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

[Shiv]

MJ - the consultant didn't say if s/he was engaged and I was just so relieved that I raced out of there without asking anything! I haven't been bouncing yet but I guess I should start again!

David also discussed my plug with his colleagues in Holland and OVER DINNER! none of them had ever heard of losing a plug either and some of the women had children!

My midwife suggested moxibustion to me and said it had a much higher success rate than ECV - 70% she quoted so def worth a go, but I bet Joel is head down now.

jelr - you are not selfish at all, you have to do what is right for your family, and working extra hours for no pay is not what is best for your family. It sounds like going down to two days is the right thing to do. I am glad your boss is understanding. Has she had her pay cut too?

SOphia will use a spoon to eat yoghurt or breakfast , and she can prong with a fork but gets bored very quickly and then uses her hands. I was going to ask the question on fb actually as I feel like Sophia should be using cutlery all the time and not just on occasion, but you girls have convinced me she is ok.

Cleck - it is interesting that Emma uses her fork so well, Sophia was BLW as well (as was Adam I believe? an dI put it down to this that she wasn;t so good with a fork/spoon. I do think you are right though, toddlers of this age pick their skills, whilst Sophia chats away shovelling food into her face with her hands, Emma is carefully using her cutlery. I guess they will all even out in time and be able to do everything.

Spidey - I plan to put my pool in the lounge as I want to be able to watch tv whilst in it! I ordered it last night and now just need to get soem waterproof sheets to go under and around it!

Sorry for the BFN SPidey, i wish I could just magic you and Cleck pregnant.

As for us, well as you may have seen on fb - David is back early from Holland as it was bad weather. So my friend who had been staying went home just now. It had been lovely having her here but Sophia has been a nightmare at times, and her little boy was a nightmare at times as well - they seemed to play off each other. SO let me tell you the issues as I would like your opinions.

SO her little boy is 19 months old and pretty much as big as Sophia and much stockier. He kept pushing Sophia and hitting his mum and trying to eat play-doh. The problem I had is this, his mum refused to say "no" to him. She would reprimand but it always started with either "hey hey" which to me is far to jovial for a telling off, or she just said "Ewan we don't hit/ eat play-doh/push" etc. Basically he ignored her and I can't help but think that if she had taught him the word "no" then it would be easier. Sophia knows the word no, so as soon I say it she stops doing whatever it is (well usually, sometimes, maybe!) then I can explain to her what she is doign wrong. My friends child just carried on until she has finished explaining to him. I worry that if it came to him running into a road then "Ewan, we don't run in the road" will be too little too late. Do your LO's understand no? Are you trying to teach them no? I know that toddlers don't always listen it was more the fact that she didn't even say the word to him that bothered me. The funny thing was that while we were at soft play she said it several time to strangers!

As for Sophia well she has been a madam. Her latest "game" is this e.g. She will say she has finished her dinner, so I ask her if she is sure and should I take it away, she says yes, so I take it away, she screams that she wants her dinner again and has a meltdown. So I give it back, she they screams that she doesn't want it, so I take it away and so on and so on with a continuing tantrum. So after a couple of tries I talk sternly to her and say "right, do you want your dinner? if you do then you can have it, but if you ask for it to be taken away then you won't get it back again" or words to that affect. She gets it back and then screams so I take it and put it in the bin - queue even bigger meltdown. But if I don't do it the "game" just goes on and on. it isn't just with dinner, it could be with going upstairs, playing with a certain toy, getting in the car etc etc many times a day. I just don't know how to handle it. What would you do?

 

[jelr]

thanks girls - I know Im doing the right thing, but still hate that the leaners have to lose out, but Natasha is what is most important to me, but its glad to hear that others thing I'm right too, so I dont feel so selfish :thumup:

Thanks for the feedback on the cutlery too, glad to know she is not the only one, she can use her spoon for a yogurt, but for anything else, it is 50/50 whether she will get it all into her mouth and she really just isn't bothered using them and seems to prefer her hands, I'm not too worried really, was just wondering if she was the only one and maybe it was because I leave her too using her hands too much instead of maybe encouraging her to use the cutlery more, but I'm sure she will do it in her own time. yeah it is funny how they all differ in their skills, but then they are like adults and have things they are good and not so good at.

Spidey: I actually shuddered when I read that you dip your sausages in syrup, Yuck. - so sorry about the bfp - but I do agree with MJ, you are not out until AF arrives, I know you are probably sick of us saying that every month.

Cleck: I didn't lose any of my plug either, I had no symptoms at all until my waters just went at 40+1.

MJ and Shiv: I can't believe your hubbies were talking about your plug's - I would say DH would be the very same, they just don't care do they. I actually wouldn't even say it myself to anyone only you girls or my mam or sister or my close friends.

MJ: Sorry to hear Adam is being a monkey. Would a little sandbox help keep him out of the plants and he could still dig and tip to his hearts content? I do know the grabby days Natasha has I do find hard also.

