I love adopting animals and probably will for our next dog. We have a 1 year old Corgi right now (his butt is not as fluffy and i'd like...but he's still soooo cute!) and we kind of lucked into him. I wanted a corgi SO BAD but I was absolutely not into paying that much for a pet. The lady we got him from had two corgis and mama corgi got pregnant on accident. (Apparently neither were fixed and she kept them apart...except when this happened apparently) She didn't want all the puppies, so we got one for not much more than we would have paid for the adoption fee at the local shelter.
DH straight up refused a wedding hashtag. He hates them too. I can't say I've ever used one before when I've been to other weddings without them.
I would also WAY more like to take a vacation with DH where I could drink.
lololzzzz stike 2394824302 for carries2018 we cut down this sucker. we live on a street that is another name for trees so every house has a special tree in their front yard. well we got blessed with this monstrosity. we did replace it iwth a cherry blossom. but it is still young. i looked out window one day and a guy was standing on my lawn shaking his head with disgrace.
DH offered to go somewhere for a weekend as a baby moon. It sounds nice, but being able to drink would be nicer. With our first, we went to a family members wedding in the Dominican when I was 27 weeks and, while it was fun, I couldn't do any of the activities the group did. And I feel like we wasted money on the all inclusive package since I couldn't drink. Next vacation will definitely be when I'm not pregnant.
Ugh I'm jealous of all of you who can cut your trees down. The grass on our lawn- front and back- is all dead and it's a constant struggle to keep flowers alive because of the shade from all the trees. In our town, you have to get a special permit to cut a tree down and they're basically never approved.
@carries2018 I would kill for a tree like that. This is our 1 tree, and it's a little Charlie Brown esque.
Me: 31 DH:35 TTC #1: March 2011 Fur-children: 3 dogs + 2 cats (all rescued) dx: Endometriosis and Fibroids 2 Laps and 1 Abdominal Myomectomy 6 rounds of clomid 5 rounds of iui IVF #1 Gonal F, Menopur and Cetrotide ER 12/1/2016:Retrieved 22 eggs 12 fertilized, developed moderate OHSS 4/4 day 5 embryos were normal for PGS!!! 2 boys/2 girls FET 1/10/2017 Gallbladder surgery 1/10/2017 FET 2/2 BFP 2/7/17 Beta#1: 594!!! Beta#2 1630!!! Having a girl! EDD 10/21/17
@carries2018 lolllll. We have lots of palm trees, but we also have normal trees. I'm not a tree expert so I don't know the tree names. But ones with normal trunks and stuff.
@natleilynn omg I am in love with your backyard! How peaceful
Me: 31 DH:35 TTC #1: March 2011 Fur-children: 3 dogs + 2 cats (all rescued) dx: Endometriosis and Fibroids 2 Laps and 1 Abdominal Myomectomy 6 rounds of clomid 5 rounds of iui IVF #1 Gonal F, Menopur and Cetrotide ER 12/1/2016:Retrieved 22 eggs 12 fertilized, developed moderate OHSS 4/4 day 5 embryos were normal for PGS!!! 2 boys/2 girls FET 1/10/2017 Gallbladder surgery 1/10/2017 FET 2/2 BFP 2/7/17 Beta#1: 594!!! Beta#2 1630!!! Having a girl! EDD 10/21/17
@ChocolateIsLife it's our forever house. I'm in love with it, too. I told DH we will pay the mortgage off on this house because I'm never, ever leaving it. We have all that peace and tranquility and privacy but in a neighborhood. If we sit out on the front porch we can socialize with all the neighbors but if we sit on the back porch, no one knows we're there and we can relax quietly. It's just perfect.
BFP#1: 12/3/13 EDD 8/15/13. Heartbeat found on 12/26/13, HB gone on 1/4/13. D&C 1/7/13
BFP#2: 4/19/13 EDD 12/28/13. Team Green for pregnancy and Baby Girl arrived 12/21/13. BFP#3: 2/9/13 EDD 10/18/17. Team Green for Round 2!
@natleilynn oh my gosh love. See those are perfect trees. Ours surround our house, kill our landscaping efforts and rain these weird wooden pod things down on our roof.
This is our backyard. We have nice clusters of shady trees in the front and backyards, and we're surrounded by pines since we live in a national forest. I looooooove trees!
