OK The boys start back at School on Monday, so who is up for a Baby Fly thread

[TeaMonster]

But rather than a one a day baby step, we do a two a day one.

I need to get back on top of things, plus I will be on my own for the first time in over 5 years.

How are you feeling today, KAQ? I hope there's some improvement.

I love it when a doctor gets flustered! That's funny.

How are you doing, MeMudmagnet? Everything under control still?

I'm with you - too much going on to do anything productive - treading water it is for now and that's just fine. I had such a hectic day today- just driving about here, there and everywhere - just no chance to do anything useful.

New year, new beginnings and all that.

XXXXX

Hi Thereis, Memud, where are you????

I really don't want to talk anything up, but I feel a bit better, I'm not getting worse anyway :) I have most of tomorrow at home, so I can hopefully catch up on a few things I do need to do some shopping, go to the post office and the bank, but I'm going to do those as a mad dash while my friend watches the boys. I've also got half a christmas present and a whole birthday present to buy, and all my cards to write out!

How are you atm, thereis? I have a friend who has just gone overdue and she's getting a bit fed up! I guess you will have babies about the same age :)

Treading water as much as possible......

Hello KickArse! I'm still here!!

Keeping fingers crossed that you're on the mend now.
I've been trying to get as much done as possible before the dc's break up this week.
DD1 has a half day tomorrow, then dd2 finishes on Friday
All my cards have gone, bar one or two. Presents bought and hidden, but not wrapped.
Turkey in the frezzer, sausages wrapped and frozen.
I'm considering getting my veg delivered xmas eve. Our local greengrocer offers this.

Just need to get started on the wrapping, make my stuffing, look up a cranberry sauce recipe (quite fancy making my own} then I'll get dc's making mince pies and lots of mess next week. While I run round in circles not getting anywhere.
Hope you're OK too Thereis!

OOh - have a cranberry and kumquat recipt (though I couldn't find kumquats last year, so used clementines). Will dig it out for you - it's pretty simple as I remember.

Glad you're both getting there.

I'm SO not ready for Christmas - I'd somehow fooled myself that I'd got quite organised - then remember a whole load of people who I'd forgotten about.

Having a few achey under the bump niggly/period like pains - I hope it's not the start - although, in someways it'd be nice to have a little baby here before Christmas - we've still got loads to do - and I haven't bought my plastic sheet yet - and I think my aunt (who'll be delivering him) is in Dublin.

So - off shopping in Norwich tomorrow - trying to get it sorted and will try to get DS a haircut (he's got this mop of straight hair hanging in his eyes - when we're at home, I put hairgrips in!!).

Theris! PMSL at hairgrips, my ds is getting a bit long on top, I've been gelling his hair into "dinosaur spikes" it looks very funny, he thinks hes very cool ( nearly 3 ) but he loves putting the girls clips in his hair!

Top tip for plastic sheet!!!! Asdas own shower curtains, the cheapest ones are 99p ( if they are in stock) and you can even machine wash them and they take a seam. ( I made pillow covers for b/feeding on for my very sicky ds) I'm still using the ones I bought when I was hoping for a homebirth with dd1, I've even put a layer underneath the car seat covers in case of general leakyness from the kids. Very handy. :)

I still need to do xmas cards, make up the calendars and wrap the prezzies. still got half a present to buy....

Glad u are still here memud! I'm still not any worse so I'm taking is as a positive sign! :)

My culinary delights are extending as far as home made biccies and that it!

Knackered, time for bed............

No Christmas shopping for me - DS has a bad cough/bark and keeps saying 'Me poorly' so he was in PJs for most of the day and so no haircut either!!

MeMudmagnet - that recipe's here

Oh No! Everybody seems to be getting ill! Really hope he's feeling better soon! I've ordered the last bits of my xmas shopping online and now I'm panicking it won't arrive in time!

I'm going to ring the gp tomoz for my results, but I'm pretty sure I know what the answer will be. :(

Blitzed the house today, just our room to tidy and hoover tomorrow. Lots of washing to put away tho!

Yes - DD1 had it last week, DD2 got it the day before yesterday (now has a hacking cough - sounds like she's a 40-a-day woodbines smoker!) and now DS - but it'll pass and hopefully be over before Christmas. I'm always a bit twitchy when DS has things like this - he was presecribed a couple of inhalers in the summer and whenever he gets a cold or anything - his breathing is shocking. It's too early to diagnose asthma but I suspect that's what it is. I had him in bed with me last night and my god, he's a fidget!! Don't think I slept for longer than half an hour at a time.

