Sept 08- The threenagers have arrived - Advanced negotiating and crowd control skills required

[DebiTheScot]

Sorry Meglet if you wanted to start the thread with your title but I thought I'd best do it while there was still one space to post the link to this one on the last one.

Oh and TMI warning ... Thought my plug was going earlier but realised it was, ahem, 'leftovers' from our SWI efforts!! (The 'intent' being not to make a baby but to get baby out!)

Lol MrsA Make sure you don't wear yourself out you can't make this baby come out, it will come out when it is good and ready. All of the tightenings are good though, they are all do something

19 weeks already Digi ? Hurrah for 19 weeks! Which CentreParcs did you go to?

I'm hoping to go and see Twilight in the next couple of weeks. I have read all of the books and were captivated by them. If someone told me I would enjoy teenage vampire novels I would have laughed at them, but I read them all bak to back

I am sure ds's weight loss is fine Meglet. Ds2 probably doesn't eat as much food as he used to, except when on a growth spurt when he doesn't stop. I think in the past year and a half he has only put on a couple of pounds, but grown in height. You have mentioned he found the translation to school difficult, maybe that has affected his appetite?

ltmimi DS took a while to get used to drop-off's but he seems to be ok now, all depends on whether anyone else has got to the compter first . He's eaten lots this morning and I'm supplementing him with those funny breakfast biscuits (they have iron in them and I've gone off them so don't want to waste the packet). I'll check his weight in the week, as long as it's not gone down again then I'll chill out a bit.

mrsA Hope you're having a good walk today.

Hope you're feeling better bec - I recommend a hot toddy with Glenmorangie. Added after dissolving the lemon and honey to ensure you keep the medicinal effects of the alcohol, of course. :)

digi Centre Parks sounds lovely - kind of place I would avoid pre-kids but now sounds quite tempting! Hadn't realised your digilet would be only 8 weeks younger than my dc2.

Nursery told me on Friday that ds is 'a real character' - in a tone of voice meaning yes, he's exasperating and a stubborn git, but endearing and we love him loads too. Clearly they understand him. :)
His latest trick is to strop until he's allowed to go to Toddler or Baby room instead of preschool (despite loving preschool - I think he just finds it tiring being the smallest and youngest). As there's enough flexibility of staff they're letting him as long as he behaves himself, which is great.

I was back working this last week, but it was very tiring and emotional even from home, so not sure if I can keep it up for another 4 weeks. On the plus side, have got rid of loads of clutter and are starting to decorate my new room. :)

Good morning all .

Just got back from the school run, me and DD are off to town to run errands and grab some shopping in a while.

bookmarking and hoping for news from MrsA!

Ugh.

I have to go shopping later meg

dont want to!!!

iltmimi we were at Elveden in Suffolk, so only about 90 minute drive for us.

Wasn't that pricey because we went off-peak (half-term adds an extra £1k to the cost of our £300 lodge).

MrsA lurking for news from you.

nc if you're late and I'm early again, then there could be an even smaller gap! Sorry to hear work is so tiring even when working from home. Am not looking forward to doing my tube commute as my SPD/PGP whatever it is gets worse.

Have been slowly decluttering too! Have chucked out loads of clothes, rearranged contents of wardrobe and bedroom drawers. Got toy storage for DS's room so most of his toys are now tidily arranged in his bedroom rather than overflowing in the living room. Last night I did DS's craft drawer, which now looks so good I almost took a picture of it! Next is my bedroom dressing table, then the kitchen bookcase.

Also, has anyone upgraded from carseat to a booster seat? I checked the maximum weight on our Maxicosi Tobi and it turned out that DS had been too heavy for it for a few months, so he's now in one of those seats that use a regular seatbelt. Looks so grown up in it.

DG I wish we could upgrade but the high back boosters start at 15kg and DS is only 13.2kg! I know plenty of 3yos who are in them though.

