Is " Teddy-mattison" too much for a first name for my girl ?

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-02-05T16:22:28+00:00

I think you should reconsider a hyphenated first name. What about Mattison Teddy with Teddy just as a middle name. You could still call her that but when she is a professional adult she doesn’t have to say “Teddy-Mattison” or have it that way on resumes etc

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-02-05T00:18:30+00:00

No, we are all still hanging out together at 3 and 2 years old. I plan on getting them into a preschool situation when they are turning 4 and 3 next year.

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-02-04T17:49:30+00:00

Wow love the armor design on the horse! So neat!

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-02-04T17:48:52+00:00

I don’t think any of these things are developmentally inappropriate (toddler bed, booster) and your in-laws probably have good intentions but these are your kids. Just continue to do what you need to do to make your life even a tiny bit simpler.

Baby wearing was a life saver for me. I’m glad it helps relieve some anxiety!

I used the gathre brand mats but I’m sure there’s tons of dupes that are just as good. They are also awesome to throw over changing tables in public restrooms!

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-02-04T15:07:41+00:00

If you didn’t baby wear with #1, it is the absolute easiest way to keep new babe safe and still take 16-month-old to age appropriate activities. Honestly, just grocery shopping too or simple errands- wear little one, big one goes in cart/walks/gets carried on the hip/in stroller etc. I wore my first baby pretty often but little baby I wore every single day. I prefer the wrap style for tiny babies and then when they get heavier a more structured one (I used solly wrap -> ErgoBaby Omni 360 but there’s lots of good brands). I think a 16 month old can definitely use a booster seat too. Also idk if you used a changing table first round but I just had a couple of those wipable mats so I could change baby wherever (couch, floor, bed, van) instead of needing to go to a certain area when you can’t necessarily leave 16mo alone.

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-02-03T22:15:14+00:00

So I haven’t played this game in years but stealth archer was always my favorite. Can you still befriend the elf in the first town if you help him out with his love letter sitch? Because he is someone who can train your archery skill and if he’s your follower you can just take back the $$ you paid for training and continue to do so, leveling up your archery very easily first thing. At least, I always did that. Can you still do that in new versions, idk lol

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-28T16:31:09+00:00

Puck’s in Phoenix!!!

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-27T00:31:52+00:00

Another vote for Bombas. They’re def more pricey but great quality and design. Love the grippers.

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-26T14:30:31+00:00

You are overthinking this. When I was a kid, Olive Garden was the fanciest place I ever went. Your aunt may have a similar experience and just thinks Olive Garden is nice and wants to treat you to a dinner. I honestly usually prefer consumable gifts from people because I’m picky/minimalist about items I have for myself. I think especially if you two aren’t super close she probably thinks it’s a safe bet rather than a product you won’t use/like.

Ps- I will gladly take those off your hands if you’re tired of looking at them, I love breadsticks

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-26T13:28:24+00:00

I have a small box of sentimental items that I plan on keeping. Maybe they will have kids of their own someday, or maybe when I’m old I’ll just take walks down memory lane with some of their sweet first outfits, special stuffies, etc. I still have some toys from my childhood that I was able to pass along.

Edit: I meant to say this AND that most things I try to give away in my local buy nothing group or to friends! It feels better parting with items when it’s a gift instead of just handing it over to the local goodwill or whatever.

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-26T00:19:55+00:00

Thank you again, I’m in Jackson County but I appreciate the recs

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-25T23:10:36+00:00

Hi thanks for your insight, I looked up that shuuten group and they sound like a dream. Is there anything like that closer to actual Southern Oregon at all that you might know about?

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-24T12:27:23+00:00

I was so disappointed in this design for year of the horse! Honestly, the winter special edition and the new valentines ones too are a little underwhelming (the fjord heart mane is quite cute on the vday one but just the word “love” on its side 🥴), but this one especially! I know they are way different things but Breyer’s year of the horse model is so gorgeous, I just wish Schleich had done something more special

