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[Media]

They can't charge you to register. That's a denial of provision of a FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education). I don't think even charters can do this. Something is wrong here.

According to the reception lady, they get around this by offering 'free' registration like they do lunches, if you meet certain income levels. They also told me today that it would be an extra 100 per kid if they they wanted to use ipads.

From what I understood there were fees for certain classes and standardized tests that had to be paid before her kids could start. So technically there may not have been a registration fee for the school but her children still couldn't take their middle school classes unless they paid in.

She called it a registration fee. There are no special classes. There isn't even a gifted program (which my son was in in Oregon) . This is just normal school shit. This isn't a charter school, it's a public school and the only one available in my district. They said 'Welcome to Illinois!' When I was shocked, like it was normal here. And she went on to be like 'I heard Texas did free school,' and I was like 'I've lived in seven states and never once had to pay for registration.'

I never once said it was for ap or extra classes, not sure where you got that. This is just to get them in the door. For high school it's apparently worse, 250 per kid per year, before the extra drivers ed fee. And this is not even including lunches. AND the school Supply list was insane, asking for white boards and shit. Wtf.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

question parent-gaf...

we are anxiously waiting to see if my wife is pregnant and she has taken over 4 pregnancy tests within the last 12 hours ( period "due" tom)...what's weird is that all of them have show ZERO result. not negative not positive. not anything just blank. we've used different brands etc. don't know whats up. by now we just want to see one work darnit. don't care about the result!

anyone have any insight??

 

[Media]

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130821/news/708219933/

Found this article. Talking about it, but:

My kids aren't in sports
I had to buy specific school uniforms for gym
The iPad use fees .

What the flying fuck?

 

[MikeRahl]

question parent-gaf...

we are anxiously waiting to see if my wife is pregnant and she has taken over 4 pregnancy tests within the last 12 hours ( period "due" tom)...what's weird is that all of them have show ZERO result. not negative not positive. not anything just blank. we've used different brands etc. don't know whats up. by now we just want to see one work darnit. don't care about the result!

anyone have any insight??

Is the control showing up or nothing because that would be odd.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

question parent-gaf...

we are anxiously waiting to see if my wife is pregnant and she has taken over 4 pregnancy tests within the last 12 hours ( period "due" tom)...what's weird is that all of them have show ZERO result. not negative not positive. not anything just blank. we've used different brands etc. don't know whats up. by now we just want to see one work darnit. don't care about the result!

anyone have any insight??

Is your wife a ghost? That's strange that you'd get no result.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

Is the control showing up or nothing because that would be odd.

NOTHING

very odd. there's like 1-2 ideas she has read about to try to help procure a result... but yeah very strange indeed.

I've read about using white toothpaste as a DIY test...not sure how accurate it is or if it's an old wives tale...but yeah. oh well!

thankfully we can see if shes misses the P over the weekend, and schedule a Doctor appt soon after.

 

[Red]

.

 

[superdeluxe]

Since when does it cost money to register kids for public school? I've lived in seven states and never had to pay a fucking per year registration fee. 100 dollars per kid? Wtf? Of course we are right above the cut off, and on top of moving cross fucking country now we have to do this bullshit just so our three kids will get an education? Which I thought was a fucking right not a privilege?

I'm so mad I'm crying right now. I also have to take them all for physicals before they can attend school. Wtf.

Is this the way it works elsewhere too or is it just Illinois?

Edit: and when I was filling out the billions of paperwork, I marked my kids as white (their dad is) and the lady asked if I was their birthmom. I said I'm Native, and I mark white because the kids pass and don't have contact with the tribe much, and she goes 'Native, that's so cool!' :/

That is strange, we've been in 2 different school districts in our area, and no public fees. That is kind of crazy tbh. Are you in a wealthy district? That would not fly around some of the districts around here.

We put our son as multi-racial. Because he is lol . Also he couldn't pass as white, you could tell.

