First Time Mom's - Due March/April 2013

[Laura91]

Thank you I think I just look like i've been eating the pies - I suppose that's just the view you get from above though

Yes, hopefully he'll be back not long after Christmas. He's been at the job center today to see if we can get any help for the next few weeks - thankfully we might be able to get a little help with Council Tax & Housing Benefit. I just hate the thought of having to claim it though, which I know is silly..


I'm on a serious countdown to 5pm now. I'm cold, tired and feeling crap - definitely the start of a cold I just want to be at home now.

 

[I Love Lucy]

At my first scan Aiden was measuring 5 days behind what he would have been based on my LMP due date which is what they are going by. Then when I went in for my genetic screening ultrasound I asked what he was measuring and the tech said he was about the same as what he was at my first scan (still 5 days behind). But I guess they just don't change the due dates and I'm really not sure why.

Christmas presents this year suck. I seriously didn't want to buy gifts at all so we could focus on buying stuff for Aiden but DH was adament that we get gifts so I was hoping to spend like $200 max on gifts. Not going to happen since the gift his parents are supposed to be getting from all of us will require us to put $100+ in to it. It frustrates me so much, I don't know why his parents have to have such expensive damn gifts EVERY year.

As for the movements, it seems like Aiden is the most active at night so I sleep through most of his active time. That's going to suck if that continues to be his schedule when I have to do the kick counts.

 

[MrsHippo]

Laura so sorry to hear about your partners job, couldnt have come at a worse time really could it with Xmas. Fingers crossed things will pick back up in the new year though! You got a good bump there too, I feel massive at the moment... I was getting changed earlier and my belly button looks flat almost. I really hoped I wouldn't get a sticky outy but with the way things are going I think I will

I was planning on being strict this Xmas with gifts... But typical me ends up spending a fortune. I don't always realise either until I get home and think about what I just brought!! I get my work bonus this month, we aren't told how much we will get until closer to the date but I hope it covers what I spent on gifts. Once Christmas is over we will be buying beany stuff in the sales then hopefully we wont have to spend large amounts of money after then!! Hope my next big spend is on a holiday

 

[doggylover]

Brittany I think my LO might be most active overnight as when I wake up he/she is going nuts! And what on earth are dh's parents getting from you all for that money?! That's insane!

Laura definitely find out what you and oh are entitled too. I know what you mean, you don't like to feel like you have to claim, and would rather be working, but unfortunately these things happen - this is what you have been paying tax for!

Lauren.......my belly button is actually out now it makes me feel queasy, you can see it through certain pieces of clothes. Really freaky!

I definitely went overboard with dh's present this year.he is really into photography, and so is his dad, so myself and his mum are paying for them to do a photography day together with a professional. It's really expensive :s but I know he will enjoy it, and the getting to spend time with his dad is important. So I meant to only buy him little stocking fillers....but it all adds up so quickly

 

[Laura91]

ILoveLucy - That's so strange that they haven't altered your due date or anything? They changed my due date after my first scan because Eva was measuring a week behind.
OH's dad and wife give people a list to pick from when it comes to presents How bloody rude?! They know OH has just been laid off and still expect us to buy off of their list - all full of ridiculous presents. I think they'll get what they're given and they better be grateful for it!
Eva tends to be active throughout the whole day.. right now, she's kicking away. Her big party's are around now, 7pm(ish) and 11pm(ish).

MrsHippo - Thank you My belly button changes all the time. Sometimes it's just normal and then other times it's nearly at the surface I just wish it would make its mind up..

DoggyLover - Is it strange that I want to see your outy belly button to break me into it

Just today to get through and then it's the weekend x

 

[baby_nurse]

Sorry for lack of updates, I'm on lots of nights atm which turns me into a social recluse, however I do still try and read everyday!

mrshippo my lady parts feel weird and also a bit scratchy?!? I haven't got crabs or thrush or anything its just sometimes itchy on the outside around my knicker line! Please don't all thing I'm weird and grubby, I wash everyday honestly lol!

doggylover Belly buttons freak me out a bit as well tbh, mine is kinda staying in at the moment but looks weird and I hate how you can sometimes see it through clothes so I put a bit of cotton wool and a plaster over it, lol!

laura91 Try not to stress to much bout xmas gifts this year, people need to understand you are saving for a family and also OH has job troubles! People can just lump it! Xmas shouldn't be about spending loads and getting into trouble! OH and I aren't doing gifts this year, however it's his 30th on the 27th Dec so I'm buying him a nice watch, however I've been saving for a couple of months for it. Parents I have got a £20 limit each and friends I am doing homebaked christmas cookie trees

Spoiler

https://lakelandcamel.scene7.com/is/image/LakelandCamel/14489_1?$380$

The last couple of years I have made gifts for friends and they seem to like it, I also think its sometimes more personal than just buying them something random because you feel the need to!

