***Lion Cub Mommies-Back In Action!***

[Shiv]

and now it turns out that David might not be entitled to paternity leave (his company don't have to give him any as he hasn't been there 6 months), so if they don't give him any he will have to take holiday (assuming they let him) and that will be all his holiday for the year taken straight after the birth...........

 

[Mary Jo]

ah, shit, Shiv! I'm sorry, that's really really REALLY rough. kudos on you for not reacting, I think I'd have blown up into little pieces and take Chris with me.

in the absence of your parents in the first part of Sept, is there any way anyone else can come and stay with you? maybe some people could take turns? I know it's FAR from ideal but if David hasn't got a choice, then I don't know what he can do. It's really shit, but I bet he feels awful as well.

failing that, could you go and stay with anyone? So you have help with Sophia and someone on hand in case you go into labour while David isn't available?

ack. I know I'd feel terrible. I'm really really sorry.

 

[Mary Jo]

Jean, ack, what a horrible dream! I know that sort, the kind you wake in tears from and daren't close your eyes and go back to sleep in case the dream comes back, too. awful. mine usually involves something bad happening to my parents. touch wood I haven't had a bad dream about Adam, not that I recall anyway.

hope you're enjoying your time off!

and that's a great idea about the dummies. I never thought to say to Adam that teddy/baby or something else is looking after the dummies. I think because he doesn't have a word for dummy (that I have heard anyway) I don't know if he'd understand it, but actually I know he would. he certainly comes running if I say do you want your dummy!

Spidey, great bathroom! your DH is very talented making stuff and doing the floor himself. is that what he does for a living?

as for sleeping, I actually slept ok last night,it helps that it is cooler. however I didn't go to bed till after 1am, and then Adam was awake and wanting to play about 5.30am, and I had to get up at 7am, so even though I slept well it was nowhere near enough. thankfully he was flagging by 9.30am and so he went back to bed and slept for 3 hours! I went up at 10am and also caught up a bit and felt hugely better. the heat really messes with me, because we can't keep the window open because it's not dark enough (the blackout bind is fitted to the window, it doesn't open behind the blind) and I hate the noise of a fan. and of course we don't have aircon!

I do have a natal hypnotherapy CD on my computer, might need to listen to it again and try to learn the relaxation techniques a bit better than I did last time! I'd love to have some real hyponosis though, always fancied it.

hi Cleck! thanks for the reassurance over weight - part of me is blase about it all an thinks what the hell I'll lose it after, the other freaks out when I get on the scale! well done for getting past all the nice food, I don't think I'd have resisted. when we go places like that I always find myself going for things I'd never usually have, like hot dogs.

fingers crossed for the next 4 months! think positive. I also think you should skip the rest of the forum and just check in here.

hey OC, nice to see you

Transformasnacks are a bit like Space Raiders, you know, Shiv, cheap corn snacks that are generally eaten by kids. they used to be 10p years ago, then 20p, now they're 30p. I like them. lookie - recognise them?!

my friend and the cancer - gah. it's pretty shit. cancer of the endometrium (basically the uterus). she's had heavy excessive crazy bleeding for ages now, but it got a lot worse this past Sept. so much so that she finally took advantage of her private health insurance through her job and got an appt with a gynaecologist. she wanted to do some investigations, which were done under general anaesthetic 5 weeks ago. a week later when she saw the consultant for the follow up, the doc said she had precancerous cells, but that she was unhappy with the lab's assessment of her results and wanted a second opinion. then on Tues my friend had a call from the doc's secretary asking her to come in as a matter of urgency to see the doc, the next day. even though there were no appts, she'd fit her in. we thought it wasnt going to be good news and it wasn't. after a 2nd and 3rd opinion, it seems she does have actual cancer after all. next step is an MRI scan and a CT scan, I guess to see if it has spread at all. we are praying it's only in the uterus and not spread at all, and then a radical hysterectomy would be done and maybe some radiation therapy. if it is spread, it would be a different story.

complicating all this is the fact that my friend is very obese. really really obese. like I worked out and from what she told me, in order to be a healthy, not overweight, BMI she would need to lose 15 stone, or 210lb. to be overweight but not obese she'd need to lose over 12 and a half st (180lb). one of the risk factors for this type of cancer is being very overweight. she has actually lost 4 stone since Christmas but obviously she has to lose more, not least because undergoing surgery is extremely complicated by her size. she was ok under the general anaesthetic last month, but that was only a D&C, not surgery involving cuts into her body as a hysterectomy would be. she wants a hysterectomy, though she is only 36, as she is single and no prospects for having a family. she is very much alone apart from friends who adore her. she has no family, her parents are dead and the rest of her family disowned her (she's had a shit life in lots of ways, through no fault of her own). she's been my best friend since school, since we were 13 or 14, so over 22 years. I am heartbroken for her that this had happened, just hope to god it can be treated and she'll be ok. her initial instinct was to refuse treatment because she doesnt want to lose her hair, but it seems unless the cancer has spread badly chemo wouldn't be a first option, as radiotherapy and progesterone treatment are more effective on this type of cancer, and she wouldn't lose her hair (apart from in the area treated).