 

[superdeluxe]

question parent-gaf...

we are anxiously waiting to see if my wife is pregnant and she has taken over 4 pregnancy tests within the last 12 hours ( period "due" tom)...what's weird is that all of them have show ZERO result. not negative not positive. not anything just blank. we've used different brands etc. don't know whats up. by now we just want to see one work darnit. don't care about the result!

anyone have any insight??

Uhh..It should be triggering something, Did you try different tests?

 

[superdeluxe]

My daughter is five years old, and I love being a dad. My wife wants another kid, but I do not. I love our little family - I love being able to enjoy my life with my wife and daughter, I love being able to have time for my own hobbies, I love being able to spend time with my wife without needing to pay a ton for babysitting. My wife also has a lot of time for her own hobbies and needs outside of parenting. I love my work-life balance and the time that an only child affords me.

My wife wants a second, but a lot of that seems to be jealousy of her friends. Many of them are having second children, and she feels like she is losing touch with friend groups since she no longer has a child at a young age. I can understand this, but I don't feel like this sort of "peer pressure" is a reason to have another child. Part of the problem is that we have been together since high school (going on 17 years now) and so when we got married, we had been together for eight years and didn't question it. The number of children conversation never happened. Not that I think my marriage is in trouble - it's just a factor.

I also lost my dad a few years ago, and it feels strange even thinking about having another kid without him around to meet him/her.

Am I wrong here? I know this was sort of a stream-of-consciousness post but I needed to get it out. Hoping I don't come off as an asshole.

Honestly, I would try talking to her, If the only reason she wants to have children because her friends are having children, perhaps it wouldn't be for the best.

The idea to not have another child because your dad has passed and wouldn't be able to meet them is kind of interesting, not going to lie.

I'll tell you what, we were kind of in the same situation, the gap between kids was about the same, although we wanted to have another. You basically restarting that entire baby/toddler process, since the 5 year old is essentially a little person and able to do their own things.

Anyways, I would definitely talk with your wife about why she wants to have more children. Surprised that the topic didn't come up before now (having another child)

 

[superdeluxe]

I had a discussion with my friend about leaving your children at grannies and granddad for a week or so to go on vacation. We discussed this from children who were old enough to understand why mommy and daddy go away.

The argument against was that it is selfish to leave your children to go on vacation and that they need you and they might feel abandoned

The argument for it was that children need parents with a healthy relationship and a vacation with the two of them might support that. And that children learn to be without parents for a while.

Oh and the idea was that it was a seperate vacation from the whole family. So there would be two vacations. One with and one without children

Is it good or bad?

Honestly, I think our kid wants us to go on vacation sometimes so he can hang with the grandparents more.

If your kids love your grandparents and vice versa, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[modernlifeisANDY]

Honestly, I would try talking to her, If the only reason she wants to have children because her friends are having children, perhaps it wouldn't be for the best.

The idea to not have another child because your dad has passed and wouldn't be able to meet them is kind of interesting, not going to lie.

I'll tell you what, we were kind of in the same situation, the gap between kids was about the same, although we wanted to have another. You basically restarting that entire baby/toddler process, since the 5 year old is essentially a little person and able to do their own things.

Anyways, I would definitely talk with your wife about why she wants to have more children. Surprised that the topic didn't come up before now (having another child)

Yeah we have talked about it before and she sort of came to terms with it, but I think since our daughter is in full day kindergarten now things have changed.

The thing with my dad feels like I'm making excuses. It's really hard to explain without anyone having had the same thoughts, though - I honestly feel like that is a big part of it.

 

[RoryDropkick]

Went to work, but came right home because both boys are sick and my wife was overwhelmed. Now we are in here watching Ohranger while my wife sleeps, and I'm waiting for Xanadu Next to unlock so I can give it a try. Hopefully the boyos can get some sleep.

It's been tense, but we did manage to get the house cleaned a bit over last weekend in prep for their 1st birthday party on the 12th. We have one more weekend to get things done, and I think it'll be finished off but I'm still stressed out.

