@emeraldcity1214 I wonder if people dont know that you can look at history? I would totally support a multiples discussion if it had started somewhere else and developed out of demand and need. Hope they come back and start joining in!
@purplefan1 I think we would all support a multiples discussion. I guarantee she has no clue we can see her post history. I'm not usually one to go look at people's post history but I knew she was lying and I wanted to make sure before I called her out on it.
I always hope the drive-bys join in and participate. I just wish they would take a second and look around before blasting us with a SS thread.
Have any of you ever lurked the Babycenter? That's basically all it is over there, everyone making one-off posts and no community. I still talk to several of the ladies from my M14 bmb. Hell, I'm moving to AK and will be 5 minutes away from 1. She will be my only friend when I move there. So these boards aren't meaningless to me.
The What to Expect community is all just one-offs and it is driving me BONKERS. I lurk a lot here and reply only sometimes (I'm a bit shy), but I do appreciate the moderation that this group has. Just wanted to say thank you and it doesn't go unnoticed/unappreciated 💜.
Piggy backing off the comments in the questions post, do we want to make a Birth Plans/Goals thread? My other BMB broke it down into more specific topics (VBAC/natural/etc) but since we seem to be a little bit smaller group I wonder if one thread would be a better option for discussion? We could always make more specific threads in third tri.
It’s only 69 here in SoCal. I thought it was going to beautiful and sunny ☀️ everyday when I moved here...but May and June really make me wish I lived back on the East Coast
In other news, I worked out for the first time in 8 weeks today!! And now I’m 😴
Im full of randoms because thats how my mind works:
1) I wish I would stop eating crap all of the time. But every time that though enters my mind it is quickly followed by a barage of all of the things I want to eat. I have poor self control in this area.
2) I wish I was a better housekeeper. Im jealous of my peoplw who have those little robot vaccums because I dont mind vaccuming but i dont do it nearly as often as it needs to be done. I want to get on a routine of housekeeping. But I also want to lay on the couch every chance I get.
3) I need to start saving up for maternity leave. Im a contract employee so have no benefits. Im not sure what I want the plan to be when this one comes. Im not sure if I will take 6 weeks off or start going back earlier for a couple hours some days a week. My husband gets a paid month off which he only got 2 weeks last time so that is awesome. And I do another job that I work from home which I went back to 3 days postpartum with my first. Regardless, I know I would feel some sanity if I started stocking away some money each pay to help cover the hit Im going to take.
@purplefan1 - I am so with you on wishing I did better on housekeeping. I followed this UK mom who had a cleaning schedule for a while and I so admire her for it. It was something like only cleaning 30 minutes a day but having a 2 week schedule where you rotated which room you did everyday. I definitely wish I could be more like that. Instead my take away is only doing 30 minutes of housework a day. It just happens to only be dishes and laundry every time.
@Dancer688 I used to have a cleaning schedule like that but I always tried to squeeze it into 1 week. I never thought to do it for 2 weeks. I need to get back to it for sure. It was much easier when we only lived in an apartment. Now I have 2 floors and it's like cleaning 2 separate houses. Plus, all the stuff that just gets left in the living room takes me forever to put away. I feel like I work on that forever and then turn around and it looks like i haven't done anything because the kids have pulled all their toys out.
I am the worst housekeeper. My husband and I are pretty equal on most household chores although I like to cook and he likes doing yardwork so those balance out. But we both work a lot and it's hard. My MIL offered last weekend to gift us with a deep house clean per month if we find a cleaning service we like and I am so on board with that idea!
Im an all or nothing cleaner. Yesterday after I posted I finally vaccumed. Which led to dusting the walls. And revaccuming. And cleaning the windows. I had to stop because we had to leave but thats what happens. Im like if you give a mouse a cookie but instead if you give me a chore. And worst is no matter how much I do I look around and feel like nothing got done!
@emeraldcity1214 that's my biggest issue...I feel like it takes a couple hours every night to clean up the mess in our livingroom and kitchen, so then no time for the other stuff. And then the livingroom looks the same again 5 minutes after the kids wake up! It's not easy to keep up with it all!
@emeraldcity1214 - I hear you on the toys. That is actually one thing I am on top of. I have a big basket in my living room and then one downstairs in the playroom. Whenever I am in either room and I see something (not being played with) that doesn't belong on that floor I put it in the basket and then at the end of the day I switch the baskets and over the course of the next day while watching the kids play I re-organize and do it all over again.