so. she has her MRI a week on Monday, me and Adam are going along to support her from the waiting room.

it's been a stressful couple of days, we're hoping things have moved on a little with the sale of the flat, but I am still going to be really anxious til we've exchanged contracts. just want to hear it's all ok. I can't bear worrying like this.

as for food - gah. wasn't a bad day, but it wasn't great (again).
breakfast was cereal as usual, lunch was a sandwich, so that was all fine. then I had a packet of crisps. and dinner was fried chicken and chips. but me, C and Adam shared one bag of chips so I didn't make a total pig of myself (it was a generous bag). and the fried chicken was breast meat and I didn't eat the skin (I usually have a wing and breast piece and eat everything apart from the bone). and then I've had my Wispa from last night.

oh well.

 

[jelr]

Spidey: I love the bathroom and love the flooring, your DH is definitely talented, people would pay big money for those floors and he made them himself. Fair play to him - He will definitely never be out of work with that talent. I'm raging my DH is gone to bed as I know he would be impressed too. - Maybe your nips have gone on strike because you are pregnant

Cleck: for resisting all that food, I would have definitely caved I know I would - that is my downfall and the same when I eat out I just cannot pay for food that I would make at home or that is boring and have to go for the most delicious thing on the menu and it is usually the most fattening. - I agree I had no idea there were loads of accident pregnancies on here because I have a link on my favourites bar that brings me straight into this thread so I have no idea what is going on with the rest of it and know that I'm better off because losses and things like that would suck me in and upset me so it is best I stay away. I really hope you get pregnant before DH goes back in September. lol at my brother being your second husband - he is only 27 too so not much older than you - 2 of my brothers are chefs actually but the one that lives in London really has a passion for it and would cook at home all the time too where as my other brother only cooks in work, although you would have no hope sticking to a diet - I went shopping today with him for the food and you would want to see the amount of double cream that is going into the food eeeek - although maybe you would because you have great will power where as I dont

Hi Overcomer - best of luck with ttc number 2

Shiv: Definitely Kudos for you for not saying anything I might have managed to contain myself not to upset Natasha as I dont like to argue in front of her but I would have just walked out of the room in a strop and bawled my eyes out and with that news I'm actualy not sure if I would have managed to contain myself even in front of Natasha with that news. I actually gasped with I read the dates he has to go away. That is really unfair that they told him he wouldn't have to be away for much and now they expect him to be away all that time and especially with you being due around that time and then again just after the baby is born. You are so right to be mad and I know where you are coming from that it is not his fault but I would have to get angry at somebody. DH had booked 2 weeks off when Natasha was born and had to go in and do half days on the 2nd week, his old boss wanted him back in full stop, but he explained that I had an infection in my womb after having strep B and had to get into the bath (which I can't do with my joints at the best of times) 3 times a day so his boss agreed that he could do half days and I lost it I was horrible to poor DH and told him it was his fault that he didn't stand up to his boss and that he cared more about his work than he did about us and that it was fine we would just move into my mams. I felt so bad afterwards though because it wasn't his fault and he did feel that his job was to provide for us and not jepordise losing his job and he was right I was just a total bitch with being so sick and hormonal and I feel even worse now because since that company have gone into liquidation DH has told me he knew that he had an idea that things was going pear shaped there and didn't want to give his boss an excuse to get rid of him so I now know he actually was putting us first after being through the stress of the company going belly up anyway and David is so new there he really doesn't have a choice, but I do think talk to him because I do find talking about it and even getting upset can help to make you feel better and maybe you can both come up with a plan together and he is probably just as upset as you too. You are probably doing the right thing to give yourself time to calm down though because I really was a bitch and said horrible things because I hadn't calmed down - Big big though as that is really a tough one and you definitely do need a plan because you will need somebody with you and somebody to look after Sophia.

MJ: that is really scary about your friend. I can't believe they missed it not once but twice and it took a third opinion to find out. Fingers crossed that she was meant to find out and that it has not spread. It will still be tough having a hysterectomy though even though she hadn't planned a family as I would imagine unless you definitely never ever wanted kids you are going to wonder about the what if. I think you are doing the right thing to go and give her support. the poor girl sounds like she has had a rough life and it is so unfair that she should have to go through this now too - to you too. Your night sounds a bit like mine as I stupidly didn't go to bed until after 1.30 and then Natasha woke at 5, but thankfully went back to sleep but I was wide awake until 6. Although she didn't waken again until 10.15 which never happens as I was saying last night because I'm always awake and get her up by 9.30 so we had one of those days that went to hell