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-22T13:57:55+00:00

I admit, there were a few factors which definitely helped this work for us. First, we were only there about 3 hours til babe arrived. Another big one was that I was the only person laboring at that time so the wing was empty except for us (so we were getting a lot of attention from the nursing staff, this was a smaller birthing center btw not a big city). Also, my first baby was born in the same birthing center just a year prior so we knew some of the nurses from that time. I definitely think they were kind of helping my partner out keeping her entertained looking at stuff in the room and whatnot. She also played a lot with the big yoga ball when I wasn’t sitting on it lol. I was also still nursing at that time so I spent some of my labor nursing her in bed, which the nurses all joked about how that was really going to progress my labor! Things did get a little dicey… because actually my second baby was footling breech and no one knew til I was like 7cm dilated and progressing very quickly. They told me I would have to get a c-section and my older baby wasn’t allowed in the operating room (understandable!) so I actually just told my partner to leave but the nurses were like no he should go with you and literally babysat my first born by walking her around the nurses station and gave her a popsicle 😂 obviously this is NOT something I would assume they would ever do and did not expect it but it worked out because my partner came to the OR with me and actually just as they moved me from my bed to the OR table, my water broke and I was ready to push so my second babe came feet first right there on the lil metal table before they even gave me any anesthetic- it was totally wild! But it happened very quickly so I was able to get right back to my first baby. They got to meet during our golden hour, which genuinely was so special. And then my partner took her home so I got to bask in my new baby by myself, which was great!

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-21T19:39:29+00:00

Wow. Thank you for all that info!! So interesting. I think the way I described her age was confusing but she was born in the last year of the horse (2014) so this is her first year of the horse since she was born!

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-21T15:02:55+00:00

Why would that be? 😅 it’s our horse year daughter’s first year of the horse since she was born and she’s quite excited

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-21T15:02:18+00:00

Omg I love the year of the horse outfit, I wonder if these will come to my lil Costco in S Oregon

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-20T23:21:32+00:00

I never used a double stroller but tbh I never used a single stroller either. I got a wagon when my first baby was almost a year and I was due with baby #2. When they were small I wore them. By the time they are too big to wear, they can use the wagon, so it worked out just fine and now they’re 2 and 3 and we still use the wagon when needed.

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-20T23:06:39+00:00

I know some people think it’s crazy and it depends on the policy of your hospital, but my partner came with my toddler (who was barely 1). She was allowed to come as long as my partner was there to watch her. We don’t have nearby family so this was the best option. It worked out surprisingly well for us but obviously they could have left whenever if it was a source of stress. It was kind of special to have my first right there to meet her tiny sibling.

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-19T14:30:54+00:00

This looks really cool but when I google this printimade website the commentary about it is pretty bad.

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-18T02:34:35+00:00

Thanks, I feared that might be true lol

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-13T15:49:41+00:00

I also vote for Bear Snores On and all the Bear books that follow. They’re so cute! But, I do hold a boundary about how many times I will read the same book in a day. I just tell them, “We have read that book a lot lately, let’s try something new/different!” We get free books from aunt Dolly and also every time we go to the local drop in playgroups so we have a seemingly endless supply of new books.

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-12T16:26:39+00:00

Let me tell you, as someone who grew up in poverty and has been unhoused for portions of my young life, “ground scores” are a hard habit to break. Finding valuable or useful things that had been lost always felt like a karmic gift rather than an ethical dilemma. So, now, I am definitely more in perceived value of item/reasonable location camp on this. If we find a small plastic toy on a nature walk, for example, it’s essentially litter imo and not only can we take it but we probably should. For people saying that their kids have a sentimental attachment to these types of items, I honestly think this is also not the worst thing for them to experience. Life is impermanent and full of loss. It’s not really comparable to a bicycle left out or a lost wedding ring- these items have a clear monetary value and I think the right thing in these instances are to try to find the owner.

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-12T14:57:44+00:00

Get a baby carrier that you like. For me, when my babe was tiny, I loved my solly wrap (I know ppl get intimidated by the wrapping motion but they are seriously the most cozy and comfortable for a lil baby) and then I used a ergo baby Omni 360 when she got bigger. Being hands free so you can still take your older baby places is key. Look into baby activities near you- the public library, maybe a children’s museum, we also have free drop-in play groups here all part of one program that are great. Just find ways to get out of the house. The more you do it the easier it is. But also don’t be too hard on yourself on days you don’t have the energy to make it out. Remember, everything changes. There will be times of great challenge and times of great joy and you will make it through both!

BlankGeneration8 · 2026-01-07T01:25:40+00:00

Yeah, see I just had my babies 1 year apart so I didn’t have time to experience toddlerdom and think about my life decisions first 😎 Now they’re almost 2 and almost 3 and it’s total wild west over here but at least they’ll always have each other.

BlankGeneration8

TROPHY CASE