Hubby went to work this morning and found out that he's not back until next week. So I've got him for an extra week. He obviously got his dates mixed up, I just hope that it works out ok pay wise.

Tomorrow is pay day. Or rather today even. I checked my bank balance and it's not updated so it obviously doesn't go in at midnight (It's 1250am here) I wonder when it will post?

I remember in school my friend's (ex) boyfriend used to go to the pub and spend a lot. Then at midnight he would withdraw money when he got paid. More spending. All I want to do is pay a few bills while JI is sleeping.

I can't wait until CC1 is under 1k... Hopefully by next month. I don't want to get my hopes up. (My sidebar isn't accurate so it's not too much to ask)

Okay I'm thinking I might just try and go to sleep now since I haven't got any financial news plus this post is all over the place.

I'm going to refer to Jason as JI from now on. These are his first two initials, just like I refer to SG.

JI is doing well, and SG seems to be getting used to having a little brother (I think) She likes to try and help out, we let her put nappies into the nappy disposal bin, she likes doing it. She will also shout "baby! Baby!" and come running to the kitchen if he is making noises, or crying.

Hubby is back to work on Thursday. I've had it good this time; he took his two weeks paternity leave which he was entitled to and took three weeks holiday.

We've had two takeaways since my last post, but we've not been back to the cafe. I've got an online grocery shop coming this afternoon. I managed to get a delivery slot for £1 which is the cheapest you can get; it'd cost me more to get the bus there. I'm going to attempt a meal plan for this week. If I do another online grocery shop between now and the middle of August, and spend £40 or more, I will get an ecoupon for £20 off my order of £40 or more in the middle of August. I can spend £40 on nappies and formula alone.

We've got three more payments to make on our Christmas savings vouchers. We'll get them in October I think. I need to order a Christmas stocking for JI; I ordered a personalised one for SG about this time last year because it was in the sale. I want to get it before people start their Christmas shopping and prices go up.

I'm writing this on my phone so sorry if there are typos.
its been three weeks since J was born. I'd like to say that there has been no unnecessary spending but I can't. We've ordered takeaway twice - both tines it was my idea. We had enough leftover for dinner the next day. Also we've had lunch out at our local cafe twice.
I'm finding it difficult to get simple things done around the flat, so I know I need a routine. Life is just hectic.

Two days ago (Thursday) I gave birth to my little boy Jason. At home. He is a healthy 7lb 10.5oz. We should be getting home today.

SG decided to wake up at 4.30am. It's been an hour since then. I'm hoping I can get her to go back to sleep within the next few hours.

I only had minimal plans for today: make hubby's Father's Day card and wrap his present. I'll be using blank paper to wrap his present, SG can paint/draw on it to add a personal touch. I also want to do spend some time getting rid of clutter. Of course, all of this depends on me having the energy to actually do this.

I finally spent my £25 Amazon gift card. I ordered a four portion George Foreman. It was on sale. It will replace the one that we have just now which only fits two portions.

I redeemed SBs for a £5 Amazon gift certificate. I'm probably just going to redeem these whenever I can. I told hubby we will use it for a new kettle from Amazon when I've got enough SBs. The one we're using just now was an engagement present - back in 2007 - and it spent years just sitting in its box while we were living with in-laws. It leaks a bit just now but I can't complain.

My mum's coming over for lunch today. The past two weeks I've given her a nice salad. Well I haven't got salad stuff in, so it will have to be pancakes. I told her this, and she's fine with it.

I spoke to the midwife at the hospital yesterday. I asked her what I've to do when I'm in labour, explained that hubby can't drive, we live out of the way. She said I can phone an ambulance and explain my situation. "People have phoned for less" she said. She also said that she checked to make sure that they are expecting me, and they are. I hope she's right.

I'm feeling a bit disheartened that I might not achieve my goals for this year. There's still six months to go so I might make an impact.

I feel like I'm spending most of my time trying to get things done, and maybe not always completing them. I'm in the habit now of spending fifteen minutes a day tidying an area. I am actually pleased with one corner of the kitchen in particular that I worked on the other day. It's nowhere near perfect but it is manageable now. We were in the habit of leaving things there but now I'm trying to nip that in the bud. If I see something that doesn't belong there, I move it.

