Dec 08 Ladies - Maybe this thread they'll ALL sleep through the night at the same time!

[Beans33]

Apologies for rubbish title, couldn't think of anything - mind is totally riddled by hormones...!

kiwi - this is fantastic, fantastic news. madam outs around then. either she will soon stop, or you will get used to it. long may the sleep continue!!!

Well done Kiwi! That's ace!

Sorry about radio silence - have been in Lincolnshire for my sister's 40th. Was brilliant fun, but dear GOD I was grumpy yesterday!

Sorry I haven't done a catch up either. Rubes - where are things with your DB? Hope things ok.

I'm due a week on Friday. Shit shit shit. I had a total meltdown yesterday morning and couldn't stop crying when I left both my sisters. They're so lovely and I just miss them when I'm not with them. And I'm TERRIFIED about this next nipper!!! But I'm sure will be ok. Now am not tired, am finding it easier to cope with!

My lovely MIL looked after DD for the weekend with DH. When I arrived, DD was so excited to see me, it was lovely! Kept saying "ello" in her northern accent! Then she fell over and started crying so I went to pick her up and MIL beat me to it - I was not happy!!! Never mind - am eternally grateful to in laws for their help with move and babysitting DD as well - v kind of them! So will not slate them!

I hope everyone's well? Big big love.

x

oh, good luck beans - not long now. sorry you felt so rotten leaving your sisters - i do envy those of you with siblings, i must say.

long story, but i have been asked to lead my local toddler music class this week. i am shitting myself. i offered my services should the lady who runs it ever have problems finding cover - and it turns out, she has. so there's me trying to learn the songs and order they go in for 3 classes tomorrow and one on wednesday. eeeeeek!

Hi all,
Hello beans nice to see you! Good luck with everything, very exciting that we will have first new baby since the Dec '08 batch soon!!
How is the house sale going?

wg eeeeeek to the toddler music, that is my worst nightmare as I can't remember lyrics and I can't sing, but I am sure you will be great! Hey you never told us how el-smuggo was when you met up with her?

ladyt had a laugh at your forays onto baby names!! I am glad we don't have Dec '08 thread fights about grammar, etc!

Hello njan glad you are doing well! that reminds me we should organise Cambridge meet up? How about one day on the week beginning 19th July?

I am feeling very fat and rubbish at the moment, I have hardly any decent summer maternity clothes, and no decent maternity trousers (I have some jeans that are always bloody falling down). Where do all you clackered ladies get your maternity clothes from, I can find any decent ones round here, am thinking of ordering something online.

I found H&M fairly good for maternity clothes SL.

I love WG's wholemeal friend referred to as elsmuggo. Was thinking about her the other day. I remember having an elsmuggo of my own after DS2 was born. Even though I'd had the homebirth etc apparently I was worthy of a tutting as I had resorted to G&A (ooh I love that stuff). Something I should apparently ashamed of.

I'm so pleased someone wrongly pulled you up on your grammar I would love to have seen your reply!

I had a lovely ride with DS2 after dropping DS1 at school. After the horrid over eating of greasy pizza last night I thought I needed a bit extra exercise. Unfortunately though just after we got back a migraine started up. Thankfully it had settled a bit now after large amounts of ibuprofen & some paracetamol, & well timed sleep by DS2 so I could have a little nap myself. Poor DH was so distressed that I was home and hecis there are can do nothing to help. He has a very overwhelming protective instinct and hates seeing any of us in any distress so he is so worried. I think I'll get lots of treats out of this. Though would have preferred to be sans migraine. Gotta go I have to pick up
DS2 from school soon.

I'm watching the Netherlands game and the Dutch commentors said something like 'he's done a Robert Green' when the goaly fumbled the ball near the line, very funny. Aaaah own goal from the Danish!!! Hup Holland Hup! I dropped DS1 at school this morning in an orange shirts and some orange bracelet things they are giving away here at a pharmacy shop. Lucky I did as every kid at school is in orange and most have extra adornments like wigs and big hats.

Had a peek at ladyt's thread and she was, as always, being remarkably restrained. I would comment on the grammatical q but I am shaky on the subjunctive.

Summer - I got my jeans from Gap. I don't htink there are many places that they stay up, though, as tummies are so round and slippy! There's nothing for the band to stick onto. So I always have my stripey (stretchmarks) muffin top on display. It's grim.

Re the house - I've had an offer from someone else for £2k more, so have told current buyers that if we don't exchange then we're withdrawing our contracts. HAHA! Unless we exchange by the end of the day tomorrow. HAHA. Suddenly they've managed to transfer the exchange funds to their solicitor. Strange that. I@m so chuffed I've got the upper hand finally!

Veggie - is your head ok now? Poor you.