I've never been to centre parcs . Had a marvellous time at a crappy Haven caravan park in June though

C'mon MrsA we need news, you're having a homebirth so there's no excuse to not give regular updates!

We went to the Thackray medical museum in Leeds on Friday where mine and two friends' birth stories have been immortalised in the birth gallery. My friend is a curator there and got us in for free on the condition of using our children in publicity shots for the museum!

meglet now you say it my DD has been eating less recently. She's also grown out of lots of things so I guess she's just finished a growth spurt?

We had to wake all three kids this morning, seems wrong somehow!

We went to Longleat CP last summer term time - it was great but VERY expensive.

Dont think we will ever be able to afford to go again!

Oh for goodness sake - nothing here at all!! Can't do anything (too knackered, big, can't be arsed) and just want labour to start. C was induced after crappy midwife accidentally broke waters so no clue how long I normally cook em for. Just want this baby out...

All very interesting chats today - have no idea how much C weighs but she still fits fine into her maxi cosi. When I pick her uop, I'd be surprised if she weighs more than 30lbs.

Food here is hit and miss. Some days she east lots, others not much. I keep going back to blw basics - she'll eat if hungry. I got very emotional last night (sign of labour hormones...please!) As I shouted at her for singing loudly and then cos Craig got kicked off x factor.

Sigh.

Btw anyone have thoughts about nature vs nuture? I am a tomboy and dislike pink girly stuff for girls and things that glorify looks over ability etc. Trying hard to subtly show C that she can do anything/doesnt need pink glittery stuff but all she wants for xmas is a pink princess bike and the 'princess' dvd (aka tinkerbell). Do I give in and let her get on with it or am I turning her into a sympering tweenager??

I figure bikes are good and if she wants and will ride a pink one, so be it. Maybe just try and dilute the pink glitter effect with other books and dressing up clothes etc?

Nursery say that actually until the boys aged 3+ are weaned off it, all the kids are obsessed with pink and glitter - all A wanted for his birthday was pink cake with pink icing, and he and dn fought over a pink teaspoon yesterday. So it's not just nature...

A weighs about 15kg so my parents are getting a high back booster for their car so we can fit A, dc2 and my mum in the back for transport - my mum is tiny and can fit in the middle. I get the front. :) Need to get a stage 0 again for our car.

Robyn is about 15-16kg so she could still be in her recaro rf seat but she was escaping from it so she is now in the Kiddy guardian pro which she loves. She can see all the traffic lights so helpfully tells me when to stop and go. She is a breeze to strap in as well and it fits in other cars quickly and easily. Lucy will have the recaro when she finally grows out the M&P 0stage seat. Not looking forward to that as I can carry in from the car when asleep but won't be able to do that in the bigger seat.

MRSA Robyn loves pink and sparkly but also loves anything cars and building things so best of both worlds. DD1 was a pink girl as well for years but now she is a very stroppy teenager who loves black and purple

Btw No 2 'Oh for goodness sake - nothing here at all!' was not aimed at all the kind posters asking after me - I appreciate you lurking i really do. I'm just frustrated at myself and having re-read it, it might sound like i was annoyed at you lot. Nothing further from the truth :)

I also think I'm a little scared that I'll end up being induced after all - the longer I'm pg the more likely there is something to go wrong or for me to just be too overdue, even with a lovely hands-off independent mw.

MrsA no offence taken at all! Hope it happens soon...
DS loves the colour pink (unless brown is an option because brown equals chocolate)...so I also think it's just a universal love. Unfortunately you just can't get many boy's clothes in pink. I haven't introduced him to Disney Princess because I can't stand them myself...but he's a fan of peppa pig, and I'd say 60-70% of peppa stuff is aimed at girls.

Toby is approx 18kgs (I know, I know...this could be why my spine doesnt work anymore!)

