So, Spring has Wisely sprung and MU was Avidly done, now we're planning for Summer sun!

[AmberNectarine]

new thread!

reine- your cakes are amazing! I have to admit that I haven't heard of Abney and Teal (not sure how I've managed to miss out). Have you ever thought of starting a little business?

NY- I feel excited seeing your mention of Raffles. I am writing holiday preparation lists as we are off Tuesday am. It's a shame that we will miss you by a whisker. I recommend the Raffles high tea- a good mix of East and West last time we went. Where else are you planning to visit? Have a great time.

ollie- belated happy birthday to DS.

amber- I am indeed the only one left with a large bump. I would be v happy if anyone would like to join me! :)
I was out at the shops with the DC the other day organising a few last minute holiday bits and kept catching sight of my self in full length mirrors. I felt like a bit of a whale compared to the other slim, Summery shoppers (not that all of them were slim obviously but they tend to be the ones that you notice)!
ollie- I bought your NL sandals with the neon orange and a couple more long vests in H&M in complementary colours which should be v useful for holiday/ warmer weather here.

annie- would you mind PMing me once you have decided on a park MU and I will definitely pencil it in.

bloss- your determination is amazing as regards weight loss (and probably everything else too)! I might have to try the 6W6P post natally to try to get my tummy to an acceptable size! Great to see Nicole Ritchie looking a normal size after that dreadfully sad photo.

I saw this in JL yesterday which looked v pretty. I'm not sure whether it was the same one that decam linked to previously.

Hope the hormonal ladies are feeling better today.

Hello to suburbanstyle- great that you are staying. There are a range of budgets on this thread. Style on a lower budget is more of a challenge!

MIM- sorry to hear about your BF traumas. I used an Avent one post DS to store lots of milk but that was nearly 7 years ago and there may well be something better now, like the Medela that everyone has suggested. Hope things are improving for you now. Do you have a name yet?

Must go and do something useful from my list :) Shame as it's a gorgeous day here.

Hello!

Enjoying a lovely Spring morning in spriggy pyjamas, sitting drinking coffee at garden table, while DCs mooch around. Bliss.

Haven't decided what to wear yet but breton with lavender skinnies was even a tad warm for yesterday so we shall see.

Tried to order the Boden mariner jumper, in navy, to wear with white skinnies, but alas, out of stock. Anyone seen anything similar?

Good to see Nicole Richie looking more womanly, yet still lithe. I have an obsession with other people's beach bodies too Bloss. I irritate DH no end on the beach by asking, 'Do you think she is smaller than me?' Loaded question, if ever there was one. Mind you, am feeling quite a lot fitter as I am out running fairly regularly now.

Have a fab hols NY. Sounds an amazing adventure!

We are still in throes of trying to book Easter hols (!). Feel like going to Normandy, maybe around Le Touquet? Don't know if anyone can recommend...

Meant to ask Decam the Goldsign jeans - how do they come up size wise? Am a 26 usually.

We love Abney and Teal here, Reine. Didn't see the cake but would love to, if you don't mind....

Looby Exciting times! Am sure you look gorgeous....I had the hugest bump with my third. Knew I was kind of 'done', but was a lovely time really knowing that. I curiously still get a teeny bit 'jealous' (not sure if that is exactly the right description of the emotion) when I see pregnant women...enjoy!

Oh, and DD2 (who is 2), has just asked for a Dog and a Scooter for her next birthday! (It's ages away)....Hmmm....Dog....I do love Blue Whippets, but, even so......

Dauphin- I do feel a sense of relief knowing for sure this time that I am 'done'. I definitely don't feel 'gorgeous' although my skin is nicer than normal. :)
It's funny how other people's perspective is always different to your own. I was at a work meeting the other day and met several colleagues that I rarely see. Two female GPs, now in their mid/ late 40s have three children and told me that they were jealous of me having four, how fast they grow, etc. They do grow fast (oldest is 9 now and growing up quickly) but it hard to have perspective when you are exhausted and in the middle of it all!

Your DD2 sounds v advanced wanting scooter, etc!

red- I wanted to ask you re the Gap chambray shirt- is it fairly fitted on? I looked for it in store yesterday but none left.

Hello.

Thanks for all the advice re pump. Have hired a double one from the hospital. Is exhausting fitting in pumping with everything else. Also I have a dreadful cough ehich is making my stitches very sore.

Found out today via my notes that my section has a cat. 1 and just how serious the situation was. Has left me feelIng a bit tearful. However, I will say now that my husband has been the most amazing man over the last few days and I cannot begin to say how much I love him right now. The look in his eyes when it was all going wrong will never leave me.

Happily, I can annonce that we called her Olivia in the end. She is beautiful and very bouncy to say the least. dS not sure what to make of it all.

Right off for a snooze before another round of pumping!!

Big hello
And kisses to you all my lovely friends.

