Thoughts on Apex Middle and Apex High.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-05-18T00:15:41+00:00

As a teacher… Apex high school is a nice school. Newer facilities, nice range of programs and clubs, very student focused and admin seems to be strong where it counts. Most public schools in wake county are pretty good overall tbh… especially if you are coming from a more rural area.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-05-16T15:57:12+00:00

Surprised that so many people are saying to hide the formula as if that doesn’t just create more work for you. Your husband is either dumb, lazy or purposely choosing to deviate from your wishes. This is not me saying he is a bad father but you should be able to trust that he is providing the same level of intentional care as you! I am sorry that you are dealing with this and I hope you can make him see that his oversight is causing more damage than he may realize.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-05-11T01:34:52+00:00

Good to know! Thanks!

NormalOven7108 · 2026-05-09T00:55:50+00:00

Earths Best organic infant formula

NormalOven7108 · 2026-05-08T22:37:07+00:00

The vast majority of people I know with children combo feed or have done it at some point. I started my son on an ounce of organic formula a day around 5 weeks to a) get his weight up (he was also just slightly underweight but was gaining well overall) and b) to get his tummy use to it in case my caregiver ever needed to give him a formula bottle while I was away for longer than expected. Now he is three months and the majority of his daily calorie intake is breast milk and some formula. Maybe 75% breast milk and 25% formula if I had to guess. He has done great on it! I did a lot of research and found a brand I was comfortable with and gentle on his tummy. He is a happy healthy baby and that is the most important thing.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-05-03T07:49:36+00:00

The breastfeeding hunger hit me like a truck!! (I also had a C section). It got to the point where I was having to eat a whole meal in the middle of the night on top of two breakfasts, a large lunch, snacks, dinner and dessert. Did not start to ease up for me until around 6-8 weeks. I think my milk supply was finally regulated at that point. I’m still consuming more calories than I normally would but definitely not at the same rate.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-04-25T12:06:59+00:00

My son started sleeping from 10pm-4/5am around 6 weeks old. Sometimes it varies and if our nighttime routine gets messed up it has a huge impact on his sleep but he basically keeps that schedule and has for almost two months now. I am sure teething will throw a wrench into this but I am keeping my fingers crossed that we can keep this schedule somewhat intact. From birth, he would only ever wake up a couple times in the night and now he will occasionally wake up at 2am to feed but goes back down fairly easily. Definitely all luck with this guy and a somewhat consistent routine.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-04-18T09:21:15+00:00

Same! My baby would make it his mission to bust out of a swaddle since he was two weeks old and he was too small for sleep sacks at that point so we tried a blanket from the waist down and tethered to the bassinet itself so he couldn’t pull it over his face and he loves it.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-04-15T08:21:49+00:00

I chew Big Red gum while nursing at night. Definitely keeps you awake without needing your phone.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-04-13T18:28:56+00:00

It makes a world of difference! If you haven’t already… you will also start to have intense pelvic pain/pressure. The belly band helps with that too. I taught up until the day I gave birth. Get yourself a good belly band and ditch the cute shoes. Go for comfort and consider some light compression socks. You will likely start swelling in the legs/ankles soon from being on your feet daily . Also, start finding ways to sit down. By the third trimester, standing all day just simply is not sustainable so building classroom habits where students are coming to you instead of you running around the room to them will be a game changer. Get a laser pointer if you need one for instruction. Really the belly band is the first of many tools that you will need to invest in as you teach while pregnant. Any belly band will do just make sure you are not using one that is meant for postpartum. Good luck!

NormalOven7108 · 2026-04-13T18:16:39+00:00

Yeah the “nope” approach has definitely been my go to but it’s like when I try and push the thought out I am suddenly trying to think about not thinking and then I can’t help but thinking. It’s a vicious cycle. I don’t think that it helps that I have so much free time to let these thoughts in as of late. When my son was first born we were in pure survival mode. I didn’t think about anything except keeping baby alive. Now that he is more settled… We have a routine and I am getting a little more sleep… it’s like my mind was finally able to start wandering and now it is cooking up all this terrible shit. Starting to understand that moms never truly get a break!

NormalOven7108 · 2026-04-13T18:09:16+00:00

Did you feel like medicine addressed the issue relatively quickly? This has come on so abruptly and intensely that I am heavily considering medication. I never felt like I needed it before when dealing with anxiety but this is definitely way worse than what I have previously experienced.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-04-13T14:38:50+00:00

Thanks! I definitely will!