I'm on countdown now until baby #2 arrives: twelve days to go. I'm back at the hospital tomorrow for more monitoring. I need to find out what I'm doing about transport when I'm there. A hospital taxi brought me home from my surgery so I'm hoping I can get the same when I'm in labour. When I asked the midwife on Monday what I was to do, she just said I should phone the hospital earlier than what I would phone their hospital. For the record, hubby can't drive so he can't take me.

I haven't made any extra food for the freezer yet. I've got some mince in the freezer so I think I will cook that up soon in the slow cooker and freeze the extra portions.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that we had overpaid our rent. I've requested a refund. We'll use some of the money to pay back family. I don't know how long it will take to get refunded, but I'm assuming that it won't be before baby's here. We got the form today to fill in so I'll get that sent this week.

I can't keep filling my blog with random entries, so here's an actual update:

Payday was last week and it was bad. Don't get me wrong it was better than getting sick pay from the government, but it was still pretty bad.

I'm trying to keep spending on food to a minimum. Hubby is picking up a few things when he finishes work so I hope he sticks to the list.

Less than three weeks until the baby is due. I need to narrow down some girls names just in case. If it's a boy we're sorted. I don't know about everyone else but I find it so difficult picking a girls name. Maybe I'm just too fussy.

If the time on the blog is right it's almost ten to five. Well it's afternoon here.

Good morning everyone!

I haven't been away from the blogs that long and I come back and there's more spam.

It's not a sum, it's how far along I am. I've started packing my hospital bag, it should be done within the next few days.

I also need to write a list for hubby in case I go over my due date and I am in hospital next payday. There are a few bills that need to be paid on payday so I want to make sure he will handle that. I know he will.

The weather's been nice here recently, so I haven't been cooking a lot, we've had a lot of salads and pasta. I need to make sure I start making extra soon so I can freeze it.

I'm looking forward to my fellow SA bloggers waking up so I can read some actual blogs.

What's with all of the spam blogs? I'm not even sure how to report it.

It's not been the most exciting of weeks. I was at the hospital on Monday and Tuesday. I seen my consultant. It's been decided that I won't have the baby at my local hospital because there's no surgeons there. Instead, I will be in the same hospital that I had my surgeries in, and there will be a surgeon on standby just in case. She made it clear that surgery is a last resort, they don't want to do it because I still haven't recovered internally from my last surgery.

Since I won't be in my local hospital, I'll be expecting less visitors since only my uncle lives near this hospital. Of course, I'm hoping I won't be in long enough to get visitors since it's my second.

I'm back at the hospital tomorrow. My consultant wants the baby to be monitored every week - either once or twice a week - until my due date.

With all of that time spent at the hospital, I was beginning to think that my aim to declutter was a lost cause. I'm feeling more hopeful now. This morning I set a timer for twenty minutes and me and hubby got to work. We kept on working after the timer went off, hubby more than me, and the living room is looking so much better.

No financial news, although it is payday this week. However since I only worked half my hours it won't be much. Also, my automatic savings transfers should start back up (I skipped the last four weeks because of money)

Based on my new definition of productive, which is: spending at least twenty minutes getting rid of clutter.

Yesterday morning I sorted out one of the shelves in the cabinet/display unit in the livingroom. Today I tackled the other two. Some of the things I had to do to tidy up/declutter were so simple: put the camcorder back in its case (I'm not sure when it was last used), throw away old receipts and bus tickets, put medicine in the bathroom.

It's not even 10am yet and I've got a beef casserole cooking in the slow cooker for tonight's dinner. I'm feeling really organised today.

I'm not sure how much I'll get done tomorrow; I've got a scan tomorrow morning so I will be out of the house for a few hours. At this point though - almost 36 weeks into my pregnancy - I'll be pleased if I am able to spend more than ten minutes getting rid of clutter.