 

[Red]

Went to work, but came right home because both boys are sick and my wife was overwhelmed. Now we are in here watching Ohranger while my wife sleeps, and I'm waiting for Xanadu Next to unlock so I can give it a try. Hopefully the boyos can get some sleep.

It's been tense, but we did manage to get the house cleaned a bit over last weekend in prep for their 1st birthday party on the 12th. We have one more weekend to get things done, and I think it'll be finished off but I'm still stressed out.

Cleaning becomes a minor victory doesn't it

 

[superdeluxe]

Went to work, but came right home because both boys are sick and my wife was overwhelmed. Now we are in here watching Ohranger while my wife sleeps, and I'm waiting for Xanadu Next to unlock so I can give it a try. Hopefully the boyos can get some sleep.

It's been tense, but we did manage to get the house cleaned a bit over last weekend in prep for their 1st birthday party on the 12th. We have one more weekend to get things done, and I think it'll be finished off but I'm still stressed out.

When both kids are sick, it is the worst.

 

[mrkgoo]

When both kids are sick, it is the worst.

Never question who bad it is because it can get worse!

I've had both my kids sick, while my wife is sick, and I'm also sick with an illness that includes fever, and having to stay in bed all day type.

Yet you STILL have to get up to do stuff.

 

[RoryDropkick]

Cleaning becomes a minor victory doesn't it

When both kids are sick, it is the worst.

Never question who bad it is because it can get worse!

I've had both my kids sick, while my wife is sick, and I'm also sick with an illness that includes fever, and having to stay in bed all day type.

Yet you STILL have to get up to do stuff.

Absolutely. We still have a few things to do, but I am fortunate that her parents are going to come over this time to watch the boys while I take care of them while my wife goes off and teaches on Saturday. My wife slept almost all day, deservedly. I called her on my way home from work and she broke down in tears and apologized for all the angry texts she sent me on my way to work. It's been rough. I have to re-read that thread about that "good husband/father" to remind myself what not to do, because I did see some of myself in that jackass.

 

[mrkgoo]

Absolutely. We still have a few things to do, but I am fortunate that her parents are going to come over this time to watch the boys while I take care of them while my wife goes off and teaches on Saturday. My wife slept almost all day, deservedly. I called her on my way home from work and she broke down in tears and apologized for all the angry texts she sent me on my way to work. It's been rough. I have to re-read that thread about that "good husband/father" to remind myself what not to do, because I did see some of myself in that jackass.

Yeah. Kids can absolutely put strain on a relationship. But it's usually temporary. Gotta see it through sometimes.

 

[echoshifting]

My wife and I were so incredibly sick for our daughter's first Christmas (how bout that first year of daycare folks?). Like so sick we could not move. We probably should have gone to the hospital, but we just pawned off the kid (who was not sick at all) on my parents for the day. They arrived to find my wife vomiting uncontrollably in the bathroom, unable to get up off the floor, and me trying to make the baby breakfast though I could hardly stand and was shaking from head to toe. We sent her away on Christmas morning less than two hours after waking up, tree and stockings untouched and sat around feeling really damn sad and being sick.

It's funny looking back on it now...babies do not care about that stuff. Like at all. But god, we felt like terrible monsters for sending our baby away on our first Christmas together. It was the worst feeling.

My parents had the best time though lol. It was like they won the lottery. Those jerks.

 

[Teren_Kanan]

Hello Parent-GAF!
Soon I will become one of you. My son is due in March!

I'm currently looking for suggestions on saving for his college education. My Fiance, and I have been together going on 11 years now. We live comfortably enough, though we only make about 60k a year combined. We are never hurting too bad financially, but certainly dont have huge savings accounts.

Once the child is born, we will be looking at an extra 1 to 1.5k a year on our tax return. We plan on putting this in a savings account each year to put towards college, but was wondering if there was any better way to go about this, or any other advice some might have that would be helpful.

Just want to be able to provide opportunities for my child that my parents couldn't afford me, as I well know the struggle of working and trying to afford an education for myself.

