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...!

Been out this afternoon and now I see young Beans is off! WOWZERS! It's so exciting. I feel like pacing up and down like a 1970s sitcom dad. Jolly good luck, Beans! Can't wait to hear.

Sybs, if you are reading through your hangover, if you still fancy it I am totally free on Tues so could come and meet you somewhere if it still suits...

KiwiP, I haven't checked the forecast but unless it is torrential I will be there between 2.30 and (depending on when the cricket ends) I would say about 6.30ish. Now, I haven't been there before and I have peered at the rubbish map they have got on the website, and I think I can see the wicket - in which case it looks to be near the conservatory and Italian gardens, but I can't be certain. However, my phone number is 07795217915 and there IS only one cricket ground there. I do not have to be glued to the cricket so perfectly happy to toddle off to the cafe or whathaveyou, or anywhere else. There is an entrance fee, but it's less for just the gardens, I believe. It looks charming. So, if you feel like wandering down it would be lovely to see you, but if the weather's crummy or you just plain end up doing something else, no pressure and I will see you another time.

It would be super to see you, also, Miss Avo, if you do happen to be around. Welcome back! Sorry about your toe...that is most unfortunate. Bet you're glad to be home...

Urbane - oooh, that job dilemma sounds like a real toughie. Gosh. How horrid to have to decide over a weekend. I presume you have made a list of pros and cons. Which way are you currently swinging? To turn it on its head, which opportunity would it hurt you the most to lose? I am an excema ignoramus - and I have had more spicy food than usual this week. I will check with the consultant on Mon that that is indeed what it is and not some weird pregnancy lurgy.

Trace - the only treatment for DP's hypnagogic hallucinations is a low dose of anti-depressants, which he understadably doesn't want to take as he isn't depressed. So, we put up with it. It involves crazed conversations in his sleep and sometime he even gets out of bed and runs across the room and stuff. It is definitely worse when he is stressed. I am so sorry for Lu. Poor little girl.

WG - I can't believe I haven't posted that parcel to you but I am sure Veggie can - it took me aeons to post her parcel! It has to be a plus that the counselling is working on some levels. It's still very early days...

Spot - Masses of luck for The Talk. I must say I like to tackle things head on myself, so it's the approach I would take. I hope you manage not to be too hard on each other. Pregnancy is a difficult time, in many ways, so please cut yourself a giant length of slack. I know it's not just that, but, our modern lives are so complex and our expectations are so darn high.

Effie, sometimes I look at DP and, love him as I do, I think "I would like to hit you, quite hard, with a spade". I don't say it aloud. But thinking it is very healing

DP is doing a gig tonight so I have the evening to myself. But I need to do a giant tidy and some work, so there we are. (And try not to scratch my sore, scrofulous front).

Cross posted with you, Veg. I am never going to have a natural birth but I am still fascinated by them and other people's choices/birth experiences and I do still feel an enormous amount of solidarity with people undergoing any sort of birth. Another gem p356 offers people is 'thinking in terms of what the pain accomplishes rather than how much it hurts'. Maybe that's helpful to some people...but it wouldn't be to me. Anyway, will stop going on about it now

RRRrrrright, must get on with me tidying. I know Beans is convinced it's a boy. I am going with another girl as well. But I won't be shocked if it's a boy!

Oh bugger LadyT I was hoping you'd be there earlier - I've arranged to meet my parents mid-afternoon. NOrmally I'd ditch them (useless as they are) but I haven't seen them for a few weeks and they are actually yet to see DD walking so I feel I can't really. Darn it!

That's a shame. We never play before 2pm as I wouldn't get many players However, why don't you remind me what your best days are and let's see if we can't rustle up some sort of jolly meet up for you whilst you are on your tod. If it's just weekends, I am possibly around next Sat (3rd) or possibly - not 100%yet - following Fri (9th). Anyone else?

Oh that would be lovely. I am not around next weekends (going to stay with the in-laws again) but have a day off in the week (usually Mondays but I can switch it to another day easily) so Friday 9th could work!

Yay for Beans! How exciting! I just had this feeling that I would check in (finally) today and she would be having the baby.

I am soooooooo sorry for disappearing and worrying you all, especially after everyone has been so lovely and supportive. My laptop broke and I have been so busy at work that I haven't been able to keep up while there. But no excuse. I really should have at least updated after my scan.

