Bricks Not Books

VintageHistorian

Happy New Year everyone!

December OPs finished at £177.02! So this has brought us under the £130k mark on our mortgage, which we're very happy about.

Total OPs for 2022 were £1697.90! We're also very happy with this. Overpaying the difference between our old mortgage payments and the new one has definitely worked out for us. We don't miss the money and it does make an impact, so we'll continue with it this year too.

We've had a very nice festive season. Saw my family on Christmas Day and the in-laws on Boxing Day. We had a few days lounging around the house doing very little. On Thursday we did a food shop and a run to the tip to get rid of a few bits that have been piling up, including an old bucket that was in the kitchen when we moved here, and the hoover which finally gave up the ghost on Christmas Eve. Also 5 years of batteries went into the battery recycling after sitting, and growing, in a pile on top of one of the recycling boxes.

Baby preparations continue slowly but surely. I ordered a bundle of muslins off Vinted which arrived during 'Twixmas so they went in the washing machine with the newborn and 0-3 month clothes I've had in storage for a while. Mr VH finished baby proofing the radiators by attaching all the new covers to the walls, and also sorted out a load of books to go into storage in the garage so baby can't pull a pile on top of their tiny head. We're going to head to Lakeside soon to hit Ikea and Mamas & Papas to look at the bigger nursery and baby bits. My parents have offered to pay for a travel system and my in-laws want to buy the cot, which are very generous offers that we're grateful for as they're two expenses that we could cover, but now won't need to.

I've got this week off work (can't pass up a chance to get 2 weeks off work using just 4 days of annual leave) and Mr VH is working from home due to all the train strikes. Not sure what I'll do with myself yet but it will involve going for more walks outside as I've been quite lazy about that over the past few weeks, not helped by the rain or the fact that baby is now starting to take up more room so breathing deeply is becoming slightly difficult.

I wish I could say I have lots of brilliantly challenging but achievable goals for 2023 but in reality the focus is purely on the safe arrival of baby, preferably with minimal drama from my vaguely incompetant body. We'll continue the overpayments and I'll try to get some side hustling done, but I'm very aware that the sleep deprivation and postnatal recovery will mean that just showering will be an achievement on some days. No point adding more stress by trying to take on a massive frugal challenge or starting some kind of massive side hustle target to boost my pension.

Dinner tonight is duck breast with homemade potato wedges, and honey roasted carrots, with a chocolate and salted caramel ganache pot for pudding. This is the last of the rich festive fare, we're back to more normal meal plans from tomorrow!

Have a good week everyone!

Cornish_mum

Many congratulations VH! I have just seen your wonderful news I hope you enjoy your extra time off. CM

VintageHistorian

Thank you Cornish Mum!

And I did indeed have a very nice bonus week off. Due to the train strikes Mr VH worked from home for 3 days and only went into the building on the Thursday. So it was nice to also have a few extra days with him (even if he was understandably glued to the laptop).

I went into town on one day and had a proper charity shop mooch, which I haven't done for a while. Also had a look for any sales in shops but even though it was only a few days after 1st January most places seemed to have removed their sales bits and moved on to their spring lines.

I also had a midwife appointment on the Thursday. Baby was all fiine but I had to have a blood test. Unfortunately the midwife, who wasn't my regular one as she broke her ankle just before Christmas, didn't realise I needed a 3rd vial for a test ordered by the consultant. And I only really have one good vein, which had already been tapped. Despite her best efforts to find one in my other arm it wasn't playing ball and I ended up feeling quite anxious until I asked her to stop.

So that probably explains why I felt light headed and faint in the reception area afterwards. I had to sit down, take my mask off, and ask someone to get me some water while I stuck my head towards my knees (couldn't bend over completely as bump gets in the way). Once I felt better I made my next appointment and then left. The cooler air outside helped, I got a sugary orange drink to sip, and came home to eat a packet of salty crisps, all of which soon had me feeling fine and there were no similar spells later in the day. First time I've ever felt that way after a blood test but I have felt it after donating blood and after my first miscarriage, so at least I know what to do when that feeling rushes over me.

Sadly the basic blood test revealed that I'm slightly anaemic, so onto the iron tablets I go. I went to the hospital yesterday to get the proper iron test done for the consultant, and to pick up said tablets. I made sure I took water and a Kitkat with me this time. I felt fine afterwards but still sat in the car for 10 minutes with the window down, eating the Kitkat and drinking my water, until I was certain I was safe to drive home.