Hurrah beans for the house!! Well done!

veggie hope you are feeling better. What do you mean you had gas and air, you wimp .

Oh that reminds me, I went to the hospital about the birth and I have decided to try VBAC. I feel like I should as first time was caused by DS being in distress not anything physiological (is that the word?) with me. I am not letting them induce me though.

They seem quite reasonable about it all, they tried to tell me I had to have continuous monitoring but I asked if I could have intermittent if all seemed to be ok and they said yes. And they said I can use the pool if it is free. The only thing I am a bit about is that they went on about how you have to make certain amount of progress or they will think of intervening, and I asked them why and to be honest their answer didn't really make sense. I don't actually see the logic when as far as I can see the only extra risk of a VBAC is scar rupture and intervening is surely going to make that more likely?

Oh and they say I have to have a canula in from the start, I have read on VBAC threads that that can be a PITA and get in the way? To be honest for me it is probably a good idea as I have crap veins and I would rather they got it in somewhere decent in a calm and organised fashion rather than stabbing me mid-contraction in a panicked way as I seem to remember happening last time.

Beans, that is smashing news. Hurrah. Am so glad you are in the driving seat, these things can make one feel so impotent.

Oh, Effie, I am not sure if I was But people get so arsey and judgey about names. I deplore the way that, just because I happen to love the name Octavia, I am automatically branded as posh/pretentious/wannabe posh or pretentious. It's of no more consequence than my preferring, I dunno, honeysuckle to lilac or pink to purple. Sigh. Anyway, I am starting to suspect that DP is going to let me have my way with the first name of the next one. Middle names in a total state of flux, though.

SL, I usually go to H&M. I don't think it's brilliant but I do think it's cheap The trousers there though are mainly combatty ones. Last time I went a bit mad at Isabella Oliver and it was a waste of money, in retrospect. I also bought stuff from Seraphine in Hampstead, and again...bit of a waste. Red Herring in Debenhams do okayish stuff as well. I have quite a few mat clothes, as I recall, some summery. Want me to send you some? I won't need 'em for a bit and there are some garments that I got so bored of, I can't see me wearing them this time.

Kiwi, I hope you are enjoying your day. I hope your DD continues the good work!

Oooh, Veg, hope you avoid the migraine. Very very sorry about the Aussies last night. I think it's lovely that your DS1 is going to get his violin lessons. I am big on music for kids, especially if they are enthusiastic like he is. I would love to see you all in Brussels but would also feel slightly rotten that it would be a two hour journey for you with two small boys. However, needless to say I would be pleased to see them too and would have O anyway.

WG, I do understand your worries about the music group, but it sounds like the sort of thing one froths into a frappuccino about and then turns out to be totally fine. I bet you'll be smashing.

Spot, are you doing your work? Clearly I am doing mine [not]

NJAN, yes, it really is wonderful to hear you so positive. Yay for the therapies, that is so cheering. And so, don't be coy, are you definitely thinking about another baby?

Urbane, it's good to hear from you, lady. Good luck for the gala dinner - try not to beat yourself up that you haven't done everything. I spend my life flaying myself for things not done. It is a total mug's game. Just be glad for what you have done

Hearing about all these super ILs is amazing. Kiwi, yours sound like superstars. Just had a longish chat with my Mum during which she gently urged me not to be too hard on my MIL (who is definitely not evil, just annoying). It also emerged that a) I was only born to be company to my sister and b) the nearly 6 year gap between us was not actually by choice, but because I took ages to come along. Wow. I never knew that!

DD is really coming on with her standing. I know that sounds crazy but the last few days she wants to do it more and more as opposed to screaming and never wanting to do it. Eating is still dire. It must be a control issue. She had stopped eating bananas, which she previously loved, but when in her chair yesterday she pointed to one and said "'Nana!'Nana!" so I gladly peeled one and put it in her eager little hand, only for her to give me a very deliberate sort of look and say "Yack!" and hurl it to the floor.

Oh, and meant to say thinking of your DB and SIL, Urbane. Any news?

And Rubes, you are of course welcome to my spare mat stuff as well. I will list what I won't use. (Beans, you will have given birth by the time I get my act together so no use in offering it to you!) Any other clackerettes can have what I have got left once DD2 is born, as I will have no further use for it!

Thanks LadyT but I think you are probably lots taller than me and so I would probably trash anything like trousers with them dragging on the ground, also with me moving house I would probably lose them!! Plus I would be worried about trashing them in general, I had forgotten that having a massive stomach means that you are always bloody dropping food on it, or I am. Also DS is always wiping his snotty nose on me.

