!
Willmouse, so is your little one actually constipated or is he just refusing to do a poo? My nephew suffered very badly with constipation (still does)and it's heart-breaking to see them in pain like that. Fingers crossed it sorts itself soon. As a last resort, maybe a little bit of lactulose? What a nightmare about the potty though. Gosh, I'm not looking forward to this bit - sounds like all you ladies cope amazingly!! I'm in awe of you all!!
Detox, thanks so much for your post hun, it's really helped me. Can I ask you a question about tax credits? Do you have to produce receipts for childcare to get them? We are going to be paying my SIL to have Jelly for two days a week but won't be expecting receipts from her, will this impact how much we can receive? It's only because that's what someone had told me, but I'm not sure whether they're right or not. Do you also know where I can go to ask about ALL the money that we can receive, especially what extra we might get during ML? I'm not really up to speed with this stuff... Hope your enjoy your Sunday lunch with Dsis - how lovely!!
CE, glad you enjoyed your Nandos last night!! Thanks for your post. It definitely helps to know that I'm not alone. My best-friend and her husband have an arrangement similar to yourself actually. They both work at the hospital. She is home for about 4.30pm and he leaves for work at 6.00pm until midnight. Unfortunately he works weekends aswell so they don't get to spend much time together at all. But their situation is purely because they're trying to clear a lot of debt. I guess we all have to do what we have to do...
Dawni, I hope you had a drink for me last night hun!!
MJIM, I live near Torbay, in Newton Abbot. Whereabouts are you? We're about 5 miles from the sea but we hardly ever go there, terrible really how we take our surroundings for granted... I'm sure that'll change though when Jelly arrives, we'll have lots of lovely places to take her that are free of charge!! Glad Naomi slept better last night!
Juanitad, thanks for your post hun. It really sucks doesn't it? But I guess you just do what you have to. We're having a pink one by the way... I went a bit mad in Tescos yesterday in the baby clothes department. I kept saying I didn't want her to be too pink, but so far, that's the only colour clothes that I've bought!! Even DH has bought her two "Daddies Little Princess" T-shirts, both in pink and white... Bless!!
HC, thanks for your support as always hun. I have to admit that we were very lucky to get on the property ladder at all to be honest. We spent the first few years together clearing off all of our debts, loans, credit cards etc, and then had to wait a few more months until any discrepancies had come off of our credit files and then we applied for a mortgage. The only down-side, which is the same for anyone I guess, is timing. We agreed a Fixed Term Mortgage (luckily just for 2 years...) at 7.9% - GUTTED!! But, unfortunately we don't have the luxury of hindsight, so we're stuck with it now... Luckily our salaries do allow us to save quite a bit at the moment, which will cover the mortgage while I'm on ML and will allow us to save a little bit once I'm back at work and we're paying for childcare, as we still have a quite a lot to do on the house. We need a new boiler and new double-glazing. It will take us a good few months to save the money but hoping to get it all done before the winter sets in. How wonderful to have built your own place. That's DH's dream but I can't imagine it happening anytime soon!! Until then, he'll just have to make do with watching Grand Designs...
Sorry about the mammoth post ladies!! I hope that you're all having a nice Sunday. DH is working today so the dog and I stayed in bed until 10.30am!! Very naughty but I felt I needed it after another bizarre dream last night. In the dream DH and I had gone on holiday to a massive hotel which sort of had a theme park and shopping centre within it. We'd been out and were heading back to our room when I realised I'd lost something. So DH carried on to the room and I went to find whatever it was (a phone charger I think - bizarre!!). Anyway, I was trying to get back to the room and I kept getting lost. I was wandering around for 3 hours trying to get back to the room and getting more and more upset. I was so stressed and tired when I finally woke up from the dream and realised that I'd been asleep for 3 hours, so I wonder if I really had been in the dream for that long. No wonder I was so knackered!!
Anyway, I suppose I should get dressed and take Tilly out for a walk - not that I can manage much of a walk these days - for some crazy reason we bought a house on a hill and I'm carrying nearly two stone of extra weight and my legs give up half way up the hill these days. I sound like an old woman don't I?!
xxx