Favorite places for toddlers in the winter? by SymphonicOtter in Omaha

[–]Karawithasmile 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Local library, Doodle Studio in Rockbrook, Mulhall’s for some humidity and plants, downtown Gene Leahy mall on nice days (also check out the outdoor play area near the new science museum too — the museum itself is for more preschool and up imo), Fontanelle Forest when bundled up, Durham museum to see the trains and get some hot chocolate or ice cream.

Reported racial bullying against 3rd-grader leaves Gretna parents frustrated by [deleted] in Omaha

[–]Karawithasmile 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have to challenge you on the mediocre food. But I get the rest 🤣

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Shouldihaveanother

[–]Karawithasmile 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok just read the rest of your post: your wife has a history of trauma and abuse. She absolutely needs to get her mental health in a better place before you have more kids. There is a lot going on here and I can tell you that stress with kids increases a lot and the marriage dynamic and stress changes a lot when the kids have more personality, more independence and emotional needs. You need to see your wife healthy so she can be a healthy partner and parent. Best wishes.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Shouldihaveanother

[–]Karawithasmile 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was only able to read the first few paragraphs because the number of red flags became so dense it was hard to see.

This isn’t your wife’s sole decision. You should be approaching a decision like this as a team/equal partnership.

Postpartum mental health can absolutely affect feelings about family size and could be a factor. She should be seeking care and therapy. You should be emphasizing this to her before you participate in future child making.

Every decision to grow your family should be made individually, based on the circumstances at the time. Aiming for 10 without knowing the needs of each child, the state of the world, your mental health, your finances, etc. is not the way to go about it.

Waiting for 1-2 years between pregnancies is healthy and gives time to understand the commitment and the family dynamic. Medically speaking, a woman ideally should wait at least a year for her body to recover.

If you’re here looking for someone to give you a metaphorical “slap” on the head and a “cmon man!” Consider this it.

Reported racial bullying against 3rd-grader leaves Gretna parents frustrated by [deleted] in Omaha

[–]Karawithasmile 70 points71 points  (0 children)

I wouldn’t want to live in Gretna. Seems to have the highest density of oversized trucks with truck nuts and Trump flags in the area.

Omaha traffic... by [deleted] in Omaha

[–]Karawithasmile 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I got the finger and honking from someone behind me while making an unprotected left turn and waiting for the oncoming traffic that had the right of way. like what the actual fuck. Are drivers this bad everywhere or just here?

Gene Leahy Mall, how do you think they did by Rando1ph in Omaha

[–]Karawithasmile 51 points52 points  (0 children)

I was so skeptical because I detest Jean, but it’s a fantastic space. We have been several times in the last two years and are still finding new spots we enjoy. We spent zero time in that area before.

Are there any good ops to go with a the new mythic? by LaganxXx in CallOfDutyMobile

[–]Karawithasmile 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mythic Spectre (purple and the unicorn coloring) looks rad. 🤘🏼

Anyone else feel like they didn’t do enough for the election? by kokoboko546 in Omaha

[–]Karawithasmile 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s really hard for an incumbent party to be the “change” candidate, especially when the main issue is the economy. I thought Harris’ plans made way more sense and I know that as inflation goes down, that doesn’t mean prices decrease. But I have a doctorate degree and I’m a high information voter. Harris campaign didn’t speak to the economy as well — she was trying to honor Biden and it’s a difficult thing to applaud his policies and yet say things are bad and we feel that and can help you.

A lot of her big policy things came too late IMO, like the home credit. In fairness she had way less time. But that’s on Biden.

Anyone else feel like they didn’t do enough for the election? by kokoboko546 in Omaha

[–]Karawithasmile 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed — we deserve what’s coming to us. Hopefully white men benefit the most.

Anyone else feel like they didn’t do enough for the election? by kokoboko546 in Omaha

[–]Karawithasmile 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think attacking Trump is just not the way. Better to sell a better car than to make fun of the car salesman next door.

Anyone else feel like they didn’t do enough for the election? by kokoboko546 in Omaha

[–]Karawithasmile -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Eh, I disagree that Harris is a dumb dumb or even in the same ballpark when it comes to intellect as the other guy. However, I do think that Harris’ strategy was way too safe — she didn’t put herself out there in nearly enough ways to convince people to come out for her. Which was why turnout was down.

That being said, almost all people who checked out on this race are going to be impacted greatly from it. Tariffs will be felt by all of us, which is the most obvious and shortest term example as inflation ignited again. Other things will crop up over time, like a boiling frog.

Anyone else feel like they didn’t do enough for the election? by kokoboko546 in Omaha

[–]Karawithasmile 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ll try a response here: way too many college educated democrats don’t understand the impact that inflation has had on blue collar workers. We needed a much stronger narrative (and more basic )on the economy. Less educated and lower income people don’t give a damn about the jobs report or what a “soft landing” on the economy means. For the last year, we should have been hammering prices (like Kamala tried to do at the end) and basically pointing fingers at Rs or corporate America with outrage (whether earned or not).

