Cosey up, the kettle's on

[BibiBelle]

here we go, before I head to bed

I'm off that weekend in March but DH isn't so I'll nip over on my own

and as for the Eire trip, I shall only be passing through the North before heading to the lush lands of Wicklow

Bibi, I agree with Silks and Crisp regarding skirts. Aprons are one thing but skirts/shirts is a whole other business. Maybe there's a need for another shop in your area, one that caters to princesses (and pirates).

Crispy glad that your Dad got some medication and hopefully it will take effect quickly and he will soon be on the mend.

TS thinking of you as I sip my decaf starbucks!

Silks the party sounds great

Yay for European City Breaks. We are in the process of booking break for Chinese New Year to Borocay in the Philippines with friends and a trip to Sri Lanka in March to meet my Mum and Dad who will be on their way over to see us (not for 6 weeks though ).

Bibi they are lovely but can see other's points re the shop. I can see why the black one has caught L's eye - but maybe that's because my Mum wouldn't allow me to wear black till I was about 13 as she thought it was inappropriate for a little girl! Sorry about the arrival of AF though.

What are you all planning for tomorrow evening? We are out for dinner then going on a boat down the river to see the fireworks. Quite nice for me as it doesn't involve too much drinking as we get the boat at 11pm.

No plans here. Must say we've gotten boring in our old age. I'm okay with it though. I've decided I'd rather indulge in a good dessert than drink spirits. Not sure too many places will be handing out brownies as the ball drops. I will hopefully be snoring. The new year isn't going any where quick. I can wait to see it in the daylight.

Oh and Merlion, your Starb is obviously "better" than mine. Very !

We are staying in and watching Inland Empire.

Arrrrrrgggghhhhhhhh

Please come and save me! Dh and fil are talking about lathes and diesel injectors. Mil asleep. I want to go home NOW

Crisp How long are you down for? If you're still around in the morning come and chill out with us here. Great coffee and food, loads of room, loads of kids, bit of knitting going on.

We are off to the humongous mansion tomorrow night, just the two of us woohoo! Not alone in the mansion obv, that would be terrifying. Still feeling nauseous but cold is improved enough to brave town to buy hair dye today. DS1 tripped and fell against a steel bikestand and grew himself a massive blue egg from his forehead. Was perky enough to go to his friend's birthday party less than an hour later so I not worrying.

silky ouch to ds' bump!

crispy so glad your dad is in good hands

star I got a similar reaction from my dad when we told them about expecting O. I think he did manage an "oh, lovely" with no expressional tone. STill, at least mum was excited. We're made up for you though

It's v quiet round here....mum has just taken the boys to their house until we go pick them up on Saturday lunchtime . Can't believe I'm on the computer at 6.30 with no little boys pestering me to do something else !

Tampax have released a new tampon with a tinsel string. This is for the Christmas period only . I love that one!

Thanks for the offer silks . Luckily the DD's started beating each other up , so a good excuse to have to leave

Very of you lot having your adult evenings - i have to wait a week for mine

PMSL cece. Love it

Lord I am knackered!

We spent today clearing up the wreckage caused by the tenants in our rental house. I have cleaned an inch of grease out the bottom of the oven and off the tops of cupboards and the cooker hood. The floor has had to be stripped and resealed and finally they whole place scrubbed from top to bottom. We asked the agent to retain some deposit and asked them to pay for half the cleaning bill - they offered me £19 as it they cleaned it once before So the ILs had the girls - I fed DD2 before I left and put her to bed for 2 hours as they arrived, I went back 3 hours later to feed DD2 and do lunch (they refuse to feed or change DD2 as she might choke/wriggle/smell/have private bits!) Change nappies and then headed back I got a call at 3 to ask when I was coming back and gave timeframe, said to put DD2 to bed and I would see them in an hour - 10 mins later another phone call, please come back we are tired of them now and DD2 smells. SO I gave up and came back - DD1 was hyped and manic had watched telly all day and wasn't allowed outside as the grass was wet. DD2 had watched telly since she work up, not napped as requested was over tired and pissy. The ILs left and phoned DH saying they could never have both girls again and could we ask my parents next time instead. The also said they wouldn't have the girls overnight as they needed their rest! So tomorrow I will take both girls to finish the clean, put DD1 in the garden, DD2 in the buggy with some toys. I did then suggest that they no longer tell people I sit doing nothing all day when DH is at work.

Cece - ROFL

Crispy - helloooooo, hope you trip home is an easy one.

Silks - very veyr of your adult nights!

BBBB I really, really don't know what to say . Un. Believe. Able. Grrrrrrrr on your behalf

Have a

OMG BBBB! Your comment sounds extremely restrained in the circs...