Scan was good news, in the sense that it was a complete miscarriage. All natural, just a heavy and painful period. I'm feeling well - had one run-in with an aquaintance on Friday who had heard I was pregnant but hadn't heard the update, which was a bit upsetting and awkward. But other than that I am feeling just fine. Have even decided to keep the goalie pulled, so to speak so hopefully reclackering with a sticky bubs will follow in the not too distant future!

Congrats JJ! How exciting!

I have tried to skim to catch up, but am failing miserably at processing everything...

I had a great day out today at the Museum of Childhood - I am LOVING the new east London train line! The pleasures of Hackney a mere 20 min journey away.

DH is on another stag weekend. I am eating a Tesco curry and watching bad TV. Oh, and drinking lots of cold white cheerfulness!

Kiwi - Would a meet up help speed the time until your DH returns?? I am free Fridays (esp afternoon as we do swimming in the AM) and weekends except first weekend in July.

I have stolen/borrowed a laptop from work so hopefully I will be able to keep in better touch this week. I did get internet on my phone but it is really slow - okay for reading a few posts here and there, but takes ages to read the pages of chat that we produce on here!

Have missed you all and think of you lots!

I was just going to complain about Saturday night tele, but I discovered an entire season of Four Weddings on the Virgin TV on demand thingy, so I am now a happy woman!

I was planning to iron, but think I will eat a magnum instead. That's the same, right?

Okay, I am a huge loser. I'll let you get back to your exciting Saturday nights now!

Mom!!!! So wonderful to see you, don't apologise I think many of us were just worried about you and I know I was a bit concerned you may not come back. But you sound great and positive and all that so that's wonderful. Nothing exciting here just watching Dr Who on iplayer.

Lady I love your using the word solidarity, what a shame more mums don't feel the need for that and ridicule and judge instead. I want to come to your cricket match.

Hello Mom. Really good to see you. If it makes you feel any better I have been watching utter rubbish TV tonight. Re-runs of Ab Fab which surprisingly was as funny as I remembered it being. And we are absolutely in love with the EL as well. Brilliant. DS has been waiting for it to open for ages so is beside himself about it.

He was v funny today - DH and he went out this afternoon and when they came back I asked DS if he'd had a nice time and he said 'yes, I'm very fond of Daddy'. . He also informed us that pigeons' heads go back into their bodies because they flew very fast into trees.

Avo JP incident sounds painful (and at Nicholas Soames Effie).Glad you're back. New job is at the GLA. And am sorely tempted. TBH I think I'm going to go for it. Only a secondment but should be really interesting and only 20 minutes from home. I'm going to see if I can structure my time to still spend some proper hours with the DCs during the week. Feel a bit torn but then I think if I do this I'll be in a better position to make sensible choice about what I do next. That's the theory anyway. And a bit more money in the meantime would help pay something of our enormous mortgage. Gah.

I wonder how beans is getting on I think I'd have made a rather good 70s Dad. I think it's a boy...hope it's either started or you're getting some rest beans. And if not (and apologies for droning on about this again) induction really isn't necessarily always bad.

Oh, bless you, Veggie. We have a couple of magnificent Aussies who play for us. A credit to your nation! Although one of them is the most stupendous flirt I have ever encountered, with the exception of my DH

Mom, I am really glad to see you. I am relieved for you it was a natural miscarriage. Utterly horrendous I am sure, but still sounds marginally better than more interventionist alternatives. I admire your positive approach greatly and feel certain it will pay dividends. Keep on batting That's what I always say to myself when things are tough, anyway.

Hey, can you do the 9th, then, Mom? Kiwi, if you can juggle your days without too much hassle, lovely. I think Urbane may be free on Fridays too? Meantime I will firm up my plans.

So, Father's Day tomorrow (though I suspect not in the Netherlands? They seem to have things on different days). I took DP for lunch today, seeing as I won't be here tomorrow, and it was lovely. I have also got a card and some gifts for tomorrow. DP is quite low maintenance about such things but I fear I am not so need to keep up standards! Right, must go as this laptop is getting iffy. Probably won't be on here until Tuesday night/Wednesday morn but will be reading up.

A cigar - of course! DP had a cigar when DD was born. He had a special one saved. He isn't a smoker but used to have the occasional stinky cigar, but he got carried away when we were last in Cuba and it's turned him off them, possibly forever.

Urbs, I think it's good that you've got clarity of mind over the new job. Anyway, I think moving about a bit can help one ascend the greasy pole.

