FEBRUARY HEARTS Due in February 2015 , open group all welcome!

[bridgetboo62]

Awwwwww he's beautiful.

Guys, we're going to have our own in six months! How exciting is that?!

I cant wait!

 

[MellyH]

The six month thing just reminded me - is anyone thinking about what star sign their little one/s will be? I was originally thinking Pisces, but since twins usually come early, now I'm thinking Aquarius, or if they're quite early, Capricorn!

 

[jmandrews]

Funny you brought that up. We were just talking about that tonight. I know Capricorn is dec. but I'm not are about the rest. I'll have to look it up.

 

[ttc126]

Melly, i do really hope your little ones are not early enough to be capricorn!

 

[ttc126]

I just looked and i think I'm definitely looking at a Capricorn baby... i will be induced around 37 weeks so doubt I'll make it to another sign. Fun to look at that stuff!

 

[MellyH]

Melly, i do really hope your little ones are not early enough to be capricorn!

Well the 'average' twin pregnancy is 35 weeks, which would be January 20th, which would be Capricorn! I'm hoping I can keep them baking for an extra week or two though, which would nudge them into Aquarius.

 

[ttc126]

Oh my goodness....i hope i didn't come across as rude. I really didn't mean to sound snarky!

Yes, that's definitely a possibility for you! I just mean, after having a late preemie in NICU, that i hope you get to go to close to 37 weeks and take them straight home! I hope we can all do that! Going home without baby was heartbreaking

 

[MellyH]

You didn't sound snarky at all! I understood that you were hoping they wouldn't be too early. I'd rather them not spend any time in NICU if they don't have to.

 

[MrsTM1]

Food is definitely very cheap In The uk... But I think wages are lower, too... Still 5p is a pretty good deal!

I have found groceries kinda pricey in the US, and the last time I was in Australia my eyes all but watered! A block of cheese was something like $8-9!

Wages aren't lower, taxes are higher, so the amount of take home pay is about the same in my opinion, depending on the type of job you have.

For example, DH makes £19,000 per year, which equates to approximately $30,400. 20% is taken out for taxes and the NHS, so that leaves us £15,200 to live on (~$24,320). If I go to work in a few years after the baby is born (if we decide not to home school) we can easily double or triple our take home pay. I'm choosing not to work at the moment due to depression and stress. Our rent is £640 per month, and all other bills are about £300 per month. We try to save £100 per month (starting over on savings as we just paid for my indefinite leave to remain - £1100!), and the grocery budget takes what's left. I try to save as much as I can on groceries so that whatever we have left from that can go into savings as well. We are trying to save up to put a down payment on a house, but it's going to take years to get anywhere with that.

So yeah, food is cheaper (we don't pay tax on food if it's considered essential - aka not cakes and bits like that) and wages are kinda decent, but taxes and rent are high. It also depends where you live. In London, rent can be more than double what we are paying for a 3 bedroom house, only you only get a one bedroom apartment.

We also do not have a car, but with where we live now, I don't miss having one. We have a public transport system that works, and we have trains if we need to go outside of our city.

I'm definitely not complaining, don't think that, and I am so thankful for having the NHS. It may not be perfect, but when I lived in the states, I couldn't afford to go to the doctor at all, no matter what it was for. I hated being sick for months and still having to work and not be able to even afford a doctor.

 

[MrsPoodle]

I'm looking at an aquarius or pisces baby... I'm an aquarius and hubs is a pisces, lol... Hoping I don't make it to Pisces (feb 19th, lol, would mean me going 11 days over... gulp!)

 

[RaspberryK]

I hadn't even thought about star signs.