Well not much from me today, had to go to town and get shopping and sort out financial stuff and that so not much enjoying of the holidays yet. Af got me too and for some reason she is hitting my face as well I never get spots so shouldn't complain because I only ever maybe get one when she comes but this time I have not one or two but five on my face just a week before the wedding, but then on the other side at least the will be gone - so I had a 31 day cycle this time and I counted back to those horrible hormonal days and the first one was exactly 15 days ago (I remember when it happend this time because I had been in such a good mood on our anniversary and then the next day was a mess ) so it is definitely the half way mark that the depression sets in and reason goes out the window - I would love to get some sticks to pee on the minute it happens and check is it OV, but I once did use the sticks before Natasha was born and actually thought I wasn't OVing at all because I never got a postive but now after being educated on here I probably just didn't get my surge, but then I dont think I have the head to pee on loads of sticks in the day and when i'm in that mood I definitely won't have the head for it - Whenever money sorts itself out here I might have to treat myself to your machine Cleck.

Oh Shiv I used the slow cooker again, but only to do steak again but this time I didn't put any liquid in and just put a drizzle of oil in the end and put some mushrooms and onions underneat but it was really dry and even looked dry so that idea didn't work - so steak is out the window unless we want it braised. I hope to really get using it now when I'm off but am trying to clear all the bulk cooked dinners for Natasha and fast dinners for us out of the freezer as the one I got was a 6.5 litre one so my plan is when I using it over the summer do extra to freeze for us all for when I'm back to work - as it will cut down on more work as I will just need to add extra - although I'm disappointed that your chicken was a little dry as I tend to cook chicen more than beef or lamb :growl:

anyways I had better get to bed as it is late again and apparantly I'm the commis chef for my brother tomorrow

 

[jelr]

Oh MJ are Transformasnacks like monster munch or chickatees (not sure if you have them in the UK)

 

[jelr]

Oh girls I have just been reflecting on my post and realised that even though we have had a shitty year and are worried about money. Life is good and I have a got to be grateful for because the only thing I had to complain about were a few spots tonight and some of you have so much going on. I really hope it stays that way and that in a few weeks things turn around for you and that you only have spots to complain about in a few weeks all around.

 

[spidey]

oh Shiv that is really crappy. I thought traveling was just a small part of DH's new job but it seems they have him traveling quite often. More than likely you won't have the baby until 38 weeks or later, but I agree that you need some sort of plan in place just incase. I would be very upset and scared about the whole thing too if it were me. Would you trust having a doula as a back up birth partner if you go early and DH isn't around? I honestly have no idea what I would do in your situation. I think in those first weeks you should have someone staying with you to keep Sophia busy so you can adjust to having the new baby. But you might find it quite easy with the second one, and bf might go swimmingly and the new baby might sleep all day happily in a sling. Pus Sophia will love being mommy's helper and she may be quite happy with everything too. Fingers crossed it all works out and David gets his paternity leave too

MJ- I'm so sorry about your friend Thats awful she has to go through this at such a young age too. I'm sure she's worried with everything and to top it off, she has to worry about being put under due to her weight. I hope it hasn't spread and the hysterectomy is all she needs.

DH is a health inspector for a living and brings home a steady salary and gets great benefits, so neither of us can complain. He'll retire with a pension and full benefits after 30 years of service at age 53, so you can't beat that! He does the wood working as a hobby and it's something he could fall back on as a career if he wanted to.

jelr, I didn't find your post complaining at all But I'm in the same boat as you. Life is good for me and I'm so thankful for it.

I think I'm going to get my LH surge tomorrow and OV Saturday. My nips just started to tingle today, so this is my next chance girls!!

 

[Shiv]

MJ - that is very scary about your friend. I really hope it hasn't spread and a hysterectomy will clear all the cancer - massive hugs.

Thanks for all your kind words, I would love to say I am feeling better today but I'm not. I didn't sleep well and have woken up this morning very teary. I have decided to email David, iknow thi sis pathetically ridiculous, but I can't talk to him face to face as as soon as I even think about it I cry, so if i talked about it I would just squeak, cry and then snot everywhere, andnot actually say anthing that i need to. I'll end up just looking like a hormonal mess, which is a fairly accurate description, but not one i am fond of! i know there are much worse things that could be happening but I just feel so out fo control. It feels like the bloody house move all over again, so unhappy but nothing I can do about it. i seem to have spent the majority of this pregnancy stressed out and deeply unhappy. So just need to wait for Sophia to go down for a nap (she chose today to be up at 5.30am!) and then I'll write the email and at least that way he will know how I feel, as I never talked to him about the house move so he probably thinks I was always fine about that too

We are away for the weekend with friends so hopefully that will help take my mind off of it.