 

[Media]

Yeah my wife and I are still having trouble. We are registered with a local place, which is certified, but today they were over their kids to teacher ratio, and that reflects poorly on the state requirements that allow them to advertise a certain level of competency when really they're playing with the numbers. My son absolutely hates it, but it's the only place near us that's even bothered getting accredited. Today when I dropped him off I had to pry his fingers off my shirt because he didn't want to let go. Full on face-buried-in-chest, screaming bloody murder fear about being dropped off.

I was talking about my coworker, not you. sorry.

Oh gosh, now I'm embarrassed. Reading comprehension fail on my part, so sorry.

That is strange, we've been in 2 different school districts in our area, and no public fees. That is kind of crazy tbh. Are you in a wealthy district? That would not fly around some of the districts around here.

We put our son as multi-racial. Because he is lol . Also he couldn't pass as white, you could tell.

Yeah I think we are :/. My husband and I keep joking about how the house we are renting is in an upscale neighborhood and how we're 'big time ' now lol.

My daughter and oldest son favor me the most, they have olive skin and high cheek bones, but they aren't as dark as me. I don't want them to have the stigma I had growing up and the 'dirty injun' jokes. So I mark them as white. My middle son would be laughed out of the school if he claimed Native lol, he's very, very white like his daddy.

Weirdly, only my oldest got my Brown eyes. Middle son has emerald green, and my daughter has these cool ass gray/green eyes. Husband has blue. Where the heck did that come from lol.

She's going to be a heart breaker though, dark skin, dark hair, light eyes. High school is going to stressful as fuck.

 

[RoryDropkick]

I stayed up until 5am with one of my sons, got 3 hours sleep and now my wife is sick. Fuuuuuuuuuck.

I really REALLY want to postpone the party, but my wife had a massive shitfit today saying she wants to proceed full steam ahead. I'm at a loss.

 

[Red]

.

 

[Ayumi]

NOTHING

very odd. there's like 1-2 ideas she has read about to try to help procure a result... but yeah very strange indeed.

I've read about using white toothpaste as a DIY test...not sure how accurate it is or if it's an old wives tale...but yeah. oh well!

thankfully we can see if shes misses the P over the weekend, and schedule a Doctor appt soon after.

There's the implantation bleeding which can sometimes look more like a period than spotting. So if I were you, I wouldn't rely on checking if her period comes as a way to confirm she is or isn't pregnant.

 

[emag]

Hello Parent-GAF!
Soon I will become one of you. My son is due in March!

I'm currently looking for suggestions on saving for his college education. My Fiance, and I have been together going on 11 years now. We live comfortably enough, though we only make about 60k a year combined. We are never hurting too bad financially, but certainly dont have huge savings accounts.

Once the child is born, we will be looking at an extra 1 to 1.5k a year on our tax return. We plan on putting this in a savings account each year to put towards college, but was wondering if there was any better way to go about this, or any other advice some might have that would be helpful.

Just want to be able to provide opportunities for my child that my parents couldn't afford me, as I well know the struggle of working and trying to afford an education for myself.

Look into setting up a 529 account with your state agency. A 529 may let you claim state income tax deductions for money put in and money taken out is entirely tax free (when used for educational experiences). I think the regular 529 makes the most sense, but there's also an option to pre-pay for certain schools if you're sure your child will attend one of them.

The other tax-preferred option is a Roth IRA (in your name). It's the preferred way to save for retirement (as long as you're below the ~170K income cutoff) as money withdrawn is tax-free, but the funds can also be used for education expenses (including for children). In addition, you can withdraw your contributions (not earnings) at any time for any reason without penalty, making it very flexible.

529s and Roth IRAs are treated somewhat differently when applying for financial aid on the FAFSA, but who knows how that will impact you or your child in 18 years.

There are no fees directly associated with either form of investment, but the underlying assets may have management fees. There may also be some nominal fee associated with the brokerage when you buy stock, etc., but it's negligible unless you're day trading (not recommended).