Ahhh, trees. We purchased our home from an old couple who clearly dedicated their retirement years to their yard. We have the big whirly-bird trees and while I hate those damn whirly-birds with a passion, I'd never consider taking the tree down. That said, there's a tree or big bush around the entire perimeter of our back yard - we have holly trees, cherry blossoms, weird now-ugly boxwood bushes, and who knows what else (add to that more irises than a person could ever want). We're not outdoorsy people and keeping up with the trimming suckkkkks. I've only removed a few of the bushes so far, but man I am tempted to hack down a lot of them around this time of the year.
I would post a pic of my backyard/trees, but we live in a second-floor apartment in the most expensive city in the US... sooooo no yard or trees.
However, we do have two rescue kitties that we adore. I grew up having purebred dogs (goldens and labs) that we got from breeders, but they always developed breed-specific health problems. My H has always been all about shelter pets, and after getting our two cats, I am too. But at the same time, I think it's important to know the personality of the individual animal before adopting, since it very well might not work with your lifestyle.
Dogs: My dog is a rescue (literally was only a few hours from the needle), and I will probably always have rescues. But I am okay with people purchasing from a reputable breeder. It's the pet stores, puppy mills and people who choose not to fix their dogs and then get an uh-oh that really irk me. And the people who buy dogs and then give them up when it's no longer convenient or they realize they forgot to train it. Also, we got my childhood dog from a breeder and she was the worst. So from personal experience I don't believe bred dogs are necessarily any better than shelter dogs.
Tipping: Hate it. Some restaurants here have done away with it and it's amazing. Also why is it okay to pay a waiter less than minimum wage and expect the customer to make up the difference in tips? Pay your staff a living wage! In CA waitstaff make at least minimum wage + full benefits (sometimes there is a "healthy living" surcharge on the check to cover that) + tips.
Participating trophies: The biggest issue with this is once you get a real job and realize you don't get praise and promotions just for showing up. You actually have to accomplish things.
Babymoon: I want at least a weekend trip that is just me and DH being normal before the baby comes. I feel like everything is already so baby focused I'm a little worried about having enough us time and keeping that a priority. Only problem is we can't do more than a long weekend and we aren't super excited about any of the options within a 2ish hour flight or drive.
SO and I are having a baby moon this summer come hell or high water. And by baby moon, I mean we're dropping DS off with my parents for the weekend, getting a hotel room (possibly in the same town - I don't really care where) and doing all the fun things like staying up late without having to worry about DS waking up in the middle of the night, sleeping in until we wake up on our own and having a meal in a real restaurant - one that doesn't have a kids menu!!! We don't live near family, so date nights are rare. I'm getting one in before #2 gets here and they become impossible!!!
Also, +1 on the no participation medals. That thinking has started to bleed into academics, too. I've actually had kids mad at me because they didn't do well on an assignment. "But, I handed it in!". Yes, child, you did. But it's all wrong.
We're taking a babymoon and you betcha I'm calling it that -- it's the only way I could talk DH into staying in an actual hotel vs an AirBnB, plus I told him everyone gets couples massages on their babymoons (duh DH) so we're doing that too. He has no idea what a babymoon is so I get to make it up as I go. We're going to San Diego/Santa Monica over the 4th of July weekend. Can't wait
Dogs: My dog is a rescue (literally was only a few hours from the needle), and I will probably always have rescues. But I am okay with people purchasing from a reputable breeder. It's the pet stores, puppy mills and people who choose not to fix their dogs and then get an uh-oh that really irk me. And the people who buy dogs and then give them up when it's no longer convenient or they realize they forgot to train it. Also, we got my childhood dog from a breeder and she was the worst. So from personal experience I don't believe bred dogs are necessarily any better than shelter dogs.
Yesssss! This! People giving up their dogs is wayyy more of a pet peeve for me than where they get the dogs. Like, I definitely prefer rescuing over paying the big bucks for a purebred dog, but as long as you love your dogs properly I don't really care. I consider my dogs part of my family, and just can't understand when people dump them as soon as it becomes inconvenient. Yeah, pet fees suck, and sometimes pets tear up something in your house. But kids can do a lot of the same stuff, and we don't go dump kids out in the country when they're being inconvenient! *rant over*
On that note, I have a huge pet peeve with people comparing dogs to kids. Especially when they say "I have dogs, so I totally get what you mean" in reference to when a parent is talking about their kids.
No, you don't understand what it's like having kids because you have dogs. You can leave your dog at home when you have to run errands, they don't argue with you and throw tantrums, they don't have homework and 6183725 extracurricular activities; they don't require anywhere close to what kids do. Raising kids and having animals is a completely different ballpark. I mean, if I made my kids go take a dump outside, left them in a cage or at home alone all day, I'd get cps called on me.
