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December Chat Thread

3K views 155 replies 16 participants last post by  Smokering 
#1 ·
Welcome to December!

Hows everyone feeling/doing? Anything neat happen over the weekend?

DH and I enjoyed a relaxing Thanksgiving and weekend, and now I'm in my last week of classes, just working hard to finish a few research papers by the deadlines. The papers and exams I will have to grade are coming in soon, so I'm trying to finish as much of my own work as I can before they end up in stacks on my desk and couch...

It's been fun thinking about all the things we're doing/planning now, and how the next time we do them again, we'll have a baby with us! For next year's holidays, etc. It also occurred to me last night as I was settling in to bed that these next few months will probably be the last time that the nights are "mine" for sleeping. I intend to enjoy that as much as possible!!!
 
#2 ·
Hi threre! I hope everyone had a nice holiday!

My dad was here from out of state, so I got to spend a lot of time with him which was great. I was really busy, just visiting family and having a good time, so Im pretty wiped out at this point. Even tho everything I was "busy" doing was fun stuff, its still exhausting LOL!

I have one exam next week then one the week after then Im done with this semester. Currently Im trying to decide if I want to take any classes next semester or not. I only took two classes this time and its been super hard for me to keep up. Luckily my professors have been understanding about me missing a lot of classes because Ive been so sick, but it has really been a struggle. I keep hoping I feel well enough by next semester, but on the other hand I think it would be nice to just relax and enjoy myself till June. We get a lot of snow in January and February and the thought of driving to class in that doesnt sound good either. I dont know...its still up in the air!

I am starting to feel better, which is nice. Im still super fatigued, but only vomiting 1-2 times a week at this point. Ive had a few weeks of headaches but that also seems to be happening less and less.

My next appointment with my OB is Thursday and I cannot wait!!

@FyerFly good luck with the end of your semester!
 
#6 ·
@FyerFly good luck with the end of your semester!
Thanks Melinda, you too!

I'm mostly mobile when I read and post and my posts keep getting code mixed in with them, anyone know why or does that happen to anyone else?
Yes, I've had that happen, too Emanresu - could be when people do special things in their posts like add quotes or links? Do you notice the code appearing in every post, or just certain ones?

Catching up on shows and gaming and not guilt tripping myself about it for once!!
Oooh I can't wait for this! Just a few more weeks...any shows in particular? Mine are all winding down. I just picked up the first season of Sherlock and I like it so far...
 
#3 ·
Hi everyone!

I'm still feeling super tired and sick everyday, pretty much all day. No puking, but nauseous and icky feeling. I'm 11 weeks now, so hopefully it will stop soon!

I'm mostly mobile when I read and post and my posts keep getting code mixed in with them, anyone know why or does that happen to anyone else?

I don't have a midwife lined up yet, the one I wanted just had a baby, so I'm giving her a bit too see if she's going to feel up to taking on clients. I kind of feel like I should be doing something, but also know I wouldn't even have an appointment yet anyway. And if I wait a few weeks past 12,that won't change much. Except maybe make everything seem more real!
 
#5 ·
It is so exciting thinking of all the things we'll experience with a baby by this time next year!

My holiday was good, I cooked for H and I, Dad, My sister and her BF and everything was awesome. :)

I am being incredibly lazy lately because I know I won't get to be lazy again when the baby comes. Catching up on shows and gaming and not guilt tripping myself about it for once!!
 
#9 ·
Fourteen weeks today! I'm super excited! I'm getting super excited to find out what we're having. My friend is throwing a gender reveal party for us in January. That feels so far away, but yet so soon! The sickness is easing up finally, but nausea is still pretty strong. Our kids are really anxious to feel the baby moving, so we are all in anticipation over here. Fifteen week midwife appointment next week, so far the nuchal screen and blood tests came back normal.
 
#10 ·
Aww MountainMama that's so sweet! What is a star award?

SummerStorm thanks for the tips -- the only one of those shows I've watched is Jeopardy (which we love watching when we have TV), so now I have lots to choose from :) What kind of yarn/colors are you using to crochet with so far?

DucetteMama yay for 14 weeks!! Gender reveal party sounds like fun - and I agree, January both feels so close and far away at the same time. Will probably be closer to the end of Jan when we have our ultrasound and hopefully find out the sex if baby wants to cooperate - my MIL loves to tell the story about how they thought DH was a girl but it turns out he was lying on his stomach ;)

We have this little cloth advent calendar with a mouse that moves day to day, and DH has started moving the mouse from the proper day to the number of weeks we are in pregnancy, and blaming it on the cats. So it's a daily struggle to get the mouse in the right slot. At least we'll all be in agreement on Dec 15 when I'm 15 weeks!!!
 