Lovely to hear from you again mim. You sound like you are coping marvellously in the circumstances. Not surprised you feel tearful but how fantastic that your DH is providing you with so much love and support. Your DD sounds wonderful.

looby I felt huge too but now the bump has gone I sort of miss it! Not the limited outfit options though. I know what you mean about perspective; I know I will look back on these months with such fondness even though I'm finding it challenging right now! DD is still quite Velcro like but getting a little better at sleeping at night. Always up from 3am till morning though, grrr! DH is fortunately pulling his weight reasonably well, has looked after both DC from 6am until 9 both weekend mornings for the last few weeks so I can sleep.

Oh, baby crying, back later.

what a beautiful sunny day it is here and how happy the thread seems at the moment - three cheers that we are through the winter and looking ahead to warmer weather!

mim I just wanted to say you sound like you are doing amazingly considering all you have been through, I take my hat off to you - I certainly didn't have it in me to persist with breast feeding when I was in a right state after DD1 and (sssh!) didn't even attempt it with DD2. I know, I know but just saying that you're doing brilliantly and not to be hard on yourself.

Went to a 40th party last night and wore my navy Janice - just about long enough to remain decent and was felt great in it as usual. Of course I overdid it on the prosecco which was most generously freely flowing.

have got on knitted fluro top (can't find on topshop website) and grey goldsign skinnies today, spending afternoon catching up on laundry, admin and tidying (which is pointless somewhat with a rampaging toddler but for my own sanity I persist)

reine would love to see your photos, cake sounds wonderful, olly your cake pops sound delicious choo it sounds like I should be looking out on ebay for a once used mold

mim well done you for persevering. It is worth it - I nearly gave up with DD as was struggling with terribly sore nipples (in tears at every feed) but pushed through and now 8.5 months later here I am unable to stop! But as others have said you also must think of yourself as you have been through so so much. Really glad to hear your DH has been amazing, I know you went through a tricky patch but it's times like these when someone's mettle is really tested, and he has really come up trumps by the sound of it. And no wonder you feel so in love - you've made a beautiful family together!

NY great to hear you're having a lovely time, enjoy your evening!

blue hope your DD allows you a bit more sleep soon. Mine has had me up around 5ish both days. Sigh.

Glad party went well ollie

Have just shredded, feel virtuous. Took DS to a windmill museum this morning - he is absolutely obsessed. Next holiday destination could be Holland at this rate! Wore grey Jamies, fluro orange Cos T and navy cardi & Supergas.

Lovely to hear from you MIM. Can only echo others advice on BFing - huge kudos to you for sorting out hiring the pump (OMG I just wrote that as pimp, thank goodness I read before posting!) - not sure I'd have had as much perseverance as you after such a difficult time. Oh, and I only realised how bad my first birth was months later - the medical team were so amazingly calm and competent. Gorgeous name, by the way!

Have worked really hard this weekend so have hardly seen the sunshine. Have made some money though, so it's not all bad news. I so need some weather appropriate clothes though! Although if I buy some no doubt we'll have Easter snow

Olivia is a lovely name MIM and poor, poor you over the traumatic delivery (and well done to DH). I expect that it might hit you even more later so be gentle with yourself.

I guess she must have had a big deceleration or something to make it such an emergency. Did you need a GA or perhaps you had an epidural in place already? Thank goodness you and she are both fine.
I did O&G for a year (only as an SHO) and remember a number of emergency situations and a few sad outcomes :( (often unpreventable ones). I always tried to stay outwardly as calm as possible so as not to alarm the poor parents any more but inwardly, hopefully, the adrenaline is really pumping. I actually like adrenaline pumping situations but rarely get them as a GP.

Your outfits sound great, amber and emo. Funny that you have chosen similar colours today.

blue- I do know what you mean re missing the bump. I felt like that after my first two pgs but not last time. I think that this time, I will just want to reclaim my body (although I will BF again unless unable to).

Yay for you mim - sounds like you've all been through a lot but doing brilliantly. Olivia is a beautiful name

I remember being told I had a 2nd or 3rd deg tear with DS but she wasn't sure which so called someone else to check. I was stitched and thought no more of it until a year or so later when I was having some discomfort and discovered I had had a 3c tear and slight rectal prolapse (sorry for TMI!). Would have been nice to know at the time!

Loving emo and amber's matching outfits. Which reminds me, amber your dream sunnies are on offer today, along with these, these and these. You know, in case the originals sell out quickly... I haven't bought any of 'em but I have bought a shed load of swimwear and will report back when it arrives.

No to Easter snow hopefully - I simply won't have it.

Sorry, mim just read post back and not meaning to trivialise your experience - just saying that it's strange to have something happen to your body and have no idea what's actually going on at the time.

And made me have a little tear in my eye reading what you wrote about your DH

Fleecy shed load of swimwear sounds fun..

Well Done MiM at least the is a back in place now it will all settle down and your won`t need the pump. I ended up ebaying mine.

hopefully hope you get some sun later. Love your typo I bet you was

Amber my father lives nr a Windmill.. next weekend better replicate the weather so we can have a family outing.