Shiv: Natasha did that a few times on me last week, where she said she had enough dinner and then when I threw it out she screamed, but I had already thrown it out so we didn't actually have the game as there is normally no hope of getting anymore in when she says she has had enough. I don't actually have any advise on what to do, I would say it is just a phase though and hopefully it won't be long lasting. I think you are doing the right thing by not playing the "game" - I know it is causing a bigger meltdown, but I think if you do, she will continue with it for longer as she knows she is getting her own way and winding you up.

As for your friends little boy - I am definitely trying to teach her no. I do try and explain like your friend did that we don't hit and why, but I do use no beforehand, although I have to be honest Natasha doesn't stop in her tracks when I do say it. I haven't really had to use it much since she was a small baby and was into everything, but I know this week I have had to use it more, but being honest she doesn't stop in her tracks and does just ignore me and she is also going through a phase of telling me no for everything

 

[spidey]

Shiv, playdough tastes really bad! I'm surprised he was eating it Kira understands "no" but I don't use it often, although I would use it for eating playdough or hitting. Yesterday she bit my leg and I said very sternly "NO, do NOT bite" and I could tell she knew mommy was serious (and she needed a booby from the trauma I caused by yelling ) When Kira first played with playdough, she tried eating it and I said "no no mouth" and she understood. If she didn't I would have taken the playdough away and tried again a few months later.

Oh gosh... Sophia sounds just like Kira! I wouldn't recommend listening to any advice I have to offer since Kira eats her dinner on my lap and she often stands up and sways back and forth and chews while I try to stuff food in my face and keep her from falling at the same time But.. that being said... could you move her plate to the side rather than take it away, so if she changes her mind she can pull it back in front of her. I guess it depends on where she eats her dinner- if she's at the table or in a high chair. Kira changes her mind all the time and is quick to melt down if I don't do exactly what she wants.

MJ- Adam sounds like Kira.. she picks every green tomato off the plant and throws them, so I have no chance of a red tomato. I gave up on trying to stop her. She also likes to water my rosemary plant so she drowns the poor plant over and over again and then swooshes her hands in the muddy pot I let her get away with it because she can entertain herself for a long time. A sandbox does sound like a good idea since he likes digging so much.

Shiv- good idea to have the pool by the tv! I would probably put mine in the livingroom too so I could keep an eye out the front window at the same time.

 

[cleckner04]

You know, I've read on this forum several times about mothers who refuse to use the word 'no' unless its in an emergency sort of situation. I seriously don't understand why. It sounds like this woman is the same. I can't even count the amount of times I've said no. Or she also listens to 'uh huh'(sp?). Emma listens sometimes and other times not. I'll say 'no no Emma' when she's being naughty. So now when she's telling off the dogs she'll say 'no no Diesel' or 'no no Roxy' Some days when she's really being stubborn I'll tell her no and she'll yell it back to me and laugh.


I'm so delighted today Emma threw the dogs ball and pointed to it and said 'Go Diesel, ball!'. I think she's trying to form a real full sentence!! She often asks 'where's ---' but never usually more than two word sentences. In the past two days her favorite is 'wheres daddy' though. Which I feel bad about.

 

[cleckner04]

Oh yeah and as for Sophia playing her games. Emma has done similar a few times. I think they are just trying to push the boundaries and see what we'll do for them. Emma has sometimes played the game with the dogs and that always ends in serious tears because she offers them her food and when they take it and eat it, she cries her heart out. So I get her more food and she just repeats it.

 

[Mary Jo]

finally got round to calling about my 28-week blood test, the one that was done at 31 weeks. waited for about 20 mins on hold to my GP's surgery, only to be told yes they do give results over the phone but no they don't have them. they should have. shite, this is a little worrying. so the woman suggested I call the antenatal unit at the hospital, which I did, only to be told that owing to confidentiality, they *don't* give out test results over the phone! no matter if I have my hospital number, etc etc. I was starting to get upset, really had to rein myself in, and just asked if she could tell if they have any results for me, not what they are, but that they have them (because it's not so much the detail that I want but the assurance they haven't been lost, since I have yet to book in). so she did tell me that, yes they have them. I aske if they would definitely let me know if there was a problem and she said yes. so I can assume it's all fine, I think, given it's been 2.5 weeks and no word from them.

it's a relief. but I'm still a tiny bit annoyed at not getting the exact results when the doc would have been prepared to give me them. I'd understand if it was a flat policy, no results over the phone, but it isn't.