My mountain is back - maybe I'll have a go at tackling it tomorrow - though I did want to do some shopping. I'm dreadfully behind and FIL rang earlier and left a message on the answermachine which I think said (he mumbled a bit and it could be either of 2 things) that DH's sister is visiting from up North - which means we'll have to drop everything to see her, which, if that is what it is, irritates me a bit. I was relying on having this weekend to finish off the shopping and buy food shopping - and it'd be quite nice to have the reassurance of DH coming with me (seeing as I'm SO huge and not overly keen on being away from home on my own). I wouldn't mind, but we rarely get more than 48 hours notice. And to say you're busy always sounds a bit churlish. It does get up my nose sometimes - but maybe that's because I have no siblings and DH has 5!

But I'm moaning again - sorry.

Let us know how you get on with the GP. If it is glandular fever - what's the treatment?

My house could definitely do with a big blitzing. Unlikely though.

We've not got the tree up yet or any decs - (another thing we were going to do this weekend.

Right - should try to get myself into bed. DS is up and very chatty!

Thanks for the recipe Thereis, that it sounds good!
I may have to improvise with clementines as well if I can't get kumquats. I'm refusing to leave the village now as everyone has gone mad!

This time of year seems to be the peak for illness. DD2 is looking a bit ropey and was sick in the night last night. Seemed fine all day, although not eating.
My house looks AWFUL I've been out all day and had a get together with some friends this evening. Although I really wanted to go to sleep at about 4pm (I think I'm getting old) had to have a blast in the shower to try and wake myself up before going out.

I do love xmas, but I can't abide this bit beforehand.

I'm glad your both still here

Hiya, I just got back from the docs. I'm confused, so is the GP. Its not glandular fever. They've even tested me for leukemia . There's a huge list of what its not( thankfully!!!), based on the blood test and swab last week. But they have no idea what it is. My throat is red raw. Eating is a nightmare, shouting at the kids is nigh on impossible . All they can suggest is painkillers and see what happens...:(

We've got the dd's carols around the tree later, need to put more washing away and make up the photo calendars for the Aunts and Uncles.... takes ages to put all the pics in!

Must write cards! and wrap prezzies!!

Wonder how far I will get!

Oh crikey KAQ. Have they tested you for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or ME? Do you have achey limbs/joints? My Mum had very similar symptoms - sore throat/no voice etc and has been diagnosed with ME. Some Doctors are a bit sceptical about it though so don't test for it.

Hers came on over a few months, she cooked Christmas dinner and then went to bed for the rest of December and most of the January. She still has it but it's much better than it was. She's her own worst enemy though - she does things until she drops rather than doing a little bit at a time (I thought FLYIng would suit her - but it's hard to break the habits of a lifetime).

I hope you get to the bottom of it soon. Have they down more swabs?

X

Hmm thats a bit worrying! I've got quite a few of the symptoms - just had a google. I don't think that was on the list of things they had tested for either.

After the GP showed me the list of what its not, he showed me all the google searches he had done to check if he could be missing something. Bit unusual but at least he's being thorough I guess. He had all the "sore throat, NICE guidlines" for reference too. ( I guess thats what you get when you've previous threatened to sue another GP at the same surgery )

But he basically said, go home, take painkillers it will go away. He has prescribed me an odd mouthwash that makes everything numb, so he's not entirely callous! Just doesn't know how to help me.

I really hope it just sorts itself out going to the GP 5 times for a sore throat is just silly

I'll go have a read on CFS or ME, thanks thereis :)

Well - my mum had to have blood tests and there were markers that showed up in her tests that pointed to it - but her Dr had a hunch. My mum isn't the best patient because she doesn't pace herself and her diet is a bit hit and miss sometimes. I reckon that if she overhauled her diet and took regular gentle exercise (like going for a 30 minute walk every other day - instead of an hour and a half walk around the village once and then wearing herself out) she could improve things. But she's stubborn and won't be told. I do know people who have had it and changed enough about their lifestyle to recover.

I've just been learning about CFS and ME, quite a few of the symptoms match CFS - especially the fact that I have arepetative problem that seems to get worse every time I blitze the house. I also drink lots of caffiene from time to time, fortunatley I'm Aspartame phobic!