Xmas is now winding up, quiet day today. Tomorrow DH and I are having a day out, lunch and a matinee, then picking up DD and back here for our usual early night

Star some people are just really poor at reaction, aren't they. Really painful when it's someone who ought to at least empathise with your own excitement, if not feel it for their own sake. Small consolation, but like everyone else has said, WE are beyond thrilled for you - I for one am chuffed to bits that our dates are so well synchronised

I am feeling a wee bit that the midwife stamped me 'high risk' at my booking in last week, I think a combination of DD's heart, tear last time and my BMI . So no touchy-feely unit for me, extra docs at every turn. And diabetes testing which Do Not Want. (Bearing in mind I fainted quite dramatically at the appt during a perfectly routine blood-take.) Sorry to moan , I know plenty of you have had far worse and I know the important thing is, blah blah blah. Just sucks a bit to have my fantasy birth snatched away so early, I guess. Ok, sulk over. DD is being v cute with her new baby doll, that bodes well for big sisterhood, right?

pru, i know it must feel pretty crap, BUT try to use it to your advantage - hassle them to find out WHY?, then take the extra monitoring and use it to your advantage. Extra scans can rule out a repeat of the heart thing and gauge size of baby re likelihood of tears and tests can (hopefully)rule out issues with high BMI. Get your consultant on side and if all the concerns are covered then there is NO reason why you shouldn't have a fantasy birth. Take control and get your consultant to support you. I'm SURE it will all be fine

Enjoy your day tomorrow. Sounds lovely

pert you still have options open so don't give up hope

trying to catch up, not doing a great job

bibi please please don't spend that many £££s on a black skirt for dd2!!!! i will happily make her one, just give me waist size and length required

pert... what crispy said!

Thanks Crisp and Pru. DH has finally seen the light about it and has agreed we need to find alternate childcare options for the girls both babysitting and occasional day care.

Pru - MW are given a set criteria for setting your risk level, once you see your consultant they will be able to explain the reasons and decide whether they are real risks or whether you can be down graded. My BMI was high and because of my Thyroid I was high risk but after a couple of meetings with the various consultants my BMI was discounted and I saw 1 consultant for my thyroid and we all agreed that yes I needed the consultant led unit because of the risks post delivery to E but i could have the birth of my choice in the unit - pool/natural/gassed to my eyeballs/drugs whatever rocked my boat, MW delivery with only consultant if she was about (because she wanted to deliver DD2 as she was there when DD1 was born). And yes the baby doll love does work with siblings too. DD1 has suddenly fallen head over heels in love with her sister, helps her, hands her toy, cuddles her without prompting. A:though I doubt it will continue once the crawling starts!

Crispy - are you home?

Yes! thankfully

bbbb i really can't believe your ils!!

Pert Crisp has said everything I would have said if I had any brain left. Thank you, and everyone, for all the kindness and excitement :) I am just so tired of my family baggage, it seems to weigh a ton at the moment. Am struggling enough trying to keep my own head straight, I can't cope with theirs as well.

bbbb next time make PIL clean the rental house. Enlist Kim and Aggie if necessary

Hello all

Just been down to stay with friends in Norfolk for a couple of nights and had the best time lots of talking, eating and drinking while our DC played with two other girls and mostly were completely well behaved and gorgeous

Am totally broken after too many late nights and a scary drive home this evening through the fog so going to fall asleep sit on the sofa for a bit and hope to be back on here tomorrow

hi star
i agree with the others, i'm really really excited for you

ooh, hi hots
bye hots

Thanks guys. Crisp that makes so much sense - I will wait and see before I panic. BBBB that is v reassuring thank you!

Hi Hots, sounds like a fab visit.

oh yes, I'm proper excited at being an internet aunt again too. For all of you (Pru, Merlion, Star). It's lovely.

BBBB Very interesting what you write about ILs and child care. Long waffle coming up about my ILs.

I am very lucky, after DS's short and yet spectacularly unsuccessful attempt at nursery, my IL's have taken him in the afternoon twice a week, and will hopefully do so until he starts nursery again (March). I think that they all have a nice time, they take him swimming sometimes which they all enjoy I think. DD is then with her nanny if I work/or with me.

DD hasn't spent much time with them at all, as I have probably used all my IL credit with this arrangement (although DH sometimes takes them both to see them at the weekend). But well, she spent a day with them when DS had his operation and then a couple of hours when he had a follow up. Not massive successes but not terrible failures.

DS was always really cry-y as a baby, and I would say that he is still pretty sensitive - DD was the most chilled baby in the world, and although now she is more able to make her opinions known she is still pretty chilled.

Neither settle very easily to sleep unless I am there or they are in the car/pushchair

But I am none the less quite bad at leaving them. My ILs are good people and they love the children - and I tell myself this over and over again. I'm not sure that they are very good with kids, but they do love them.

BUT tomorrow we are leaving both DC with the ILs for the first time as DH has a hospital appointment and I want to go with him without children. Please pray for him, and for my ILs too! I have suggested that they drive the kids around in the car until they fall asleep and then park up somewhere.

Oh and BBBBBBBB when I was posting about potty training DS you told me that I had to take his nappy off as soon as he woke up. I was a bit grumpy about this as I thought that it would wake him up completely, but actually you were completely correct(!) It works very well. He gets up, we take him for a wee, take his nighttime nappy off and then he still comes and bounces in bed with us until we really give up on any more sleep. Thank you.