22yo TTC #2

[Tilly87]

Shopping with OH is terrible as well, he hates it unless were buying something he wants lol!

Can't wait to see your craft pics, bet there good.

Defo a slight growth from 20wks i think, i got told i look bigger this week but i can't see any growth myself, can't believe how close it is until christmas, getting a bit stressed with it now as i have so much to do! x

 

[Joannaxoxo]

I was also told that I looked bigger... my boss was away for 2 weeks and thinks that I 'popped' while she was away but I don't see it lol. I think I see a slight difference from my week 20 picture but not a huge difference. I have been feeling those stretching pains again for the last few days and have noticed my belly button getting more stretched so I think we are growing right now lol.

So have you got your Christmas plans all made? Between DH and my family we have to choose each christmas who to spend it with, so our plans change each year. This year we plan to have my Grandma come down to stay with my mom on Christmas Eve, which DH and I will be joing and my sister, her BF and possibly my cousin (so 7 of us). Since we live in the same town it works for us because of having the puppy and not wanting to leave her overnight, so we will be able to go back over for Christmas Day for presents and a nice lunch. Then DH and I will be going with my Mom and sister and her BF to DH's family's house for more pressies and Christmas Day dinner (my family get on well with DH's family, minus my crazy grandma who will be going home and taking my cousin with her haha). My grandma is actually my dad's mom, so my mother's mom in law haha... we all still see her as my dad is out of the picture.. but she is a very difficult woman so we prefer not to include her in our plans with DH's family (makes our lives and DH's lives easier haha).

 

[Tilly87]

I think other people notice it more than we do, my OH keeps saying i'm growing fast but i'm like i've looked like this for weeks now lol. I keep getting the stretching pains now and again as well, my last 2 pregnancies i've grown a huge amount after 30wks so think it will be the same this time.

We always stay at home on christmas day its much easier because the girls like to play with their new toys, i normally make christmas dinner, we normally have lots of leftovers because there are only 4 of us lol, on boxing day we normally visit OHs parents, swap presents and have dinner there, my family live a little further away so i normally go and visit for a few days after the girls break up for the holiday. Its a busy, busy time lol, its nice that your families get along, our families normally only get together for certain occasions like weddings etc, but both mine and OHs parents are divorced so it can be quite awkward x

 

[Joannaxoxo]

I think once DH and I have more of a family we will be having christmas in our own home. Next year we will probably have the same problem figuring out who to visit but once the baby is old enough to play with his gifts and we will probably have a sibbling for him we will plan to stay home for christmas day and see everyone on boxing day.

My Grandma makes christmas plans quite hard for our family, she is not in touch with either of her children (my dad or my aunt), and my grandfather died a few years ago... so she really only has me, my sister and my mom as family left. So we feel bad leaving her out as she would be on her own but at the same time she doesnt get on with DH's family so we either see her or his family. Ugh makes the plans difficult as we can't see everyone at once. And honestly, we'd prefer to see DH's family as they are all easy going and fun, plus my Mom and sister are always invited. My grandma is always invited to DH's too but we prefer not to bring her as she is the exact opposite in personalities with DH's family and would spoil everything (she is just that sort of person unfortunately).

 

[Tilly87]

Our first christmas as a family our daughter was only 3months old so we split the day and spent it with both mine and OHs parents as they don't live far away from each other, before we had children we use to always split christmas day like that so was just normal i guess, after that year we've always spent the day at home because its so much easier and less stressful lol.

It must be awful that you have to decide to see either your DHs parents or your grandma, it would make all our lives easier if families can just get along for our sake and especially for the children lol. I know how you feel because mine and OHs family are so different and it makes the atmosphere quite uncomfortable at times x

 

[Joannaxoxo]

I finally remembered to take some pictures of my Christmas crafts. So basically they are a foam ball with pieces of coloured ribbon pinned onto them. Never made them before but I think they have turned out quite pretty. Excited to give them as gifts this year.

 

[Tilly87]

They look very pretty, i like all the different colours, did they cost you much to make? I'm sure your friends and family will love the personal touch, knowing you have made them yourself x

 

[Joannaxoxo]

They look especially pretty in the Christmas tree lights because of all the sparkly ribbon. They were not exactly that cheap to make actually, initally I thought they would be, but ribbon really adds up and you need about 5 different types of ribbon per each christmas ball, so at $2 per each ribbon, it adds up fast. But I dont really mind, it saves me searching the stores for 7 different x-mas gifts for these people... giving them mostly to parents and grandparents as they enjoy made gifts and don't like us spending money on them anyway.

 

[Tilly87]

Some crafts things can be expensive, i know what you mean it can be very difficult to find the right presents for people, i have a few childrens things to buy and for our parents then we will be done, can't wait to relax after finishing the shopping! x

 

[Joannaxoxo]

I agree, just have to finish this craft and buy for my sister and cousin who i've just learnt is coming to visit for christmas. Then I will be done shopping and can relax... good thing about getting christmas shopping done now is that my bank account has a few weeks to replenish itself before boxing day sales start (which is when we want to start looking for baby stuff!).