Shiv, I am trying my best to teach Adam what 'no' means, and it's a real uphill struggle. he is far from one of those children who is told once and then puts down/leaves whatever he's not meant to have/be doing. I can tell him 20 times and it won't register, or if it does he ignores it, and I have to physically remove him from what he's doing or take the object of his desire away. for example - the cat food in the cat water incident(s), he won't hear no, or he doesn't want to, so now there is no food or water left down in the kitchen. poor Betty has to come and ask. which is also a pain but less of a pain. and the dumping of the soil from the plants - I moved the plants. Chris moved them back last night, saying I just have to tell him no, and I have tried, but it's more that I don't want to have to supervise absolutely everything he does, I want him to be able to go into the garden without being on his case the whole time. so when C went out today, first thing I did was move the plants again. I know C will not be pleased but tough luck.

I'm probably just as slack as your friend. I do try, I do say no, don't just tell him we don't do x, y or z, I mean, I say that as well, but I am quite dejected at the moment because he just doesn't seem to listen to me. he is very very good for my mum, though! she tells him no and he goes wide-eyed and steps away from whatever it is! I know it's normal for kids to defy their main carers more than non-main carers, but it's disheartening to feel I cannot discipline my child.

as for the game Sophia likes to play, I think if it was me I'd refuse to play the game at all, and be deaf to her screaming about it. we have a game with Adam that we're going to have to stop - it's from the You Tube video Charlie Bit My Finger, which is the most watched video apparently, and Adam loves it. he finds it hilarious, and has been playing the game with his dolly for ages. which is fine but he also likes to play with us and to start it was cute, but now he won't stop when we say enough, and he's biting hard and it hurts, and I think we have to draw a line under the game else he's going to think it's ok to bite. I know it's our fault for playing the game in the first place but it was really so cute that he found the video so funny and was copying it.

Jean & Spidey, sand pit is a good idea, only thing is part of my annoyance about the plants is the fact that he comes in with soil all over him, trailing it through my house! I would hate there to be sand everywhere. I know, I need to be less precious about mess. I'm not excessively precious, my new settee already has chocolate biscuit marks on, where Adam ate a Fox's chocolate crunch cream and smeared the filling (a bit like Oreo filling) everywhere. again, I know, my fault for letting him have a potentially messy biscuit near my new furniture! a sand pit will be a good thing next summer I think but it's got so cool lately, and windy, and I hate to think it's be blowing everywhere. maybe I need to dig over a patch of garden and let him play and just clear up his mess when he makes it. I know with two little boys my dreams of having a nice house should be on hold for the next 12 or so years anyway.

(I really wanted the settee with machine washable covers but allowed C to get the one he prefered, which is dry-clean only. I need to sent a few pieces to the cleaners because my mum spilt a cup of coffee on one cushion, and I did wipe it with upholstery cleaner but it still left a stain. )

Cleck, happy birthday! I hope this year brings you much joy and you get your BFP! agree with Shiv, if I could magic them up, I'd be getting one for you and Spidey and Jean. also, yay for Emma putting some words together! Adam still only uses learnt phrases, like "get down" "up get" (I say "up you get"), I can't remember if he's ever put two words together himself. though he might have and I didn't notice.

 

[spidey]

MJ, that is so aggravating about your blood results. Perhaps you'll get the results after the baby is born

I'm guilty of taking away anything that I don't want Kira to mess with because I don't have the patience to say NO all the time. I guess that's why I don't say no very often... it's not that she's well behaved- it's that I have everything hidden MJ, I'm in agreement with you- I think you should toddler proof your garden and put all the naughty things out of Adam's reach. It's tiring having to police a toddler all day.

I love Adam's finger biting game and Emma with her sadness when the dogs eat her food So cute Kira's most popular "game" is to bark like a dog and then DH says "where's the puppy!? Kira says "hmmm hmmm" and touches her chin and looks around like she's thinking really hard and then randomly points at things. Then DH goes around and opens cabinets and doors looking for the imaginary puppy

Still no AF. If AF comes tomorrow my LP will be 14 days It must be from the major reduction in bf this month. I bet next month my LP will be shorter because Kira ramped up her booby time after operation no dee-dee I'm tempted to test again, but I'm going to wait and test Saturday morning if AF hasn't arrived in the night. eeek!!

Oh, re: sandboxes. If the sand is dry, it's very easy to dust off. But Kira loves mixing sand and water and rolling around in it, so it's quite messy. I will strip her down on the front porch and leave all the sandy clothes outside to dry. I don't mind Kira getting really dirty outside, but my rule is once we're done outside, then we're not going back out for a few hours. Otherwise I would be changing clothes ALL day! She wears 2-3 outfits a day and today she wore 4!

 

[Shiv]

Spidey - I do just move Sophia's food a little way away so that she could ask for it back, that is until after 3 goes it gets taken to the bin! Saying that we haven't had any episodes since my friend left so i guess she was just showing off.

i love the games Kira plays - she is just so imaginative!

Did AF turn up yet? Hope not!

Cleck - that is a proper sentence that Emma said! oh my she'll be away with it now!

MJ - sorry the hospital wouldn't give you your results, but I am sure they would have sent them out to you if there was anything wrong.

