The sequel - Fab, Sparkly & often Moany 40 + : Preggie or New Mums - come say Hi!

[jeanjeannie]

We've now filled up the last thread - and the two before that! Seems that there are a lot of us old girls out there getting ourselves into trouble

So - if you've just found yourself to be with child or have a LO and you've hit (or about to hit - we'll let you sneak in just under the radar!)the big 4 0, then come say Hi!

There is always a spare comfy chair - plenty of cake and many old ladies to listen to your moans! Think of the lovely ladies knitting shreddies - only we're not sporting a blue rinse, but wearing cashmere and kitten heels

Hello regular ladies. I avoided putting FAT, F*cked or Knackered in the title - tempting as it was

Yep JJ...lots of crap on telly.

I've just been occupying my time buying a couple of new nappies. FYI little green earthlets have got the new rainbow motherease in and you can buy them in singles...no one else is selling them as a single, only in a pack. I'm excited and bought 3 nice colours Doesn't take much to make me happy does it?

K is not in bed and has been awake for hours, barfed back a couple of ounces of milk onto her daddy, and is now grunting to herself in her crib (probably with satisfaction on barfing). I think it's a growth spurt as she had 4 ounces at 6pm and then another 2 ounces at 7pm. Not sure her belly can physically hold that amount which is prolly why she hurled the excess.

I keep thinking we'll get out of our saturday night rut and get a game out and do something different rather than tv....but I'm too tired Always the same...full of enthusiasm by day but night falls and takes all my remaining energy.

Just finishing off folding my bedding....

My copy of Good Housekeeping came today and it's the xmas special one. I skimmed through today (I'm saving it for tonight...sad, yes) and it has some lovely party frocks and accessories in it. But there's no point in buying anything as I know I won't get any use out of it. I doubt I'll be going out anywhere, even local curry house, until K is off O2. In fact I know I won't as I wouldn't leave her with someone until then.

Nice that your girls have gone to bed without a fight JJ. Mebbe your OH will get his wish of chandelier, spiderman outfit and nutella. OoOOOOoooh la la!

JW how do you know about DPs fetish for Nutella.....? I kid you not

LOVE Good Housekeeping. It was always my dream job to be the editor. Xmas issues are so lush - I get the urge to 'lay a table' all properly - with everything matching, a runner and a centre piece...the lot!

Parallel lives....I've just folded 2 baskets of washing! Oh and I adore the Little Green Earthlets shop...I swear by some nipple cream I got from them!

I've hardly left Verity at all. I find BF means it's much more difficult to feel comfy about going off. Iris was so independent - she'd cuddle up with anyone but not Verity. Still, it's weaning time soon and then milk will (hopefully) not be her main thought! Do you wean Katherine in a month too?

Yeah - rubbish telly. We're always too tired to do anything different although I'm resizing pictures for DPs website and I'm attempting to code it myself........

Oooo look...a Twix finger...excellent!

Nah, I don't start to wean K for another few months yet. She goes off her corrected age for weaning and as she's 7 weeks old (corr) tomorrow it's a way off yet.

You're right about the xmas GH. It's lovely with a properly dressed tree (ours looks like someone shakes the box upside down over the top of it), the table laid and even tips for entertaining over festive period. I'll give it a good look later on when madam has finally laid her head. But it gives me ideas which I'd like to carry out and I'll just be wasting my time. DH would have his xmas lunch from his knee in front of the tv if it was up to him. He is not a 'detail' man so it'll be wasted. I think a lot of men are like that (unless they're gay).

This is my first order from LGE but it's a nice shop and I'll reorder from them. K is almost outgrowing the first size Tots Bots/Little Lambs and I won't be replacing them. I've got the BG v3 and the Motherease but I'm thinking about trying the BTP Imse Vimse. Have you tried these ones?

OOOH you're doing a bit of web design? What code you using? We're still on html here and usually use Dreamweaver and if DH is feeling adventurous, then it's PHP.

haha@ your OH and his Nutella practices! Tis better than crunchy peanut butter which gets in places you can't get it out of

Shuddering at thought of crunchy peanut butter.....[hblush]

Web coding here is definately still bog standard html. I've just cobbled together bits from tutorials and given it a go - all self-taught and I'm not a geek! It's not very high tech - but cos I'm all designery (is that a word?) it means I can get what I want.