Last weekend we did our Ikea trip. Got a big Kallax unit for the office, a cot, and a chest of drawers, as well as a bunch of little organiser bits, some new plates, a highchair for my parents to have at their house, and some cot sheets, baby sleeping bag etc. Very nearly failed to get it all in the back of the car and we had to squash our seats forward to make enough space.

We also went to Mamas and Papas, which was 5 minutes away. Picked a travel system for my parents to get us, which my Mum has now ordered, and also found a bedside cot we liked which I ordered online. Mr VH spotted the baby sling he wanted on the shelves and it was on offer so I bought it then and there, and we also got a little soft fluffy lamb teddy and another baby sleeping bag that were also on offer. A very expensive weekend but well worth it. Mr VH spent the rest of Saturday and a chunk of Sunday getting everything assembled and in place, so the "storage room" has now officially been converted into a nursery.

We still need to get a laundry basket and a bin (will order from Argos next month after we've been paid), and start buying the actual nappies and other changing bits, but it's a big step forwards.

I need to sit down today and do a money shuffle. Zazzle sent me £35.42 last night from last years print-on-demand sales, which will go to a mortgage overpayment, and I'm sure I can find a Tilly Tidy in the account too!

Tonight's dinner is very easy oven pizzas. I've been feeling very tired towards the end of this week (might be the anaemia) so I'm going to give myself an easy weekend. First thing's first - I need breakfast!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Moneyfordreams

that's a lovely update. I remember doing those shops for my own children, then for my granddaughter. special times x 

VintageHistorian

Thanks MFD. Given our problems in the past it was also just nice to be able to do the things that "normal" pregnant people get to do. And although it was expensive we have the money (as reluctant as we are to spend it XD) so it wasn't as if we were going around saying, "This would be lovely but we can't afford it".

Actually we might have spoiled ourselves slightly on that front, but we have things that should last well if we choose to have a second (not sure I'm up for another load of jabs but in a few years I might change mind) or that we can sell on to recoup some of the money in the future.

This week I am off to hospital three times! Once for a midwife appointment (last weeks one was cancelled as they're a little short staffed), once for a growth scan, and then lastly for a consultant appointment to go over the growth scan. Baby is being a wiggly little bean, although still not exactly in the "pattern" that I should be expecting by now. Their pattern seems to be "very active for one day, be much quieter for 2 or 3 days". Last Saturday I nearly called the triage line as they were very quiet in the morning and I was getting a bit worried, but after some breakfast and tea they were shuffling around, so perhaps they were hungry. Or, being my child, they just dislike expectations and prefer to do things their own way.

Payday was yesterday so once the mortgage has gone out I can do a money shuffle and then work my way through the list of things we still need to get. Nursery needs a laundry hamper and a bin, and I have a list of things for me as long as my arm! Maternity bras (my regular ones are getting very uncomfortable), maternity pyjamas, a hospital bag, some more maternity clothes, and I'm going to pay for an online hynobirthing course that a friend has recommended. I did look at antenatal classes in our area but all the NCT ones are on weekday nights and that doesn't fit Mr VHs schedule. He did suggest I go on my own but I promptly told him that I'm not going to be able to come home and explain a 3 hour session in 30 minutes before we go to bed.

There's a second-hand baby things sale in our town in a few weeks time, which I'm going to go along to. But I do want to get a few things new, especially as everything I've got for myself so far as been second-hand and mostly off Vinted. I need to remember that I can actually treat myself too, especially since I'm doing all the heavy lifting! (Except for large boxes of course, Mr VH does that heavy lifting for me).

One of my sisters had a birthday last weekend so I popped over to my parents to give her her card and gifts. In return my Mum gave me the baby clothes she's been buying. Luckily she'd been buying everything in newborn sizes so that's definitely a gap that's been dealt with! I've now got 13 short-sleeved bodysuits and 9 long-sleeved ones, plus a couple of tops, two pairs of trousers, and some hats, mittens and booties. Outfits are being kept to a minimum since we don't know the gender, but also as I understand it when they're that small you're mostly just sticking them in the bodysuits anyway and the pretty patterns or quirky t-shirts come out to play a bit later.