Have lovely weekends everyone

 

[jelr]

Ah Spidey I thought maybe your nips were on strike as you were pregnant - Darn it - Fingers crossed for the next few days to catch that eggy

Oh Shiv: I just had a quick read on my phone and had to turn on the laptop to give you a big - I wish I lived nearer to you to give you a proper hug or be your back up for a birthing partner and help when the baby is born.

You are not a mess, I would be so upset, scared and angry without hormones, let alone with those added and tiredness.

I actually think that is a good idea to email him as I have done that before with a friend when I was really upset about something. Sometimes it is the best way to get everything off of your chest without somebody else interupting your train of thought and making you forget to say half of the things that you meant in the first place and you still end up frustrated and as you said in this situation because you are so upset and teary you will just end up crying and not able to say what you want so you will still end up frustrated and I definitely think he needs to know what is going on as this is too big a deal to just internalise it all because you did do it with the moving and now if you do it again with such a big thing. it will all just sit there and fester and eventualy you will only end up resenting David and he wont even know why as you haven't told him.

I also think it is a good idea because it allows you to say it in a clear manner as I know if it was me and he was there in front of me and was to maybe say something I would probably start to shout as I would have to get angry at somebody and even though it is not his fault - but in the heat of the moment I would feel that it is because it is him going away even though he has no choice (if that makes sense).

I hope that getting it all off your chest it will help you feel a bit better and in control and that maybe by this evening you two can sit down and talk about it and both come up with a plan.

Big big

 

[cleckner04]

Oh Shiv. It's perfectly understandable that you are upset. I would probably go the emailing route too. It's so much easier to get everything out that you want to say by emailing or writing a letter. I think the chances of you going into labor before he is back is kinda slim but it's the thought that it could happen that is terrifying. I was in the exact same situation with DH when I had Emma. His ship left when I was like 37 weeks pregnant and they were gone for 2 weeks. I was terrified and so upset but DH ended up finding a way to stay on land instead of going with the ship. But it didn't matter in the end because I went to 40+3.


Weigh in today and I'm down to 188.4! So a 1.6 lb loss this week. Not bad considering how much harder it is with DH home. We haven't been going for our walks this week but I told him we need to start again this next week. And I am going home in a week so that's scary. Hopefully I can just maintain at least while I'm home. I don't expect to really lose. I'm only 8.4 lbs from my goal though! So close to being back to my pre-mc weight. I feel like I'll never get there though. And oddly I was a size 10-12 right before my miscarriage but I'm still a 16 now. I bet it's because of my floppy mommy tummy because it hangs over my scar into the waistband area. I am definitely selling off my 8s. It's so depressing.

 

[spidey]

Shiv, how did everything with the email to David turn out? I hope you're having a good weekend and things are looking up

Cleckner, congrats on losing even more weight with Corey around!! Good luck on maintaining weight while you're home. How long are you visiting home? Are you flying or driving?

My tingly nips on Thursday were just a tease and they never turned into full blown sore nips, so I haven't ovulated yet. My opks haven't given a positive yet either, although tonight I got an almost positive so I'm almost there. My nips have been tingling again today, so this might be the real thing Once DH is done getting Kira to bed I'm going to put him to work so I can get those spermies lined up for the egg Although he's going to try and get out of it since he's supposed to play video games with my brother tonight

Kira did the cutest thing on Thursday and Friday! DH dropped her off at my mom's house in the morning and Kira waved bye bye to Daddy, but she also made her stuffed doll's hand wave bye bye too. None of us have done this before so she came up with it all on her own. Over the past few days she's seemed so grown up to me- not my little baby anymore!

Once I'm done with DH I'm going to post in the other Lions Cub thread about more birthday stuff that I bought

 

[Shiv]

MJ - I can't believe space raider type crisps are now 30p - extaution I tell you!

How is the eating going, I hope you gave yourself some well deserved snacks over the weekend?

jelr - slow cooker - I don't think it will really work to cook dry food such as steak, it needs to be wet food to keep the moisture in. I cooked a chilli con carne teh other day it was really nice, so I am all for it now. Unfortunately, I was scraping out the ceramic bowl into the bin and I dropped it and it smashed! So no more slow cooking for me until I can find someone to sell me a replacement as I don't want to buy a whole new one. What an idiot, 2 uses, that's only £30 a use - bargain! TO make it worse I dropped it on Friday morning and had a compleet meltdown, luckily Sophia was in another room!

Oh and I think chicken such as thighs or drumsticks will work better in the slow cookera s they will be moister and the meat shoudl just fall away from the bone.

Spidey - did you Ov over the weekend? i hope you managed to pin DH down (so to speak!)

And Kira's waving baby sounds REALLY cute.