I tried Moonfruit which had some nice templates but not slick and simple enough. I'm playing with colour wheels....such fun! I'm just hoping it doesn't look too 'homemade'. Then again we don't want to sell anything on it (no one is going to buy a conservatory or extension)it's just to show off DPs handywork.

Ah, I though Katherine would wait a bit before the old solids. It would be a bit much.

I've not used the Imse Vimse....but my mate swears by them and so does her childminder. So much is about the shape and size of your LO as to how you get on with them.

I'd love to put my fashion design head back on (3 wasted university years!) and create a fab reusable that would even tempt the hardened disposal users to give it a go. Got loads of ideas...........but you guessed it...........can't be a*sed!

Have just been reading back over what I've missed. Gosh it's hard to keep up at the moment. I only popped out to the fishmongers!

Mussels were good, had lots of french bread to dip in the 'gravy'. Friend brought round 2 M and S tarts for pud, one lemon and the other blueberry and vanilla. Had to have both of course just to decide which I liked best.

We took Elizabeth to the Halloween birthday party this afternoon. She had a lovely time, especially sitting at a long table with all the other kids eating the birthday tea. She didn't quite understand the etiquette though, every time she took a bite of something she didn't like she'd put the remainder on to her neighbour's plate. And if she saw something she liked the look of, she'd help herself Of course I ate loads of party food. We went to the supermarket on the way home to pick up something for our supper but I was still full of sandwiches and sausage rolls. Walked past some scones and suddenly knew exactly what I wanted to eat - a cream tea. Luckily it was Waitrose so they had proper clotted cream. I can highly recommend the cream tea as a saturday night supper

ladymac how FAB You trumped a fish supper last night with the mussels and tonight...et voila...cream tea! You really are edgy & decadant....young Elizabeth will grow up to be a wild bohemian type and it'll be all your doing

Good to see you weren't flawed by any of the mussels. I remembered someone telling me that if you left a mussel out in the sun and then slipped it into a meal you could kill a man that way I suspect it wasn't the truth!

Yes jeanjeanie we know how to live round this neck of the woods Hoping there'll be some cream tea left over for breakfast but have made the mistake of leaving DH downstairs watching the cricket while I'm in bed with CSI and the laptop so doubt there'll be any left.

Think Elizabeth will look good as a wild bohemian type with her auburn hair and hearing aids!

Morning all. K has been a little git through the night. Almost teething behaviour...but I know it isn't that as she's too young. It doesn't help that prems grunt and groan in their sleep and she was on top form for groaning last night

JJ thanks for that re Imse Vimse. May buy just the one and see how it fairs but tbh, I've got lots of Motherease now so won't be switching over anyway. I'm amazed how many people are on Ebay selling a full kit, untouched and blithely put at bottom of description 'bought with good intentions but too much hard work'. Is it bollocks! You must be one hell of a lazy sod if you can't be arsed washing Tis very sad. shakes head

Took myself off to bed around 10 last night as I was shagged out

ladymac your LO sounds so cute. Is she down for getting her hearing aids next week? Btw, your house sounds a lot like ours in that DH is often downstairs watching some kind of sport and I'm upstairs watching Discovery health channel (don't ask) and on laptop.

mmmmmmm cream teas. I dreamt of them when i was pregnant but of course never indulged - not even in Cornwall - cos of the GD. Btw mrsb have you had your GTT yet? If so, how did you get on with it?

JJ if you get stuck with your html, give us a shout here...we're probably geeky enough to be able to answer your q's!

I also did 3 years wasted at uni. Never really used my degree and probably never will....come to think of it, same with DH. I think he only used his briefly when he was teaching. Ah well..............brain rot here we come! Actually I'm thinking of asking DH for a DS Lite for xmas with one of those brain trainers. Anyone tried it/got one? If so, whaddya think?

Good morning!

JW I've tried Brain Training, but I didn't like it much. I think that sort of thing should be fun and I found it a bit boring. I do love my DS, though!

Having a quiet day around here. There is some big protest thing scheduled for City Centre, where we live, so we're going to hide in the flat all day!

Morning ladeez. Elizabeth still asleep, probably due to the fact that she woke up at 10 ish last night in an utterly charming mood, like she'd just woken from a nice nap. She just sat in bed with me and played with her dolly. DH came to bed at the perfect moment - just as she'd done a poo! So he changed her and laid her down.