The travel system arrived this morning, disturbing the brief lie-in I was attempting. It was failing anyway was my hips were aching. Mr VH is working today so he'll be coming home to the hallway taken up with very large boxes. I'm not really sure what to do with myself today. I might go for a little walk after lunch, but mostly I feel like I just want to lounge around on the sofa today. I do want to try and get SOMETHING done while sitting on my bum though so I might work on a blog post, or browse a few websites for maternity clothing.

Dinner tonight is a nice easy pizza! Mr VH requested something that required "minimal washing up" and that was the best we could come up with. I'm not complaining though, I'd eat a lot more pizza if I thought I could get away with it.

Have a good weekend chaps!

VintageHistorian

That was a busier week than I thought! Also had the car MOT (forgot I'd booked it and then remembered when checking my calendar) and train strikes so I had to take Mr VH to a different station on Thursday morning as branchline services weren't starting until much later.

Midwife appointment on Monday was fine, although they did spring a surprise blood test on me T_T I thought they might book one since I've been on the iron tablets for a few weeks now but no one had mentioned it. My Dad needed to go into town so he dropped me off and picked me up after, but happily I didn't feel dizzy after this one either so I would have been fine getting home on my own. I need to start writing questions down before I go, my right hip has been really sore at night but of course once I was at my appointment I forgot all about it and only remembered it several hours later.

Tuesday we had the growth scan so Mr VH came with me. Baby is growing nicely, they're almost perfectly on the "average" line on the chart. But they were described as "beautiful but naughty" because they were having a good old move around (not that I could feel much of it) and it took 6 goes for the poor ultrasound tech to measure the thigh bone! Baby is also currently in a breech position so they need to sort themselves out in the next few weeks and not get too comfortable as they are.

And then Wednesday we met one of the consultants to check over everything. Happy with the scan, happy with me continuing the Clexane, the basic blood test I had on Monday showed my iron is going up but I'm seeing the consultant that ordered the more in-depth iron profile test this coming week and she might request a second one to make sure everything is going up as it should. They also said that if baby hasn't moved around by my next scan at the end of the month then my next appointment will involve discussing alternative birth preferences. Ironically having told me I really shouldn't have a planned c-section (and particularly worrying Mr VH about the risks around one) that may be the safest option for me if baby refuses to somersault into head-first position.

Thursday saw me driving Mr VH to the station and then dropping the car off for the MOT. Only two advisories, both for the rear tyres as they're starting to crack a little. I'll get those replaced once I'm on maternity leave as the type place is in town and the wait time can be very quick or much longer, I'd rather not try to fit it in during a lunch break.

And then lastly Friday saw another train strike so Mr VH was working from home and helped me with lifting and carrying the food shop. We treated ourselves to a takeaway pizza from a van with a wood-fired oven on Friday night, which made a nice change.

Mortgage overpayments have come in at £168.68 for January. That includes £35.42 from Zazzle and a couple of Tilly Tidies. Once the mortgage goes out tomorrow I can do a money shuffle and the first OP of February. I've also got an Amazon basket with a bunch of maternity things for myself (including my hospital bag, a book on breastfeeding, and some postnatal care bits) and I've also got to get some other things from M&S (especially bras) and Jojo Maman Bebe (comfy maternity pyjamas!), I suspect I'm looking at around £250 in total for everything but I keep reminding myself that I deserve to be comfy too and I can spend money on myself, not just buy things for the baby and tell myself to go without.

And now I need to go an eat a bowl of cornflakes that are fortified with iron and other vitamins! Dinner tonight is chicken and parma ham pasta and just the thought of it makes me very hungry.

Have a good week everyone!

ruby_eskimo

So pleased to hear that everything is going well so far and hoping that baby decides to backflip into the correct position for you!  Well done on continuing the OP's and agree that you deserve to be comfortable, after all you're the one growing a whole new person and if that doesn't warrant new pyjamas then I don't know what does.