He has been in a ff car seat for a time (for obv reasons!) He loves it as he can be nosy see more

Def nature IMHO. I loathe guns/superheroes/army/etc but my boys just gravitate to them. I dont allow toy guns in the house (old hippy) but they play with them elsewhere and make believe at school.

Toby loves his play kitchen/food/pots and pans and is never happier than when "helping" me clean/cook/wash up.

MrsA you are entirely within your rights to feel utterly fed up and cross!

I believe in nature not nurture - when building wardrobes recently DD spent the whole time arranging the clothes and deciding where they'd go, and DS was just furkling through the tool box for hours 'fixing' things, and his favourite colour is 'like blue' (light blue) closely followed by dark blue. Thankfully DD isn't too into sparkly, although she does love pink. Both DCs are great at kitchen role play, bodes well for the future!

How are you doing MrsA? Sounds like you need some tlc. How about calling your MW and talk through your fears and anxieties? Just talking to someone can really help. I remember having a vbac wobble around the due date, I would swing from 'I'm ok, the baby is ok, my body can do this. Just be patient' to 'I can't stand this any longer, just book me in for a section, then I will know what is going to happen.'

Try and enjoy these last few days with C, cherish the last few days you all have together.

I asked Digi as I live a few miles away from Elvedon and was just being nosey! Did you go to the Elvedon Estate farm shop? I love that place.

Funnily enough, we're looking into high backed boosters for M. There's so much choice my brain is frazzled!

ILTMIMI thanks for the post. nothing here yet. It's not that i think I can't do it or am having wobbles, I'm just impatient to go into labour. I keep reading the birth stories in Ina May Gaskin's book but then think I shouldn't.

i didn't know you had a HBAC - I know you had an IM. I've not been worried about uterine rupture as I have no scar pain and my pulse is fine, plus my IM had a c-section followed by VBAC (plus pre-eclampsia, so has had the lot!) so she's nice and calm but I am now occasionally thinking at least a section means a live baby...so maybe I am having wobbles!! I will see mw tomorrow.

My blood pressure has started to creep up - nothing to worry mw but I am worried the longer I go, the more chances there are for complications.

I hadn't expected to still be pg now - even though per nhs dating scan, i am not 40 weeks till tomorrow (though it really would be immaculate conception - I think I am more like 40+2).
I keep telling myself I'll be fine and am getting lots of pressure/movements but am scared baby will stop moving and I've been having ,mild background period pain for the past 4 weeks, so keep getting my hopes up then they go away!
just want to get the birth pool filled!!!

Have no plans for this week except seeing mw tomorrow so bored out of my mind and can't be bothered to think of things to do! I may go to the pictures on thursday, alone

Uurghh, car seats. DD is still in her maxi-cosi, 5 point buckle one. She's not quite ready to come out of it yet but it's getting hard to do the straps up around her. She's always wriggling, trying to hit me or her brother and sitting on the buckle, I always end up shouting when she's getting into it. Her brother was in his until nearly 4 so I don't understand why it seems so snug on her . It's impossible to do up when she has a coat on.

On the other hand I love that DS sits in a high-backed booster and can do his own seat belt up these days, I always check it but it's one less child to battle with.

Defo go the cinema MrsA. I quite enjoy going on my own

Ha ha Meglet, your description of getting in the car sounds familiar. M is always sitting on the buckle - then bitches about it. On the occassions where I lift him into the seat I often hit is head on the ceiling as he is tall, and the chair is quite high. I'm quite looking forward to him going into the high backed booster.

ILTMIMI DD has had a few head 'donks' too. I'm sure my neighbours are highly entertained watching me trying to get her sitting down and buckling her in. I don't actually swear but I do shout a bit. Bless her stubborn little cotton socks .

.

So down. I will never go into labour. Everyone else on the antenatal threads is going into labour except me. Can't sleep, C is waking with nightmares, MIL goes on holiday on Monday so bang goes our childcare. Don't feel I'll ever give birth naturally. Can you tell I'm hacked off?