@sjohns908 I agree with there, and sorry if I made a bad comparison. I meant the getting rid of them because they are getting difficult part, not that raising them is the same thing. Kids are way more complicated and require more work than dogs, as I will surely learn come October.
@sjohns908 What if you have two dogs? Kidding, of course. I have an acquaintance who just had a baby in January and has two dogs. Before the baby was born, she posted about how she was ready for parenting because she could both feed the dogs and stop her own bloody nose at the same time. I think she got quite the rude awakening!
My first pup came from a college-aged girl who was getting rid of him because she was moving and the new apartment wouldn't allow the dog. I hate when people think of pets as disposable. Mine drive me insane and they've ruined plenty, but they're here to stay.
i hate when people over pamper dogs. like bring them wherever you go like an accessory in your bag Paris Hilton style. or walk them around in a dog stroller. before i had kids i would bring my dog places for sure. but there is a line.
@sjohns908 I'm so guilty of that. I had to stop myself from chiming in on the "what do we do with the kids when I go into labor" discussion with our plan for the dog. She's fine home alone for 12-16 hours, but I have a feeling we will be gone much longer than that. We are planning to have a calendar of who is available to take her or at least come and walk her and tire her out so she's not super energetic when we get home. I really wish she could come visit the baby in the hospital but I get that's not an option. #crazydoglady
Okay, so FFFC, I totally think my dogs prepared me for parenthood. I'm not saying it's exactly the same, but I am saying that having the dogs forced DH and I to learn to communicate better (I need you to go home and let the dogs out before you go out), make joint decisions better (do we do this surgery or this surgery?) and make responsible choices (ie, not going out all day and all night every weekend).
But, like he says, we could also crate them at the end of the day while it's frowned upon to crate your children. Although DD used to do that of her own free will so, tomato-tomahto.
BFP#1: 12/3/13 EDD 8/15/13. Heartbeat found on 12/26/13, HB gone on 1/4/13. D&C 1/7/13
BFP#2: 4/19/13 EDD 12/28/13. Team Green for pregnancy and Baby Girl arrived 12/21/13. BFP#3: 2/9/13 EDD 10/18/17. Team Green for Round 2!
My biggest issue is that having a dog is a relationship. Not all dogs and owners/families are going to click and it's not like you can really know until you've had the dog for a few weeks. People are so quick to judge someone giving away their dog, but a lot of times you don't know their reasoning. Dogs are not kids and vice versa. No, you wouldn't dump your kids. You shouldn't do that to an animal either. But finding another home for your dog like a responsible adult when you realize that they aren't right for your family or you just don't have the ability to provide for them like they deserve, that's not something that should be frowned upon.
@sjohns908 as long as the dog is going to a good home, I get that. However, the apt example @laeberge3 listed gets under my skin. Plenty of apts take dogs, you might have to pay an extra deposit but come on, you made the choice to have the dog.
One of my best friends gave their rottie to a shelter because he was so gigantic and was knocking the baby over/just was too much for them (not vicious at all, just not well-trained). I get it, I really do, but DH and I still had a hard time with it. They had had him for years and there was no guarantee he would get adopted. Makes me sad
eta: we obviously did not say a thing negative to my friend, she struggled with the decision.
my sister/her H have given all 3 pets they have ever owned to a shelter. i have a hard time finding my eyeballs every time she mentions how she misses having a cat.
@bluejeanbabi05 I had to give up my beloved rabbit when dh and I moved into an apartment together. They didn't allow pets, period. And it was the only place we could afford. That's what I'm saying when you don't know the circumstances. No, it's not always as simple as just finding a place that allows pets.
Also, I know this isnt the case with your friend, but, I've known people that had dogs that were amazing, big babies that were super sweet. Then they had kids and turned out the dogs didn't like their kids. They tried to work on it with the dog and ended up their kids got bit. Yes, this has happened to more than one person I know. So, I'm pretty anxious and defensive when it comes to dogs with kids and needing to feel comfortable. When my dog nips at my kids, my mind instantly goes into panic mode on whether she's just having a bad day or it's a sign and I'm ignoring it.
Agreed with @bluejeanbabi05 that there are circumstances where keeping the dog truly isn't an option, but you should at least be responsible enough to find a good home, and not just dump it on the side of the road or at an already overcroweded shelter. For example, I had a coworker whose kid developed a dog allergy and no amount of claritin made it better. they were devastated to get rid of the dog but it went to a friend and they were still able to visit. That doesn't bother me but the "it's a bad dog" or "we moved and didn't have room in the car" type excuses just suck.