That banana story is so familiar. DS is REALLY not eating at the moment, and he also loved bananas. He demands "ba-na-na-na-nane" as he calls it and then gets this cheeky look on his face and hurls it across the room (often saying "DA!!!" in a delighted voice for some reason). Either that or he holds it in his fist and squeezes and then smears it all over the table and his face/hair etc. I am wondering if he has mild Hand Food and Mouth again as DH and I both have ulcers in our mouths and he has a really sore looking tongue with funny looking ulcers on it. Nothing on his hands or feet though, but the HFM was the thing that started the last Really Fussy Eating phase, so I am trying to just wait until it finishes. But he is getting thin already.

Oh hurrah for the standing O though, how exciting. I bet she just starts walking one day soon like she's been doing it all her life!

Oh and I agree that H&M is good, but they don't have a maternity section in Cambridge I don't think - most annoying. We do have red herring though, that is where my falling down jeans come from!

I only have one pair of maternity trousers spare anyway (some Red Herring dark blue bootcut jeans - not v trendy I know) and they are a 12 (must be a generous 12 though as they wouldn't otherwise fit me) but they are quite long. I wouldn't be bothered about you losing them but I'm not sure what you'd do with the legs (also they are rather wintery). I have some white linen maternity combats from H&M which I have been painting the house in so I think they would be seriously beyond the pale for you to wear, even if I bleached and washed them. Most of the trousers they have in at the mo are capri length or adjustable leg anyway, so I don't know if they do online.

Other than that the mat clothes I have spare are a brown cotton strappy vest, a short sleeved blue check shirt and a red cardigan - none of which I would need back, so if anyone wants 'em...

SL I found, much to my surprise, that when I was preggers w/ DD, Mamas & Papas did really nice clothes at reasonable prices. Though of course that was a while ago now! As far as I can think there isn't one in Cambridge but they do sell online. Have you tried eBay though? I got quite a few things from there. Generally not big on buying secondhand clothes but maternity ones tend to not be worn much, so I got some good bargains.

Veggie I am very happy with Holland win since I have supported them since I was a very little girl. NO idea why, it just sort of happened..! I don't support England, I do support Holland and my maternal-mother-country aren't even IN the tournament.

Quick flying visit. Been doind a wee bit of lurking over the weekend.

Hurrah to mini kiwi on her sleeping, well done mummy kiwi keep it up love you are doing brill.

Poison, lovely to hear from you. Whereabouts are you again? If you see the hot air balloons and are mentioning Notley Discovery center (great by the way) you must be super close to me. Email me julie houghton @ me dot com lets try meet up for some running around & ice cream eating at Notley.

LadyT saw the Octavia thread and knew you would be on it. Have not checked back did it get nasty?

SL and other clackered ladies online is the only way to go for mat clothes. Start a thread in style and beauty bet you get lots of responses.

Veggie poor old AUS. DH is educating me in footie swearing every evening. I am escaping to the gym tonight.

Loads more I wanted to respond to will get back on tom.

We put Lachlan in a toddler bed this wkend. All I can say is it was emptional. I got a bit carried away about taking my baby out of a cot. DH wanted to sell it! Not on your nelly I made him out it in the attic. He is doing fairly well but we did have a waking up at midnight last night gfor quite a while couldnt leave him to it as he just kept getting out and crashing into things in his crack den style bedroom. Night 4 tonight lets hope we dont have any more night waking.

Off to do tea.

As of birth of newbie, I am happy to loan out maternity clothes - well, a few weeks after anyway! Once the gut has receded a little. But I've got some lovely skinny flare gap jeans - although a size 14, so probably too big for most of you slender brendas out there! And some Mamas and Papas carpenter style jeans. Basically big and baggy and v comfy over bump band - but they do slip down some. Also a size 14. Not very beautiful, but frankly, at nearly 9 months, I couldn't give a stuff what I look like - ha!

And I agree with Kiwi - Mamas and Papas really quite reasonable.

DH now wants me to move hospital. I gave birth to DD at St Thomas's, which I had the most amazing experience at. BUT it took us 35 mins to do a test run there yesterday from our new pad. St George's is much nearer, but I don't really know it that well and what I've seen, I wasn't that keen on... What do people think? Should I stick with what I know, or go to one that's about 15 mins away? Given that my labour last time was fairly quick, I think maybe should go for nearer one. Ho hum. But I loved St Thomas's... Bumholes, don't know what to do!

Hey, where's the sunshine?

Beans 35 mins is ok. Personally stick with what you know if thats the hossie you are comfy with I would saty there

Beans I had some carpenter style jeans too, I lived in them after about 8 months, think I wore them every day and had to mooch around in a dressing gown when they were in the wash

I would have thought sticking to somewhere you know and feel comfortable and happy with should take priority - after all if it becomes really REALLY urgent to get there ASAP aren't you supposed to call an ambulance anyway? Or is that total bollocks?? I can't remember!