So toys are always being put away but I don't even know the last time I vacuumed...like...it might have been when we moved in about a year ago and I didnt do it. I had a deep cleaner person come in and do it.
@runningfortwo81 - Can I borrow your MIL? I would love that kind of present!
@Dancer688 I have needed to vacuum my upstairs floors for awhile. I just keep forgetting and when I remember, the kids are sleeping. What I hate doing the most are my tile floors. It doesn't matter what i clean them with or how often I clean them they are still dirty. So I gave up and now I just spot clean when necessary and do the kitchen and bathrooms when it is needed.
I have spent the afternoon hosing off my carseats and washing the covers. Now I'm going to wash my leather seats before I put them back in the van. That's my productivity for the day.
@emeraldcity1214 hosing the car seat is genius, I’ve never thought of doing that. I’ve been cleaning it with paper towels and tooth brush for the last two years, and it does not get all those crumbs!
Have you guys ever followed car seats for the littles on facebook? They follow car seat rules to.the.letter. They would be horrified to hear you hosed the car seats off. I havent had to hose the seats off yet but seriously, how else would you get bodily fluids out and sanitize a car seat?!?!
I had to stop following them because they got me so stressed out that there was no way I could ever do all of the right things to keep my child safe in her car seat.
@purplefan1 No, I don't follow them for that very reason. I know how to install my carseats so they don't move side to side, and I know how the straps need to be placed. I also do extended rear facing. Other than that, I do not get crazy about the nitpicky things. I would go insane trying to police my husband on it. He is a freaking doctor and the man doesn't know how to properly install a carseat. He won't listen to me either. So basically, he never goes anywhere with them where he has to remove a carseat and install it himself.
DS2 has peed in his seat a ton. When I PT my kids I ditch all day time diapers. Even when we leave the house, they don't get a pull-up. So I have to sanitize it and get the dry pee out of all the crevices. I even put some dawn dish soap on the seats and then sprayed the heck out of them. They smell great and I know they are clean. Nothing was damaged while cleaning them either. They literally just got wet. 🤷♀️ I stripped the covers and tossed those in the washer with half a cup of Pinesol and detergent to remove any lingering odor. I would probably get flamed if I shared that in a group like that. 🙈
Also, the weird smell that was in my car ended up being curdled milk. 😳🤢 It was in the crevices of the base to my infant seat. It was so disgusting. My new rule, kids are only allowed to drink water in my van. No more milk!
@purplefan1 I’ve seen the group and read some stuff on their blog, but the group is a little much for me. I’m all for car seat safety and it drives me bonkers when people don’t pay attention to it, but I’m also not the type to call them out (except for my in laws and parents because they literally don’t get it!). I agree with above though, I know how to install and how the straps and chest clip should go and we extend rear facing. I’m a stickler about those things, so I feel like I’m okay. My cover can come off for the wash anyways, I know some can’t, so I think the only concern with hosing it down is the straps getting wet and stretching, so they’ll have to be adjusted more once they’re dry? I could be wrong though! Either way I’m not too concerned since I’ve had to wet before anyways after the Great Stomach Bug of 2019 🙅🏼♀️🙅🏼♀️🙅🏼♀️
@rogro118 as for adjust straps. I always loosen the straps when my kids get out so that I can adjust them again when they get in. That way I know they are always in the right spot. 🤷♀️
I do the same with undoing the straps every time. It is so much easier to get her in and out with the straps loose!
We have been lucky so far that we only had one pee accident during potty training (same @emeraldcity1214. As soon as I decided we were potty training we went straight to undies). She hates being in her car seat with a passion but hasnt thrown up yet and didnt have any blow outs. I cant do smells at all, so if vomit, diarrhea, or milk happens, I can guarantee you that car seat is getting any and all cleaning needed to disinfect and de-stink.
@purplefan1 I actually keep my kids commando for a solid month before adding undies. DS2 got to wear undies only because I put him in boxers and not briefs. Once I move to AK I'm going to tackle night training DS2 and PT DD2. I want to be done PT before this baby comes.
I need to start a cleaning schedule.. the two week thing sounds pretty good actually. I used to have a schedule but I really fell off it the past few months. And, I'm thinking I should start planning for a start to potty training.. as much as I'd love for DS to be trained before this baby comes, I'm not sure he's really ready.