VintageHistorian

You are very right Ruby, which was why a DVD boxset (Elementary season 6) also fell into my Amazon basket

The Amazon order arrived on Thursday and as soon as I unpacked it I remembered 2 things that I hadn't added to it. Despite having the basket full for 3 days before submitting the order. They'll get added to a future basket later in the month. This week I have a bunch of travel-sized toiletries coming in my Tesco click and collect order as I don't want to take full sized shampoo, toothpaste, electric toothbrush and charger etc. Hopefully I won't need to spend too much time in hospital after having baby, I'd rather be released to comfort of my own bed (and better food). Depends on how delivery goes though, but if I do run out of things my parents or Mr VH can just drop them off.

Mr VH has bought a blackout blind for the nursery and two packs of Pampers newborn nappies. Apparantly Aldi nappies are very good so we're going to get two of each to start with and see which ones we're happy with once baby arrives, then stock up properly. The Pampers ones were also on Amazon and Mr VH has Prime so we can get a delivery quickly if needed (or again, call my parents). My new pyjamas have also arrived and been put straight in the laundry basket (I don't like to wear things without washing them first). The M&S order has had to wait as I need to either get to a shop to be measured for new bras, or find a tape measure in the house and do it myself.

Mortgage payment went out on Monday so I did the money shuffle. £127.74 as the first OP which was our standard overpayment plus a Tilly Tidy. Need to do another money shuffled this afternoon to get the food money for this week out of savings, so will do another TT then.

Consultant appointment went fine. Iron is going up at a rate she's happy with so for the time being I'm to stick with the tablets (and the fortified cornflakes, and eggs for breakfast a few times a week) and hopefully won't need the more drastic ferritin infusion. Got to have another blood test in a couple of weeks to make sure it's still going up. She also told me that because of the Clexane they don't want me going overdue. So if baby doesn't come a bit early, or bang on my due date, then they will recommend that I be induced.

This has reopened the whole c-section debacle in my head as an induction means you're more likely to need an assisted delivery, and I'm really not keen on a forceps delivery (I suspect I'm just as likely to have a bad bleed from that, and I don't know anyone that's had a forceps delivery who's had anything positive to say about the experience or the support afterwards). What I can and can't do in labour will entirely depend on how well my body reacts to the induction and frankly the uncertainty of it all (coupled with no one being able to really explain why I can have a condition that makes my blood clot too easily, and a history of it not clotting enough) isn't doing my head any good. Wednesday was a very bad hormone day and I ended up in tears a few times just from completely random things.

I've got a midwife appointment on Thursday so I'm sure it will come up then. It could all be taken out of my hands anyway if baby stays the wrong way round, or decides to show up early. Last night they had a little shuffle around but mostly they just moved from the left side to the right hand side and then stayed there with their head tucked under my ribs. Evidently they're finding everything perfectly comfortable at the moment and see no reason to rush into a better position.

Also this week I have a health visitor coming to the house, I presume to check that we don't live in a total pigsty and to confirm that Mr VH isn't abusing me. The more I hear about crap service funding the more grateful I am that my parents moved closer during the pandemic. Mr VH gets 3 weeks paternity leave, he's booked the week off before the due date, he'll be back at work for a week after finishing paternity leave before taking another week off, but I'm still glad I'll be able to summon some help with a quick text message if I need it!

I've just baked a roll for my lunch today, there's a pot of pasta on the cooker for Mr VH's work lunches for the next 2 days, and I'm going to go bake some chocolate cupcakes in a minute. Dinner tonight is roast beef (they sent me a very small piece, so I'm not sure I'm going to get much for the freezer from it) with potatoes, greens, and I need to see if I have any yorkie puds left in the freezer (if I do then I can get away with a bit less beef on our plates).

Have a good week everyone!

ruby_eskimo

Good to hear the iron levels are going up - mine are going drastically down as I stupidly forgot to take my tablets for a few days so feel like a rather exhausted zombie!  I know different areas do different things but the health visitors I used to work with would use the pre-birth visit to introduce the service (the developmental checks they're required to do, support offered such as breastfeeding cafe's, advice line etc.) and check that you're as prepared as can be for bringing a new-born baby home.  Keeping everything crossed that the baby decides that they want to move position soon!

powerspowers

Nice to hear your news VH and I hope the rest of your pregnancy goes smoothly. My sister has just had a baby, she was stressing about induction vs c-section as her first baby’s delivery (induced at 2+ weeks over) was a nightmare. She was induced a week early this time due to a pre-existing condition and it seemed a much more positive experience than with her first. Sometimes you only hear the horror stories xx