As for me well, we have been away for a weekend with friends, which was a good distraction but I am now SO tird, we were up til 1am each night and Sophia woke up at 5.15am each day. Although she did go down ok and stayed in the bed so that was good. We were staying in my friends mum's friends holiday home (for free), and seriously the lounge in this place was the same square footage as my whole house! It was amazing, had its own private mooring on to the river, loads of things to do, a pool table, table tennis, table football etc

So I emailed David on Friday morning and pretty much just said that i knew it wasn;t his fault but that I was scared and very upset and felt that I had spent the majority of this pregnancy stressed and deeply unhappy and just when things had settled down, now this! He was of course lovely and spoke to his boss who was understanding and said he would "understand if David refused to go on the trip before baby is born, but that he would disapointed" etc etc. We have basically said he will go for the 2 weeks as long as teh trip starts on time. If it is delayed then he won't go for as long. I still hate the idea, but I would feel incredibly guilty if he stayed home with me and I didn't pop until 40 weeks. As for after the birth, until he gets a definite date for when he would be away i am unwilling to let him commit. So next week i am going to be phoning friends to see if they fancy taking shifts coming ot stay with me for a few days so at least someone is here to look after Sophia, even if I have to labour on my own, which I am sure won't happen.

So i am feeling better, not becasue the situation is actually any better, but at least I have let all that emotion out and you were all right in that it did feel like a huge wieght lifted when i wrote it down.

So David is away this coming week (and perhaps the next), so I am going back to Kent on Wednesday for a couple of days and have a meet with mummy friends on Tuesday.

I am trying to plan a weekend where we can leave Sophia with my parents before new baby is born. instead of going anywhere new and exciting, my plan is to find a nice hotel near to where we used to live and the one night we can go out for dinner with friends and the next maybe just go to the cinema. And the joy of staying somewhere we know is that a) we won't have to do much driving once we have dropped Sophia off and b) we know the good places to go for lunch etc and won't have to wander round for ages getting our bearings etc. Just need to find a free weekend when David is here, although if I have to i will go on my own and just sleep in a hotel for a whole weekend!

I hope everyone had lovely weekends and thanks for your support. it is always much easier to tell you guys stuff than my *real life* friends so I really appreciate you all x

 

[Mary Jo]

aww, Shiv, I'm glad you're feeling better for letting David know how you feel about it. and that he's been lovely. really hope your friends will rally round and that you get your time in a hotel! that sounds awesome, a night or two away from Adam would be brilliant (never had one yet, I guess the first that's planned will be when I have the new baby, unless he comes very quickly and I don't have to stay in).

pleased you have had a lovely weekend away, will you have a chance to rest in the next few days? hope you enjoyed your crisps and snacks. what a pita that you smashed your ceramic dish though. I ruined my new toy the other week as well, we bought a new dustbuster (a mini hand-held vacuum cleaner), it's so much better than any other I have had, Adam was obsessed with it. well, I plugged it in to charge a little bit too close to the gas ring and burnt through the cable. thankfully I was there and smelled this awful smell, I could so easily have been upstairs while something was cooking... so there wasn't a disaster but I now have no cable and it's run out of charge, so it's sitting useless in the cupboard!

Spidey, aww, Kira looks so sweet with her wings on. so cute that she made her dolly wave! Adam doesn't really wave, he *has* waved, a few times, and he says bye bye, but when I go out to work and he and C wave at the window he just looks (and C sometimes waves his hand for him).

hope things went well with DH over the weekend. that's great he can retire so young!

Jean, Transformasnacks are like cheapo Monster Munch, they do them in pickled onion, spicy, BBQ rib and sometimes you can find them in cheese and onion (my fave). I don't know Chickatees (they're not over here). and yeah, Shiv, it's ridiculous. they've gone up recently, am sure they were 25p for a while because I used to get some on the way home from work, but when I think about it, that would have been well before I had Adam. 30p is a rip off, but they're still the cheapest bag of crisps.

v envious of your fancy schmancy dinner done by your brother! saw the pic on FB, wow. where does he work?

as for OPKs, they never worked for me. I was terrible at remembering to pee on them, for one. I did get some good ones (not the expensive smily face ones but some other pretty good ones, I always had internet cheapy tests before) when I was home over Christmas, and tried to remember, this was out of curiosity to see if they worked, as we were not TTC over Christmas. but I only did a couple and forgot to do more. then the next month I did remember (set an alarm on my phone) and I was convinced I'd missed the surge, because it was really dark one day and not at all the next, so I thought we were out, but we DTD anyway (just the once the whole month) and bingo.

wow Cleck, yay for being so close to your goal! I think most people find their body shape has changed even despite getting back to, or close to, pre preg. I feel like after this baby I will have to do some concerted efforts at toning up and losing fat because I can diet fine and lose *weight*, but honestly, I know that even though I am not overweight usually, I carry more fat on my tummy than I should. and I don't want to be an unfit, flabby mum because it won't make it easier running around after two boys. I am going to diet probably after Christmas I think. eat what I like for a while and then be more disciplined in January. which is what I did with Adam. but it's easy to say these things. I really admire how disciplined you've been, it's amazing, you've made such a major change, is Corey really impressed? he should be.