Happy Monday guys.. I'm really looking forward to having Monday off next week, even though I'll just be home by myself with DS since MH is working.
@emeraldcity1214 - I do the same thing potty training. Actually I think I did too long commando because we started having accidents when we added undies. Thank goodness we are done day training #1
We are currently night training #1 and finding a start date for #2. My husband keeps pushing for earlier then I but then there are so many restrictions on going places once you start and we are traveling to my in-laws beautifully carpeted house in mid-june. I really do notttttt want to potty train before then because there is no way she doesn't have an accident while we are traveling. Oh the joys of toddlerhood - haha
Mine had the same problem too, @Dancer688. I couldnt figure out why commando she was fine and would go but undies on it was like she thought she was in a diaper again and just went. Potty training drove me a tiny bit batty. Mine also had no problem being wet or dirty. I think she thought it was hilarious. It took us 6 months from the first weekend of 3 day bootcamp to feeling like she is pretty solid on it. She still wears diapers at night (turns 3 next month) but occasionally wakes up dry from that. I must admit, potty training was just another thing in motherhood I thought would come more naturally for me to help her learn but definitely didnt.
@purplefan1 - OMG same thing. She did not care if she was wet! That being said, now that we have started night training she hates waking up wet. So it only took like a year for her to actually care. She is almost 4 so maybe it is age related and getting the concept of embarrassment.
I don't even remember PT my first. He will be 17 next month so it has been awhile. My second was fully trained within 1 month. Rarely had accidents and was just overall easy. My third just peed everywhere all the time. He was ready but he just couldn't control where he was aiming his penis. I tried to night train him for 6 months and then threw in the towel and he is still in pullups. I plan to night train again once we get to AK because I think he is ready. DD2 is ready. She asks to be changed as soon as she goes pee or poop in her diaper. She brings them to me too. 😂 I'm waiting until we get settled in AK. There is no way I'm traveling across the country and through Canada with a PT toddler.
Have you guys ever followed car seats for the littles on facebook? They follow car seat rules to.the.letter. They would be horrified to hear you hosed the car seats off. I havent had to hose the seats off yet but seriously, how else would you get bodily fluids out and sanitize a car seat?!?!
I had to stop following them because they got me so stressed out that there was no way I could ever do all of the right things to keep my child safe in her car seat.
CPSTs (and car seats for the littles) recommend using water and mild soaps to clean the hard plastic parts of car seats, I don’t think they’d have an issue 🤷♀️ The main concern is not washing the harnesses/straps with detergent or in a washing machine.
CPSTs (and car seats for the littles) recommend using water and mild soaps to clean the hard plastic parts of car seats, I don’t think they’d have an issue 🤷♀️ The main concern is not washing the harnesses/straps with detergent or in a washing machine.
Except they told some people in the group (CSFTL) that they had to replace their straps or replace the car seats because they soaked them after hosing them down.
One of the reasons I stopped following them is because they often told people they needed to stop using their car seats immediately or replace them and often people felt shamed and stuck because they didnt have an immediate alternative option. I am all about car seat safety but I also know they stick with only what has been cleared and approved by the manufacturer. So if the manufacturer didnt do a certain thing and then check to make sure the seat still passed safety standards, they said it wasnt allowed and to quit using.
Another carseat rule I follow religiously is not putting them in their seat with jackets, especially puff jackets. My SIL puts puffy jackets on my nieces and then straps them into their carseats all winter long. It drives me nuts!!
@purplefan1Oh, I didn’t realize you included the straps in hosing down. It seems like since manufacturers explicitly state how straps should be cared for, and different brands have different instructions, they are testing them and know the limits. Making it out to be a crazy, overzealous rule seems dangerous without evidence. If your straps fail it doesn’t really matter if you follow the other rules because your kid is flying out of the seat...
@emeraldcity1214 I can’t let one of Patrick’s grandmas drive him around because she thinks not wearing a coat in the car seat is a stupid rule.🙄 I don’t trust her not to ignore me and do it anyways.
Yes to the no coat!! We had a ridiculously cold winter with some of the worst wind chills and we just used tons of blankets and warmed the car up before we got in (which apparently is illegal to do where I am from. You learn something new every day). Maybe some of my bias towards not wearing a coat is how much I hate wearing a coat in the car and how easily I get overheated. I figure with blankets we can always take off or put on. Plus those demos on the difference between the straps with puffy coats and without are terrifying.