 

[zbarron]

So Nick is doing something a little weird lately. At the end of his meal time he'll lean all the way forward and then throw himself backwards so he throws himself back into the chair. This only happens near the end of him eating his solids and he's happy when he does it. He continues eating for awhile after starting doing this, but he is less attentive and more interested in nearby toys or pulling at the fabric on his seats. It happens no matter which chair he's in : high chair, bumbo, or bouncer. Anyone else notice their kid do this?

 

[mrkgoo]

So Nick is doing something a little weird lately. At the end of his meal time he'll lean all the way forward and then throw himself backwards so he throws himself back into the chair. This only happens near the end of him eating his solids and he's happy when he does it. He continues eating for awhile after starting doing this, but he is less attentive and more interested in nearby toys or pulling at the fabric on his seats. It happens no matter which chair he's in : high chair, bumbo, or bouncer. Anyone else notice their kid do this?

How old is he?

I think our son did stuff like that for a phase. It makes you wonder if there's something actually wrong like he has an itch or something. Sometimes kids just do random things because they just figured out they can.

 

[Frostburn]

My first child will be 4 months old on the 18th of November and I think his teeth are starting to come in. Does anyone have a good recommendation on a toy or teether he could hold easily and is the right size (Easy to fit part of it in his mouth but not too small)?

 

[mrkgoo]

My first child will be 4 months old on the 18th of November and I think his teeth are starting to come in. Does anyone have a good recommendation on a toy or teether he could hold easily and is the right size (Easy to fit part of it in his mouth but not too small)?

You have to just experiment. Every kids i different.

MY first child love one of those tommy tipped fish things. gnawed on it all the time.

My second kid couldn't be less interested, and prefers to just suck on a rag.

 

[BriareosGAF]

My eldest would gnaw on my watch while I had her sit on my lap while I ran pre-nerf Scarlet Strath back in the old days. Memmoooorrrieesssss.

But otherwise we mostly used those gel things we could freeze and hand to her. My Irish friend was always trying to get us to put whisky on the gums.

 

[Frostburn]

You have to just experiment. Every kids i different.

MY first child love one of those tommy tipped fish things. gnawed on it all the time.

My second kid couldn't be less interested, and prefers to just suck on a rag.

Thanks, yeah right now he is trying to chew on just about anything but a lot of the things aren't meant for teething and he can't fit them in his mouth so he ends up with most of his fist in his mouth. I'll buy a few and see what he likes best.

My eldest would gnaw on my watch while I had her sit on my lap while I ran pre-nerf Scarlet Strath back in the old days. Memmoooorrrieesssss.

But otherwise we mostly used those gel things we could freeze and hand to her. My Irish friend was always trying to get us to put whisky on the gums.

Haha he loves to grab my watch while I'm holding him right now but hasn't tried to eat it just yet. I have had a hard time gaming with him in my lap since he hit the 2 month mark or so, he wants to see too much to enjoy sitting there most of the time, though he really loves the bright colors in certain games like Destiny. We have a few of those Gell teethers that you can put in the freezer, going to try that first since we have it then move on to a few I found online that seem like a good size for him.

 

[HammerOfThor]

Took my 13 month old to the zoo yesterday, every animal was a "dog".

Man, I can't wait for the snow to play outside with him

Also taught him to high-five the other night, then mom and big brother where clapping that he was high-fiving, and he would clap too. Now when I ask him to high-five he claps instead lol

So Nick is doing something a little weird lately. At the end of his meal time he'll lean all the way forward and then throw himself backwards so he throws himself back into the chair. This only happens near the end of him eating his solids and he's happy when he does it. He continues eating for awhile after starting doing this, but he is less attentive and more interested in nearby toys or pulling at the fabric on his seats. It happens no matter which chair he's in : high chair, bumbo, or bouncer. Anyone else notice their kid do this?

Kinda, my son will start tilting his head/body to the side like he's trying to empty water from his ear. Although he's smiling when he does it so I think its his queue to start playing.