Acting on the advice of others on my previous post, this morning I set the timer for thirty minutes and began to tackle the livingroom. There's one area in particular that is really bad. It's weeks of mail, toys and clothes that need putting away etc piling up. I attempted that area this morning. I was doing well until SG wanted my attention, so I probably only really spent twenty mins doing it. I was so tired afterwards that I went for a nap when SG went for hers and I slept for the whole time (an hour). I might tackle the rest of it today, or let hubby do it.

I completely underestimated how exhausted I would be, although I do like the idea of setting a timer.Tomorrow I will do the same; I'll let hubby know today when he comes home.

I started back at work on Tuesday. No-one seems to know what to do with me, so they sent me back to my old department. I've only been working five hour shifts but I am coming home exhausted as though I've worked a full day. My other problem is that I'm hungry when I finish so I'm tempted to buy stuff. I finish at lunch time. When I finished yesterday I bought some milk and fruit. I was so hungry I started eating the fruit on the bus on the way home. I will probably start taking something with me to eat when I finish, other wise I'm going to end up spending money I don't have.

I still haven't officially worked out my maternity leave because the people manager is off, but I'm thinking in a few weeks I will finish up.

I paid CC1 this morning, just over the minimum. I look forward to the day when I'm back to paying loads extra.

So hubby is working late tonight. It will be his final late shift before he moves department and changes to permanent dayshift. I'm still sore when I pick up SG and put her down for a nap, so hubby wanted MIL to take her. I grudgingly agreed. It's such a nice day here I feel like I should be doing something with her, not spending the day alone. However, hubby is more concerned with me getting plenty of rest and recovering. SG will be back tomorrow morning. There's an easter fayre at the local community centre which I want to go to, so we will be doing that.

For the rest of the day my plans are simple: do nothing. I did some dishes earlier and put on a washing so that#s enough. I've had lunch so I'll go for a nap soon then get a snack when i wake up. Maybe watch some more of The Good Wife on Netflix, which I only discovered last month.

No financial news to report (except hubby overspending when I ask him to pick a few things up)

Hubby is at work, so it's just me and SG. I was inspired to attempt a little decluttering today. I managed to get rid of some rubbish and some washing that had been lying about in the livingroom. However, there's still some mess as SG was right behind me. I need to get hubby to take down the birthday banners which are still up (he said it wasn't a priority to take them down while I was in hospital, and has been ignoring them since I came out) I would do it but it involves more stretching than I want to do.

I redeemed my amazon gift card today. We will be using it to buy baby stuff since we have basically bought nothing for this baby. Ten weeks to go now so I'm going to work out what we need to get. We're also going to visit the local nearly new baby and kids shop.

I've been craving a subway for the past few days. My appetite is slowly coming back.

I had a meeting at work. My sick line runs out at the start of May. I'm hoping to be back at work then *fingers crossed* then work until the end of May to finish up for maternity leave.

I noticed my savings have hit triple figures now.

Thank you for all of your kind wishes on my last post.

Hubby has a meeting with a manager at work today. He's had to take SG with him since I can't pick her up or put her down for a nap. When he spoke to them on the phone, they weren't being supportive about him having to take time off. Fingers crossed it goes ok.

The hospital gave me a sick line for one week. I'd expected to get a four week sick line like the last time, especially since I went through so much more than before. Going to get another one from the doctors this week. Ideally, I would like to be off for a few more weeks then go back to work for a few weeks to finish up for maternity leave. I haven't spoken to anyone at work yet about when I want to start my maternity leave.

Hubby was fantastic when I was in hospital, asking me what bills were due out (of my account) etc. He used quite a bit of money travelling through to see me but I was pleased when he told me I still had some money left.

Back to just above minimum payments on credit cards, same as before. I really really want to pay 100 to cc1 like last pay but it's not feasible when you take into consideration that both of our wages will be worse soon and the fact that hubby's pay was not good from taking time off. I can make up for it soon. It's annoying; CC1 is so close to being under a thousand pounds if I made a big payment...

I noticed that I've earned enough SBs to claim the Amazon gift card. I haven't redeemed it yet.

I'm 29 weeks pregnant now, baby is due 23rd June.

My head is all over the place. In my last entry I wrote about SG's birthday, maybe? I was all ready to start back at work that week.