Oh and you are def not as slack as my friend when it comes to saying no, if you have said it once then you beat her hands down! I get that kids don't always listen to their parents "no" but it worries me that she (and other aprents as Cleck said) don't believe in saying the word at all. i think a child needs a word that they understand means stop that, even if it takes a long time for them to learn it, each time they hear it it must reinforce it.

Not much happeneing here, as you may haev seen on fb we had a trial run with the pool last night. Good job too, the adaptor wouldn't fit the kitchen tap, or the downstairs wc tap, but luckily the hose stretched upsatirs and the adaptor fitted then bath tap! We also put way too much cold water in the pool to start and ended up with a pool tempof 30 degrees instead of 37...............so definitely a learning curve. I can't quite believe I am going to try to have a home birth - eek!

I was up most of the night with terrible stomach pains, i think it was constipation but it did occur to me that it could be contractions. I was rather relieved when i finally fell asleep and woke up pain f

 

[spidey]

Spoiler

https://www.razortoe.com/share/syrup.jpg
We had pancakes and sausage for dinner and I couldn't resist taking a picture of DH's syrup moat to gross you all out

 

[cleckner04]

I'll try to reply to the recent posts later but I wanted to jump on here and share my recent update with the attached neighbors. It's nearly midnight and I can't sleep because it keeps running over and over in my head.

So they have ignored us and V & her DH for weeks now. We managed to get a small wave out of them once the entire time. The rest of the time they have point blank ignored us. Same with V & her DH. Corey has even went up to the attached neighbor and said 'hey whats up man' and he just completely ignored Corey and went about his business with not even a flinch for a response.

Well today I noticed V was out with her kids and the attached neighbors kids were out there. In the past few weeks they haven't allowed their kids to play with our kids. They will come home and pull into their driveway and you can see that their kids want to come over the play and they would immediately say 'get in the house!'. So I thought it was odd that all the kids were playing out there together. I got a text from V shortly after I noticed they were out asking us to come out too. Well Emma napped and than we started slowly going out. I felt awkward because the attached neighbors were both out there.

Remember I said the attached neighbor was pregnant? Well when we walked out she was standing there downing a beer. So my lovely DH who is always very blunt says, 'Aren't you pregnant? Why are you drinking?'. Well she says she had a miscarriage. So Corey immediately apologizes and says he's sorry he didn't know and than I explain that I've been there myself so I know how it feels. She just laughed it off and said it's okay you didn't know.

Fast forward like 3-4 hours. Everything was still fine. The attached neighbors hung out and acted like nothing had ever happened wrong between all of us in the past few weeks. They eventually take their kids in for the night and V & her husband, Corey and I still stay outside hanging out. (our kids were all playing in my living room with Emma's toys) Well the attached husband comes out like 20 minutes after they had went inside and calls corey over to him. He immediately starts getting in corey's face about what Corey said to his wife. Saying that Corey doesn't know him and doesn't know his wife and that corey needs to keep his comments to himself. He's completely being a total asshole to corey. Corey said he didn't know and that he said he was sorry to her. This guy didn't listen at all. He just kept going on and on saying that he needs to keep his comments to himself. Corey finally started telling the neighbor that he needs to go back into his house because corey was done listening to it. Corey's like 'I really dont care now, go back in your house'. Cause this guy just wouldn't stop. I spoke up and told him that Corey apologized and that he didn't know she lost the baby.

I was like shaking with anger while all this was happening. It's just so surreal to me because we were all having a decent time. Than this guy comes out like a total asshole. I swear these people are so Fing bipolar. They ignore us all one second, than pretend we are the best of friends and nothing happened, than he comes out with guns blazing acting like my husband is the worst person in the world.

Now I admit, Corey stuck his foot in his mouth. But the wife didn't seem that bothered and just laughed it off. And he apologized!! So why would the husband come out HOURS later and start stuff?!! I was so upset after he finally went in. V could tell because she offered to go for a walk with me. So we walked around the block talking about it. I was almost in tears because I always get that adrenaline rush in situations like this and when I'm coming back down from the rush I just feel the tears building up behind my eyes. So we walked and talked and she is just as confused as me. She can't believe it happened. It's just so incredibly bizarre. V kept saying 'He just made it SO awkward because we all have to live by eachother'. I seriously don't even want to leave my house if I know they are out there now. I don't even want to look at their faces again. I'm also worried that they will do something to our vehicle. Because we share a driveway. And they always play music and their TV loud to begin with and it irritates us so I have a feeling they will try to irritate us even more now. Corey leaves for a month after this weekend too so it's just me here dealing with them.



So that's my drama for the night. That was probably all jumbled to read. I don't even expect any advice or anything just wanted to get it out. I know how hard it is to have a loss and I seriously felt bad for them but now it's hard for me to feel any sympathy.

 

[Shiv]

Spidey - I can't even tell what is pancake and what is sausage!

