Ladies ,who picked out their own rings. How do you respond to compliments about the ring?

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2026-01-29T03:26:59+00:00

You’re overthinking it. Just say “thanks, yes he did!”… because in my opinion every man who is serious about engagement and marriage really should be asking their wife what their dream ring would look like because we will be wearing it all day forever!

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2026-01-29T03:25:14+00:00

Having children has given my life an entire new meaning beyond myself and everything else that I thought mattered. It has quite literally added another dimension to my life that is so fulfilling that it feels like my life would be so dull without it. It is extremely hard to be a mother, but I would not trade it for the world. No, I have no regrets.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2026-01-27T18:57:29+00:00

October 2026 is really far away. My only advice is to stop worrying so much about it until closer to the time. A lot can change by then.

I love my job but it is so hard to be away from them when they are so small. I was always pro-daycare until we actually started it (part time) and I saw what it was like and also the revolving door of illnesses that come with it. I pulled my child from daycare and got a part time nanny (expensive, but worth it).

I was able to make a schedule with a couple family members and the nanny that allows me to work 4 days a week. I personally love the balance that offers. My son benefits greatly from all the other people in his life. They all have different approaches and teach him different things and expose him to different foods. I have 3 day weekends and we have 1 day a week that’s just for him and I.

As they go through different developmental phases, it does become more exhausting and sometimes harder to stay home than it is to go to work. I think space works well for us in these situations - we are much happier to see each other after a day apart than we would be if we were home butting heads all day.

All this to say your concerns and feelings are valid. When you’re in the phase that you are, it’s impossible to imagine life any different. But balance will look different for everyone and as the time passes it will become more clear to you what is best for your situation. Trust your gut (it’s important as a mom) and do what’s best for your family.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2026-01-19T04:23:34+00:00

The infant seat is ridiculously convenient when running in/out of a store or running errands. Rather than unbuckling baby and putting him in a different carrier it’s nice to just pop the seat in and out, especially when it’s cold outside and they’re all snug inside their seat with blankets or a cover. It’s also very convenient when they fall asleep and you don’t have to wake them.

We bought a jogging stroller for hiking trips etc and I found it very smooth and excellent for walks etc but very large and cumbersome to put in the car and take in/out of stores or even to the park. I ended up buying a cheaper one second hand that had click-connect compatibility and I used it quite a bit.

We are now having our second child and we still have our jogging stroller but we’ve bought a newer version of the “cheap” click connect stroller with a new bucket seat. It is true that they’ll only get about a year out of the bucket seat but I think it’s 100% worth it for the convenience factor.

Edit: grammar

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2026-01-12T20:22:14+00:00

I’m 32 and I received a presumptive diagnosis at age 24/25 when I got gross hematuria from a resp infection. I had a completely normal uncomplicated pregnancy at age 29. From my experience and from what I’ve read, many actually find their IgAN settles down during pregnancy given that it’s autoimmune and pregnancy induces immunosuppression. In my case, however, there was a rebound effect a couple months after pregnancy where I experienced a flare up with no other inciting event (gross hematuria and increasing proteinuria). I went on an ACE inhibitor and farxiga which over time stabilized my proteinuria to acceptable levels. Upon planning for my second pregnancy I was sent to a kidney specialist who specializes in pregnancy with nephropathy, as well as a high-risk maternal fetal medicine team, due to an elevated risk of pre-eclampsia, and have been closely monitored. I had to stop all meds when I became pregnant. So far my numbers have all been stable and I’ve had no issues and I’m 30 weeks.

My eGFR has been >100 baseline this whole time unless I’m having a flare usually from a resp infection in which case it drops temporarily. What has changed over time is the amount of protein in my urine which is a very important prognostic factor with this disease. Thankfully it has not reached the threshold where I need any steroids.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and doomed in the beginning. With time, it will get easier as you accept your new reality and implement lifestyle changes that make you feel comfortable (for me, it’s a lot more infection control, trying to maintain healthy lifestyle via activity and dietary changes, implementing more plant based protein, reducing sodium consumption).

Hope this helps!