Went to work. You're being moved department. Okay. Go to new department who didn't even know I was being transferred. Old manager said cause it's for light duties. New department begin training me on the Wednesday after SG's birthday. You still have holidays to take. Ok I'll take from this Saturday onwards - see you at the end of March.

Eh no.

Hubby went to work next day, everything ok. Had lunch. Then had cramps, sickness etc. Couldn't keep anything down. Hubby phoned doctor. Spoke to doctor, said I can't walk to the health centre. He came here and gave me some medicine which done nothing.

Up all night being ill. Hubby phoned MIL at 6am the next morning to take me to A & E. Assumed it was just an infection like my birthday and would be home later.

No they wanted to do surgery. Again. Another laparotomy. Risk of premature labour they told me, needed hubby's consent. Doctor phoned hubby. Do surgery.

Surgery done. It was an internal hernia and my bowels this time. Fed through a tube for ten days, then only allowed to sip fluids. Baby ok, scan confirmed.

Had to stay in surgery ward, maternity couldn't take me cos of all the tubes. Constant attention from obstetrician and midwives.

Home after thirteen days. They gave me all my notes, which said that baby would be unlikely to survive. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

Glad to be home.

It's been a while since I posted. I started back at work yesterday. I thought it was meant to be Tuesday but there was a mix up so it was yesterday. I've been moved department and my days have changed. This department is easier physically but there's a lot to learn. I still had holidays to take so I'm off for a week now. These new hours mean that MIL will no longer have to look after SG on a Sunday, although we haven't told her yet. Also, we will only be off one day together instead of two. Lastly, I'll be home an hour later in the evenings.. so we will have easy meals those nights.

SG's little gathering went well. The person I was worried about showing up actually couldn't make it in the end because her little boy was ill. I made enough food for everyone that was there, and I still have plenty left over to bake another cake soon.

SG got birthday money from hubby's grandpa and dad. He doesn't talk to his dad - hasn't in years - so it was a big surprise. The money's going into SG's savings (well her piggy bank just now until we open an account)

I ordered hubby a very early birthday present from my catalogue, so I'm paying that up now. I'll get him a little thing on his actual birthday. We discussed it and decided that it would be better to add it to my bill now rather than later when I'm on maternity leave.

My cousin gave us lots of clothes for the baby. She has a little boy, although some of them were neutral. If we end up having a girl I will give them to my friend who is expecting a boy a few weeks after I'm due the baby.

I'm going to try and start the housing fund soon so that we can get some flooring in the kitchen soon. This was another thing that we discussed.

I've almost earned enough SB to claim an Amazon GC.

I think that's all for now.

I must have baby brain. My urologist phoned today to see how I was getting on, and to check if I have picked up my antibiotics. I told her I had forgotten. Then someone else phoned from the hospital to confirm that I've got a UTI. I don't know how I forgot. I was too tired to pick up my prescription today - I had two naps then woke up tired. Crazy.

My mum came over for lunch. While she was here I reminded her that it's a new month so she needs to make a payment to her debt (I do it online for her, it takes less than a minute) She complained that her cable bill was due, she would see how much she had etc. This company are letting her pay it back interest-free. I mean, really? I told her I would check her balance - yep she had enough for both. She was surprised when I made both payments within two minutes. She got her money today too, actually she didn't know it was in. I'll wait a few weeks before transferring to her online savings. Since agreeing to save in Oct/Nov I have barely mentioned it to her since I know she will think of an excuse not to do it. I just look forward to the day - well, you know what I mean - when something breaks "order me a new x from your catalogue" and I can say "your savings will cover it"

Speaking of savings, mine finally updated. The building society was having technical problems.

Next thing to update: CC1.

CB is not the only one with some budget changes. We got a letter today stating that our rent will increase by 3% in April. The letter didn't state the actual amount though, just how much the new rent will be annually so i divided that by 48 weeks to get a figure. (We get four rent-free weeks a year. Rent is payable in 48 installments) By my calculations, it's increased by just over 2 pounds each week.