as for us... we finally took Adam swimming on Friday, and he had an absolute ball! he just loved every second, he laughed and laughed. we went to a pool where you can walk into the water, it's so shallow, up to your ankles to start with. and lots of water squirter toys and sprays and fountains and stuff. he was running around, falling down with a splash and just loving it. totally fearless, went right under a few times and didn't seem to be bothered. I even thought I might take him myself only I guess I've only a got a few months left. it's a shame we didn't go before now. he was absolutely zonked after, slept really well. though that's gone back down the pan. I think he napped yesterday but nothing at all today and he's been quite hard work. I have a day off tomorrow, going out by myself (C has another day off work so he's having Adam) and I'm going into town to see a friend I haven't seen in ages and her new baby, who isn't quite so new now (13 weeks I think). we're going to John Lewis to check out double pushchairs, since C wasn't keen when we went a couple of weeks ago, just wanted to get out of there as soon as we'd arrived.

thanks for all the support re my friend with cancer. it's hard on her because she really is so alone. she feels that even though she has me and another friend who she's very close to, she worries she is a burden to us. I don't see it that way, she is my best friend who not only has been in my life for over 20 years but has been the most amazing, brilliant support in the last 8 or 9 years, since I stopped drinking. she moved pretty close to me 8 years ago, and in the few years I was single (before meeting C), we spent so much time together. not so much now, and I know that's normal, I have a husband and a child, and I feel bad about not being able to see her as much as I used to, but I want to be there for her as much as I possibly can.

hoping that *when* we move (if if if pleeeaaase) it won't make too much difference. we won't live so close to her, but we can meet in Croydon, which is halfway. I will miss being able to hop on a couple of buses and being at hers within the hour, though. neither of us drive so it's public transport all the way unless C takes me.

so she has her MRI and her CT scans booked, one is next Fri and the other the following Mon, so fingers crossed it isn't worse than we think.

as for food, grrr, it's not been brilliant. I've had McD's twice, yesterday after work, and Fri after swimming on the way to Dawn's (friend). and pizza on Fri night.

so what I've had exactly... today -

sultana bran & cheerios & milk, orange juice (really early, went back to bed after)
breakfast 2 was a croissant and a cappuccino
lunch was a ham and cream cheese and cucumber sandwich
dinner was a big piece of 3-cheese quiche and salad
and there was a bag of square crisps and a load of Doritos. no choc yet but there is some in the fridge.

not sure if I'll be properly back on the wagon tomorrow as I'll be out most of the day and probably won't be able to resist another double cheeseburger.

didn't weigh myself yesterday, completely forgot. given my workmates yesterday were laughing at me saying I look a lot further on than almost 6 months, I am a bit scared to. but I will. I think I am not far off how I looked at 30 weeks last time. I don't mind being big, it's all in a good cause, but I hope I don't end up bigger overall. bigger sooner is ok. I've started having minor heart palpitations again in the morning after breakfast, which didn't start till 32 weeks last time, so that's irritating. and I am definitely tired when climbing the stairs. it's weird when I'm not even in 3rd tri yet.

 

[jelr]

Cleck: Well done on the weight loss especially when DH is home. I always find if DH is off for a week it is so much harder when you are out and about to still be good, so I really think you are great. Fx if you can even stay the same when you are home, that would be amazing. Do give yourself a bit of a break when you are there though as you deserve a treat week, when you have done so well. I think my body shape has changed since having Natasha too. I have jeans that I could fit into when I was 4 or 5lbs heavier than I am now and they will not go near me now, it is like my pelvis or hips have spread

Spidey: Hope you managed to dtd and DH was compliant with those nips - Fx this is your month. Aww that is so sweet about Kira waving her dolls hand. Natasha waves herself but has never waved or done anything like that with her toys really only covered them with blankets in her toy pram or fed them. I didn't realise the other thread was still going, it was dormant for so long I didn't even think to pop it - Just had a nose now and I love the butterfly theme and love love Kira with her wings on, she is adorable. How do you girls not get confused with the two threads, I think I'll stick in here as I know I would be confused between the two

Shiv: I'm so glad you emailed DH and so glad you feel much better. I definitely always think you need to get these things off your chest and it is great that DH has been so good about it - sometimes just hearing what they think and feel also helps too so you dont feel so alone with the burden if you know what I mean. Fx all your friends can come up and that would also be a great way to spend the last few weeks as they are so so long as we all know so hopefully with different visitors it will go quicker for you too.