As for me I'm feeing great apart from crazy itchiness all over my body! I don't think its that Liver condition you can get in pregnancy, although I will mention it to the drs. I keep slathering myself in lotions and potions but nothing eases it. I look like I've been fighting a tiger or something with all my scratch marks! Plus I've got excema on my chest, urgh Hopefully the dr will have a suggestion to help!

 

[I Love Lucy]

Sarah, before I could even start typing a response to the posts in here I had to get up and go to the bathroom. Aiden was going nuts kicking at my bladder. As for the in-laws, apparently they need a big screen tv now. Or I more so think it's MIL saying they need that since FIL apparently didn't want to get rid of the tv they have now so MIL was having to talk him into it. It gets on my nerves because they don't need to have the newest gadgets but this seems to be the trend with them every year. I wanted to do handmade gifts and get away with spending about $50 on both of our parents but now I'm stuck spending $100+ which then makes me feel like I need to spend that same amount on my parents.

Laura, my in-laws don't give a list but MIL makes it clear what they want and it's always expensive crap that they really don't need. Half the time MIL is calling my DH to come show her how to work the stuff they do have because she has no idea. Seriously, some people really ruin the whole gift giving thing for me when they behave like this.

baby_nurse, I love the homebaked Christmas cookie trees. I might have to look into doing something like that next year. I will not be stuck paying $100+ on the in-laws Christmas gift then, Aiden will have a big first Christmas.

 

[Laura91]

baby_nurse - I'm sorry, but your whole post made me actually laugh!

my lady parts feel weird and also a bit scratchy?!? I haven't got crabs or thrush or anything its just sometimes itchy on the outside around my knicker line! Please don't all thing I'm weird and grubby, I wash everyday honestly lol!

Snap!

I hate how you can sometimes see it through clothes so I put a bit of cotton wool and a plaster over it

Doesn't this make it stand out more?

I absolutely love the christmas tree biscuit things you made! I'm not one for baking but i'm gonna show my Nana them and ask her to make some x

 

[doggylover]

Alex I can't believe you plaster up your belly button! that's amazing! Maybe when mine gets even worse (I dread to think...) I will have to start doing the same!

And Laura no way are you getting a glimpse of my belly button! It's staying hidden until baby is out and it's back in!!!!

We tried to do homemade hampers for our families for a few years - putting in homemade jam etc, but then we found out they weren't using/eating the stuff we made so it was a big waste of our time. Glad they appreciated it.....

Brittany I know what you mean about spending the same amount on both sets of parents - it's something I am very aware of. Dh's family aren't huge into presents, so we don't get his parents much, but I like to splash out on mine at Xmas because they are so, so good to us all year, but its awkward getting one set of parents more than the other.

So we have picked out bouncer and playmat and ordered those to pick up tomorrow, and I am just about to make a big list of baby items we are going to get tomorrow on our "big baby shop". I'm so excited!

 

[kuntrykutie]

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[MrsHippo]

I'll be sticking a plaster on mine if it pops out haha

I'm glad I'm not the only one with lady part problems

I can't believe that after today we only have 2 weekends left before Christmas!! Fortunately I don't have too much to buy. I brought my tree yesterday i need to buy a few more decorations for it as I think I threw away a load of stuff last year as I could only find my nice stuff. So once I've decorated it properly later I'll post a photo

Also, can't believe I'm 23 weeks today. Only a few more weeks left until I move to 3rd tri :-O

 

[I Love Lucy]

I decorated outside for Christmas and couldn't be bothered to get back into the closet and dig out my indoor Christmas decorations. I'm thinking they're not going up this year.

I feel like DH and I have so much stuff we need to get done before Christmas but his work is so busy right now that there isn't enough time in the day plus he's just exhausted when he does get home. I still have to do my baby registry which I want to do with him so he can pick out stuff too. I want to have the nursery painted before Christmas so we can start getting stuff organized in there since I imagine Aiden will be getting gifts this Christmas. Not to mention, DH and I still have Christmas gifts to buy. And I have my birthday on the 21st and want to be able to go out with my husband to celebrate. Ugh! Anyone else feeling stressed or am I the only one who has way too much to do and not enough time?

 

[MrsHippo]

I think your trying to be too organised I haven't been stressing about anything baby, if I'm honest I think me and OH are a little too laid back about it all. I have only brought outfits... Think I have about 5 baby grows and that's it. I try and make sure I'm only dealing with one situation at a time so right now I'm concentrating on Christmas and making sure I have everyone's presents ect then once Xmas and new year are over I'll start thinking about baby. But even then I will be taking it slowly. I guess I don't have the worry about decorating a nursery but then I'll have the added stress of trying to move house... Will deal with it as and when I need to though. Even work isn't particularly getting to me at the moment. I really do think I've become way too relaxed over the last few months. I still get stressed and have a moan but I snap out of my moods really quickly.