Off to Surrey again today to have lunch with DH's parents. It was his younger brother's birthday yesterday so hoping there might be a cake! Also brother's fiance will be there too and I find her intensely hard work. They are getting married next year and we're allowed to take our children to the church but wait for it - not to the reception I still haven't got over that DH's only brother does not want one of his beautiful (and only) nieces to be a bridesmaid. I know I'm biased but I just assumed they'd be asked. Bride-to-be has BIL right under her 27 year-old thumb.

I must be looking pretty bad right now as with E asleep and Grace away at a sleepover, DH has gone downstairs to watch taped Match of the Day instead of having a bit of sunday morning loving

So I am diverting my energies by looking at the Blooming Marvelous website. There is a branch in Guildford and I have asked if we can go there on the way to lunch. At the moment all I have in the way of maternity stuff is 2 pairs of Gap maternity jeans which I bought when they were doing that 30% off voucher. All my normal T-shirts have started riding up over the bump and that bare midriff look is really not a good one at my age! I am quite liking this frock which is about the frilliest and girliest I would ever stretch too (more of a Plain Jane, I rarely wear patterns) but really need some tops. If I buy dresses then I'll also need to buy some boots and we're a bit stretched at the mo.

Does anyone know what the quality of their stuff is like? I am quite fussy about clothes and would rather spend more on a few well-cut pieces than buy loads of cheap stuff that will just end up in the bin after a few washes. Trouble is I can't afford the expensive stuff DH and I usually save up and hit the Nicole Farhi sample sale twice a year. I've got a favourite cardigan of hers that I've had for at least 10 years, I like the way the stuff lasts without really dating.

Where else does nice maternity stuff? I bought quite a bit from Dorothy Perkins last time round but hated the way the seams started twisting and the fabric bobbled. Any ideas for Miss Fusspot?

My DH also tapes MoTD for Sunday mornings

Anyway, to more pressing matters of dresses I've had/got some Blooming Marvellous items and they're good quality. Loving that dress on the link. I'd wear that now! New Look do maternity on the cheap and cheerful and so do H&M which is quite nice stuff. Next is also good and M&S are slowly extending their range. If you have $$$$$ then look at Isobel Oliver but for the amount of time your actually wear it, I'm not sure it's worth it unless it's a sale item. (note: the latter has good re-sale value on Ebay).

There's also good old Mothercare and their Moda range.

I've also bought stuff from this site but it's all a bit hit and miss what's in and what's available in your size. But they're good, fast delivery etc.

Check some of them out online and see if there are any bargains to be had in the sales.

Morning all....almost a full night's sleep Horrah!!

ladymac enjoy lunch in Surrey - don't forget to glare at the bride of Frankensteinto be No idea what the banning of kiddies at weddings is all about. What's a wedding without LOs scooting around the floor, sliding in between yer legs while the dodgy uncle disco dances around Aunty Maureen...??! I mean, Peter Kay wouldn't have an act without such scenes!

I like Blooming Marvellous's stuff. There's one in Marlow and virtually all my maternity stuff was from there. I've got a simple black dress, lovely, heavy fabric. I also invested in a simple black V neck sweater - and it's still going!

JoJO maman bebe is nice - but i found a bit small. Although the 10% MN discount and free postage & packing means it's not worth us going to the shop in Windsor. HM do nice stuff....good fit...generous. My Next stuff was OK too. I just loathe Mat jeans...just never got them to stay up - even when they were hoiked up under my boobs

JW sorry K was monkey last night. I found my brain in a html stuper last night as I was trying to caption pictures....WHAH! I want it all to work like quark..or in design and then I realise I'm not actually designing a magazine, which is infinately easier! I shall indeed call upon you if i have a geek meltdown - thank you muchly!

Morning tee don't go stir crazy in the flat now. I quite fancy a Brain Trainer...although i suspect it'll be a one-hit wonder for a week with me!

DP and Iris gone off to Tesco....just me and Verity, chilling out.

Ooo yes, I quite like some of the Mothercare Moda range - well remembered JW

Just a quick word about Isabella Oliver stuff. I did a photo shoot for The Sun (I know, kill me later....it's a long story) when i was 7 mths preggie with Iris. They asked what I wanted to wear - so I thought - well, I'll be seen looking good in some Isabella Oliver cos it must be good as it's $$$££££!!!

Well, ladies, it was awful. The material was really sweaty, hot and itchy - think 1970s type fabric. Plus, I spilled a bit of water on it...and it all crinkled - like crepe paper and the stylist couldn't get it out. And it was tiny...no room for boobage.

