MN Little Italy 20 ........Buon Natale !

[Rosa]

Here we are then ........

Yes Minerva, how did it go today?

Oh Masseuse, I so feel for you. And this grey weather is not doing any favour to a depressed mood.
It takes a bit of time to feel "settled". Have you organized a meet up with local mnetters?

MM, sorry to hear things are looking gloomy. Are you meeting the other Mumsnetters? And in the meantime, might it cheer you up to go to one of the big shopping arcades (one in the centre, not far from the lake, is a bit like Fortnum and Mason, with lots of lovely food, can look for the name if you like) or bookshops (I seem to remember these were good) or meet DH for an impromptu lunch? Or maybe look here for things to do with the girls and to meet other parents?

Things not going wonderfully at this end: ipod touch has just died following a restore that was required by itunes. Apple have agreed to replace it, but, because it is engraved, replacement will come from China and will take about a week. Which brings us neatly to my due date. Grr . Fortunately we have another older ipod that we can take to hospital with us, but surfing Mumsnet from bed will be less easy!

On top of that, some docs that we had rushed over to an adviser just before Christmas have just come back: Royal Mail thinks the addressee has moved . Addressee still there, but we have now lost a month. Wondering whether I should just take the tube to the City and deliver in person, but not really keen to spend three hours out at this late stage. And various other bits and pieces are not going to plan.

Baby has also been much quieter than normal: the only way I got some movements was by drinking a glassful of ice while playing Galuppi (which never fails to wake it) at full blast. Now quiet again. Not sure whether to be worried or not. I suspect not, but I am.

And, having spent the morning sorting out ipod and its replacement, and the various annoyances above, have achieved exactly nothing of what I needed to get done. So am fairly grumpy. Sorry. Off to make pizza dough, as we have a friend coming over this evening. Do you think pizza and ice cream is enough or should I prepare some proper pudding too? Do not really fancy going out in the cold to shop...

SG, sweetheart, don't worry to feel worried. I was immensely apprehensive during both my pregnancies, but felt pressurized to "keep it cool", be relaxed etc. I wasn't though.
Some babies move less in the last few days, but if you are feeling worried do ring your midwife or consultant or maternity ward, it is their job to listen to you and calm you down.

As for tonight I think pizza and ice cream is a perfect menu!

SG you are doing brilliantly, grumpy was my default state throughout when pg so no need to apologise! Babies do move less in the last days, they simply have less room to move. I remember the same worries, I would use coffee and lying down to get DS to move. DD was a great hiccupper in utero so fewer problems with her! But if you are concerned and can't get any movement the usual way then what Franca said.

i second what the others have said SG, if you are in any way worried ring your mw, seriously. I am not a worrier normally (i am actually, but strangely not for baby related things) and i never paid attnetion to movements in utero etc. but you know, i really do believe that mother knows best so trust your instincts and if you want to get checked, get checked!

having said that i am 100% sure that everything is fine, i bet babysg is just catching up on some last minute rest before commencing his/her (we still don't know, do we) journey into the great big world!

AS SHOULD YOU (and yes the caps are intentional, i am shouting albeit gently )!! so no way you're going to the city if you don't feel like it, and leave dh to sort out stuff. also, you'll still be able to do things even after the baby is here you know , just slower and maybe not as many. so perhaps time to ease into this gentler rhythm now? i am sorry, i know i sound horribly patronising, and hope you don't mind.

pizza e gelato sound perfect, in fact i am sure my dds wouldn't mind coming for dinner at yours!

things on my end are looking up a bit today. i took dd1 to school, and she loved it. a couple of mums said hi to me at the gate, so i had some human contact. my cold shows no signs of abating and i am still deaf, but apart from that and the fact that MIL is coming tonight (to "help") i am ok. well, ok-ish if i am honest

Even malking pizza is a good thing - I would order in !! Music - never even got as far as thinking about it. I did have my ipod for afterwards on ward etc but only realised it was on repeat after about 2 hrs !!!Brr its cold today but not as cold as the UK.Have to go and see at house at 4pm but I can't remember which advert it was so I hope I don't do a gaff . I seem to have been chasing everything possible.Minirosa fell aslpee about 10 mins ago so will have a grumpy baby in tow!
MM ears - nasty and so annoying.Hope that things get a bit better. I finally seem to be on the mend just tired and grumpy but I think that is January blues plus after seeing Mistero with Ruggeri the other night the 2012 bit scared me witless..
Franca good that dd is on the mend we are waiting for the next bug to hit nursery .She had aher normal flu vaccine last week so hopefully the stagionale flu might miss her ( and I hope her sister!). Temps due to drop here domani and poss snow but that depends on which weather channel you watch !

YO!
Masseuse, so what did the other mothers look like? Were they friendly?
How long is your mil staying?