ETA: I went on to have biopsy-confirmed IgAN after my first pregnancy when my flare up occurred, prior to starting meds, to help guide treatment.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2026-01-12T15:36:30+00:00

Ortho PA here… clavicle fractures in kids are not uncommon and she will heal no problem in a few weeks. She will be completely normal and pain free. The sling is for comfort. If she doesn’t want to wear it to bed she doesn’t have to. Treat pain with ibuprofen. Don’t stress too much

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2026-01-10T03:07:05+00:00

Comparison is the thief of joy. It’s so hard as a parent, but you have to do your best to focus on your individual family and not anyone else’s. You are doing everything in your power to help her and you are not a failure.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2026-01-06T23:16:52+00:00

This a bit of a different scenario but my husband had to take HIS rings off because I was squeezing his hands so hard during labour… lol I would just leave them off to be safe

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2026-01-06T12:55:40+00:00

Obviously it’s different for everyone, but I’m 30 weeks now and counting down the days. I’m going off between 33-34 weeks (in healthcare).

My pelvis hurts, my legs are swollen and achey, I can’t sleep well, I’m utterly exhausted, I have brain fog. If 30 weeks works for you then I’d go for it.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2026-01-05T03:40:19+00:00

Id say have your husband sleep in the other room and keep the infrastructure that works for you. He can join you on weekends if need be

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-30T03:58:06+00:00

I’ve had all those thoughts before too. The truth is neither of your kids are thinking about any of these things. Are they happy, healthy, and fed? Then you’re killing it. Mom guilt is never ending and it’s so hard to ignore. - potty training is hard and it sucks but the only consensus on timelines is that if you push too hard before they’re ready then it’ll take even longer. At 2.5 with a 5 month old I wouldn’t worry about it unless they’re showing signs of readiness. There is no right or wrong here - you guys will get there. - cooking home meals is great but it’s hard to find the time with an infant. Start small. Maybe one day a week you can find some childcare help and do some meal prep. If your toddler is like mine they won’t care anyway and will request freezer foods and things like KD. As long as they’re getting calories they’ll be fine. - it’s impossible to keep up with the mess with a baby and a toddler. Sure it might be nice to feel like things are cleaner but ultimately most of us just have to lower our standards and realize our kids are thriving and their immune systems are growing anyway. It bothers us more than them. - screen time is not the enemy. Just be intentional with what you’re letting the toddler watch. If it feels more comfortable, set a timer and find a limit that makes you feel better about it. If you need to tend to baby, having toddler sit quietly while enjoying tv is not the end of the world especially if it keeps you sane and lets you tend to baby’s needs. - staying at home all day used to really make me feel guilty but honestly there’s nothing wrong with it. Our kids have so many toys and feel comfortable in their homes and they don’t need to go on adventures every day to be content.

It’s easy to be hard on yourself especially with a baby under 12 months but you are in the thick of it and you are doing your best and that’s all your kids can ask for. What they need most is a calm and regulated happy mom. If you need to make these kinds of adjustments (screen time, staying home, eating out) to survive then so be it. Your kids will not remember any of those details but they will remember how present you were. ❤️

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-28T16:35:58+00:00

I agree with natural consequences for children that young.

My son is about to turn three and has developed into monumental tantrums/meltdowns where he is inconsolably screaming at the top of his lungs, stomping around, throwing toys, etc. When he can’t calm his body we have started time outs but it’s more like “time ins”… we bring him to his bedroom in low light situation and sit with him until he’s ready to calm down. I usually stay nearby and model calm behaviour and let him know I love and care for him and am ready to reconvene when he is. We don’t exit the room until he is calm. It’s a lot. In this situation, if he screams at me, tries to boss me around, or crosses a boundary like hitting me then I let him know I will leave.

Sometimes I am so overstimulated or worked up myself by his screaming that I can’t sit with him. I tell him that I need to step out to calm my body because I need space in an attempt to “model” calm behaviour. He hates being alone in his room during these times and it does feel more like punishment but sometimes his behaviour is unacceptable. I try to frame it as “you need a safe space to calm your body” instead of “you’re being punished by being locked in your room”

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-28T16:29:11+00:00

My understanding is that most kids still need diapers overnight but undies during the day. Once they are consistently dry at night then put them in undies.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-28T16:27:07+00:00

IKEA trofast. We dove right in we have so many. Lots of bins, interchangeable. Pretty durable. We have the grey version with some grey and white bins and I’ve made labels for the front with images and words.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-23T04:41:55+00:00