grrr on the ceramic bowl breaking and of all days on Friday when you were feeling so cr*p anyway. I would have had a meltdown too. I'm terrified I'm going to forget and stick mine down on the granite when it is hot and it will probably crack - Yeah steak is definitely not good in it. I didn't really think it would be as I saw no recipies for it, but was trying to be experimental (I usually stick to every letter in a recipie book) and hoped that because you can do roast beef maybe it would work - aww well steak really only takes about 10 mins anyway I just thought it would be nice to be able to come home on the days I'm working to completely cooked dinners without having to do anything I'm going to do hungarian goulash in it this week so that should be nice. The idea of the hotel sounds lovely, you two have had so much stress this year that it would do you both really good to have some time alone too before new baby arrives and it sounds perfectly stress free where with being so near home

MJ: Yeah I was thinking they sounded more like monster munch and I think we do have space invadors too and have a funny feeling the chickatees are actually Irish. I'm more a snax or skips gall as the monster much and chipsticks get stuck in my teeth - Grr on your new toy getting broken too. I hate when things like that happen

My brother works in the hilton hotel in tower bridge. Aww the meal was amazing, some of the stuff I didn't think I would like but said I would try it and I cleaned my plate for every course. the pic I had up was the bread and butter pudding but he did it with croissants and cream instead and it was mouthwatering - although I noticed afterwards that he actually used over 1/2 of a kg bag of suger thoughout the whole meal so that goes my diet out the window this week, although I'm trying to tell myself that it was between 8 of us

It must be so hard for your friend going through all of that when she doesn't have a partner or family to go through it, although I'm sure you and her other friend will be all that she needs, she is lucky to have you

Glad Adam enjoyed the swimming

Well we didn't do anything different over the weekend really, my brother cooked Friday night and then we spent yesterday up with DH family as we haven't been up for a few weeks, so they hadn't seen Natasha and then DH did a bbq this evening, so just a quiet weekend really as we are leaving for the wedding on Thursday. I'm really looking forward to it now and the few days away. We are staying in the hotel on the Thursday night and Friday night as the wedding is Friday and One of my best friends (the girl who is pregnant) actually moved last year to the same town that my cousin is getting married in and I dont get to see her as often now as she is only down home every couple of weeks and she actually hasn't been down since May now with being so heavily pregnant she is wrecked after working all week, so we are going to stay with her and her husband on the Saturday night. I'm not looking forward to the car journey though as it is about 3-4 hours long, but I have gotten a few new toys like a colour doodle and some new crayons and some stickers for Natasha to play with and I'm hoping she will sleep some of the way too.

I do apologise in advance girls as I'm about to brag but I was so proud Natasha actually spelled her name out yesterday. She had no idea what she was doing and it actually is not as big as it sounds once I explain how it came about. she loves to scribble with pens, or crayons and I'm completely useless at art or drawing so when she wants me to draw I usually just write Mammy or Daddy or Natasha but I do tend to spell it out when I'm doing it and lately she has been say NAT or SHA when she is drawing but yesterday in the back of the car she was drawing and out of her mouth came NATASHA - and then she said Mammy at the end as I would usually say what I have spelled after spelling it so that is why I know she had no idea what she was doing and has basically just learned it by heart by hearing me say it so much the same as counting, but all the same I was so proud, she hasn't done it since and is back to just NAT or SHA

Anybody elses babies obsessed with boobies, Natasha was never breast fed so it hasn't come from that but lately all she keeps saying is mammy's boobies or nana's boobies and embarrassed the life out of my poor mam last week by saying pointing and saying to somebody my mam was talking to in the shop - I'm convinced she is going to should boobies walking up the isle when she is doing flower girl for the wedding on Friday

 

[Mary Jo]

I wouldn't say Adam is obsessed with boobs (yet ) - a few weeks ago I was getting dressed and changing his nappy in the middle of getting dressed, and he was curious and a bit grabby. so I said "boobs"! and he did say it back, but hasn't since. though "boo" is one of his words that he uses most often (he hides and jumps out and shouts "boo!" ) so I won't be surprised or shocked if he shouts it while we're out. unless it is very clear it has the final b, of course.

wow, the Hilton at Tower Bridge - I walk past it on the way to and from work, as our offices are just the other side of St Katherine's docks, and I get the bus from London Bridge to Tower Bridge and walk. heh, that's actually quite funny, I might have bumped into him!

my work was on the TV last night (and the last few days but especially last night). I work for the big media company that just closed its best selling Sunday tabloid (I work on the other Sunday paper, the broadsheet one - sorry Cleck and Spidey, don't want to post the names, though you can easily work out what I mean, it's the biggest story in the UK right now!). when I got to work at 1pm and left at 9pm, there were all the tv cameras etc just outside. very weird atmosphere at work yesterday. we are all just so sorry for the innocent journalists and production people who have lost their jobs because of something that happened years ago by people who don't work there now. it doesn't make it easier to know that cuts (ie more cuts, there have already been loads over the past couple of years) were coming, this is just so massive and awful. I know what it's like to work on a publication that just closes one day, it happened to me 10 years ago, and it's horrible and weird to just stop what you're doing and walk away forever. very different to losing a job but the place carries on.