Another change is that I'm starting to pay back tax from last year. I don't earn enough for them to take extra tax out of my pay so I have a direct debit set up starting next month. That's 9.33 for twelve months.

I think that's all... for now.

Today I made a payment to hubby's barclaycard. The minimum payment was 18.77, I paid 20. The payment isn't due for another three weeks and normally hubby would just pay it then. I hate seeing the balance so close to the limit. Of course another payment will be made so that he doesn't go over his limit again.

Hubby went shopping with MIL yesterday. We only needed a few things and he spent £15.xx. We've now got £7.08 left to last us until 7th March. He did get what I asked for, he just got lots of it, plus a few extra things too.

I've got pork cooking in the slow cooker just now with cider, apples and onions. I found the recipe on my local butcher's FB page. We'll have that with mashed potatoes and veg tonight.

The rest of the week we will have:

- spicy root and lentil casserole
- mozzarella pasta bake
- minute steak fajitas
-minute steak pasta

I got a pound of minute steak pasta from the butcher's in my meat pack and I put it all in the freezer without dividing it up so I'll need to cook it all up this week. I could probably freeze the leftovers though.

Went to the doctor's this morning. He gave me another four week sick line. I'm hoping my bladder problem will be more manageable within that time and I will be back to work then.

Spoke to hubby about how we have to "claw our way back" financially. I've been reading Martin Lewis's forums and I get his weekly emails. Anyway, there's a store cupboard challenge that I would like us to do soon and then put the extra money towards credit cards. Hubby's card was over the limit due to charges (gutting after I thought I sorted it last year) so any extra he can put will be good.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=20967

I was thinking last night that I really should have my savings balance on my sidebar. Everyone else does. On that note, actually, LR has been motivating me to save more... I was reading her old entries and thinking "look how quickly her savings increased, if she can do it, so can I!" So thanks for the motivation LR!!

And I spent the early hours of this morning in the hospital. I don't want to go into too much info but I had sickness and cramping for hours last night. Doctors discovered that it's a feminine problem that I've got. Came home at 7am this morning and slept till just before twelve.

I've just read CCF's other blog about a slush fund. I like that idea but we don't have an EF yet. One thing at a time. I too seem to be bumbling about since we're two months into the year and I haven't made any goals yet. I should hang my head in shame - and get my thinking cap on. It's fair to say that they will be minimal goals for this year.

In other news, we were approved for help with housing.

Yesterday we went shopping. I spent £60.69 at Aldi's, my trolley was full and I got everything on my list... plus a couple of extras too, but it was just little things like mozzarella cheese and a really nice bar of dark chocolate. Later we went to the butcher's and I spent £29.64.

I'm trying to get some order back into our lives. So I'm back to proper meal planning. I'm recovering now and hope to be back at work within the next few weeks. Hubby thinks I shouldn't be going back yet but I will only have three weeks to work then I will be on holiday for SG's second birthday.

Speaking of SG's birthday, I ordered her two Peppa Pig toys from my catalogue (using my rewards of course). I had £22.52 of rewards, my order came to £26.00. After rewards were applied I was only £3.84 OOP. I think we are quite sensible when it comes to gifts for SG. I noticed on FB that a girl I went to school with, whose daughter is a bit older than SG, filled her couch with presents for her. Someone joked that it would take her until her next birthday to open them.

It's my birthday tomorrow. Hubby told me that BIL is going to give me money instead of a present cos he thinks I need it more. Should I put it in savings or just count it as cash flow? Thoughts? We might be a bit short this month but I'm hoping we can scrape by.

Well today is payday. My work kept to their word and backdated my sick pay. However, since hubby did not get sick pay it doesn't really make us any better off. I have enough to pay all of our rent for this month but I will need to cover hubby's shortfall.

My aim this pay is to keep under budget since my next pay will not be as good. I've been paid for an extra few weeks that I won't have in March's pay.

I have a feeling that the local council will not give us any help on last month's two weeks missed rent because my pay is looking good. If they don't I will just pay extra when I can over the next few months. They already know that we are in the process of applying for help.

As far as food shopping is concerned, I am going to the local butcher's tomorrow for a £26 meat pack and I will get the rest at Aldi's