Monday, August 18, 2008

Fun Monday: Where we pose a question....

Lisa is our hostess for Fun Monday this week, and she asks: What is one thing you would like to ask your readers? Come up with a question to pose to your visitors and throw it out there on Monday. As we’re all visiting each other’s Fun Monday posts we should answer the various questions we come across.

So here's the deal, I have 2 major things happening or possibly happening in my life. So I will give you an either OR question and that way it's not technically cheating. If you have time and read down a little bit you'll find out that I'm A. about 7 months pregnant and B. may be moving in the next month or so (fingers crossed) for a new job for my hubby. So. With that in mind...

Give me your best piece of prenancy/labor related advice OR
Give me your best MOVING advice --(especially if it pertains to being pregnant--besides taking it easy, I GET that, thank you very much)...

30 comments:

Hootin Anni said...

Oh my...two tough questions. The last time I was pregnant it was some 30+ years ago. So times have changed, but the whole delivery process hasn't really. The baby still comes on this earth the same way it did centuries ago. My advice is...stay relaxed and focused. The delivery is the easy part...you may not think so now, but it is....trust me. The work comes AFTER the baby is born, and years to follow.

The 2nd one...moving. I guess the best piece of advice is to not make the move itself a chore. In other words. Don't try to do everything at once...there's 'always tomorrow'. We moved about 4 years ago, and I still have unpacked boxes in the attic. Life and living it is too darned important and unpacking the material things isn't.


My FM question is up.

Regina said...

Moving advice - having done it 7 times in 8 years...

Label your boxes well - and keep like things together as much as you can.

Use linens and towels as padding when packing the breakables -

Keep a "travel suitcase" separate from the packing for right when you arrive at your new home - with bedding, toiletries, clothes, hand soap, roll of paper towels & TP - enough to get you started until you can get into your boxes.

Banker boxes work great for books/moving -you can't really overpack, the lids stay on tight, and they stack really well on a hand truck (or in a spare room when you don't have time to unpack them right away). They are good for files and papers, too.

I could write more but don't want to overload - I will email you anything else I think of.

Fingers crossed on the other thing!

Katie Swaner said...

Call Barnes & Noble and ask when their recycling dumpster gets dumped. Go the day before and get their boxes. They're the perfect size for packing = you can't make the boxes too heavy, and you won't be tempted to pack things that don't go together, just because there's room in the box. Plus, they're a standard size, so they stack well. much better than liquor store boxes (OMG, I think I'm growing up)

Sayre said...

#1 - Get as much rest as you can. Eat lots of green vegetables (I could NOT stay away from spinach). And take lots of preggy pictures! I think I only have one early on because I felt so fat, but now I really regret not having pictures of me pregnant.

#2 - Hire someone if you can. Then just get in your car and follow along. Moving and pregnant do not go together.

Jan said...

I haven't been pregnant for 38 years, it's a dim memory. But I have moved, twice in 40 years, the first time was a breeze. We moved from a 1 bedroom apt. to a 3 bedroom house. 30 years later we down-sized to a cottage. My best advice is start early and be methodical, and don't move anything you don't want, give it to charity. Actually the previous commentor have given fabulous advice.

Gattina said...

Unfortunately I can't give any advise on both questions ! I had a cesarien 35 years ago so I don't know at all what labour is. I suddenly had a son ! and for moving I am bad too, because I moved only once and that is so long ago ! I only remember that we hadn't a lot of furniture or stuff to move in our new house.

Beckie said...

Stay calm - that's my best piece of advice.

Jill - you do know me. It's Beckie (previously of GiveItaTry now Hineykapoople.) :)

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

Moving? I am the wrong one to ask. I hate moving. Actually I abhor it!

Pregnancy/Labor? Get drugs asap. I did it without the first time and it was MISERABLE. Did the WITH the second time and i LOVED the birthing process.

kitten said...

My advice is daily walking, eat plenty fruit, and drink plenty water.
If your DR has not put you on bed rest, getting up and doing is best.
After having the baby, the best thing is get up as soon as possible. I know it will hurt, but the more you move the quicker the soreness will go away.
Walk, walk walk!

Joy T. said...

Best pregnancy advice is enjoy every single moment of it because it goes so fast. Best advice for labor is get that breathing down pat and you will be amazed how much it can help. It teaches you to focus and once you can do that you can work through anything.

As for moving. I have moved while pregnant and the best advice I can give is to start early and take one room at a time. Mark all boxes really good and what room they are to go in so the movers aren't always asking you, take the valuables with you in your vehicle and I found the biggest help of all was finding all the same size boxes. For our big move we invested in going out and buying moving boxes and you would be amazed how much easier it is to be able to stack all the same size boxes. We had three different sizes and the moving van looked amazing and we could fit twice as much in. Lots of luck to you.

Jeanna said...

Make moving your everyday project. When you're sitting down, if you ever do, look things over and attack.
Do a lot a little at a time.

Rayne said...

We are a military family and have moved countless times over the years and the best advice I can give for moving is:
Get as much done as possible before moving. Ie; Arranging for the electricity to be turned on/off, the mail, etc.
And the other piece of advice:
Be very organized when packing. Pack the boxes by room and lable them. Also, pack an arrival box. A box full of sheets, towels, shower curtain, some plates, and other things you would need the first night there before everything is unpacked.

Rayne said...

