hey ladies, sorry I've been quiet, my mum has been down and I've been busy out and about with her and Adam, and consequently really tired in the evenings. this pregnancy thing is starting really to drain me! haven't been napping in the day at all, and I have been up several times a night with heartburn and toilet trips, but when I *do* sleep I sleep like a log.
sooo... Jean, how's the Champix going? and what's it like being back at work? Natasha is so funny with her booby song.
I taught Adam what a boob is, he doesn't go yelling about it, though, but if I ask he says "boop".
cleck, sorry to hear about AF. I hope you do take heart from the fact that you are really young still, though I understand you had hoped for a less than 5 year age gap. I also think a Cleckner boy would be super cute. Emma looks soooo like Corey in her latest pics. your hair, and very like you, but she has his face! you're right about this pregnancy flying by, though when I think about it, I found out 7 months ago (Feb 11th), so that feels like ages, but I didn't go public at all till I was 12 weeks. in some ways it's been as long as usual, in others, I guess we've been so busy and stressed with moving that I haven't had the chance to spend much time thinking about it. in fact I feel like I am now squeezing in all the stuff we have to do for the baby, rather than having the luxury of doing it all at my leisure and enjoying it, as I did with Adam. last time I knew exactly how many weeks and days I was at any given point, now I have to think about it. and I was aware of what developmental stage baby was at - now I don't really have a clue. though headed towards 37 weeks is a relief. not that I think baby will be early but it's good to feel that if he was he has better and better chances of not needing special care as each day goes by. hard to believe there's only 10 left till full term.
Shiv, hope you're feeling better and your cold hasn't amounted to much? how did D's mum's visit go? your bump at 38 weeks now does look a lot lower than 39 with Sophia. you look great, and that's brilliant about your weight gain. well done! I have not done as well, I was weighed on Thursday (our scales are still awol) and fully clothed after a big lunch and needing the loo I was 12st 4lb.
so going on 5 weeks left (and the way I have been eating) I might hit 40 weeks at a few lb less than last time but definitely a good bit over 12st, which was my upper goal.
David's cake looked fab, v envious. there's been no baking in this house yet as my kitchen still isn't organised as I want it. plus I am lazy. haven't done any internet shopping yet but I did go on Asda's website last night and started a list. we don't have fridge space to stock up *so* much, but I can get a week or so's fresh stuff, plus more than that of stuff like cheese, which keeps longer. it's my aim to have it so there's only milk and salad and fresh veg we have to buy in between times. I am stocking up on loads of frozen food and tins and things like washing liquid and toothpaste and toilet paper, so I don't have to think about it. it's a really bugbear of mine that we are not properly organised in that way.
so, my mum came down on Wednesday. her back *is* bad, but she's putting an extremely brave face on it. fortunately - so she says - the most pain free thing she can do is go out with Adam in the pushchair, so that's great, and I've had some time to relax. though we have been out most days.
Thursday I had my booking in appt - it went well, I really liked the midwives I met, there was an older, very experienced one and a newly qualified one. the appt took ages - an hour and a half - because they were very thorough, much more so than the ones who did my booking in at 9 weeks. they basically went through what had been written in my notes and questioned me further about some things, and expressed surprise that despite me telling them about my mental health history, it hadn't been taken that seriously, and they asked me more about that, and about my state of mind now. I guess because I've had so few actual mw appts, and I knew we were moving, and I *wasn't* in a bad way (though I have been stressed for months) nobody picked up on a thing before now. but I took my chance to say I have some really bad days, and they have referred me to two people, one is the the mw who sees depressed mothers to be, and the other will keep an eye on me (or at least be aware and a contact) for possible PPD. I didn't have it last time but I think that was in part because I did have someone I could contact. plus I just felt like I coped a lot better than I expected and that made me feel actively good about myself. obviously I hope this time is the same, but it's a different baby, I am different now (more experienced), and I have a toddler to cope with. so I am glad they know my fears and they were really nice.
other than that, the experienced mw said she was 100% that baby is head down. my bp was up but I am hoping it was a one-off. pee was ok. my bp was 121 over 75, which to me is high as I am usually around 102/70, but they said it was perfectly normal. they told me I had to make an appt for my 36 week appt within 10 days, so I did call and that is tomorrow (35+5), they're at the place I have to go on Mondays only, so I am quite glad I'm not having to wait till 36+5.