About the cost of living ... It really is hard to compare, MrsTM1 don't forget N.I. contribution on top of tax hun!
Wages in all areas are often regional, as are prices for housing, however that is also sometimes hard to work out as it isn't alway in line.
For example in parts of devon and cornwall there is some very expensive property, yet wages are not high and there aren't as many jobs... where as up north there is some cheap housing but unless you have a high paying job probably out of the area it wouldn't make you better off because the wages are lower than the south east say.
I have lived in Australia, DH did the same work as he did here,he got paid more than his wages were back home. I did a weeks temping work at $20 an hour (this was in like 2006) I think. At home I would have been on £6 an hour in a similar job.
We were living in holiday rentals (EXPENSIVE) except for a months free accommodation in exchange for house sitting.
And we hired a car for the duration (again expensive compared to running your own) and yet we were loaded.
Eating out was cheap, food shopping was even cheaper IMO.
In the UK good quality food is EXPENSIVE.
Petrol and Diesel is astronomical in comparison to in the US and AUS.
xx

 

[MrsTM1]

Petrol and Diesel is astronomical in comparison to in the US and AUS.
xx

That's one of the many reasons I'm quite happy to be without a car here. Had my own car in the states and it drove me insane with all of the maintenance, taxes, insurance, payments, petrol, etc! Not worth the hassle in my opinion. Now, if we lived 10-15 miles out from the city on a route with zero buses, I'd consider one.

On a different note, DH keeps mentioning that he thinks it's twins or triplets this time! EEK! We thought it might be twins last time, but it was just one. The midwife thinks twins or triplets this time as well though, so double or triple EEK!!!!

 

[RaspberryK]

Car ownership certainly is a pain in the arse! I need one though, I couldn't get everywhere without one, I live a couple of miles from town, and 1.7 miles from Tesco which I have walked to and from with the buggy but my god is is hardwork back up the hill and took hours.
Bus services are crap here too.
I didn't have a car for a bit when DS was small and the odd time when it or DH car has been off the road and he needed one for work, I felt so trapped.
xx

 

[MrsTM1]

RaspberryK - I'm so thankful about where we live. Not only is it a pretty good neighbourhood (barring the next door neighbours every so often parties), but it's also the main road between the inner and outer ring road in Norwich. We have buses to the city centre every 10 minutes during the day, and every half hour on Sunday (although the shops are closed on Sunday, still not used to that yet!). We are 1/2 mile from an Aldi, co-op, and tesco express as well. I love going to tesco after 7-8 pm, mark downs go down to ridiculous prices! That's how we get most of our fresh veg and fruit.

 

[RaspberryK]

Sounds ideal, I definitely wouldn't need a car then xx

 

[xxshellsxx]

Melly, i do really hope your little ones are not early enough to be capricorn!

Well the 'average' twin pregnancy is 35 weeks, which would be January 20th, which would be Capricorn! I'm hoping I can keep them baking for an extra week or two though, which would nudge them into Aquarius.

I will be induced on or around January 20th (37+2 - might change yet as i haven't had my 'official' due date yet which i will get at my scan next week, but the estimate the midwife gave is spot on)! if they are still baking away by then, we had the star sign discussion the other day, Capricorn is my mums sign so she will be happy DH wants one born at 11.59pm on December 31st and the second at 12.01am on January 1st so they would be born in different years... I'd hate that but he thinks it would be great

 

[berticles21]

Hi everyone can I join? I'm jo 31 years old and expecting baby number 3. Been given due date of 17th feb but got my dating scan 4th august to confirm😃 counting down the days now😛

 

[RaspberryK]

Hi jo you're on the list xx

 

[kittykat7210]

RaspberryK - I'm so thankful about where we live. Not only is it a pretty good neighbourhood (barring the next door neighbours every so often parties), but it's also the main road between the inner and outer ring road in Norwich. We have buses to the city centre every 10 minutes during the day, and every half hour on Sunday (although the shops are closed on Sunday, still not used to that yet!). We are 1/2 mile from an Aldi, co-op, and tesco express as well. I love going to tesco after 7-8 pm, mark downs go down to ridiculous prices! That's how we get most of our fresh veg and fruit.

I think I live around the same area as you! I live a 5 minutes walk from aldi and tesco express as well as not too far from co op I tend to walk into the city if its nice as its only around 2 miles away and the walk throught the cathedral is always nice

 

[MrsTM1]

I think I live around the same area as you! I live a 5 minutes walk from aldi and tesco express as well as not too far from co op I tend to walk into the city if its nice as its only around 2 miles away and the walk throught the cathedral is always nice

We are at the top of Ketts Hill if that helps!