DEC 08 - Welcome to the house of ill - We're riding a poonami

[MomOrMum]

This was the only thing I could remember some saying should be the next title!

Oh, and Kayz, how is your DH now? Any jobs to apply for? So very hard in a recession I know.

And Summer, tell us about Barcelona so we can live vicariously through your continental mini-break as well as Urbane's showbiz exploits...

Yes, and have a nice night away, Trace. It's half term, isn't it? I keep forgetting.

Right - off to put my pyjamas on and paint my nails with my snazzy new varnish.

DH is ok. He has calmed down loads and is very much the man I married. Which means much more fun in the bedroom. No jobs though. He has applied for every job going that he can do but not heard a thing.

Does anyone remember our heater problem? Well 6 weeks later we still have no heater in the lounge. DH rang them today and they are going to see what's going on.

veggie I'm confused ! What person did I mention that you were going to mention and was was the unmentionable thing?

kayz good for you on the bedroom fun
I have to admit I have no desire for any bedroom fun still. Not sure if it's meds-related, but I don't want to 'do it' and then when we do (I can't deprive him for ever) I'm not as easily pleased as I used to be, IYKWIM . Hopefully it'll be one of those things that rights itself...

Oh no! I've told you all about my lacking libido and now it's all gone quiet...come back everyone! I promise not to share intimate things

I'm still here. Watching my useless football team

You have had to deal with quite a bit Trace. I'm sure it will come back soon. I think we have it so often as it must help me with my weight loss

Trace, I am with you. Since I got pregnant my libido has utterly evaporated. I didn't feel like this last time...but I sure do now.

Good for you Kayz I have neither the energy or inclination.

Sorry Trace I was distracted by a dumb stupid game. I hate football & and anything Portuguese (oh except for those little custards tarts they're divine). No I'm with you no libido, though if the mood takes me I can be erm...satisfied but very rarelly does the mood take me. I'm with you on the pity sex. Gotta do my wifely duty. Gosh if my 27 year old self could hear my 37 year old self, she would slap me. Sorry about the confusion, I meant you had mentioned Beans and her work ishoos and DDs eczema and I had meant to respond to it but had forgotten. I think I'm having trouble expressing myself in my mothertongue as I lack conversation and magazine reading, in my home language. Good news on that front though. DH & DS1 are going to London for a game at the Emerates and I was going to stay home but DH has said we should all go together so we are coming for a long weekend on the 5th. So I can stock up on vegemite and adult English speaking conversation.

Man I'm hurting, just holding my arm up to type tuis hurts.

Oh and there was a show on horizon tonight about intelligence only switched over after the football but they were saying late developers often have higher IQs, so my DS1's late speaking is all good. Better keep up the benign neglect with DS2.

LadyT mine is somewhat back now....along with my ability to sleep and my energy to a certain degree, so hopefully you will feel more like it, and generally better in a month or two! Hopefully that will help with general outlook on the work situation too. Any progress on the novel getting a publisher?

Kayz glad things are better with DH. Oh I think the triathlon is a great idea. Wetsuit not really a fashion statment for anyone so I wouldn't worry how it will look!

urbane just joining the general chorus requiring Brits update....Beans you made me giggle with your Beans-like stream of consciousness post about Cheryl coles revealing outfit. Especially worrying about how much the waxing required would have hurt. Very considerate of you
In general we are a very showbiz lot on this thread. Well I say "we", I mean some of you lot of course. I am just a scruffy computer programmer

kayz I saw about 2 mins of born every minute and I felt sorry for the young girl too. I guess it was edited to make her look like a pain in the bottom, but the two minutes I saw she was screaming and the mum was shouting at her that she was being pathetic! My mum was staying yesterday so saw this with me, she offered to come with me for my next birth to give me similar moral support . I politely declined and said I would have MIL instead (who told me I would be a wimp if I choose a CS next time....she was only half joking...another factor on the PLUS list for cs then, wind up the MIL)

Oh and BARCELONA was great! But colder than I expected, had not brought enough warm clothes. Best bits were sleeping til all hours, and other indoor activities . In addition to oodles of eating out, sitting in cafes (we went to the 4cats, LadyT), wandering round the old town. Other activities were open top bus tour (BRRRRRRR...but great), Tibidabo finicular to the top of the mountain, Picasso museum, wandering at waterfront. Quick visit to Sagrada Familiar, though had been before, lots had been done to it. Oh and a fab meal out to a restaurant we booked randomly that was down a tiny sidestreet and which had a menu only in Catalan, was great...mmm

Oh and I did miss DS a lot....but it was better without him...don't think he would have stayed up for the 9pm dinners. It was the first time he had stayed overnight with anyone except DH or I. And guess what? He didn't miss me at all from what I can tell. Cheeky little so and so.

Oh and Rubes I bought that Phil and Teds, it is in good condition but older than 4 months I think...has doubles kit and car adapter (which I won't use but can flog I guess) and cocoon, so quite a good deal.

Right I think I want an early night tonight...

What a very frisky sounding trip, Summer! It sounds like you did a lot of fab stuff. You sound so full of beans - I am feeling like I will NEVER be like that again

Thanks for asking about the book. Uncharacteristically, am being a wuss. The agent has had the rewrites and I am not sure what he thinks of them and when he plans to send the book out, but I have asked once and he said how busy he was and don't want to nag because having done his thankless job for 13 looooooong years I know how ghastly whinging clients are. So I have to be patient. But it is hard, as my entire financial health (and in fact, the financial health of the household!) is resting on it. And that is bad as my golden rule has always been: if you are relying on a book or a script to make you money - FORGET IT. He seems confident about selling it, blase even, but who knows. And I have to pretend to him that it is a completely insignificant element of my life as to do otherwise would be completely uncool and he would pity me. Meanwhile, I chew my fingers and pace around at strange hours of the night

Oh dear LadyT, maybe time for a cool aloof follow up call/email, just to check he hasn't forgotten or more likely isn't being lazy because you are not one of those whingy clients that you so hated.

