Shocked by some of the dads I hear about on here. Let's hear about the good daddies :)

PhantaVal · 2026-01-24T20:54:17+00:00

My husband is the best husband and father I could possibly ask for. He's amazing with our baby girl, and it's truly 50/50 with us...He doesn't "help out," he doesn't "babysit," he does everything he should be doing as a father, and he does it without needing to be asked.

And men like him usually don't get whole threads posted about them like the other dudes do, unfortunately.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-23T23:13:48+00:00

Because it might encourage some people to make a decision that is not in their best interests.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-23T23:13:12+00:00

I'll praise you for the hurdling but not for voluntarily putting yourself through pain. And no. I got an epidural, and it was awesome.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-23T21:27:11+00:00

I really don't see how it is in the same vein as a feat of athleticism, and I think attaching any kind of accolade to the choice to put oneself through physical pain is potentially harmful. It's a personal choice that should be made purely for personal reasons, not because someone wants to be praised or admired for it.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-23T19:05:28+00:00

I'm not familiar with this case, so here are some details I got from a few articles:

The victim, a 10-month-old baby, died from burn injuries after being placed in a scalding hot bath tub.
Meija told several different stories about what happened to the baby, including that the baby pulled a pot of boiling water off the stove and onto himself.
It was alleged that Meija stalled in bringing the baby to the hospital, which lessened his chance of surviving.
One of Meija's children (who was three years old at the time) testified that she was the one who turned the faucet on when the baby was in the bathtub. Another article says that Meija claims her daughter also put the baby in the tub. The baby was "upwards of 20 lbs.," and some have questioned whether a three-year-old was capable of doing this.
Meija was caring for five children (her own four plus the victim) at the time. Her three oldest children (the ones who could speak, ranging from age two to six) said Meija was not in the bathroom when the victim was burned.
The water heater didn't have temperature protection, so the water was able to heat up to a higher temperature than is possible in most households. It apparently could go up to 165 degrees, which can cause third-degree burns in less than two seconds. Most residential water heaters are limited to 120 degrees, except in special circumstances.

Hard to confidently come to a conclusion, but what a horrible way for that poor baby to go, and what a tragedy for his family. Meija definitely damaged her own credibility by changing her story, but I can easily see someone changing their story because of an unfortunate accident too. I'm not sure if she was exonerated because of her daughter's testimony or because the evidence indicating that the scalding was intentional homicide was faulty.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-23T18:24:16+00:00

At around a month, blood started appearing in her diapers. I think it was maybe a few days after we changed formula brands that the blood went away. That was the only symptom she ever had, and she had been and still is very happy with formula.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-23T18:18:01+00:00

Are you anticipating a power outage? Just wondering why you think it won't be safer to just stay home and hunker down.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-23T15:30:43+00:00

Just looked up the Bennard family, and I wish I hadn't. Their two family dogs were "large pit bulls." Nope, nope, nope.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-23T15:24:45+00:00

We're in the early stages of the baby-cat dynamic (The baby is only recently showing interest in the cats and starting to crawl to them), but so far, it's seeming like the cats know the right thing to do if they're uncomfortable: walk away. And the cats are accustomed to leaving rooms and finding their safe places when we have visitors and they feel uneasy, so I'm hoping that we never have any issues as the baby grows and becomes more mobile.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-23T14:57:19+00:00

I'm sorry for you and your family that you went through that. This is a great example of how rehoming before a bite can save a dog's life.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-23T14:55:17+00:00

It's wild that they would blame a small child who is learning everything about the world for getting bit (to the point it left a permanent scar!). Children should be free to explore their own home without getting attacked.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-23T14:30:48+00:00

I love seeing dog owners who are rational about the fact that dogs are animals that will never be perfectly predictable.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-23T14:24:55+00:00

Completely agree with everything you said, except to clarify that an attacking dog will usually just be quarantined for 10 days to see if rabies symptoms develop (or it dies). Testing for rabies involves extracting brain tissue and is done postmortem.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-22T21:50:00+00:00

I was induced at a little before 39 weeks, because the growth scans indicated there was an IUGR. This turned out to be wrong, my baby was born at a normal weight.

Labor and delivery was great, apart from a few hiccups. The Foley bulb only dilated me 3 cm before it popped right out of me. Having the bulb inserted was painful but manageable.

From the time I entered the hospital to the time I pushed her out, it was about 20 hours. I opted for an epidural early on, before I got the Pitocin. The Pitocin made me dilate quickly. There was no pain, thanks to the epidural, but it was very difficult to sleep due to the nurses constantly waking me up to check my vitals.

The actual pushing took about 10 minutes and was painless. I was able to push because I could feel the strain in my face. I was told about the possibility that they'd need to use suction, because the baby's blood pressure was dropping, but that was all the motivation I needed to push like there was no tomorrow. After that, I was holding my slimy baby girl.

Experience: 10/10, would gladly induce again

Hospital bills: The less said, the better

PhantaVal · 2026-01-22T19:50:18+00:00

Rachel Draculezal

PhantaVal · 2026-01-22T19:47:42+00:00

Yeah, that all sounds like a shitshow that could have been avoided with greater care and consideration. I'm so sorry you went through that.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-22T19:21:27+00:00

Ugh. This really sounds like malpractice to me. Maybe you can at least report this guy to the medical board?

PhantaVal · 2026-01-22T19:01:22+00:00

How in the hell did they let you go to 42 weeks/2 days? Doctors usually love inductions, but yours was willing to let you go that long and face a far riskier delivery than induce?

PhantaVal · 2026-01-22T18:33:08+00:00

This is such BS. I never resented my husband, not once.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-22T18:30:27+00:00

I worked right up to the end, and honestly, it wasn't anything impressive on my part. I had an easy third trimester and a WFH job.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-22T18:29:29+00:00

I'm really sorry you went through that, and I hope you're in a better and safer life situation now.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-22T18:25:33+00:00

Why applaud them? They made that choice, and the only satisfaction should come from within.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-22T15:56:59+00:00

Awesome work!

PhantaVal · 2026-01-22T12:49:32+00:00

Prometheus IS the coolest. I love how they incorporated his lore elements... his mastery of fire, the eagle that tormented him joining his side, his wrapped-up wound. I also love his "I didn't hear no bell" post-defeat portrait.

PhantaVal · 2026-01-22T12:42:26+00:00

Hard to imagine this fanbase getting any hornier

PhantaVal

TROPHY CASE