Cleck - wow, sorry you had such a weird experience with your neighbours. My guess would be that her husband is very upset about the miscarriage and is taking his emotions out on Corey - but that is NO excuse for being such an asshole about it. Corey apologized and I can imagine he was very sincere about it too as he has been there. If they haven't told you then how are you supposed to know. I can imagine that you feel very protective of your family right now and a little bit scared. Could you perhaps try talking ot the wife and explain that her husband was so out fo order and that you feel very uncomfortable now.

On the upside V sounds absolutely lovely, a true friend and I am glad you have someone close by that you can rely on while Corey is away

 

[cleckner04]

Well after sleeping on it I'm still just as confused as I was last night. But I feel better. I just don't understand what the husband was trying to accomplish with it all. I told Corey this morning, if he wanted Corey to apologize again that would be one thing. But coming out with guns blazing like a total jerk is not the way to accomplish that. And now we've lost all our respect for them. Corey doesn't care really. He said he deals with assholes like that at work all the time and he just ignores it. With corey though, you either love him or hate him because he does say stupid stuff a lot. He's not a mean person. He just doesn't think before he speaks..And in this situation, there is seriously no way he could've known.


Yeah, V is really great. I'm sad that it took us this long to talk regularly and now I just have to move soon. She came to my house once when I first moved here for a playdate but she couldn't stay long because her dog had ran off and she had to go search for him. So she just stopped off at the playdate to explain the situation and that she was sorry she couldn't stay. Than we've taken our girls to the park at random times together but still never became good friends until recently.



Shiv- I saw the birthing pool picture on FB and I wanted to comment and say 'YAYYYYY!!!!' but for some reason my FB wasn't letting the picture load up so I could comment. But I got so excited for you when I saw it. I have my fingers crossed that everything is perfect for you.

spidey- Are your pancakes green? Also OMG about a 14 day luteal phase!!! Go you! Hopefully your period doesn't show at all. You have serious willpower to not test yet. The only thing that ever keeps me from testing is not having them in my house. If they were there, I'd test every day.

 

[spidey]

Cleck, I think either one or both of your neighbors has some major mental illness. DH's father acts in the same way. He'll be really nice and fun to be around for 1 visit or 1/2 a visit, and then he turns into this unreasonable, self-centered, drama king. It's like he enjoys fighting and drama and no matter how "perfect" we try to act, he will still find someway to create a fight. Since he can be nice every so often it always left me feeling guilty like I did something wrong. It was so unhealthy to worry about his feelings and whether or not he was mad at us all the time, so we totally cut him off about 5 years ago. I have a feeling your neighbor just picked the miscarriage as a way to be re-mad at you. You always pegged them as weird. Ugh, I'm so sorry you have to live right next to them and share a driveway. I'm always paranoid about my car too We have security cameras pointing at our cars Don't let those idiots keep you from enjoying the outdoors

Well AF came late yesterday evening. Such a disappointment since I had convinced myself I was pregnant and not getting a positive test yet. On the bright side, my cycle was 36 days and my LP was 14 days!! I'm not sure how it'll be next month with all the extra booby demands, but it seems like I'm heading in the right direction. On Monday I'm going to make my midwife appointment to discuss everything.

Shiv, how are you feeling today? Did you eat some prunes to get things moving? I loved your picture of the birthing pool- it really made me smile. You need to keep that for the baby book

 

[jelr]

Spidey: Your sausage is definitely different to ours, like Shiv, I had no idea which was sausage or pancake - I'm really sorry AF got you, but I'm glad you are thinking positive about it and that your cycle seems to be moving in the right direction along with your luteal phase. How is DH feeling about it all now, have you talked him around about the age gap or is he still upset? - Best of luck at the midwifes appointment.

Cleck: I'm so sorry that you have to deal with weird neighbours like that, yes I can understand them being upset by Corey's comment, but they have to understand, he didn't know and had no way of knowing when they hadn't said anything - It does sound like they like an arguement. I know the week I was miscarrying 3 seperate people said to me that it was about time that Natasha had a little brother or sister and I really wasn't even out that much, I only went as far as the playground with Natasha and to the local supermarket one day and I know it hurt so badly, but I never in a million years would have turned on them, in fact I didn't say anything at all as it didn't want it to be common knowledge that I had mc and I also didn't want to embarrass them or upset them for saying that, as they had no way of knowing. I hope they just go back to ignoring you, rather than fighting with you. So glad you have found a good friend in V though

MJ: That is a real pain about your blood results, so silly the rules they have some times and especially when it is not across the board. It definitely does sound like all is well though, so great news about that. I do hear you on the mess in the house, the few days we went to the beach over the summer, the house was covered in sand afterwards and it did my head in, but I think it was more because we had been wet and then sand stuck again. That is a good idea like Spidey said to brush or even strip him off at the door so hopefully that will contain the mess. I also hear you on the weather, My mam bought Natasha a sand pit for her 1st birthday and she only got to use it once this year, It has a lid on it though, so hopefully that will keep it safe until next year and the cats out

Shiv: That is great news that you have the pool all sorted out and it really is a good job you did a trial run. Getting into cold water while in labour would not be nice - At least now you are all sorted and hopefully baby won't keep you waiting too long and will arrive shortly after your parents get back from holidays. I hope your pains are better today and that it is not a start of something.