I am not that full of beans, I am knackered at the moment for some reason. Must go to sleep now.

LadyT: money worries are grim . I feel a bit hypocritical saying that because we are having a break from the usual financial crises at the moment, but the last, ooh, 4 years have been a bit touch and go. And when we plunge back into the property market we'll probably be there again! I hope the book comes through and you can relax . And if not you and your DP are enterprising people and you will find a way of working things out.

Work stresses here - half term always brings out the worst in people who don't have children I find . I can't be bothered justifying the fact that I am essentially working for thruppence ha'penny and not taking the piss by having one day at home (for which I don't get paid) or leaving on time so I can get home to see my children before bedtime. Here endeth the rant . My boss is great, luckily, it's ome one of the others who is a royal pain.

Excitement of the day has been downloading the Stanza app so I can read out of print books on my new phone for free. This morning was 'The extraordinary adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Detective'. Any recommendations much welcome .

Oh and not only does DS1 know who Serge Gainsbourg is, he has a massive crush on Anna Karina 3.bp.blogspot.com/_RgOh4UbiVvQ/Sxau88Qj0FI/AAAAAAAACYs/_CJwPAc7txk/s640/4_61395127_large.jpg who he calls 'Lady Glasses'. All of this is DH's fault .

hello,
we were just commenting on the cost of groceries too. it is actually more expensive to go to the shop rather than home delivery as they send me those 10% off deals all the time which more than covers the delivery but I never get artound to doing the order.

Summer do you mean the car seat adapter? If so I am looking for one second hand, but it needs to be the one for the Maxi Cosi as they do two that are compatible with the P&T. If it's the right one I will buy it off you?

Well ds has refused an afternoon nap two days in a row so I only gave him the morning one yesterday (which was a solid hour and a half anyway) and then he was shattered by 630pm so he went to bed at 645pm and not a peep until 830am!!!!!!! Not sure if it was a one off, or if he only needs the one nap a day now but i'm trying it again today except dropping the morning nap today. See,s ok at the moment - a little tired but will give him lunch in a bit and then put him down after lunch for hopefully a good 2 hours fingers crossed.

M/W appointment this afternoon but just the boring BP / pee test etc and hopefully a heartbeat check again

Lady, did you get the chanel polish you were looking for?

I still haven't watched that one born every minute but have it recorded.

Those of you who are pregnant - and have a mortgage, did you know about the maternity mortgage payment holiday you can take? We took 6 months with ds1 and planning the same again. It's a lifesaver and most mortgage companies do it. Oh and don't forget about the 3rd trimester £190 you get - I have been told to apply for it just before the 3rd trimester as it takes about 4 weeks or something to get to you... Every little helps

Oh and Kayz - thanks for the Happy Island lifeguard

Yes, I DID get that Chanel polish! Ha. It's a limited edition one, a sort of a nudey beige.

I don't know about the £190 in the third trimester - what is that?

As for mortgages, I have already converted the repayment mortgage on my London flat to an interest only for now - but may well investigate the mortgage holiday - thank you!

Am just investigating whether I can get maternity allowance if I pay Class 2 National Insurance contribs. It looks like I won't qualify as my income has been too patchy but we'll see...Oh, and good luck for this afternoon, Rubes.

Effie, I am glad your financial picture is rosy at the moment! Enjoy it, I say.

That is ok Rubes. I am very sad and play nearly all the Facebook games. Once the boys are in bed or go for a nap I go straight on to check my various farms and cafes.

Just been for a filling and the dentist decided that it doesn't need doing after all. Bloody man! Though he does smell gorgeous.

lady, I know the Polish you mean now - it's really nice.
The money is Health In Pregnancy Grant which is available to everyone regardless of income and you claim it between 25th week and your due date - just to help you along.
Or call 0845~366~7885

Don't think it matters if you are interest only or not - ring your mortgage company as it's pretty common and I had no clue about it last time until I rang up and they mentioned it one time as they thought I was calling about that when they heard the baby crying!!!

Hi Guys,

I should probably dig out the weight loss thread but as I am here can I whine about body shape? OK, I am now exactly the same weight as pre-DC. Not a pound more. However I am still a dress size bigger and I have a tyre around my hips. I just don't get how my body can have redistributed the weight in such an unflattering way. I liked my figure in March 2008 but I hate it now. It's so depressing. I look like I have 10lbs to lose but I can't face more dieting as it's taken soooo long just to get back to this weight and I always thought that when I got here I would be happy. Sigh. I know there is nothing to say I just wanted to moan. I feel soooooo unattractive nowadays (partly my fault as I rarely make an effort with hair and make-up).

MoM - I forgot to express my smpathy about your sickness bug. I hate the D&V viruses and feel for you. Love the thread title.

Trace - have fun on your night away.

Will write more later when I can extract myself from this pit of self loathing.

free money for preggos!

Aub: have also found shape has changed am carrying weight round my middle which I didn't do before. I suspect the answer is exercise. Yuck.

I haven't read thread yet but Kayz I think I wrote this in my failed post the other day. No one looks good in tri wetsuits but you don't have to do an open water swim you can do a pool swim tri. The only open water tri's I did were Windsor, London and the south coast classic. It's easy peasy, they just ask you to estimate your swim time then they can group you with similar swimmers for your start time.

Right gotta go we have a parent teacher meeting for DS1.

My shape has changed too (pre-pregnancy) - longer boobs and generally more chubby everywhere. And I got down to my pre-pregnancy weight, but still looked fat. Plus my back width has gone up from 36B to 38C. Nice.