So this is the first I have ever heard about not soaking the straps. 🤔 I even took the straps of my last infant seat completely apart and washed in the washer and dried them. 😬 they were so disgusting from my niece because I got that carseat from my SIL.
Re: May Randoms
I always hope the drive-bys join in and participate. I just wish they would take a second and look around before blasting us with a SS thread.
Have any of you ever lurked the Babycenter? That's basically all it is over there, everyone making one-off posts and no community. I still talk to several of the ladies from my M14 bmb. Hell, I'm moving to AK and will be 5 minutes away from 1. She will be my only friend when I move there. So these boards aren't meaningless to me.
In other news, I worked out for the first time in 8 weeks today!! And now I’m 😴
hope everyone one is having a great weekend!
1) I wish I would stop eating crap all of the time. But every time that though enters my mind it is quickly followed by a barage of all of the things I want to eat. I have poor self control in this area.
2) I wish I was a better housekeeper. Im jealous of my peoplw who have those little robot vaccums because I dont mind vaccuming but i dont do it nearly as often as it needs to be done. I want to get on a routine of housekeeping. But I also want to lay on the couch every chance I get.
3) I need to start saving up for maternity leave. Im a contract employee so have no benefits. Im not sure what I want the plan to be when this one comes. Im not sure if I will take 6 weeks off or start going back earlier for a couple hours some days a week. My husband gets a paid month off which he only got 2 weeks last time so that is awesome. And I do another job that I work from home which I went back to 3 days postpartum with my first. Regardless, I know I would feel some sanity if I started stocking away some money each pay to help cover the hit Im going to take.
So toys are always being put away but I don't even know the last time I vacuumed...like...it might have been when we moved in about a year ago and I didnt do it. I had a deep cleaner person come in and do it.
@runningfortwo81 - Can I borrow your MIL? I would love that kind of present!
Edit: fix autocorrect
I had to stop following them because they got me so stressed out that there was no way I could ever do all of the right things to keep my child safe in her car seat.
DS2 has peed in his seat a ton. When I PT my kids I ditch all day time diapers. Even when we leave the house, they don't get a pull-up. So I have to sanitize it and get the dry pee out of all the crevices. I even put some dawn dish soap on the seats and then sprayed the heck out of them. They smell great and I know they are clean. Nothing was damaged while cleaning them either. They literally just got wet. 🤷♀️ I stripped the covers and tossed those in the washer with half a cup of Pinesol and detergent to remove any lingering odor. I would probably get flamed if I shared that in a group like that. 🙈
Also, the weird smell that was in my car ended up being curdled milk. 😳🤢 It was in the crevices of the base to my infant seat. It was so disgusting. My new rule, kids are only allowed to drink water in my van. No more milk!
We have been lucky so far that we only had one pee accident during potty training (same @emeraldcity1214. As soon as I decided we were potty training we went straight to undies). She hates being in her car seat with a passion but hasnt thrown up yet and didnt have any blow outs. I cant do smells at all, so if vomit, diarrhea, or milk happens, I can guarantee you that car seat is getting any and all cleaning needed to disinfect and de-stink.
Happy Monday guys.. I'm really looking forward to having Monday off next week, even though I'll just be home by myself with DS since MH is working.
We are currently night training #1 and finding a start date for #2. My husband keeps pushing for earlier then I but then there are so many restrictions on going places once you start and we are traveling to my in-laws beautifully carpeted house in mid-june. I really do notttttt want to potty train before then because there is no way she doesn't have an accident while we are traveling. Oh the joys of toddlerhood - haha
One of the reasons I stopped following them is because they often told people they needed to stop using their car seats immediately or replace them and often people felt shamed and stuck because they didnt have an immediate alternative option. I am all about car seat safety but I also know they stick with only what has been cleared and approved by the manufacturer. So if the manufacturer didnt do a certain thing and then check to make sure the seat still passed safety standards, they said it wasnt allowed and to quit using.
@emeraldcity1214 I can’t let one of Patrick’s grandmas drive him around because she thinks not wearing a coat in the car seat is a stupid rule.🙄 I don’t trust her not to ignore me and do it anyways.