Well I offically can have no secrets now from DH - It is his birthday tomorrow and I decided to write his cards on Friday when he was at work when I was off and held Natasha's hand to write her name on the card from her and I knew she would say somethign about birthday when he came in, but didn't mind as she has been saying its daddy's birthday all week, but the minute he walked in the door, she said "happy birthday daddy, birthday cards" - So I was hung. DH just laughed as he knew well what we had been up to

 

[spidey]

Cleck, we must have posted at the same time earlier!

LOL about my flat circular sausage. You can get sausage in patties like that, or in links. We've been in a sausage patty mood lately My pancakes are green aren't they! I add frozen blue berries to them and it makes the batter a little bit bluish green.

Oh, and Cleck, I don't have self control! I tested 6 times this cycle I bought a 50-pack of opk's that came with 20 pregnancy tests as a bonus, so I used most of them last cycle and the rest this cycle. I think I have 2 left

jelr, that is so cute about Natasha blabbing to DH! That is so sweet- there are no secrets anymore!

Kira did something really cute today. Her new fascination is with dirt, so she will point to a dirty spot on the floor and say EEEWWWEEEE! We just taught her how to say "dir-dee" and she says it clear as day DH took her over to his mom's house (which has no shortage of dirt ) and DH asked Kira "is Nanny's house dirty?" and Kira nodded yes, and said "dir-dee" and then pointed at the floor and said "EEEEEWWWWEE!"

 

[Shiv]

jelr - have you started the champix now? When is your last day smoking? My mum started champix back in November and is still free of cigarettes now, so they can defintiely work. She has had such a hard few months so I am very suprsied and proud that she has managed to do it. It will be a year soon, I must remember to treat her to something!

Spidey - so cute about Kira saying dir-dee, although I would like you to know she is not welcome in my house, i can do without a 2 year old telling me off for my housekeeping ability

cleck - so what is going on with your cycle, what is your monitor showing now? any sign of AF? Anymore trouble with the neighbours from hell?

MJ - how you doing? Is your midiwfe appt this week?

As for me, well here is my 38 week bump pic, I think it has gone back up if that is possible! i have a midwife appt tomorrow so I am just hoping she tells me baby is still head down!

I have about 2 tonnes of chilli cooking on the hob at the moment to freeze, tomorrow night will be bolognese and then chicken curry and finally a pasticcio. It was easier when Sophia was born, we could just eat whatever, i stocked up on ready meals and stuff. but this time round I need to make sure that Sophia gets fed well and quickly. SO no convenience food! Well not much anyway!

 

[Mary Jo]

eeeek, I couldn't quite make the connection between that plate of food and pancakes and sausages! I'm sure it's one of those things you have to try, but I'm afraid it would be a bit of a leap of faith for me to put any sort of syrup on sausage. I hope your DH enjoyed it, Spidey, sure he did. Kira would also have a field day if she came here, though I am doing better since I finally got round to acquiring a new charger for my Dustbuster (I set the other one on fire a couple of months ago).

really sorry about AF turning up but a 14-day LP is brilliant. fingers crossed for next month. did you make your appointment? hope the mw can see you soon. can they order tests or is that a doctor thing?

Cleck, ack, your neighbours just sound plain weird. and yes, perhaps with a touch of genuine mental issues thrown in. I can see why they'd have been thrown a bit by Corey's comment, but how was he to know, and what more could he do but apologise? if they don't want to accept that, it's their issue, but I know how it is to be on bad terms with the neighbours, it's really uncomfortable. we had that with our neighbours in my old flat. the ones I mentioned quite a few times over the past 2 years. we didn't speak to them at all - just dirty looks or averted eyes when we saw them - from mid-May to when we moved at the end of July. fortunately we didn't actually se them that much, but it was uncomfortable anyway. this was their doing, they refused to go inside their flat one evening when we had some people coming to view ours - these were the people who treated our communal front garden as a bar, and stood outside smoking and drinking. we didn't think it was too awful a suggestion that they go in - or somewhere else - for a few minutes while our viewers came round, the guy had been fine about it a couple of days before the day this happened, but this day, it was his girlfriend who was arsey about it, and Chris saw red and yelled at them. I wasn't there, I'd taken Adam out for 1/2 an hour. it really made me happy to leave there, even though I was sorry to leave my flat, I was not sorry to leave these unpleasant people behind. v glad you have a friend who understands it all though, a shame you find her and then you're leaving as well.

at Natasha blabbing about the birthday card! ha! I am still able to say things around Adam and he doesn't repeat them (we have still to get our use of unfortunate language under control, I keep expecting him to say something we really won't like, sure it won't be long, eeek). hope Jim had a good day!