I'm having the dreaded swimming pool afternoon ahead, where I have to sit by the pool and my hair gets frizzy from humidity

MM ok-ish is probably good enough, I was a bit depressed when we first moved to Rome and it was not nearly as big a change as you are going through. It's also the worst time of year for this kind of thing. Glad your DD's school went well.

Hi rosa, good luck with the house viewing.
What did ruggeri said about 2012? I know of a person who is building a shelter on the Alps (and a bit).

Have to dash now, ciao!

It was a very one sided ( now I find out) presentation about all the negatives ,with 2 experts 1 scientist and 1 Maya expert . I diddn't find it informative just scary. I had not paid much attention up until now but I find my self looking for more info and winding myself up.
I would quite like to sit in a warm swimming pool right now.....

What are you both on about?

. I take it Sputnik that you've never come across the tv prog "Misteri" hosted by singer Enrico Ruggeri (who -among other things - sang in "Il vitello dai piedidi balsa" by Elio e le storie tese). I've never really watched, but I was once glued to another of his programs where he recounted Fabrizio Corona's life .

Nope!
Haven't watched tv for ages, italian tv not for maybe 6 years.
I ought to make the effort sometimes, I have no idea what's going on in this country.
Anyway, what terrible thing is going to happen in 2012? I am curious now.

Thank you for the support and reassurance- needed it today! Having tried drinking icy water and playing loud music again, to no avail, I called the labour ward, who were very good. Told me to lie completely quietly, drink some more cold water, give it a good prod and call back after 30 minutes to let them know either way. And the baby moved- so they were very reassured- and it turn so am I.

Came upstairs to find an email from the tax adviser wanting a fee of 3x the amount of tax due. .We were due to discuss his fees before he did the work, but instead I got the draft return and then (when I asked) the fee proposal, so Have sent gentle email back suggesting a fee reduction, but have had enough for today. Do not even particularly want to check my emails to see if he has replied.

The back-up computer bits have just arrived, so will start backing everything up as a distraction- I find doing something a bit dull that requires some brain processing power quite good in these situations.

DH lovely, as usual- aside from saying "I told you so" on the adviser fee, suggested some good wording to go back to them and then offered to make apple pie when he gets home if we find we do not have enough ice cream. So that's sorted.

MM: as usual, you are right. I should take things easy and the world does not end next week or whenever the baby turns up. Will try to remember that and slow down a bit more. In any event, my Mother should arrive on Friday so from then on there will be even less to do, and I will no longer do admin (seems a bit rude to sit at the computer when we have guests).

Delighed to hear things are looking up at your end- fingers crossed it is the beginning of an upward trend. Do take care of the ears though- when DH had ear infection over Easter two years ago it was dreadful and he ended up in so much pain that even prescription painkillers could not dull. Make sure the doc takes you seriously if you need to see one. DH was probably a bit English stiff upper lip about it in the beginning and ended up with two ruptured eardrums (hence the pain). He was fine- do not want to scare you- but take care!

Rosa: glad to hear you are on the mend too. How was the house viewing?

SG- glad you are reassured.

Franca- thank you I am going to sing "Mi presento son l'orsetto ricchione..." for the foreseable future now

Sput Google December2012 and sit back and be amazed........
SG glad baby responded to the cold water treatment- I found when I gave dd a cuddle or Dh anything that was sort of pressed all over my bump worked.
Diddn't view the house as the chap called at 3.15 and asked if I could go earlier - I couldn't as both dd were asleep so going Thurs.....

SG, great to hear the cold water treatment worked and that they reassured you . Have a lovely meal tonight!

"Ero il vitello dai piedi di balsa babu babu babu babu balsaaaaa"

Sorry MM . You know that EELST constitute my biggest source of reference.
Sput here and here

amico vitello dai piedi di balsa la tua storia e falsa (AAAAAAA). L'amico vitello dai piedi tonnati mi ha svelato la veritaaaaaaa. cosi' ho scoperto che tu... sempre tu... solo tu....

(tutti insieme)

....

sei il vitello dai piedi di balsaaaaaa inventore di una storia falsaaaaaaa!!!!!

Franca, I hate you

Haddn't seen that you tube thing..wish I haddn't looked... Normally I am so rational about things ...Can't get my head round this one !

Accusavi il vitello dai piedi tonnati e per questo i tuoi piedi saranno asportati...

Don't hate me . I also have a soft spot for Uomini col borsello, featuring riccardo fogli...

ti rechi al parco capello?

Oh sorry rosa. I didn't mean to. I've missed the movie myself, I usually enjoy disaster movies...

(btw, all you need to do apparently is to build a shelter near a water spring)

Of course I do. Per limonare sola.

Thanks for those links Franca, can't wait for the chapter on unicorns.
I think I will keep the TV unplugged after all.

!