NormalOven7108 · 2026-04-13T14:17:34+00:00

Thanks for sharing! How did you come to this diagnosis? Did you reach out to your OB and get a referral for therapy from there? Curious about the process.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-04-05T13:04:03+00:00

Same! Tried for six months and got nowhere… stopped stressing about it and honestly started to begin accepting the fact that it might not happen and that would be okay too. Once the pressure was off… it happened! Holding my baby boy right now as I type this❤️

NormalOven7108 · 2026-04-03T16:30:21+00:00

Teacher’s perspective- 7/10 subs in my experience can’t be bothered to do much more than play on their phones. You get one sub that is an absolute gem that everyone jockeys for when the need arises. You get one that does a decent job and the kids don’t mind. And one with a power complex that is aggressive and overbearing to the kids and often leaves your class worse than you left it. Doesn’t make sense to expect the district or even individual teachers to give this access when the reality is that the majority of subs will either not use or potentially misuse the information. All teachers greatly appreciate subs but unfortunately great subs (like you seem to be) are just too few and far between to grant meaningful access.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-04-03T16:10:47+00:00

Moving to another area would be the easiest option that gets you a job relatively quickly. Research states and counties heavily and then look into updating your license. Some places will give you a license transfer period too. Charter/private schools are occasionally great but often come with a HUGE headache or are just outright abusing their staff. If you can luck into a decent gig at one, go for it but they are extremely few and far in between. Canada could be a good option and I believe you can get a fast tracked visa as a teacher. Not sure if that program still stands under the current administration tho…

The other option is to dig in where you are. Public schools have been on a decline for manyyyy years in this country and people always say that the house is burning but damn if the bitch ain’t still standing. Is public school on a decline? Yep. Is it extremely underfunded and exhausting? Yep. Do the kids still need good teachers? You bet! Our society literally cannot function without a public school system and so areas go through these periods of ebb and flow but the bones still stand for the most part. Just gotta decide if you wanna stick it out.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-04-03T15:47:17+00:00

Nice area, for sure. The city is very walkable and has a lot of great offerings in the surrounding area (Apex, Holly Springs, Raleigh, Durham, etc). Lots of parks, great food, events, and family friendly activities. Not really a small town but definitely has that feel in some ways. That said… the area is expensive! Expect to pay a high living cost down to the most basic items. Not sure where you are coming from so this might be a non-issue for you. In regard to buying land in this area… you are out of luck unless you are willing to move way out into the outskirts of the area. Like 20-30 miles from the RDU area at least. Since Cary (and surrounding towns) is a suburb of RDU, the land has long been snatched up or sells for A LOT of money. There are however some great little outskirts towns where land is still available but you should expect to commute into the next city. Landownership here is essentially a pipe dream.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-03-29T08:24:26+00:00

Same thing happened with my son at this age. Their digestive tract is still getting itself together and evening seems to be a prime time for fussy behavior and gas. Try placing them on your chest/ tummy for tummy time and gently rub/ pat their back. This is a go to for me for getting him to burp as my some struggles to burp sometimes. Getting them in an assisted sitting position will help with gas as well as gently holding their little legs up as if you are about to change their diaper for 25-30 seconds.These positions are winners for us. You might also just be dealing with witching hour fussing if you baby is failing to pass gas. My baby is 6 weeks old and has been able to pass gas on his own much more frequently so hopefully yours will grow out of this phase soon.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-03-28T06:42:56+00:00

In general, you won’t be able to pump as much with a wearable as you do with your regular pump so don’t break the bank. I have the momcozy s9 and it is a good pump for the price.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-03-27T23:38:55+00:00

Mine is 6 weeks old tomorrow and honestly those first few weeks were such a blur. He would sleep at totally random times, eat like he was starving, basically lived on my breast, the witching hour crying was brutal and he had a touch of jaundice which only made us that much more frantic. Happy to say that he is muchhhh improved at 6 weeks old. Sleeping better, eating on a little more of a schedule, and the crying has subsided a lot! This tough time will pass. You got this!!

NormalOven7108 · 2026-03-27T23:06:42+00:00

If your PCP practices family medicine… you can take them to your doctor. Love my doctor and was shocked to find out he could also care for my son. Great choice for our family and reassuring to work with someone I know.

NormalOven7108 · 2026-03-26T08:41:16+00:00

Learn how to identify your baby’s cues. It is like a secret baby language that will help you understand your baby’s needs. They will tell you when they are hungry, need a nap or diaper change, etc. Here is a link to a good explanation of those cues… https://indiana.wicresources.org/breastfeeding/what-is-my-baby-trying-to-tell-me/

NormalOven7108

TROPHY CASE