We are a military family and have moved countless times over the years and the best advice I can give for moving is:
Get as much done as possible before moving. Ie; Arranging for the electricity to be turned on/off, the mail, etc.
And the other piece of advice:
Be very organized when packing. Pack the boxes by room and lable them. Also, pack an arrival box. A box full of sheets, towels, shower curtain, some plates, and other things you would need the first night there before everything is unpacked.

Jo Beaufoix said...

Best pregnancy advice I can give you, trust your instincts and don't be afraid to say what you need.

Sandcastle Momma said...

The best pregnancy advice I can offer is something my MIL told me. When you are having a labor pain remember that it will be over in a minute. There will be more to come but you can survive each one by knowing that it will pass. Focus on that fact, demand good drugs, and remember that the prize is worth every second of it all.

Aoj and The Lurchers said...

Well, I've never been pregnant so can't help with that one.

Moving? Employ a firm of removal people!

Molly said...

My best pregnancy advice is, "It is never too early to back your bag for the hospital." Both of my children were born earlier than expected. Needing to rush to the hospital for the birth of my first child without a carefully packed bag bothered me.

Moving you might check out my daughter-in-law's blogs. She is pregnant with her second baby, and she writes about looking for a house, pregnancy, and her first baby at her personal blog, What're you lookin' at and her professional blog for Parent's magazine at Parental Discretion Advised.

Attie said...

We must be due around the same time!!

Well I say I might have labor advise...I have never had pain meds....I just breath and have it QUIET!! And It seems to go so fast!! last one my labor was 15 minutes long! I try to stay relaxed.

And moving while pregnant?/ Get everyone you know to help!!! everyone!! Good luck!!

storyteller said...

Like Sayre … seems like having someone ELSE do the moving makes sense to me. I’ve never been pregnant and have only moved twice in my lifetime … so I don’t have much to offer here but my best wishes ;--)
Hugs and blessings,

ChrisB said...

I'm going to be no help at all as my pregnancies were both back in the dark ages(60's) as for moving leave it to someone else just oversee from a comfy chair!

Big Momma said...

I have never been preggers, but I have moved a few times. My advice:

Start packing the stuff you don't need right now.

Buy the good boxes from a moving company. Ours gave us our money back when we returned the boxes, as long as they weren't written on.

Hire a moving company. We packed ourselves, but had a company come in to do the physical move. I would never move by myself again! It was totally worth it and not as expensive as I thought.

SwampAngel65 said...

1. EPIDURAL!
2. Never go too far from a bathroom.
3. Enjoy every minute of it!

I still vividly remember begin preggers with my oldest son. I was sitting on the couch one night eating a bowl of ice cream. I balanced it on my stomach. Well, the kiddo didn't like that too much because he literally kicked it off!!! I tell him that story all the time now, as well as the one where he was running his hand across my stomach and I could actually grab it. I held his little hand for a moment before he was even born.

Cherish every moment.

Ari_1965 said...

My best moving advice is to negotiote a relocation allotment, so you can hire movers to pack and move everything. There's very little in life more satisfying than watching other people do all the work.

Swampwitch said...

My girls are 33 and 27 so many things have changed, BUT walk as much as you can, if you aren't on bed rest. Drink plenty of water and eat lots of fruits and veggies.
As far as moving, when you label a box, label it on at least two sides, four is better, because when it's stored, the side with the label will always be turned away from you. AND, it will be the box on the bottom that you need and you won't be able to see what you wrote on it.

Call a moving company !

Pack your valuables and keep them with you. Pack a bag with enough clothes and "provisions" to last several days.

Faye said...

Know about baby dogs, not baby babies, but will pass on a rather new--I think --thing that a smart friend of mine used for the birth of her first child in her late 30s. She used a duala(not sure about spelling)but a combination medical practioner and coach. Very easy delivery and totally in charge of the process.

Re moving--color code labels for all boxes--yellow kitchen, blue--son's bedroom, etc. So much easier to get the right boxes in the righ rooms off the moving van.

IamwhoIam said...

Never had a child but I move every few years.
1. Pack one/two boxes with stuff you need for you first night in the new place. Tools to put stuff back together, hang pictures etc.
Clean sheets, pillow, blanket. Dust buster etc. paper towel, plates and a set a silverware. shower curtin, soap.

The stuff you need first. maker these boxes last in first out and when you get to the new place out of the way so it dosn't get buried amonst the rest of the boxes.

Your going to be tired when you get to the new place not fret about getting all the boxes unpacked and every thing put in it place.

Get what you need for the first night and the rest can wait till the next day.

Unknown said...

The thing that got me through my labors best was focusing on the thought of holding my little baby and playing with its toes and kissing him/her - just the thought of the end result helped to get me through it. :)

Label your boxes with the rooms they will be going to. :)

Pamela said...

I had my kids during the "natural" movement.

I should have told them GIVE ME DRUGS. (:

Now I'm giggling because I haven't moved in over 30 years, and that just sounds so..so...so constipated.

Hula Girl at Heart said...

Don't fear giving birth. People scare the heck out of you with their horror stories. Not everyone has a horrible labor process. Mine was two hours. Also, listen to your instincts. Every baby is different and every mommy is different. There are multiple solutions for most every problem, and you WILL figure it out. Good luck!

Moving advice? I have none. I'd rather be beaten with a stick than move.

Alison said...

I have never been pregnant but I watched the births of both my children...I must say, it wasn't so bad from my point of view!!! Writing the checks were pretty painful though!! (our children are adopted)

as for moving....call a moving company!!