 

[jelr]

Hey MJ - Yeah that story is all over the news here too, but I have only caught bits and pieces of it as I refuse to watch the news since the recession started here because it depresses the life out of me and makes me worry about stuff that I can't change anyway so I only know the parts of the story that people around me are taking about. Sad that people are losing their jobs through no fault of their own

That is mad alright that you walk past there all the time, you could very well have passed him and maybe even me and DH when we visited him when I was pregnant on Natasha - I didn't realise you were so near or I could have arranged to meet you. I was going to say the next time we go over we will have to meet up, but then we are broke this year and hopefully next year I will be pregnant so God knows when it will be and you will have moved too. Is it far from where you are moving to as in do you hope to go back to work when new baby is born?

yeah no Natasha actually says boobies so I'm in big trouble if she says it in the church on Friday - Lol I'm sure Adam will have so many years of being obsessed that he needs a break now

 

[spidey]

Shiv, that is so sad about breaking your slow cooker. I would have been in tears too. I'm glad you're feeling better about DH's traveling for work and DH can cut the trip short if he needs to. The house you stayed at this weekend sounds really nice!

MJ- I've never had a night away from Kira either and may not until I have another baby- but more than likely I'll have the baby during the day and be home by night Awww.. it sounds like Adam had such a fun time swimming! If you move (fingers crossed) will you have a place for Adam to have a pool and sprinkler? If I remember right you don't have an outdoor place for Adam right now.

jelr-I'm only using the other msg board to go on and on about Kira's birthday, so you're not missing much 'Natasha' is a hard name to say so super big congrats to Natasha!!! Kira can't make the "K" sound yet, so when I say "say Kira" she says "DA", LOL! DA is her substitute for any word or sound she can't say.

Boobies- Kira is obsessed with them She laughs at DH's boobies and tries poking at his nipples. She's laughed at my mom's boobies when they were changing into bathing suits once And she gets a huge smile on her face when she sees both of mine at once. "Boo" is Kira's word for boobies, boo boos, balloon, belly button, and beauty mark (what I call a mole as I have TONS of them).

I still haven't gotten a true positive opk, but tonight I got an almost positive one again. My nips are hurting more, so I think I'm going to ovulate tomorrow based on everything. So we shall see...

Kira has been playing imaginative games with us recently. She has an alter ego called "bad bunny" and before she does anything naughty, she hops like a bunny and then does it We always ask "did bad bunny throw the toys on the floor?" and she'll nod yes, and then we'll ask "where did bad bunny go?" and she'll say "hmmmm hmmmm hmmm" and then point in some random direction. Well today, DH made a pretend bunny trap out of a rug and some toys and then we hid to wait for bad bunny to get caught in the trap. Kira understood it all, and she hopped like a bunny and pretended to fall into the trap It was so cute. If we find something broken or a huge mess, we'll ask "who did this?" and Kira will say "Ba Bu" So basically we're teaching her to lie from a very young age!

 

[cleckner04]

Emma is a major booby fan too. She was fascinated when she realized DH has nipples too. She slowly takes her finger and pokes his nipple if he's sitting there watching TV. She tries to be sly about it. And she is obsessed with the dogs nipples because they both have like 8 nipples. And of course my boobs are her favorite. They are called boo-boos here too.


Spidey- I think we will ovulate at the same time this month. I have been getting high readings for a few days but no peak yet so I think tomorrow or the next day I'll peak. I am on CD16 I think today so I'm not happy about it because the month I got a 12 day luteal phase I peaked at CD14 I think. Oh well..

Shiv- I'm glad you are feeling a bit better about it all.

MJ- Adam sounds so cute with swimming!! It's always so nice how great they sleep after swimming too.

jelr- Your meal did look really good. It's probably best if I don't marry your brother.

 

[cleckner04]

Oh yeah. Forgot to say I spoke to my mom on the phone earlier today and she said 'So are you pregnant yet?' Is she serious? DH hasn't even been home an entire month yet. She knows we are trying but now I feel like she's pressuring me. I told her I haven't even ovulated since he's been back so it's kinda hard to get pregnant without ovulating.

 

[Shiv]

Sophia is also obsessed with boobies. The other day she was playing in our bedroom whilst I took a shower and when I came out she had the knob/cap bits that fit on each end (no idea if you know what I mean, like these two white things in the picture)

https://www.designer-bathstore.co.uk/assets/images/Category-Images/Radiator-Accessories/Radiator-Valves.jpg

Anyway I sit on the bed and she comes up and tries to put one on each nipple i laughed but said moved them away and then she put one in my belly button amd shouted "honk honk".............very funny, she does make me giggle.

Gotta go as Sophia is telling me to "close the 'cuter up". I will reply to everyone in a bit butjust had to get the booby story out!