#11 ·
Awwww, that's actually adorable fyerfly! I always aspire to do an advent calendar with our kids, but never get around to it. We do a Christmas advent stories though. There's a heartwarming story for each day of the advent that focuses on service , love, and the true reason for the season. I'm hoping these little things we do each day will lead to loving children who make the world a little brighter.
 
#12 ·
STAR stands for Stop, Think, Act Right. Every month they are given to kids for various reasons. My daughter got one for being caring and innovative.

This is the first year my daughter is doing an advent calender and she has 2 of them from grandparents. They both have tiny chocolates. She likes it, of course and I get to use it to encourage her finishing her chores. We are a secular humanist family, but I do share with her the story of Christmas.

Due to the government being so slow it will be 4-6 months before my foster baby can move on to his new family. Both us and the kin were hoping it would be January. It sucks because the baby is the one who pays the price. The younger they are the easier it is to transfer attachment to a new caregiver. Baby will almost be a year and it will be so much harder. I was also looking forward to catching up on sleep before our baby arrives and now it looks like thats not going to happen. I am also sad for his kin because they are really looking forward to him joining their family.
 
#13 ·
STAR stands for Stop, Think, Act Right. Every month they are given to kids for various reasons. My daughter got one for being caring and innovative.
Aww that is so sweet!! Caring and innovative, sounds like things we could all aspire to :)

Sorry about the government slowness re: your foster baby. Hopefully it will be on the shorter end and he will get to bond with his new family sooner!
 
#15 ·
Aww yay! What a great feeling, Melinda! I admit, I'm also enjoying sharing the news a lot more now than I did at first. Randomly got inspired to tell a co-worker today, and her reaction was priceless - she's a couple decades older than me (her daughter and I are the same age) and she was so excited and couldn't stop hugging me. It was so sweet, and it felt good to be able to share it and enjoy her excitement :)

Also finished a major research paper today and I had so much fun writing it. I really love the research process, and I'm happy to finally be working on my PhD. It's taken a long time to get here, but now it's starting to feel worth it. My mantra for years has been that I want both a baby and a PhD, to be a mom and a professor (and for a lot of the time, it's seemed impossible to do both) - DH always jokes that the perfect scenario would be if our baby is born with a PhD diploma in its hand. But as they say, "things always work out," and our early June due date is helping me feel like everything really is going to be able to happen at once. Though I'm sure it will be challenging in ways I can't even begin to understand now.
 
#16 ·
That is so difficult Mountain Mama. Poor baby and poor you. Hopefully he bonds and adjusts okay.

I'm really keep getting the strong feeling the baby is a girl... I'm just so excited to find out. Although, I would be thrilled with another boy. After three boys, I'm pretty used to their noise and ruckus. Lol

Is anyone else craving the things we are "not supposed" to have, (blue cheese, really any soft cheeses, certain fish, etc.)?
 
#17 ·
Fyerfly, that is just so cool you get to follow all your dreams. RE the phd and diploma. So far I'm using a grey scratchy acrylic yarn for face scrubbers, a super bulky cream for boot cuffs and purple and blue washcloths.

Oh the cravings! I want nothing more than tuna salad and italian subs all the time. I'm moderating but the only othet thing I'm craving is fruit which I'm careful about so I don't develop GD.
 
#18 ·
Summerstorm those colors sound sweet!

I'm also in the cravings boat -- soft cheeses, mostly. I'm going with pasteurized goat cheese as ok, but staying away from yummy brie. It seems like every event I go to has delicious gooey brie!!

I also really need to watch my sugar and carb intakes, because diabetes in general runs in my family, and I imagine it could be really easy for me to get GD and would much rather not!!!
 
#19 ·
Hi everyone! I am rubbish at keeping up with threads on here. :) Really pleased to hear about your good appt, @Melinda1980! I understand the feeling - DH and I don't even want to talk about the pregnancy much between ourselves until we see the scan on Monday and know that things are happening as they should.
@FyerFly I am so glad things are working out with your research! I recently (last year) gave up my PhD and hope to go back to it in the future. It's not impossible to be a mom and a professor!!

Cravings: I tried some cheese (been vegan for a long time due in part to bad reactions to dairy) because I was craving it. That was a mistake!!! :laugh: Hello digestive unrest! I learned my lesson for sure. Luckily most of the other stuff I'm craving is fruit. I think this baby will be made of apples and clementines.
@MountainMamaGC I hope for everyone's sake that the government speeds up! Do you often have foster placements, or is this your first?
 
#20 ·
Awww thanks perkier!! That's neat that you worked on a PhD too. I'm hoping to stick with mine, but like you, am flexible about the precise timeline. I can imagine taking time off and going back to it later if needed...especially if money becomes a bigger issue.