they were also very encouraging about me hoping to go to the birth centre, and tried to make an arrangement for me to go straight up and have a tour, but there wasn't a mw available, so I went the next day. that also went well, the only thing that worries me is not getting in - either because it's full (there are 3 rooms with pools etc and 1 with a regular bed, which they said was a post-natal room) or because there are not enough midwives, as if they are busy on the regular labour ward they might draft them in. the labour ward is just through a set of double doors on the same floor. I really hope I can get in there, I have a feeling it would be quite a different experience to last time. but it's down to luck on the day.
my mum and I have had our hair cut in the last few days, and we made an appt for tomorrow lunchtime for Adam's first haircut.
I am not looking forward to it, though I said in no uncertain terms that it's just to be a trim and a tidy up, I don't want a short back and sides. I love his curls, but I do admit now that it's getting a little long, especially in the front now. the curls at the back are tight corkscrew Shirley Temple style curls, so so cute, and they don't hang low because the curls are so tight, but when wet it's beyond his shoulders. if he was a girl I think I'd leave it a while yet apart from a fringe/front trim. but Chris has been on about it for ages now. I just want him to have longer hair while it is so curly, and really hope it stays curly. my brother's is very very curly, and thick, though he wears it short now so it doesn't appear curly. when he was a teenager he let it grow and it was a bit like a poodle. he was about 20 here, I was 18, that's my dad and my gran as well
oh, and I posted this on the FB group, but here it is again - 35 weeks:
https://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a189/ariel3112/efcf8091.jpg
so mw in the morning. really hoping he or she is also certain of baby's position. also that my bp is a bit more towards my usual. my mum is coming with us then we'll go to the hairdresser after.
my mum is going back up north on Tuesday, then I have a day's work on Wed, so C is taking the day off and is planning to take Adam swimming. then I will be counting down to my mum coming back on Oct 7th (if no baby by then, surely not as I will only be 38+2). unfortunately C's mum is off on holiday this Friday, till the 8th, so no chance of her having Adam for the day again. poor timing, really, I could have done with him going there, but by the time she is back my mum will be here.
eeeek. so much still to do. I've washed nappies and clothes, and the wall stickers are up in Adam's room (they look fab, I'll take pics once he's in there and his bedding is on). haven't had a chance to get the new pushchair out, or fix up the car seat with its new cover. bit anxious about everything really, just want everything a *bit* more ready so there is no major panic.
) - but I do wish that I could make it happen now for you both.
- Funny thing is I have done total food replacement diets and had the will power for that, but the cigs are my downfall and purely out of habit, like tonight myself and DH were cleaning the house once Natasha was in bed and out of habit when we were half way though we went outside for a smoke (with the baby monitor of course) and I do tend to have one whenever I need a few minutes to re-motivate myself like people stop for a cup of tea or coffee, except I don't drink tea or coffee, so I just don't know what to do with myself and I'm also terrified it will be food and I'm terrified of putting back on the weight, which I know I will as even the tablets themselves are making me so so hungry 
. Anyways I can definitely relate to the stress and frustration/anxiety that this process implies. And of course at 25 you have a pretty high success rate 
To give you some background on me TTC, I started the month after AF returned, so Kira was 11 months old. For the first couple of months I didn't track ovulation but I figured out that my nipples get sore 2-3 days before I ovulate, so I've been going off my nips and opk's for a long time and this month I'm temping too. My problem is my luteal phase is usually too short (9 days) but last month I had a nice normal 14 day LP 
My luteal phase has only been 9-11 days and it's meant to be 12 or more I believe. I never had to do any of this stuff when trying for Emma. I got pregnant in the 2nd month trying for my first pregnancy(MMC) and with Emma it took a month and a half cause the first month was totally half assed trying while on vacation. 
Love to you all though. xxx
It can really take over your life so big 
at sophia telling David what was on the card, I could see Natasha doing the very same if it was an Oskar (our cat) card as every tiger cat in books now is Oskar, so I know she would have said that too - Nope no secrets in our houses anymore 