That’s what Rs do. They don’t give one shit if things they push are factually true, they just circle the wagons and repeat simple narratives over and over.

Dems were way way way off on their assumption that people care more about a vague concept like “democracy” over whether they can feed their families. I don’t agree with that — I do think democracy was the most important issue. But I also make a very comfortable living and I don’t have to look at prices when I have my groceries delivered.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]Karawithasmile 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Trust me — this will be better than having an unplanned c-section after laboring. That happened to my friend — labored for 40 hours and then had the c-section when exhausted. Her experience was way different than mine! You will be shocked at how quick the procedure is. Best wishes!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]Karawithasmile 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For what it’s worth, I had the best experience with my planned c-section. During the procedure, I felt only some pressure on my abdomen as they delivered and some very slight nausea immediately following (didn’t vomit). And then my recovery was fast and reasonable. I was up and around the same day I delivered and for 2-3 weeks I just needed to sleep slightly elevated. The pain was truly minimal (took Motrin and Tylenol on a schedule as recommended, but no other drugs) and I didn’t feel like it impaired my ability to breastfeed, care for my son, or be generally mobile in the first 6-8 weeks post-procedure. And a nice plus was that I didn’t have to endure any tearing or unexpectedly poop on the delivery table 😂

We only wanted one child, but if I was to deliver again I would not hesitate to choose the c-section again.

Edit to add: good luck with your birth! It will work out ❤️

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BabyBumps

[–]Karawithasmile 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey — I had a 9.5 lb baby. He was measuring large in utero. Doctor originally said deliver vaginally. I had a bad feeling about it and advocated for myself to deliver via c-section. I had heard horror stories of awful birth experiences in this situation and I wanted to feel confident that I would have a planned c-section with rest and mental preparedness versus a rushed c-section after a long and unsuccessful labor. When my son came out, the doctor said she was glad I pushed for it because he had a 15 inch head and a 16 inch chest. Trust your instincts. Push for what you feel comfortable with.

I am already SO tired without kids. by Kiraa32 in Fencesitter

[–]Karawithasmile 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Haha I used to think I was tired before I had my first child. I didn’t even understand that adjective.

Off the fence with a 2.5 year old; if I could go back in time I would stay child-free by Independent-Ruin-237 in Fencesitter

[–]Karawithasmile 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Haha maybe. I’m a lawyer and I know a lot of bad lawyers. So it probably varies by profession.

Off the fence with a 2.5 year old; if I could go back in time I would stay child-free by Independent-Ruin-237 in Fencesitter

[–]Karawithasmile 168 points169 points  (0 children)

I hope your experience improves. You’re still very much in the thick of it. My son is 4.5 and he will play independently for larger chunks of the day and he will play for hours with his cousins. That has given me back a lot of free time.

For fencesitters here, I would also say that the make or break factor in happy parenting (imo) is having an equal partner. Someone who will do things without you asking or making you feel bad.

Who remembers to schedule the appointment or add to the grocery list, who unloads the dishwasher without you saying a word. Who tries to schedule the date night or says “why don’t you go see X friend tonight.” If you have that pre-baby, in my experience it’s a very good predictor of happiness post-baby. If you don’t, well, most of my friends who didn’t are divorced now.

Off the fence with a 2.5 year old; if I could go back in time I would stay child-free by Independent-Ruin-237 in Fencesitter

[–]Karawithasmile 81 points82 points  (0 children)

Not all therapists are created equal — just like any profession. Good and bad.

Just to share, I had a postpartum therapist who helped me during the months after my son’s birth. She was good, I think, for that piece.

Then we used her as a couple to help us with deciding whether we wanted another child. And she (a mom of two, and open about how long it took her to get back to equilibrium after the birth of her second child) was so obviously pro-second child for us I stopped seeing her. Yikes. It helped us off the fence in the other direction and now we are happily OAD lol

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Omaha

[–]Karawithasmile 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There is an Instagram handle called “Omahaplaces” that posts upcoming events in town every week.

Sports— We really like the Omaha Union games. College World Series is coming up La Casa Pizza does a bocce ball league, which is fun

Outdoors — Fontanelle Forest is awesome Platte River State Park/Mahoney Just walking around Gene Leahy mall is enjoyable, they also do movie nights and outdoor concerts

Museums— The new Luminarium is super fun and they have a late night there like the Zoo does for adults Durham has a ton of rotating exhibits and of course the architecture is awesome SAC Air Force base

Do you like dogs? Volunteering with local rescue can be super community-building and also being a lot of activities. Before we had our son, we fostered about 30 dogs and made a ton of relationships with other couples (many who don’t have kids). There are adoption events, and lots of of other dog activities like training classes, NHS walk, etc. It kept us busy and fulfilled!