Got to go to get that bag to you BTW. How can we work this out?? If I'd thought I'd have popped around today and dropped it off to you but only just remembered. I'm free next Sunday if that's not too close to your due date??

kiwi ta for mamas and papas tip, they seem to have a big sale on so may have a shop tonight! I did ebay last time, but I ended up with quite a lot of things that didn't fit that well, it was cheap though. I quite fancy getting just a couple of things that actually look really good, so if I can order a load of stuff online but actually send it back if it doesn't fit then I reckon that would be better.

Oh what is the sizing like?

OH kiwi I forgot to say excellent news on the sleeping, and I agree, if she keeps waking but just yelling a few times you will get used to it and just drop straight back to sleep. DS wails a few times in the night often and I just zonk back off to sleep.

beans I would stick witht eh one you know as well. Just don't leave it too late! Or could you consider a home birth?

That's fantastic news about O standing. She'll be zooming off in no time. Maybe you should install a web cam (or O cam) in her room to see what she's practising at 2am...

SL: re the canula, I had one fitted last time as I need ABs for the GBS thingy. Was absolutely fine and didn't bother me at all. I was on at them to take it out asap after the birth though.

Beans: at this stage I would def stick with the hospital you know and like. Feeling secure and happy will make an immense difference. I was worried about a fast labour too, as I had a fairly quick one with DS (a few hours from start to finish) and I knew I needed the ABs about 3 hours beforehand. Anyway, the first stage with ds2 was longer (about 6 or 7 hours rather than 3) and the second stage was super quick (15 mins). Which was great. BUT it was largely down to a v relaxed environment and a super midwife. Tell DH you'll go in earlier if it makes him happy, as long as you feel you can relax once there.

Hello,
Lady I'm sorry to out your convo on the baby name thread. Hope you aren't bothered. I would comment but I don't know when to shut my mouth (clearly) so I decided not to
I'm impressed you won't be using the maternity clothes for a bit. i should be ok, unless you have any Isabella Oliver or Seraphine summery stuff nah actually I'd be worried about ruining it too. I'm fine actually.

SL I always go to H&M too. They are cheap and their stuff is very long, and usually fits well. The other day I bought a summery dress there that was non-maternity (which ds laughed at) but it just has elastic under the bust and is halter neck so can wear it after as well as it's just a regular medium size. Eek Vbac - brave girl well done - nuff said from me on that

I will have some stuff going begging too after this one comes out. I have Mat jeans from Next, 3/4 trousers from H&M and an assortment of tops plus a couple of feeding vests in good nick and some bump bands plus the support vest I bought.

Kiwi really good news about your progress with minikiwi sleeping - it's all sounding rather positive. She'll be a pro by the time dh returns

Jam - someone joining me in the big boy bed club yay! Hope you have a great night. I put a really soft night light in there for ds, only because I was thinking when he potty trains he'll need to see anyway, so I was thinking I'd get him used to it. it's really really soft though - I mean too dim to play by but he could manage to get to the door if he wanted I think

Beans - getting close how exciting. I used to live a stones throw from Georges, and dh recently went there for his nose op so I had a look at their mat bit while I was there - looks a bit rabbit warren style over crowded and grim if you ask me and I haven't heard great things, but dh had ok care with his nose. I'd stay put though for sure.
The db situation (thanks for asking) is we really haven't been in too much comms but the little we have has been very pleasant - just no mention of the trip / tickets etc on either of our parts. We shall see. I'm not sure if he's going to ask last minute of they have got it all sorted since he refuses to speak to me about the phone call and lies? I'm not really thinking about it though. if he doesn't want my help unless it's on his terms then that's his choice I spose, but I'm surprised he's rather pay 4 times the price than talk to me about it all - ho hum.

Was having a lazy day then realised the dogs vaccs boosters were overdue and she's going in the kennel shortly so emergency dash to the Vet, had no car but luckily it's only a mile walk, but then it started pissing with rain Never mind, all done now.

Oh and I also have a mat swimsuit courtesy of our Trace it could be like the travelling pants - I've actually not seen that movie but isn't that what they do? Pass it on?

ds has a Satsuma addiction. Total count today - SIX!! Can he have TOO much vitamin C?

Hi all, just a quick Q on the subject of mat clothes - I said I'd lend SIL my nice Isabella Oliver stuff (dad gave me a gift voucher for my birthday last time ) but now I'm going to need it - she's due in August and has a pretty good bump already , and I'd be happy to lend, but she's an utter flake when it comes to posting stuff and when the baby arrives, she'll have more important stuff on her mind! When I say flaky, she still hasn't sent me and DH the wedding pressie she supposedly go us in 2006, xmas pressies are usually 'in the post' until about Feb, ect ect...

So, if I post the stuff, I'd need to tell her that I'll need it back fairly soon, and then wave it all goodbye . If I don't send it, she'll want to know why... Any ideas?!