October 2013 babies!

[motherofboys]

Oh I actually got asked today if I was pregnant and I said yes and they said "are you trying to hide it?" Erm no. What would be the point of announcing it and talking to people every day and letting my sons take a scan picture for show and tell (her son is in my middle sons class and her younger son is in pre-school with my youngest) and then hiding the bump LOL

[strawberrymom]

I'm officially 24 weeks today We officially anounced it on facebook. We started the nesting with our crib and put it together already too although baby will be in cosleeper with us for a while. Also have found some great deals at garage sales and e bay. Looking for a deal on the hypnobirthing book as that intrigues me. Trying not to get too carried away with purchases. Last time I organized and prepared like mad and was a huge help when colicky ds2 came along, so trying to do that again. It's hard though because we can't set up her room proper because that is where my brother and his family will be living indefinitely.
Anyone else having heartburn? How is everyone feeling?

[ELP]

Feeling pretty good here Still getting terrible bloat and flippin thrush when I eat bread which is daily unfortunately. Im looking forward to when it is just bump and no balloon lol!

[ELP]

Thanks ELP, I was really lucky with the others but like I say this time seems harder. The past two days I've had aching hips and back and I'm so tired all the time. We already lack space and bed room space doesn't bother me too much as they spend very little time in their rooms anyway its the space in the rest of the house. All our rooms are the same size and we couldn't possibly fit more seating in the living room or around the dining table. And I do worry about money. Mainly for things like birthdays and school trips and even food with my ever increasing food bill LOL

Ikwym about the above We believe it or not are just in a 3 bed house! 3 boys in 1 room, 3 girls in another and the 3 littlens in with us! We just generally dont have days out, always seem to be running a tab for school dinners and just running to keep up with the bills, BUT!!! I am so optimistic about the future, things will improve I know it! I have been trading on ebay for about 6 months and it is growing Plus DHs work is flowing nicely atm, I have everything x'ed that we will have the loft converted for them in the next 6 months, the power of positive thinking

Lld my children are GBBGBGGGB so 5 pinks 4 blues atm, when LO arrives we will be 5 all But in the beginning I had just planned an all blue family as I am the worst girl and girl mum ever I can now just manage a basic plait and the gilrs fascinate me playing families! I was never like that !!! Which may actually sound strange coming from a woman with nearly 10 children

[Pangea]

Loads of heartburn and indigestion here. I'm literally drinking gaviscon out of the bottle.

Strawberrymom you are so organised, I'm not very, probably won't buy anything until near the end. My kids don't get their own bedroom until they're 2 so I've got years to sort that out! We've only just moved in to this house so I have enough decorating to do as it is! I've got to buy a moses basket, I'd love to buy a new pram but realistically she'll probably just go in the phil and teds with DS2 so I probably won't bother.

ELP my Dad is one of 12 and my Mum is the youngest of 8, they both grew up in 3 bedroom houses. There was their parents room, the boys room and the girls room.

[motherofboys]

Well we are in a 2 bed and until recently were going to just have all 4 in one room but then decided to split them. I know I shouldn't worry about other people but I really am conscious of being judged. So much so that I'm wondering if I should have a home birth again because after the birth the midwife will want me to get into bed and I'll have to explain that we sleep on a sofa bed. As I say bedroom space isn't too much of an issue in real terms other than worrying what other people think. I could have 8 and have 4 in each room and continue sleeping down stairs. Which probably isn't helping my aching hips and back LOL
How do your kids feel about sharing. Everyone tells me eventually they will want their own space and I do remember my twin brothers wanting their own rooms in their teens.
Like I say its the rest of the house thats a problem. All the rooms (bedrooms and front room and dining room) are all the same size. When they were all in on room there was just 2 sets of bunk beds and a little chest of draws next to DS2s bed.
In our front room we have a corner sofa which takes up most of the room, leaving just a walkway along the back from the front door through to the dining room, a small space to walk round to the front of the chair and rectangle of space in front of it. Because each room has a fire place that limits things even more. There really is no more room for movement in the door stairs rooms. I'd be happy with say a 3 bed with bigger sized rooms.
Due to his health DH had to stop full time work so only works part time self employed (his doctor wanted him to stop work all together and almost took his driving license away but the government deemed him fit for work with out even consulting his doctor) so we do get help with out rent as well as tax credits and child benefit and all the talks of cuts and capping worry me. ATM we don't get anywhere near the cap, but I still worry about what if we had a few more then they decided we were getting too much help and DH should be doing more so they take some of it away. He physically can't do any more than he does now so we'd really struggle. I have considered a little ebay business but I just don't think that theres anything different that I can do that will then bring in any real money.
And I worry about DS1 he has recently decided that DS2 is the favourite and no one likes him. I try so hard to make sure that they all get the same attention and he loves having little brothers, is excited about the baby, but then says that and it really breaks my heart that he thinks that.

[motherofboys]

sorry for the essay and yes heart burn has kicked in big time. plus lots of sches and pains and breathlessness

[Pangea]

Motherofboys I think if I was in a 2 bed with 4 kids I'd put the eldest 3 in one room, then keep the baby in the other room with me. I keep mine in my room until they're about 2, my parents kept my brother in their room until he was 5 because there was no room for him.

All the talk of cuts must be very worrying. I grew up in London and I would really love to move back but the cost of housing just makes it impossible. I was looking into it really seriously a couple of years ago but even if DH managed to get a well paid job we would still have to rely heavily on benefits just to keep a roof over our heads. I don't know how the government expect ordinary people to manage when the cost of living is so high.
It's awful the way they're certifying so many people as fit to work when they clearly aren't. Hopefully the Torys will be out of government in a couple of years.
The government here are cutting everything too, every year child benefit gets cut, and DH's job is in the public sector so his wages have been cut a few times too.

I felt a bit like your DS1 when I was little, I think it's hard being the eldest. I think I felt that the younger ones were able to get away with a lot and too much was expected of me. I realise now that of course my parents would have different expectations re behaviour from children of different ages, but at the time it felt unfair.

[pebmcpd7]

I have 4 bedrooms downstairs and then last year we converted our attic and made an extra 3 bedrooms up there. Everyone has a room to themselves, I have now messed that up by having a 7th, someone is gonna have to share... LOL

[xokatietatie]

We have a tri-level house with four bedrooms. Three of the four are on the top level, and then the fourth is in the lowest level. Because of that we only use the top three as bedrooms. Right now DS1 gets his own room while DS2 and DS3 share, but in October DS1 and DS2 will share a room while DS3 and DS4 share the other. I use the fourth bedroom as an in-home studio for my photography business.

I've been having some bad lower back and hip pain. I blame it on getting down on the ground so much to photograph small children and babies!! Thankfully, I am going on maternity leave on July 1st. I'm looking forward to having the entire summer free. Today is my last day to actually shoot any clients (I love saying that haha), and then this following week will just be editing pictures... and then I'M DONE!

We've bought a ton of stuff for DS4 already -- travel system, swing, bouncer, diaper bag, crib bedding, tons of clothes, and a few other random items. The only big item left to buy is a crib mattress, but I've got other little things I'd like to get as well.

I think that's pretty much it! It's hard to believe I'm 24 weeks today and only 3 weeks away from the THIRD TRIMESTER!! We'll all be welcoming our little ones before we know it.