Shiv, yay for being super organised and cooking up a storm. obviously I have done nothing of the sort, but as I am 3 weeks behind you, I think I am ok for time. it is in my plans to stock up on meals that are easy for C to put together, we don't have a big freezer here in the new house but it's still about 3 times bigger than the little ice box affair we had at the flat, and I love it. we'll probably get some frozen pizzas and quiches and things Adam likes like fish fingers and waffles, but I really also want portions of lasagne, that sort of thing. I'm planning to start internet supermarket shopping as well. Chris is against it but he has to be realistic. I won't be able to go shopping for bits daily as I do (and I hate, or at least I hate HAVING to go and get bits, don't mind if I was going out anyway), and we have to get organised, and he isn't going to be happy (and neither will I) if after a day at work when I need him home to help with children, and he wants to be home to see them, I send him out with a list. it won't be forever (he rather likes going sometimes I think) plus I figure we'll cover the delivery cost by not buying impulse things like crisps and chocolate.

also great pic in the pool! good idea to have a trial run, you don't want to be ironing out issues when you're in labour, especially if it's likely to be quick when it gets going.

well done to your mum on staying stopped smoking for so long. I wish mine would go for something like Champix. she did quit several years ago, and stayed stopped for - I can't quite remember - might have been 3 or 4 years, 5? but started again when she was stressed. the reason she stopped in the first place was because the hospital she worked at (she is a retired intensive care nurse) was simultaneously going 100% smoke-free (not even in your car in the car park) whie her unit changed to 12-hour shifts. my poor mother couldn't contemplate not smoking for 12 hours. so she went for hypnotherapy and it worked. until she started again, of course! I don't hassle her about it but she knows how I feel. what she doesn't know (because I would feel very insensitive to tell her this) is how much I can still detect the smell of smoke even though she only smokes outside. it's really only an issue when pregnant this time (never noticed last time but have had a very acute sense of smell with this baby) but when I went up there with Adam in August for a few days, I was nearly sick with the smell in the bedroom I was sleeping in. and I know she never ever smokes in the house, but even so I could hardly sleep without using loads of air freshener. it was weird, and that's partly why I didn't say anything because what more could she do about it? the health aspects worry me, she's been a smoker since she was 12 and she is now 62 (crikey, 50 YEARS).

speaking of health, my friend with cancer had her hysterectomy 4 weeks ago today and she's recovered really well, aside from a period of deep depression a couple of weeks ago - her wound started leaking, which freaked her out, and although she has had friends helping, none of us live very nearby so it's hard when there is a crisis. also she was climbing the walls with boredom. so she's gone back to work today, 2 weeks before her doc wanted her to, but she is confident she'll cope with the commute, and that's the only challenging thing, as she has a desk job. so she got her results and the doc says she is cancer free, thank god, as although her uterus contained a 10cm tumour, it was only in the uterus and everything else that was removed (tubes, ovaries) was clear, so fingers crossed that's it for the cancer, and it's just been a nasty period in her life but it's over and she'll be ok. she should be in the menopause now after having her ovaries out, but the doc says she won't probably feel the usual symptoms till she has lost a lot of weight as her fat produces a lot of oestrogen (which is one reason, apparently, she developed this particlar cancer). so we're all really happy she is doing well, and hope she can put this all behind her and get on with living.

as for me... well, yes, my mw appt is this week, my booking in, on Thursday. hoping it won't be a long appt, though I guess they will want to go through my history etc. really hope they don't need to repeat all the blood tests like blood group and immunity to all the various things, because I have my notes from Lewisham and surely to christ they will believe that I *do* have A+ blood without needing to check for themselves! mostly what I am hoping to hear is that baby is head down and my bp is still good. we'll see. I have no idea of how this baby is positioned, I cannot tell. there's been a whole lot of wriggle action going on, though, I had a bath with Adam the other day and he was blowing raspberries - hard ones - on my bump and baby wasn't impressed and there were big hard lumps of baby visible and shifting about. I am trying to make time to go on all 4s when I feel him moving a lot. guess if he *is* breech, at 35 weeks, they'd discuss my options? am definitely going to look into moxibustion if he is.