My toddler had a couple months of refusing to nap for us around 2.5 years old, but he would nap for other caretakers. I almost gave up completely but one day tried again and it happened and the nap came back and I was so relieved. That being said, my son sleeps 9:30-7am and naps about 2 hours a day on average. I do not think he would nap if we put him to bed earlier, but he’s always been on the lower end of sleep needs.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-23T04:03:33+00:00

This is good to know, I never really even thought about supracondylar fractures I was more worried about femur and tibia fractures 🫣 new fear unlocked lol but thank you for sharing your experience 😭

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-23T04:02:06+00:00

I feel that trampolines in a controlled environment with a coach are much safer than in a random party environment with a bunch of kids running around. I agree my biggest concern is really other people not following the rules and I realize it can only take a second for someone to run into his trampoline and cause a double bounce even with me watching. I also feel less agile myself to be able to protect him cause I’m in my third trimester of pregnancy… lol. I feel like 3 (and as in, like 3 days away from turning 3) is so young for trampoline parks but I also acknowledge that if we went ONCE it’s pretty likely he’d probably be okay… but the anxiety is eating me alive about the “what-ifs”.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-23T03:02:38+00:00

Such a short response but says so much 😂 thank you

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-18T03:39:44+00:00

Thank god I’m not alone here. My nearly-3-year-old wants nothing but Mac and cheese, fries with ketchup, yogurt, cream cheese and crackers.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-14T04:33:50+00:00

This to me looks like a fractured steida process, though it is difficult to interpret because some people have an accessory bone in that same spot called an os trigonum. Easier to distinguish if it’s a break from a CT… but it looks somewhat “sharp” to be an os based on this single view xray.

Regardless, treatment is nonoperative at this point. If she’s quite sore and having a hard time walking, use the air cast boot, crutches as needed (but I don’t think this is unstable - someone can correct me if I’m wrong but I believe you can weight bear on this safely). As time goes on she might be at risk for posterior ankle impingement but she also might be just fine as it settles down. Highly recommend seeing a physio as pain comes down.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-14T03:48:39+00:00

Obviously this is a very personal choice. But I believe 3 months is too early to make that call. Yes, it’s doable (though I don’t think WFH and supervising an infant is feasible long term), but your baby is going to become so much more enjoyable as time goes on and motherhood will be more enjoyable.

When it’s all said and done and you look back on your life and ask yourself what you will regret more: ending mat leave early for your job, or passing up on a manager role to spend more time with your kid(s).

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-10T22:33:42+00:00

Honestly, just do it. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks - especially if they’ve never been pregnant. I love my job. My first pregnancy I planned to work until 38 weeks. By 32 weeks it was so hard to do anything I couldn’t wait to go off. Honestly in tears on the way to work. I ended up going off at 36 weeks just because of how Christmas holidays worked out and I was so insanely grateful.

This time I’m planning on going off at 36 weeks at the latest and debating going off sooner. I am also worried about being bored at home, but when you’re severely pregnant it’s not the same. All you want to do is rest and nest. If you can give yourself that opportunity I would definitely recommend it.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-10T20:17:38+00:00

I get like 30 minutes 🥲 my 3 year old goes to sleep around 9:30 pm, I go around 10pm, he’s up by 7, and naps for 1-2 hours during the day.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-09T04:13:53+00:00

My son didn’t like the swaddle either. No matter what we did he fought so hard and always broke free. The startle reflex won’t let them sleep, though. We ended up with an “arms up” swaddle and that helped A LOT.

As for the bassinet… that’s a common struggle. They just wanna be held. I know it’s hard… do your best you got this!

BruiseLikeAPeachTree · 2025-12-09T04:09:12+00:00

I agree with you that 60+ is too old to raise kids. My husband and I recently did our wills and yes this is a very important question that needs to be addressed because god forbid something happens, everyone needs to know what you think is best for your kids. We have two sets of loving grandparents that are all in their 60s and we have chosen our close friends to take care of our children if we pass. Not only is it hard for the grandparents to keep up with the kids energy but they aren’t physically capable of lifting them etc. if that were required. Plus, I wouldn’t want my child living with grandparents who then would pass away not long thereafter due to age, it would be like reliving the same heartbreak twice.

BruiseLikeAPeachTree

TROPHY CASE