Keep us posted on your appointment/scan!!
 
#21 ·
So I think my hormones may have kicked up a notch...read about a really tragic and scary news story that happened in my town over the weekend (in my neighborhood, actually) and I was OK at first but the more I thought about it the more upset/scared I got. I cried and blubbered all over poor DH. The funny thing is, the type and frequency of crime where we live now is WAY less frequent or violent and less close to us than it has been in neighborhoods we've lived in in the past. Maybe that's why stuff happening is so shocking/disturbing...

Anyway, I'm feeling the need to focus on the positive and not get too wrapped up in extremely violent/scary/tragic things -- if the latter, my mind starts whirling and I get really really upset :(
 
#22 ·
I know that I have been tearing up more easily lately. I always hate that part about pregnancy. I am usually a tough person, and rarely cry. Now I tear up over Christmas songs, or touching ads in the magazines at the chiropractor's office. It's ridiculous, and there seems to be nothing I can do to stop it.
 
#23 ·
Hi everyone!
Glad thanksgiving was good for everyone.
I love hearing the stories about revealing our pregnancies.
Fryerfly - I've always thought if would have loved going into research. I can research the crap out of things. I especially love doing meta analysis.

I'm finally 12 weeks! As suspected, once I was mobile again and able to spend time at dds school, people started guessing! Only one person brazenly asked me. Icant hide it though. I'm huge.
Had a midwife appt on Friday, I brought dd1 with us (dd2 is with me all the time). I kept her home from school so she could be involved & hear the heartbeat. She was there every step of the way the last time and has such a natural curiousity about bodies so I want her to be involved :)
I'm meant to get a scan this week to get a nuchal measurement but I haven't heArd from them.
That's about it! I've been busy and back working/driving which feels good but I am exhausted! I go to bed with the girls at 8 most nights.
I ran out of diclectin and took a few days to wean off of it and I'm feeling great, finally. Nausea is the hardest part for me -
Worse than labour!!!
 
#24 ·
Oooh JennyT meta analysis! Sounds cool! I think the research paper I just completed had kind of a meta vibe to it, but not a meta-analysis in the purest sense. That's so neat that your DDs are part of the new baby experience from the start!

I woke up with a headache this morning - I think I need to get much more vigilant about drinking lots of water every day...
 
#25 ·
Is anyone else really, really lonely?? I love my H but he works full time and is in Master's courses, so it only makes sense to let him do what he wants on his time off. We watch TV together but that's about it since my Dad moved in, we don't have much money left over to go out and do things.

Normally, I reach out to make plans with friends a few times a month. Since I've been pregnant one person has reached out to spend time with me, MIL. No one has even called/texted to see how I am. I'm realizing that if I don't make plans, these friends don't seem to be seeking me out to do a single thing.


Is this a hormonal thing making it feel worse or what? It's odd because I'm normally okay with just being by myself but I'm just feeling a little hurt. It's not like I'm asking for casseroles or anything special, I'd just like to have a genuine conversation.
 
#26 ·
I'm sorry you're feeling so lonely! I do think that pregnancy and the hormones do make everything feel worse and bigger than it normally would, but that doesn't mean your feeling are invalid in anyway. Maybe you could text a friend to get together? Or you could look into local la leche league groups, and go to a meeting. I always liked the comradery (I'm sure I spelled that wrong,) of those meetings, because there tend to be more naturally minded mamas there. Maybe you could make a friend or 2 that are expecting, as well. It can be nice having a "pregnancy buddy." Plus it gave me an opportunity to listen to breastfeeding experiences, and questions, as well as listen to a short "lesson." Most chapters also have a library of pregnancy, birthing, and breastfeeding books you can borrow, too.
 
#27 ·
I will reach out and try to make some plans with friends soon and joining a LLL group might be a good start for more like-minded friends, that's a good idea. I am joining a crochet club Thursday and possibly a book club starting next month. For now, I'll just have to keep myself busy.
 
#28 ·
SummerStorm have you ever heard of the first saturn return? My mom used to be an astrologer, and when I was in my late 20s, I went through kind of a tough time and made a few life changes (got married to DH!) and ultimately really reduced how much/how many people I socialized with/the kind of effort I would make to keep in touch with people (other than my close friends and family!). My mom always said I was going through my first saturn return.

Anyway, here's an article if you're interested:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shannon-kaiser/saturn-returns_b_4275974.html
 
#29 ·
I did that about 5 years ago and lost all but 2 of my friends due to setting healthy boundaries. My current friends aren't mean spirited like the old group but they don't reciprocate much friendship either. I'm not willing to walk away though, because I do care for them.
 
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