I know it will be nice to have the nursery done before Christmas but it is something that can wait. Maybe you should do it in the new year instead? No need to add extra stress and pressure when it isn't needed x

 

[doggylover]

Brittany, I got a little overwhelmed yesterday when I looked at our baby list and saw how much we still have to get and do!! I'm not stressed at all about Christmas as we are doing bare minimum this year (took us half an hour to put our decs up- that's because we won't be here over Christmas week so don't see the point in the full shebang this year) but I definitely feel the baby stuff stress. I agree with Lauren though, maybe wait and pain the nursery in the new year? You can still put any presents Aiden gets in there for storage until you are ready. Don't push yourself too much or you'll be too exhausted to enjoy your birthday and Christmas.

 

[I Love Lucy]

Honestly, I'm not stressed out about the baby. It's more so the stuff I have to get done for other people that is stressing me out. The baby registry has to be done before Christmas so my mom and MIL can do baby shower invitations. Then the Christmas gifts that we have left need to get purchased obviously before Christmas. I think it's the realization that we only have 2 weeks before we go out of town to get this stuff done that makes me a bit stressed since I know those things have to be done but I just have no idea when they actually will be. I've known since Thanksgiving about this stuff but it seems like time just flew by.

Painting the nursery can wait if need be, it would just be more convenient if the walls were painted so I could start putting stuff in there since I'm starting to run out of room where I currently have stuff and I imagine we'll only get more things at Christmas. I'm hoping that DH's plan of painting one wall a night when he gets home from work will actually workout but if he's working 16 hour days again next week that won't happen. Would just be nice to have the painting taken care of so we can move the stuff that goes there, there permanently rather then having it cluttering the downstairs when we do our New Years party.

 

[MrsHippo]

My 23 week bump piccy - please try and not notice the pile of clothes behind me lol.

Also, a photo of my tree - I decided not to go for tinsel this year, instead I have decorated it with cute things instead :O) you can't really see them on the photo though

 

[noreencasey]

Hi Lucy I am expecting on the 1st April lol soo excited and looking to chat to mums alike

 

[linzylou]

I haven't been online much in the past week so I apologize if I miss anything! I'm still catching up.

First of all, you ladies have such adorable bumps!! My belly button is completely flat now. The top part likes to stick out and I try to tuck it back in sometimes so that it doesn't show underneath my clothes. DH always teases me about it now.

As for Christmas presents, our families seem to have expensive taste this year. My teenage sister has to have Beats (earbuds) by Dr. Dre to go with her new Galaxy phone and my MIL actually told me to "let DH know" that she wanted a pair of Ugg slippers. FIL and his wife want something for their cabin, and don't even get me started on his sisters. Sometimes it's nice knowing what people want but then again... Luckily, we have most of our shopping done and are waiting for things to get here. I made one plate of Christmas cookies (for myself lol) but still haven't decorated or even put up the tree!

I was super gung-ho about baby stuff a few weeks ago but now I'm a lot more laid back. I can get really stressed out if I let myself so I'm just trying to get through the holidays first! Although, I do have family members asking about the registry which is still not done. There are so many bouncers and swings to choose from that I just kind of gave up for a while.

Baby has been less active lately. A few kicks here and there but not as many hour-long dance parties, which I miss. I read that she's starting to have less room (it definitely feels that way to me!) so maybe that's why. I'm always out of breath now and I actually peed my pants the other day when I sneezed!

 

[BStar]

hiyas, it appears i have done it again i just catch up on the reading and replying and i miss a few days of reading and i'm back to square one again hehehe.

I'm trying not to stress about baby stuff too much yet. I am having my baby however at the end of Jan/Mid of Feb so I'm trying not to buy too much more stuff yet as otherwise my friends and family with get annoyed at me for being to organised and not having enough stuff left for them to buy for the shower.
Plus I'm just focusing on xmas stuff at the moment as I only get paid fortnightly so i have to make sure i have the right amount of money for xmas pressies. plus I have been saving 10% of our pays every week/fortnight to help out next year when i'm not working.