my mum is down on Wed, so she will (in theory) mind Adam while I am at the appt. however, her back has gone ping again - she has slipped discs and because of that cancelled coming down in March, which was when I was so desperate for a break as I was in 1st tri and feeling horrendous, but I hadn't told her I was pregnant, and even if I had I don't think she was *able* to come down, and if she did she'd have not been able to do anything with Adam. I am praying that this time isn't as bad and she will manage to take him sometimes. the worry is that she won't be able to lift him, and he can still be very difficult at nappy time and require lifting. obviously if C or I are there we'll do all that, but we won't always be there. maybe we'll need to have some nappy free time and enlist the help of the potty... and then I'll have to clean up the piss and shit later! this visit shouldn't be too bad, she can take him out and simply not have him out of the pushchair, but she is our person who is going to look after Adam while I am having the new baby, so there will be times we are not there. also, one of the points of her coming down was to let me have a break now and then, now I'm getting closer to the end of it, and as it is I can see me not getting much of a break. I probably sound extremely selfish but my first thought was for myself when she told me yesterday her back had gone again. she's insisted she is still coming down, though, she has dihydrocodeine and tramadol from the doc.

other than that, I am ok. unwieldy, though. not sleeping great, at least in the first part of the night. heartburn is bad, plus I need the loo at least 4 times. and my nose is really congested. and we still have Adam in with us. his room is almost finished, just the stickers to put up, but C has decided we won't try him in there till after my mum has been, so she can have a proper bed to sleep in (he sounds all considerate to her but he isn't, I think he's putting off the day because he'll miss Adam. so will I, he's been in the (or a) room with me/us, if not our bed, every single night since he was born. I have never had a night away from him. it will be strange but I am so conscious that after my mum goes home there is only 4 weeks till my due date, and it's not long to get him settled. I wish we'd have had longer, but it is what it is, I guess. part of me wishes we could all just co-sleep together but realistically, the new baby will end up in with us, because unless something goes badly wrong and I cannot bf at all, I will probably bf lying down and I can't help but go to sleep or at least doze. and it's just not safe to have a toddler in with a newborn. plus I don't want Adam to be disturbed by middle of the night goings on, he needs his sleep as well or he'll be hell on two little legs.

 

[spidey]

Shiv, you have such a nice big bump! Good luck at your midwife appointment tomorrow.

MJ- I'm glad your friends hysterectomy was a success Perhaps being busy at work will help her feel better. I really hope your moms back is okay when she visits you so you can get a break. Don't feel bad about feeling selfish about it- I would feel the same way. You've been looking forward to having a break for a long time, so it's disappointing to find out that it might not happen. Adam's transition to his own room might go smoother than you're anticipating too. I'm sure the first night will be hard- I'm really looking forward to hearing how it goes since we'll be doing the same thing one day.

So I made my midwife appointment this morning! It's on the 26th, so in 2 weeks. I hope the midwife can do some of the basic fertility stuff and reassure me that they'll take good care of me when I become pregnant. When I called to make my appointment I had some flashbacks when I spoke to the same very nasty secretary on the phone. Between the nasty mean secretary and all the fear induced appointments... it's making me consider switching to another birth center that's in the same area. DH is also convinced that the midwife who delivered Kira caused her brain bleeding since he (the midwife) was leaving finger indents in her head as she was crowning. I don't think the midwife caused it, but DH does. It seemed that at every appointment they were trying to find a reason for me to be high risk so I couldn't have a birth center birth. In the end, they got what they wanted too It's too bad we don't have home birth midwives around here... but that's not going to stop me since I want to have a planned "unplanned" home birth with my next one

 

[ckc]

Hi Cleckner!
What do you mean you are moving soon? when are you moving? I might be going to San Diego next month and I thought It would be great to get together and get out girls together. Are you gonna still be there in October?

 

[ckc]

Shiv, you have such a nice big bump! Good luck at your midwife appointment tomorrow.


So I made my midwife appointment this morning! It's on the 26th, so in 2 weeks. I hope the midwife can do some of the basic fertility stuff and reassure me that they'll take good care of me when I become pregnant. When I called to make my appointment I had some flashbacks when I spoke to the same very nasty secretary on the phone. Between the nasty mean secretary and all the fear induced appointments... it's making me consider switching to another birth center that's in the same area. DH is also convinced that the midwife who delivered Kira caused her brain bleeding since he (the midwife) was leaving finger indents in her head as she was crowning. I don't think the midwife caused it, but DH does. It seemed that at every appointment they were trying to find a reason for me to be high risk so I couldn't have a birth center birth. In the end, they got what they wanted too It's too bad we don't have home birth midwives around here... but that's not going to stop me since I want to have a planned "unplanned" home birth with my next one

Hello Spidey, Actually I had a home birth with DD, and the midwife also left fingers marks in her head. Well she is not to blame, she was the only midwife willing to deliver my baby at home since here in China is illegal, also I had a back labor, so with every contraction the midwife had to reach in and turn her head, OMG that was soooo incredibly painful! If I have had a foreign midwife I am sure she would have known how to change the baby's head position by changing my own position, after the birth I found out this was entirely possible. For my next baby I will try to have an American midwife, challenging but possible. Which makes me wonder, why dont you find a midwife that is willing to travel to your area to deliver your baby at home?