 

[Tilly87]

You will have a nice christmas catching up with everyone.

God yeh, i'm dying to start buying baby things, been browsing online and found a pushchair i like, which i think i will get all i have to decide on is colour, i'm torn between two lol.

Have you decided on things you will get for your baby? x

 

[Joannaxoxo]

Well for most of the big items for baby we really don't need much now. Crib and change table we are getting from a family friend when she is done using it in a few months. We've got the rocking chair/ottoman, swing, bath, etc. So our main thing we are looking for is stroller and car seat - which my grandmother kindly offered to give us the money for the car seat So glad this is the first grandchild/great-grandchild and all the family want a part in buying stuff! - we are so spoiled!

It's all the little things I am excited to purchase but will wait until after the baby shower I think.

Oh and I just remembered, I am looking around to get a bassinet for the first few months so he can sleep in our room.

How about you, you've probably got most of the things you need already.

 

[Tilly87]

So nice that everyone wants to help you out and are excited about the new arrival!

I have absolutely nothing as after i had my last daughter (she will be 4 in April) I decided i didn't want anymore children because i went through a very bad time with depression after certain events and on a whim got rid of our baby things. I'm in a much better place now though, but anyway i have to start all over again with purchasing baby items x

 

[Joannaxoxo]

Oh wow I didn't realize your youngest was 4 already, it must be so exciting to have a new baby around again. So I guess you need to get lots of stuff too then. Have you bought any furniture yet?

When you got postpartum depression did it last a long time? I've never had any depression but it runs in my family and I know my Grandmother and Aunt (on my Dads side) suffered from postpartum depression when they had children. Was it something you had in the past and then it came on again after the birth? Just wondering as I know it's something that I could get.

 

[Tilly87]

Well she will be 4 April, her birthday is 7days after my due date! Could be a close call there lol, will be nice to have a baby again and my little girls can't wait, they keep asking when we will get the baby lol. I've not bought any furniture yet so will be having a few shopping sprees after christmas, the first thing we will get is the pushchair and car seat as i have already chose them.

Its not something that is easily overcome, i still have bad days but know i cope so much better now as at first i didn't seek help because i was ashamed and didn't want to admit i was suffering. It doesn't affect my ability to be a mum and i wouldn't change my children for anything. I had a bad childhood and things from then made depression worse at the time because i had never dealt with the feelings.

Hopefully you will be fine after you have your little boy x

 

[Joannaxoxo]

You should never feel ashamed, it's a medical condition and at least these days a lot more well known then it used to be. I'm glad you eventually seeked help, and I would never think you were a bad mum for it. I think a lot of the feelings are brought on by all our extra hormones that we get just after giving birth and to the most part the feelings are totally normal. Lets just hope they don't happen to you too badly again this time and if they start to, you'll at least know this time what they are x

What day is your daughter's birthday if you dont mind me asking, my birthday is the 23rd of April, so we might be pretty close together. If my little guy is born in April, which is highly possibly seen as I'm due on the 28th of March, we might both have birthdays very close together! I'm so excited to have a Spring baby.. everyone in my family have fall birthdays, so it will be nice to share with another

 

[Tilly87]

I'm glad i did eventually seek help but because its one of them things people don't really talk about you think you must be doing something wrong, no-one in my family or any of my friends had ever mentioned depression so i thought it must just be me. Hopefully this time round i will be fine but because my health visitor already knows of my problems its sort of an advantage to me.

My daughters birthday is the 17th, your little boy will be a lovely early birthday present for you then! Its nice to have a baby in spring, the weather is not to bad over here at that time of year so we have much more options when celebrating my daughters birthday x

 

[Joannaxoxo]

Yes, it will be great sharing a birthday with my little one. Here in Canada our weather is unperdictable in the spring, some years we get mild/warm temperatures and our snow is all gone... other years it's still cold enough that we might get snow! lol. Even having my birthday on the 23rd of April I've had both shorts/t-shirts weather and snow storms haha. So it all depends on the year.

This year it looks like we will be having a green Christmas (which is unusual). We've only had 2 days of snow in the last few weeks and it's all melted already. Do you usually get a snowy Christmas? ... I think snowy christmas's are so much prettier and magical lol.

 

[Tilly87]

Over here it can sometimes be hot in April or just slightly warm, we can get some showers to. April 1st would be a good birthday lol.

For the last few years we have always had snow from November but this year we haven't had any snow yet, so who knows we may miss it this year! My girls love the snow and keep asking when it is going to snow as its winter, there dying to make snowmen, bless them lol.

Did you have a good weekend? x

 

[Joannaxoxo]

All kids love the snow, my mom grew up in England and said that when it would snow all the kids would be out because snow wasn't that common (not to where you could make snow men or anything). But I do know that England has been getting more snow in the last few years, my mom's parents still live in England and we hear how often they get snowed in.

My weekend was good. Saw DH's parents on Saturday, we haven't seen them since Thanksgiving in October so my MIL was surprised to see my belly I also got some more Christmas shopping done, almost complete now. How was your weekend?