Doggylover how very exciting that you have decided on your names, we also love Maxwell as the extended version of Max, I think it's good to give them a choice for when they are older if the want to just be Max or Maxwell. So unless one or both of us change our minds it looks like we will be having 2 Isabelle's or 2 Max's or 1 of each depending on what happens on D-day . I love the middle name Katie, I was toying with the name Isabelle Kate but I'm pretty set on Isabelle Ellen ( much to hubby's disgust). But Ellen is my middle name and it has been passed down to the first boy female on my mum's side of the family for at least 5 generations and I recently found out that it has a connection to my dad's side of the family as well. It might sound a bit old fashioned but I love the idea of giving my daughter the same middle name as me and carrying on the tradition. As for Max I'm keen on either Maxwell Brian or Maxwell Kenneth as Brian is my dad's middle name and Kenneth is his first name. Again I really like the idea of giving the name some tradition, plus i think my dad will be super excited if we did that

Mrs Hippo your tree looks lovely. Is it a real one? I still haven't decorated mine yet. I'm hoping to get to it in the next day or so *fingers crossed I have the energy* hehe. And I love the name Beau Skyla it is very unique and quite pretty I think . Colds when you are pregnant are the worst I found that vicks was my best friend and so was steaming up the bathroom, and having eucalyptus oil sprinkled on the bottom of the shower before I turned it on. It would steam up the bathroom with eucalyptus steam that would help to clear my nose. Also there is some lemsip that you can take while pregnant I think it’s just the plain original one but it helps. And of course hot lemon juice and honey and sleep… lots and lots of sleep. I hope you are feeling better soon if you’re not already.

Liverpoollass it sucks that you are still getting nowhere with you appts and such. I would be getting very frustrated. I think your idea of being forceful when you see the midwife is a good idea. It’s not good but sometimes you have to get a bit angry/upset before people will take you seriously. Good luck with it all and keep us updated. My fingers are crossed for you

Laura91 that’s sucks that your other half lost his job. Hopefully he can get it back soon and in the meantime at least the government will be able to help out a bit. And good work on being so prepared for bub already, that must take some of the stress/strain away . Love your bump by the way.

Linzylou nice baby bump

Hi Kuntrykutie and Noreencasey and welcome

I too have had the lady part problem, and it’s also a bit itchy around the knicker line. It looks like I have gained a lot of weight in that area. Even my hubby noticed the other day. I’m hoping it’s just increased blood flow and goes away very quickly once bubs is born!! hehe

Oh and my belly button, it’s not an outy yet but I think it’s on it’s way. I have my belly button pierced so I have just had to put in the pregnancy belly bar and it is huge but I’m not sure what will happen if my belly button pops, as to whether I can keep the bar in or will have to take it out. It made of very pliable plastic stuff so it might be ok lol.

I’m starting to get a lil worried as I’m 24 weeks now and I can only think of one time that I felt a definite kick. I get a lot of flips but not many kicks. I really hope that isn’t a bad sign. Or perhaps it is happening and I’m just not in tune enough to figure it out. Also I don’t think hubby has felt any movement yet, sometimes he says he does but I think that’s wishful thinking because it’s usually those times that I don’t feel anything

My friend and I baked our annual Christmas cupcakes on the weekend. They looked fantastic but my body was not happy by the end of it. We did 72 cupcakes and it ended up taking us about 9-10 hours. Once we were all done I sat on the couch for a lil while and when I went to get up I was walking like an old woman and pretty sore. So I think I may have over done it hehe whoops! I will post a piccy for you all soon.

Also I just hit 24 weeks yesterday!! Hooray!! I will post a pic of my 24 week bump soon. Excuse my ignorance but why does everyone say happy v-day for people when they hit 24 weeks?

Ok and I apologise again for using nicknames I can’t seem to grasp all the real life names and keep mixing up the real names and nicknames…….. doh
By the way I have been meaning to mention that my real name is Brooke

 

[doggylover]

Happy v day Brooke! And I know what you mean about feeling stiff and sore, I barely seem to be able to get out of my seat sometimes! Nobody mentioned the "feel like an old lady" part of pregnancy to me!

Welcome noreencasey and congrats on your little bundle!

Lindsey the bump looks great!!! And I can't see any hint of a belly button poking out and my LO is the same, the movement feels almost muffled this last week or so, and I assume its because there is less room too.

Lauren I love the tree, and the bump! My dh asked me yesterday as we out our tree up where our tinsel was, and I had to remind him that he wouldn't let me buy any last year! So we are also tinsel-less!

Afm, got some not great news today I probably mentioned before that I am a teacher. For the last 2 1/2 years since I qualified I have been working in a school, covering a career break for a woman who is doing a nursing degree. Everyone assumed that she wouldn't be back and therefore I was 'set for life'....my principal had to inform me today that in fact the woman is planning on coming back so as of September I am officially unemployed. I burst into tears in his office and spent all morning crying. I would say I blame the hormones, but I would cry anyway! I am so gutted to have to leave as I have loved my job there. The kids,the other staff...all amazing, and I don't want to go. Plus, throw into the mix the fact that there are zero other jobs around, and I'll be severely limited in where I can work once I have LO as I won't want to travel too far each day....

So yeah, not a great day for me. The bright side is that the electric went off in the town I work in, so we all got sent home. Someone asked if I had been cutting the wires in a rage lol. No truth in that........I wish I had though!