DP's sister has been induced with every single one of her three kids She didn't seem to mind. Mind you, she is dead 'ard

Ach, this itching is driving me potty.

Not heard anything from Beans since yesterday.. am on tenterhooks! My waters broke first too and though I went into labour naturally I had to have the induction drugs in the end because DD was taking her own sweet time in there... but I reckon second time round for Beans will surely be faster!

9th would be lovely - Mom it would be so great to see you (and others too of course!) and I'm so glad your absence was due to internet woes rather than others ones IYSWIM

No news? It's 8am so that baby will be coming pretty soon we hope! Too early for a cigar but I will be doing a bit of pacing and checking.

Every time I get a text I leap about ten feet in the air, then discover it's a T Mobile marketing message.

B did say that if it hadn't kicked off properly by now she would be induced at 8am so it might just be starting. However, I think there'll be a baby by the end of the day for sure.

Father's Day, bugger, not written the card. We will have to make a cake and pretend we were going to do an evening celebration. DH at work today. We need to drive over to Putney to drop some of my work off at a colleague;s house but other than that it's Sainsbury's and park for us.

LadyT - I'd love to meet on Tues but may actually now have to deploy children to nursery as my work has got a bit out of control. I realised as I started last night that it is much more difficult and involved than I had first thought and as I have a deadline of a week tomorrow, I am going to need gallons of time. Sorry to be rubbish. Once this prject is out of the way, I am free as a bird, so perhaps could come to Cots / Oxford for a lovely pub lunch and a bit of a chat. I know Rubes was up for a Cotswold adventure too so shall we liaise once she is back from Spain?

Right, laundry beckons. If I hear from Beans, I'll swing back on and let you know. Happy sundays everyone.

I have just given DH a bottle of whisky with the supermarket security tag still attached (it was in a box, how was I to know?). So it looks like it was shoplifted. Happy Father's Day!

Damn, sneaked on hoping for news. I hope its going well Beans. I had an induction with DD1 and the pessary et was fine, it was the oxytocin drip that I found too much. But then my body was not ready as I was induced at 38 weeks before I had shown any natural signs (like waters going).

A job near home sounds good Urbane. And the gla might make an interesting workplace, especially in the run up to 2012. I loved your advice about looking at your perfect job spec and working out what steps you needed to prepare for it. My problem is I am not sure what my perfect job is. I have had a great decade where I am. Loved the excitement of working in parl, in an amazing building with fascinating people etc. But now I feel like I have done all the exciting positions and the more senior you get the more its about business planning and risk assessing and resource managing. I am bored by all that and preferred getting my hands dirty. So I would love a change but I started in parl when I was 21. It was my first ever job and TBH I haven't got a clue how to get out there and find something else. I lack a vision of what I want. Also the terms and conditions at my work are so attractive now that I have kids that it is hard to abandon them however bored I am. Sometimes I wonder whether my career break plan is just a way of avoiding the challenge of deciding what kind of career I want.

Lol Effie. DD1 drew a lovely picture of her and her daddy at Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. I then got it scanned on to a mouse mat. When she was drawing it I was on the other side of the table so viewing it upside down. Only when DH opened it this morning did I realise that the large banner that she and I thought read "daddy" in fact reads "babby".

Syb I'm in Putney! If you have time drop in for a cup of tea!?

DH very pleased cos I hid a card from DD in his luggage when he packed and he just opened it. Think it made him a bit sad though, poor thing.

Just checking.

Go Beans! Here's hoping everything is going well.

Am celebrating Father's Day by sending hungover DH to the park with DS so that I can mnet sort the house out. But I also bought him a jumper (too small) and made him a fry up, so really I am a good wife.

Friday 9th July should be fine for me! We do swimming lessons in the AM, but I can easily skip it, or come straight afterwards.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

Am very proud to be the bearer of lovely news: BabyBeansJunior was born at 2.30am last night, all very quick in the end. Beans says she will probably be Prudene but is not 100% sure just yet! Whizzer is apparently confused and fascinated, and Pru is very lovely and mostly eating, sleeping and puking.

Hooooray!

Prudene?? That would my typing and obviously meant to be PrudenCe! x

Oooooooooo!

There may be news on Beans' FB page... only I don't want to steal her thunder! Suffice to say all seems to be well.

Congratulations Beans! That is just such fantastic news. Prudence, how gorgeous. How is Beans doing?

Hooray! An official announcement! Break out the confetti and balloons!