Me thinks it's for the thin-yet-preggy bunnies of Snotting Hill who float about parading labels (friends in my former life spring to mind!) It's all hype as far as I could see. Even the stylist, who'd wanted to use it as she'd seen the glossy pics and celeb endorsements was horrified!

Gosh - I suddenly thought of those woman that Harry Enfield takes the Pss out of in his sketch with the shop he's created called 'Wnk'!!!

Rant over - as you were!

I never actually bought any of the Isobella Oliver stuff as it's way out of my league. I mean over £100 for a dress?! and after what I've just read, VERY glad I didn't get seduced by the label

K's being very tetchy today and I've no idea why. She's drinking an awful lot of milk and pooing it out of the other end very efficiently so I can only think growth spurt. She'll be weighed tomorrow at hospital appointment so we'll soon find out. Must say, dreading it tomorrow but have to think positive

Oh, and I've just remembered I bought maternity wear from Vertbaudet's Cocoon range which is nice and affordable.

No probs with the html. Just SHOUT !!

With all this talk of Maternity wear, I realized I have what is probably a stupid question.

How do you know what size to buy? Do you buy the size you would buy if you weren't pregnant? Does the belly bit expand or something?

I am such a newbie at this!

Tee I bought the size I was before I got pregnant...unless of course it's for underwear which is a whole new different ball game.

Maternity trousers vary in how they fit around your bump. I had some trousers which had an elasticated panel on the waistband and they went over the bump. Some had drawstring and waist adjuster buttons at the sides and some were under the bump. Depends on what you're after.

For maternity bra's, I wouldn't buy too many new bras until you're in the 5-6 month zone when your boobs will be a lot bigger by then...and if you're planning on b/f, you'll need even bigger sizes once your milk comes in

For anyone who is interested, Mothercare have Phil & Teds on offer at the mo.

hullo all

We're back. Well, wedding went great. Although all kiddies were invited to the whole doings we left D with his grandparents until after the meal - purely because we couldn't be effed with a)standing outside the church in the cold if he cried and b) trying to eat while feeding him - its not like you can leave your dinner till later to eat cold in these circs. But anyway everyone else brought theirs - including a 3 week old baby and they all behaved impeccably. Not a peep out of any of them. Then later we fetched D and went back to the disco - get this - he slept for hours thorough all the music and dj shouting and people coming up oohing and ahhing at him. Then when he did wake up he behaved like a star and allowed himself to be manhandled by a load of strangers without a grumble. He only cried when hungry and at about 11pm when he was ready for bed. All the kids were great and there was the obligatory scooting round the dance floor . They added to the whole thing rather thasn being a distraction.

I don't understand either why people wont have them at weddings - they love it - parents occupied chatting/drinking etc so you get to meet lots of new kids and run around and dance and generally have a good time.

Anyhoo we got home only slightly sozzled -OH crashed and I stayed awake til 2 - fed D and we all went off to bed. He only woke at 6 for a feed and went straight back down without a murmur until 8.30. He really is in mummy's good books today

Hope you have all had a good one - love that dress ladymac very nice. I never bothered much with maternity wear - it was the height of summer before I really had a bump so I just wore cheap large sized long line tops with the same couple of elasticated skirts throughout the last three months. The height of fashion I was not but comfortabe I was. I did buy a couple of nice gypsy tops from Bravissimo to deal with the huge norkage and these covered the bump easily also.

jw the GTT - good news I was 5.7 before the test and 5.3 after. Excellent results they said so thats a relief but I really really have to get my weight down before the real thing kicks in - it does run in the family.

I am one of those lazy ars*d feckers who only does disposable - when you speak of all these reusables etc the terminology is like a foreign language to me. Its not that I don't want to wash them its the thought of leaving them all lying in a bucket until there is enough of them to wash and crispy hard nappies after washing, and how do you dry them? surely the constant washing and drying is just transferring the environmental impact elsewhere?

blimey I haven't have wittered on...

Hahahahah Thanks jw my first html pun!!

!!

tee yep, you need the size that you are now - although you may want to try a few things on - as I found that once the boobs grew things like t-shirts shot up above your belly button. Not a good look while preggie - unless you're 16 Definately try on jeans though - I mean they're stressful enough when you're not up-the-duff!

Glad you had a good time out on the razz mrsb. Sounds as though a good time was had by all. Totally agree with you on the children at weddings front. It's not a party without the kids sliding across the dancefloor - much better than seeing the drunken adults stumble around it!