There have also been ( according to google) several cases of Lymes disease being mistaken for CFS, and apparantly the NHS test isn't especially accurate, I've had several trips to Thetford forest this year and its a Lymes hotspot

Being as the GP is just hoping it will go away by itself I think I am going to try a couple of things suggested on several sites and just see what happens. If I don't start improving I'm going to get tested for Lymes, just to rule it out.

Got most of my xmas cards done, and tomorrow dp is going to spend some time with the kids while I dye my hair and slay the washing monster in peace. Just got to finish the photo calendars. I'll be glad when they are all posted.

We've had a couple of inches of snow here, I've got the kids snugged up in their camping sleeping bags with their duvets over the top to make sure they don't get cold. Must shove more pillows up the chimneys.

Thanks for the info thereis, I have this theory in life that everything is caused by something and every problem has a solution if you think hard enough :) just need to keep looking for answers I guess! If I do have "something" causing my repeat illness it is relatively recent, certainly in the last year.

Hope you are feeling ok! The last few weeks of pregnancy were always the worst for me, the constant "haven't you had it yet"? questions along with the slightly nervous anticipation of knowing that it would be soon. Hope you aren't getting to stressed!

Memud, hows the house??? Did you manage to catch up??

Hi Kickarse. How are you feeling today?
How easy is it to catch Lymes disease? I know it's carried by ticks and I think rats carry it too. Would you know if you had been at risk of being infected? I know a relative of mine had it, she lives in Australia and was was bitten by a tick. She was very ill for quite a while, but is fine now.
I don't know what you think of AT, but have you thought about seeing a holistic therapist of some sort? Some gp's will refer you if they think it'll help. It may be worth looking into if it's something that's not easily diagnosable by conventional methods.

Well today I can't really talk. I've ben back to the docs ( out of hours) in desperation. There is absolutley nothing they can do. I saw a really lovely doctor who said that if it had been the same thing each time which she's pretty sure it was then it wasn't the antib's making it better, just my body eventually fighting it off a bit.

She says that I am extremely run down and need to rest. She also says I need to try to eat healthily to help my immune system and help me to get better can't eat so thats not going to work out too well.

I've managed a banana today and about 6 pasta twirls. I'm trying to drink as much water as possible and I've dug out my pregnancy vits. Dp has suggested he takes some time off work - only got 3 days let to do before he breaks up anyway - so I can sleep. He's off to Asda in a mo on a quest for soup and anything he thinks I might be able to eat.

I've been to 2 tick hotspots this year www.goape.co.uk/ lots of fun, lots of signs warning abut ticks, they are only 3mm long and most people don't realise if they have been bitten.

Whats AT? I'm willing to try anything. I've just spent most of the afternoon in bed shivering.

I think its a bit chicken and egg iykwim? Was I run down so keep getting ill or has something made me keep getting ill which has made me run down??

House is tidy, but dp doesn't do washing so I must try to sort some before I go back to bed.

Hope you are both ok.

Kickarse - AT - Alternate Therapy.

Some may be good for diagnosing difficult problems and some for treatment, such as boosting the immune system.
Is there any treatment for Lymes? Or is it something you have to work through?

I don't know much about it myself, but a friend of mine is a Holistic Therapist and is currently having acupuncture to aid her IVF treatment. She told me it can increase her chances by 70%!! So there must be something in it. I'll ask her next time I speak to her if you like.

Soup would be good thing for you to eat. Easy to pack in loads of nutrients and easy to eat. I often wizz up soup for the dd's when they're off colour, the easiest way to get veg into them
You could try making some fruit smoothies to drink too?

Glad your dh is able to help at home for a while.

How are you today KAQ? I agree with MeMudmagnet - soup and smoothies are the way forward for now.

And alternative therapies have got to be worth a try seeing as conventional medicine doesn't seem to be offering anything for you at the moment.

I hope you get some proper time to relax over Christmas - make sure you get lots of early nights and lie ins.

How are you MeMudmagnet? Did you make your cranberry sauce? I saw another recipe in the Guardian supplement this weekend - it was a Nigel Slate one - it looked nice too.

I'm so far behind I can't believe it - having had a couple of days of illness (the kids) has put me even further behind than I was - but I have attacked my clean laundry pile and made an impression on the laundry basket - I think I must've done about 6 or 7 loads today. Just contemplating putting a load on now - but I've just seen a thread about someone's washing machine pipes freezing and not sure if it's such a good idea...