Also, I think it's really shitty when apartments charge pet rent. I'm cool with a higher deposit and the landlord keeping part of the deposit if they need to fix any pet-related damage, but a monthly fee for the pet seems like a scam.
ETA: most breeders, rescue groups, etc. will take the dog back if it is truly not the right fit. but reputable breeders, and a lot of rescues and shelters, also tend to do a personality assessment of both the dogs and the potential parents to avoid those issues.
@roo_baby We charge pet rent *hides* ... but really we just up the rent a little instead of making it a monthly fee, because tenants tend to digest that better. It's because things tend to wear out faster at our houses that have pets, so we end up having more service calls to those houses and because it's considered routine wear & tear we can't take it out of the security deposit. Our old property management company wanted us to forbid non-declawed cats entirely and I shut that down so fast -- I'm super allergic to cats and not a cat person but from what I know it seems like declawing is mean. So we do have to replace the rugs in those houses a lot more but at least we don't feel like monsters.
@sjohns908 That's actually a fear of mine with our dogs, too. You're right - you never know the circumstances with a person and their pets. I would never want to put either the child or the dog in an uncomfortable/ unsafe situation and sometimes, despite everyone's best efforts, things just don't work out. I'm sorry you had to give up your rabbit
@carries2018 I HATE when people use a million hashtags. Like WHYYY? #whatsthepoint #freakingrelaxwiththetags. I'm sorry I just have strong feelings about that.
@sjohns908 I'm so guilty of that. I had to stop myself from chiming in on the "what do we do with the kids when I go into labor" discussion with our plan for the dog. She's fine home alone for 12-16 hours, but I have a feeling we will be gone much longer than that. We are planning to have a calendar of who is available to take her or at least come and walk her and tire her out so she's not super energetic when we get home. I really wish she could come visit the baby in the hospital but I get that's not an option. #crazydoglady
No joke, there was one night my dog had to stay home alone when i gave birth to DD (the hospital was 10 mins away so DH could go check on her) but i was so upset and worried about her the whole time. Totally plan the crap out of that. we totally didnt have a solid enough plan. your peace of mind will thank you later. Love, another crazy dog lady
I feel like I never have an opinion, it's always a confession I come up with. For example, I shaved my legs for the first time today in way over a week.
I don't mind pet rent, some pets can really do a lot of damage and it's at the landlords discretion.
@sjohns908 I apologize if I sounded judgy toward your situation. Like I said, we didn't say anything to our friend, it was her decision and her child's safety comes first. It more made us sad that he went to a rottie rescue and when they last checked, months after they gave him up, he still wasn't adopted
Re: UO Thursday (5/11)
DH straight up refused a wedding hashtag. He hates them too. I can't say I've ever used one before when I've been to other weddings without them.
I would also WAY more like to take a vacation with DH where I could drink.
BFP#3: 2/9/13 EDD 10/18/17. Team Green for Round 2!
May Siggy Challenge: Parenting Fails
May Siggy Challenge: Parenting Fails
TTC #1: March 2011
Fur-children: 3 dogs + 2 cats (all rescued)
dx: Endometriosis and Fibroids
2 Laps and 1 Abdominal Myomectomy
6 rounds of clomid
5 rounds of iui
IVF #1 Gonal F, Menopur and Cetrotide
ER 12/1/2016:Retrieved 22 eggs 12 fertilized, developed moderate OHSS
4/4 day 5 embryos were normal for PGS!!! 2 boys/2 girls
FET 1/10/2017
Gallbladder surgery 1/10/2017
FET 2/2
BFP 2/7/17
Having a girl! EDD 10/21/17
BFP#3: 2/9/13 EDD 10/18/17. Team Green for Round 2!
TTC #1: March 2011
Fur-children: 3 dogs + 2 cats (all rescued)
dx: Endometriosis and Fibroids
2 Laps and 1 Abdominal Myomectomy
6 rounds of clomid
5 rounds of iui
IVF #1 Gonal F, Menopur and Cetrotide
ER 12/1/2016:Retrieved 22 eggs 12 fertilized, developed moderate OHSS
4/4 day 5 embryos were normal for PGS!!! 2 boys/2 girls
FET 1/10/2017
Gallbladder surgery 1/10/2017
FET 2/2
BFP 2/7/17
Having a girl! EDD 10/21/17
May Siggy Challenge: Parenting Fails
BFP#3: 2/9/13 EDD 10/18/17. Team Green for Round 2!