Great news on the GTT results. Mine were borderline on the fasting breakfast i.e. 5.9 and some a bit more but I've been to diabetic clinic for my annual check and I'm not officially diabetic although I have to lose weight like you say. I've lost over 5 kilos to date since getting pregnant so I'm making inroads. It's very difficult though especially when I'm having a shitty morning and I've just gobbled down the best part of a large block of dairy milk Bad me. And yes it does run in families but not in mind, I'm the first. I'm told it's a question of 'when' I'll get it, not 'if'.

The nappies are easy peasy once you get into the swing of them. I put mine on a maiden (clothes horse?) to dry and give them 10 minutes in the dryer to fluff them. I don't tumble dry the wraps (they were called rubbers back in the old days) and the fleece liners take 10 mins to dry in the dryer. In summer or a nice day, they go on the line (which is fab and cheap but also the sun is a natural bleach and keeps them white). Bear in mind I only wash once every other day. Nope, they don't smell. Bucket has a lid on it and I put tea tree oil in the bottom underneath the nappy net. I'm just about the buy another bucket so I can go two days before washing I'm told that even taking into account the electricity for washing (and drying should you so desire), wear and tear on machine, it's still cheaper and better for the environment...

...taking me nicely onto this question I have. JJ have you used the silk bourettes as liners? I'm thinking of trying them out on K's sensitive botty. If you have, whaddya think?

I wasn't having a poke at people who use disposables btw. Just those that buy the whole kit (and it's very expensive) and never use it! Madness.

K's botty is in great condition now the thrush has gone and I'd say it's a myth that cloth nappy babies get more nappy rash than disposable ones.

What has it come to when we're joking in HTML? LOL We really need to get out more!

I am terrible in the mornings too jw its so hard to get a chance to have something proper to eat so I often end up shoving a few chocolate biccies down just to get something eaten. Very not the way to go. But in addition to the diabetes (which I believe doesn't have to be inevitable) I caught several rather horrible glimpses of myself and my horrendously massive norks in mirrors yesterday which left me feeling quite depressed. The post-childbirth excuses for eating chocs and cake and ice cream have to come to an end now and I really must get a grip of myself.

What's the app. for tomorrow with K? a general check up or something specific? O know it has to be done but it must be knackering for you, all these constant appointments .

mrsboogie I'm leaning towards disposables also. Partly because we live in a flat and while we do have a washing machine/dryer, hanging out to dry is not really an option.

Also, JW there is also the impact of detergent on the environment and the water used, not just the electricity. Based on the research I've done, they are about even, although cloth can be slightly cheaper.

I was hoping to find a diaper service, but apparently such a thing does not exist in Northern Ireland. So I think disposables for me!

Tee depends on which detergent you're using. I'm using soap nuts which are biodegradable but I think even with normal Fairy for example, the amount you use is tiny anyway. Also using dryer balls speed the drying.

Tomorrow's appointment is for her ECG to check this duct that still open (a bit like a heart murmur but it should close itself - or at least there is a chance it can close itself without surgery). If the pressures in her lungs are getting higher then it'll be surgery. Hopefully it won't come to this. Fingers crossed.

Yep, we do sure have a lot of appointments but that comes with the prem territory I guess. Actually, the gaps are getting bigger now between them from 2 weeks now to 3 months on some. I really feel for. Stripped and poked at all of them.

I'm hearing you mrsb on the bad snacking habits. I'm a devil for it although I have been very self controlled of late but then I slip big time, like this morning. It's made me feel sick actually I was such a piglet.

Thank the lord the kids are back at school tomorrow! I mean DSS is a darling but they tend to get a little bored toward the end and I'm all out of child entertaining at the mo. Still, I have xmas in hand now so I have no rushing around to do which is good as the orders are on the up and they'll tie up any free K time I have.

I bought another pack of the Bliss cards which are very cute. I sadly wrote them all out and they're ready to post. If anyone is interested they're on their site.

Spoke to DS's #1&2 today. Youngest was telling me of his hangover he had y'day from a Halloween party ([hmm) and the other about his successful stir fry last night. Bless. The youngest also has his driving test in a few weeks which makes me feel absolutely ancient!

Having hair cut coming week and the grey taken out Can't wait but the intervals between the grey coming back seem to be getting smaller... I've noticed as I'm getting older I have that bit more chopped off and it's now shoulder length. It used to be very long and curly but I don't want to end up looking like Mrs Bun the Bakers wife; grey hair tied up in a bun is not a good look on an ageing woman imho.