Well - off to bed. Night x

Hiya, I'm still here :) I don't want to jinx it, but I think I'm getting a bit better!! No4 actually slept through the night last night! Must be the 1st time in about 8 /9 months, he usually wakes midnight, 3am and then up at 6, so yes! lots of lie ins and immune system boosting things! Also need to monitor how much I'm drinking! I don't think its enough. I guess I've been too busy concentrating on the kids and the house and ignored myself a bit!

I'll look into any threrapy if I can't shake this off , but hopefully I'm getting somewhere!
House is a bit worse for wear, but Dp is finally home for xmas, so he can give me a hand now! Going to wrap up the prezzies tomorrow.

Frozen washing machine pipes??? Where was their washing machine? In the shed? I'm still using mine! You should be ok thereis.

Bed now, should have been there already!

I have wondered about our washing machine in the cold, it's in a sort of outhouse bit and it's freeeezing out there.

Well it's nearly that time....when if you haven't done it, it won't be done so forget it..

Made my cranberry sauce (thanks THEREIS) I actually made two as I had loads of fresh cranberries so tried another recipe with cherry brandy in it. They're both yum

DD's have iced the cake and most of the kitchen.
Am about to run the hoover round, then friends are round for pizza and drinks with their dc's.
DH is home tomorrow, so it'll feel like Xmas starts tonight!

Wishing you and your families Happy Christmas.
I'll be back on in the New Year (if not before) to get organised and decluttered!!

Have fun xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ooh - cherry brandy. Yum.

About to make mine - and do my red cabbage for Christmas day.

Tomorrow, I'm going to put boxing day lunch in the slow cooker and then freeze it (I think that makes sense - or maybe it'll be OK in the fridge, so I don't freeze and then defrost).

We're planning to stay in our pyjamas tomorrow - and have chinese take away for dinner.

Yes - our washing machine is in a sort of outhouse (single brick construction attached to the house) and is pretty chilly out there.

I'm glad that sleep is helping, KAQ - and drinking more water etc is always a good thing to flush out all those nasties. I hope you continue to improve and that the New year brings better health.

Happy Christmas to you both, in case I don't get back on here before and a very Happy New Year to you all.

XXXXX

Hi medmud and Thereis :) I think everything that I was supposed to remember has been done! And as you say, if it hasn't, its too late, so I'm not going to worry about it!

I've a huge pile of washing thanks to ds1 and his bed wetting antics, I'll just do what I can, I'm looking forward to the next couple of days after all the prep, but in a weird way i'm looking forward to the new year and the whole fresh start aspect that goes with it.

I'm fiercely determined to get back to my target weight and get the house and my finances how I want them. I'm giving myself a year to get straight!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to both of you

Thereis, let us know when your little bundle turns up!! I'm wishing you a birth like my last one, it was fantastic.

Back soon!
xxXXxx

KAQ - How are you feeling today?

I hope you both had a great Christmas and Boxing day. I'm still full (and still full of baby!)

You had a homebirth, didn't you, KAQ? Do you remember what was on the list of things you need to have for a homebirth? (I haven't had a list from the MW this time). I know I need plastic sheeting (I took your tip and got a shower curtain) - and an angle poise lamp. Can't remember anything else - though someone did mention a box filled with old newspapers (though I've never used that before...).

I will post in Childbirth, too, just in case you're not back for a while.

Hi Thereis,

I didn't have a homebirth :O( I was set up for one 1st time round, but I was borderline PE on my due date, I got sent in to get checked over and waited around so long to be seen that my waters broke! That did push me up the que a bit and they wouldn't let me leave the hospital after that!

Random things off the top of my head are..

Good Battery powered torch ( powercuts happen)

Lots of old towels

Newspaper to put on the floor is good

Toast for afterwards :)

and bendy straws for drinking in strange labour positions.

Have you got some 30c Arnica?

Do post in childbirth tho, because the above is random stuff, there will be a difinative list :)

I think the best advice I was given tho is that if the baby does come suddenly, to try to breathe the baby out rather than pushing, less risk of hurting you, and not to worry about cutting the cord, DS2 had had a full feed before they cut the cord and that was only because I asked them too because it was a bit short

I had a bit of a relapse the other day, definate link, lack of sleep and my throat will be raw by morning. DP has been doing loads round the house and insisting I put my feet up.

Just need to get on top of the washing.

Hope you are both ok, :)