This is our backyard. We have nice clusters of shady trees in the front and backyards, and we're surrounded by pines since we live in a national forest. I looooooove trees!
BFP: 10.3.16 | CP: 10.11.16
BFP: 12.14.16 | CP: 12.14.16
BFP: 1.23.17 | EDD 10.6.17 -- DS born 10.7.17
BFP: 9.9.18 | EDD 5.23.19 -- DD born 5.24.19
BFP: 9.1.21 | MC 10.1.21
However, we do have two rescue kitties that we adore. I grew up having purebred dogs (goldens and labs) that we got from breeders, but they always developed breed-specific health problems. My H has always been all about shelter pets, and after getting our two cats, I am too. But at the same time, I think it's important to know the personality of the individual animal before adopting, since it very well might not work with your lifestyle.
Tipping: Hate it. Some restaurants here have done away with it and it's amazing. Also why is it okay to pay a waiter less than minimum wage and expect the customer to make up the difference in tips? Pay your staff a living wage! In CA waitstaff make at least minimum wage + full benefits (sometimes there is a "healthy living" surcharge on the check to cover that) + tips.
Participating trophies: The biggest issue with this is once you get a real job and realize you don't get praise and promotions just for showing up. You actually have to accomplish things.
Babymoon: I want at least a weekend trip that is just me and DH being normal before the baby comes. I feel like everything is already so baby focused I'm a little worried about having enough us time and keeping that a priority. Only problem is we can't do more than a long weekend and we aren't super excited about any of the options within a 2ish hour flight or drive.
Also, +1 on the no participation medals. That thinking has started to bleed into academics, too. I've actually had kids mad at me because they didn't do well on an assignment. "But, I handed it in!". Yes, child, you did. But it's all wrong.
No, you don't understand what it's like having kids because you have dogs. You can leave your dog at home when you have to run errands, they don't argue with you and throw tantrums, they don't have homework and 6183725 extracurricular activities; they don't require anywhere close to what kids do. Raising kids and having animals is a completely different ballpark. I mean, if I made my kids go take a dump outside, left them in a cage or at home alone all day, I'd get cps called on me.
My first pup came from a college-aged girl who was getting rid of him because she was moving and the new apartment wouldn't allow the dog. I hate when people think of pets as disposable. Mine drive me insane and they've ruined plenty, but they're here to stay.
BFP: 10.3.16 | CP: 10.11.16
BFP: 12.14.16 | CP: 12.14.16
BFP: 1.23.17 | EDD 10.6.17 -- DS born 10.7.17
BFP: 9.9.18 | EDD 5.23.19 -- DD born 5.24.19
BFP: 9.1.21 | MC 10.1.21
May Siggy Challenge: Parenting Fails
But, like he says, we could also crate them at the end of the day while it's frowned upon to crate your children. Although DD used to do that of her own free will so, tomato-tomahto.
BFP#3: 2/9/13 EDD 10/18/17. Team Green for Round 2!
eta: we obviously did not say a thing negative to my friend, she struggled with the decision.
May Siggy Challenge: Parenting Fails
Also, I know this isnt the case with your friend, but, I've known people that had dogs that were amazing, big babies that were super sweet. Then they had kids and turned out the dogs didn't like their kids. They tried to work on it with the dog and ended up their kids got bit. Yes, this has happened to more than one person I know. So, I'm pretty anxious and defensive when it comes to dogs with kids and needing to feel comfortable. When my dog nips at my kids, my mind instantly goes into panic mode on whether she's just having a bad day or it's a sign and I'm ignoring it.
Also, I think it's really shitty when apartments charge pet rent. I'm cool with a higher deposit and the landlord keeping part of the deposit if they need to fix any pet-related damage, but a monthly fee for the pet seems like a scam.
ETA: most breeders, rescue groups, etc. will take the dog back if it is truly not the right fit. but reputable breeders, and a lot of rescues and shelters, also tend to do a personality assessment of both the dogs and the potential parents to avoid those issues.
BFP: 10.3.16 | CP: 10.11.16
BFP: 12.14.16 | CP: 12.14.16
BFP: 1.23.17 | EDD 10.6.17 -- DS born 10.7.17
BFP: 9.9.18 | EDD 5.23.19 -- DD born 5.24.19
BFP: 9.1.21 | MC 10.1.21
Love,
another crazy dog lady
@sjohns908 I apologize if I sounded judgy toward your situation. Like I said, we didn't say anything to our friend, it was her decision and her child's safety comes first. It more made us sad that he went to a rottie rescue and when they last checked, months after they gave him up, he still wasn't adopted