Hi all, hope you and your little ones are all well!
Fettle, you sound very content! I can't believe Toby is 5 months already! Time drags when you are pg but then really seems to fly by once they arrive doesn't it?! I too feel very glad to have met Evie, she would not be here if I had not lost the 2 I lost before her (and my eldest would not be here had I not lost my first either). It doesn't make the losses easier it just makes the pain less sharp I think.
The work thing is a big deal but if you are happy and relaxed being at home and you can do without your salary then great! I could never bear the thought of leaving mine for long periods which is why I ended up doing a couple of evenings in a supermarket. Not my dream job but it tops up the household income.
Bouncing, I'm so glad the HV does not think you have PND, good that she is monitoring you though. I think that having someone to talk to helps keep you together at times. I didn't want to say too much on the other thread but I think that sometimes when you have been through a lot to get your little one, you expect that you will be happy all the time. The reality is far from it. I find myself incredibly anxious about my baby a lot of the time and a lot of that comes from the losses I suffered before her. Also isolation does not help. I was in a similar situation to you when I had my first DS, I went from a good career with lots of friends to being a SAHM, none of my friends had DCs of a similar age and my family were a long way away. I used to go to the Health Clinic every week just to have someone to talk to and although I don't believe I had PND I was certainly depressed. Are there any toddler groups you could go to? I started going when DS1 was 1 but I wish I had gone earlier as I found it really helped me. They can be quite cliquey but if you are a bit shy (like me) then joining the committee is a good way to make friends who you may meet up with outside the group too. I have gone back to the one I went to with the DSs and although DD is too young to play it is great for me to get out and talk to other adults! Sorry to ramble on so much, just wanted to send you a hug really and tell you that it does get better x
Daisy, wow! Can't believe you are doing it all again! Congrats! I am sure that you will cope fine, just deal with one thing at a time (and keep talking on MN). A friend of mine has a 14 month age gap between her girls and she found it fairly easy and now they are older they are great friends as they are so close in age. If you put this thread on your 'watch' list it will always be about, that's what I do. In a way I still feel more comfortable with you guys than with my PN thread, you all gave me such great support when I needed it most!
Well Evie is 8 weeks old now and I can't believe how fast it has gone! Her little personality is really starting to shine through now and she is a happy little thing. The problems we had early on with her screaming all evening seem to have sorted themselves out (I am putting it down to the pro-biotic drinks I have been taking coming through in my milk as on the days when I forget and drink it later in the day she is a mare!). She still seems to sleep an awful lot but then my boys did too. She does get cross when she is hungry though and requires feeding immediately or we all know about it, she has an incredibly piercing cry! She is quite a lazy feeder though and always falls asleep which makes feeding take up to an hour at times, she does like her milk though and will drink even when full up (and then throw it back up...). She is also incredibly nosy and when awake is very alert and looking all around her, I have just bought her a mobile for her cot and she sings to it! I am doing well too and much (although not all) of the compulsive behaviour I had while pg is under control - I suspect that is mainly because I am too tired to line everything up before I go to sleep though!