 

[MikeRahl]

Finally found day care. Only downside is we are paying for 6 weeks we aren't going to use.

Had one call from the registry list so the system works I guess, but it was 15 minutes out of the way NOT in traffic for me and my wife, would take each of our commutes from 20-30 minutes to 45-60 probably.

This place is literally about a 10 minute walk away and is a licensed home centre so that is fantastic.

Now to figure out how to trick the daughter to stay there on her own without throwing a fit.

 

[gruenel]

I joined the club on Friday, GAF.

Our little boy is 6 weeks early but doing really well according to the doctors. He just needs to gain some more weight at the hospital before we can take him home!

Exciting times.

 

[False Witness]

Yep, I officially became a parent on the 4th as well. A little boy named Wesley Avery D.

We really thought we were going to be having a girl (even though we chose to not find out the gender), so we never really decided on a boy's name until she started the pushing stage of labor. I chose Wesley and she picked Avery while I was out of the room after the baby was born. It's not a bad name, but I don't like the fact that both his first and middle names end in Y and that his middle name has more than one syllable.

 

[Ace Harding]

Yep, I officially became a parent on the 4th as well. A little boy named Wesley Avery D.

We really thought we were going to be having a girl (even though we chose to not find out the gender), so we never really decided on a boy's name until she started the pushing stage of labor. I chose Wesley and she picked Avery while I was out of the room after the baby was born. It's not a bad name, but I don't like the fact that both his first and middle names end in Y and that his middle name has more than one syllable.

It's a nice name! Don't think too much about how the middle name sounds with the first (though I think it sounds fine). After like a month you'll rarely think about it, say it or hear it all together (first and middle).

We call our son a nickname based on his middle name and I legit forget his first name sometimes. When they call his name at the doctor's office (the only place I ever hear it) it takes me a second to recognize.

 

[Skellig Gra]

Yep, I officially became a parent on the 4th as well. A little boy named Wesley Avery D.

We really thought we were going to be having a girl (even though we chose to not find out the gender), so we never really decided on a boy's name until she started the pushing stage of labor. I chose Wesley and she picked Avery while I was out of the room after the baby was born. It's not a bad name, but I don't like the fact that both his first and middle names end in Y and that his middle name has more than one syllable.

Congrats! Dont bother nitpicking the name just enjoy the ride!

 

[mrkgoo]

Yep, I officially became a parent on the 4th as well. A little boy named Wesley Avery D.

We really thought we were going to be having a girl (even though we chose to not find out the gender), so we never really decided on a boy's name until she started the pushing stage of labor. I chose Wesley and she picked Avery while I was out of the room after the baby was born. It's not a bad name, but I don't like the fact that both his first and middle names end in Y and that his middle name has more than one syllable.

Yeah as others said, don't sweat it. People always claim "oh he LOOKS like X name", but it's meaningless. With some time, you familiarise your kid with whatever name you choose, and after a while, you can't see it as anything else.

 

[Pimplitosaurio]

I feel kinda conflicted. First of all I think this is only a rant, but maybe some of you had the same feelings

Right now, I'm glad that the wife has been a stay at home mom for almost a year, i love that at least one of us can be full time with our child. But at the same time, the wife has always been the main breadwinner here, I "lucked out" and got a good job with nice pay and all, but for that we had to move to another city and at the moment we are barely breaking even. We need the extra income so we can have financial security and return to our home in a few years, but at the same time, we love that our child has a full time parent. But at the same time, if she had a job we could be debt free in something like 4 years(instead, at the moment, we will be just stable in 4 years)

So right now, very conflicted, I would love to have the option of doing part time job but in my area every recruiter will laugh at me if I propose that idea(and don't get me started in telecommute, almost the same thing)

 

[mrkgoo]

I feel kinda conflicted. First of all I think this is only a rant, but maybe some of you had the same feelings

Right now, I'm glad that the wife has been a stay at home mom for almost a year, i love that at least one of us can be full time with our child. But at the same time, the wife has always been the main breadwinner here, I "lucked out" and got a good job with nice pay and all, but for that we had to move to another city and at the moment we are barely breaking even. We need the extra income so we can have financial security and return to our home in a few years, but at the same time, we love that our child has a full time parent. But at the same time, if she had a job we could be debt free in something like 4 years(instead, at the moment, we will be just stable in 4 years)

So right now, very conflicted, I would love to have the option of doing part time job but in my area every recruiter will laugh at me if I propose that idea(and don't get me started in telecommute, almost the same thing)

You could find a balance.