I cant do fluro Im too classic. though you all sound gorgeous, maybe I`m boring.

Dauphin running is very good for fitness the PT on the Biggest Loser said it was the best fat buster. ( Not that I`m taking it up)

Can someone advise on Acne Pistols i want the new beige colour how do they fit are they worth the money?

NY Luckly you I love Raffles maxi dress sounds ideal.

slay size down in Pistols. Great buy though, so comfy!

Dauphin - breaking cover briefly (again!) to recommend a guest house that we have stayed at many times in Le Touquet. We go there a lot as it is only three hours from Brussels, where we live. I love, love, love Le Touquet, although it has to be said it has been getting more and more expensive in the last few years. Try googling "belvedere" for a very charming guest house run by an English lady (Maggie, I think). If you don't mind a Centre Parc kind of holiday then try the Pierre & Vacances in the town. Surprisingly good and very child friendly. Do be quick though - Le Touquet is an amazing place that is always fully booked well in advance and it can be difficult to find anywhere to stay. Bonne vacances..

I'm not supposed to be here as we are still on our screen free weekend, but had to say I hope everyone had a beautiful sunny weekend. I love the transformative powers of sunshine

Extra hugs to MiM you have had a rough nine months, but you have a beautiful reward now. Be good to yourself. I bf dc1 for 9 months, dc2 for 3 weeks and dc3 for 5 days. Dc3 has only been ill enough to need antibiotics once in her life (touches lots of wood). Do whatever feels right to you.

Ds coming down stairs, don't want to get caught.......

Lovely lovely weather. Glad it's the same in Ireland verity. It has only taken two days of nice weather for me to 'get' the ankle length jeans look. Am converted.

All this talk of Singapore (hope you had a lovely time in Raffles notyummy) makes me very nostalgic, yet annoyed with myself for constantly wishing my life away. Dh used to teach an external programme out there at Easter and the last time we went I remember being obsessed about him popping the question so I could move on with my life and start a family etc etc. I was 32 at the time. We didn't go the following year as we were married and I was pregnant and didn't want to do the flight. I wish I'd enjoyed those child-free years more really. Have a lovely time there looby, and I'm sure you do not looke whale like!

mim hope you're feeling better. I expressed for dc2 in icu, had a great machine, really powerful.

I can't find anything in my text books about women in the workplace to give my students so horror of horrors, I am writing an essay for them myself. I cannot remember the last time I wrote an essay, but it wasn't as easy as it is today with google and wikipedia I can tell you.
Back to it!

Verity i am chuckling at the thought of you breaking the no screen ban - and nearly getting caught by DS!

MiM i felt a lump in my throat reading your post. Your hormones wil be all over the place, let the tears come. Beautiful name for DD.

Bloss - i was a bit the same. DH was in no hurry to commit - for 3 years he was living over here and I was in the UK. Lots of lovely WE reunions but honestly.... Eventually his boss sent him over to work in London. We went on holiday to Mexico and whilst there had a our 5 year anniversary of dating. Was convinced he was going to pop the question then, esp as we went for a lovely meal and had a moonlit walk along the beach on the way back to the hotel but nada! Took him another 18 months! I was worried about not being able to pregnant but as it turns out should not have been. Was engaged, married and pregnant within 5 months (in that order )

Men eh? ollie. To be fair, we'd only been dating for 2 years, but the same as you I was worried I wouldn't be able to get pregnant. We got engaged in the May, married in October, and pregnant by January.

I have bitten the bullet and have ordered a violet lake bikini. The J Crew was probably too cutesy for me really. Have ordered from their site so I don't have to faff with dhl returns as you do with NaP.
Is it too late to do a 6w6p? It is on my to do list (yes I'm using it today!), but have been busy. Think I should squeeze one in bearing in mind what I just purchased!

MiM, sorry you had a rough time. Olivia is a beautiful name.

Emo, I also went straight to bottles with DD2 after a disastrous few days with DD1.

You'll look fab in your bikini, Bloss.

Glad you are having fun and DD is well, NY.

Dauphin, my Goldsign misfits are my usual size, however I also bought Goldsign jeggings and should have sized down. These jeans are fab though! I ordered them on Thurs afternoon and they arrived on Friday morning. Great service.

We were married for 8 years before having DD1, I was in no rush and kept putting it off. I'll be an old hag when they are teenagers, of course.

I hope it doesn't snow as I have put all my winter clothes and got my summer stuff out. It's not chambray but I found this shirt, still with labels on it. Something to go with red jeans, anyway.

Oh god, I was the total opposite. DH sprung proposal on me after 6 weeks, and as I only have one functioning ovary we decided to stop using contraception and see what happened. Was pg 4 months later!

Morning All, another lovely day here.

Lovely name Mim, I hope that this is the start of a better week

I'm in the same camp as Amber, Dh proposed after 3 weeks! I was still in uni and said no! Then 3 years later he issued a ultimatum that we name the date or else!.......

What to wear......hm