It's great to have a full-time parent at home, but at some point, the child will be running around. at about the age ~2 years, it's actually a good idea to have them be more social with other kids and become a bit more independent.

The way we do it, we have a full-time parent at home with our child until they are about 1.5-2, then start introducing things like limited daycare (like mornings, and/or just a couple days a week). eventually, leading to longer and more days. at that point, it's probably a good idea to find something to do while they are there, which means finding a job (also, easier said than done).

 

[Pimplitosaurio]

You could find a balance.

It's great to have a full-time parent at home, but at some point, the child will be running around. at about the age ~2 years, it's actually a good idea to have them be more social with other kids and become a bit more independent.

The way we do it, we have a full-time parent at home with our child until they are about 1.5-2, then start introducing things like limited daycare (like mornings, and/or just a couple days a week). eventually, leading to longer and more days. at that point, it's probably a good idea to find something to do while they are there, which means finding a job (also, easier said than done).

Yeah, we know that at some point stops being good to have a parent at home full time, but right now I'm torn between wanting financial security(both working full time) and having a full time parent a little longer. I'm pretty sure that in a few months I will be less torn about this

 

[BriareosGAF]

We are on the second phase of that. Eldest is twelve now and is largely becoming self-monitoring, etc. My wife stopped working when she was born (but didn't earn much, just a blip on our returns) and I continued working full-time and we are now fully debt-free--house paid off, no student or car loans, etc. I am pretty much ready to retire/do start-ups/whatever and let her start working full-time (mostly just to backstop health insurance), trying to figure out how to work that transition. Should be interesting.

 

[superdeluxe]

My first child will be 4 months old on the 18th of November and I think his teeth are starting to come in. Does anyone have a good recommendation on a toy or teether he could hold easily and is the right size (Easy to fit part of it in his mouth but not too small)?

This is the best ever:

 

[Septimus Prime]

This is the best ever:

We have that!

The only flaw is that it squeaks, so my dogs think it's one of their toys.

 

[RoryDropkick]

This is the best ever:

Hey! That's sitting on my arcade cabinet right now because I'm cleaning up in my room. The boyos love theirs.

 

[Pimplitosaurio]

We are on the second phase of that. Eldest is twelve now and is largely becoming self-monitoring, etc. My wife stopped working when she was born (but didn't earn much, just a blip on our returns) and I continued working full-time and we are now fully debt-free--house paid off, no student or car loans, etc. I am pretty much ready to retire/do start-ups/whatever and let her start working full-time (mostly just to backstop health insurance), trying to figure out how to work that transition. Should be interesting.

Congrats Briareos, I hope in a few years we can be debt free too! Right now, besides the job thing, we are thinking of what to do in her first birthday, I mean, we won't make a party or something, but maybe we can make a cake or something? what did you guys did in the first birthday?

 

[wild wild rice]

We have that!

The only flaw is that it squeaks, so my dogs think it's one of their toys.

Yep! It was difficult at first, but my dog is extremely obedient and quickly realized it wasn't hers.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Yep! It was difficult at first, but my dog is extremely obedient and quickly realized it wasn't hers.

My dogs, not so much.

Here's a pic of one of them stealing a pacifier from a few months ago.

 

[mrkgoo]

My dogs, not so much.

Here's a pic of one of them stealing a pacifier from a few months ago.

Haha lol that pic made me smile.

Thanks

 

[wild wild rice]

Ha...cute.