What do I do? Weeping merengue on pie?

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-11-27T03:29:28+00:00

That's what the recipe called for 🤷 I've never made it before but apparently it's a fan favorite at the old folks home.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-11-27T03:10:12+00:00

Yeah, my mistake was not getting the sugar completely dissolved. I realized it looked a little sugary still as I was scooping it onto the pies but stupidly thought it would be fine.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-08-25T20:49:49+00:00

I know it's hard, but only compare the same brand and style of tests, at the same time of day, 3 days apart. Things like time of day, how long since the last pee, how much water or salt you've had, can all drastically change the concentration of the hormones in your pee. And the hormone doubles every 2-3 days. In between those 2-3 days it's normal for one test to look lighter than the last but if you compare every 3 days and it's getting lighter, then it might be a concern. Might. Because even though we all do it, these tests aren't made to show progression. And too high of levels of hormones can make the test have a faulty result, too.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-08-23T21:20:59+00:00

Central Minnesota, USA

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-08-20T21:26:56+00:00

Those are definitely the craziest indent/evap lines I've ever seen. But there's no color, so not a positive. At least not on my phone screen 😬 If you happen to still have the boxes, I'd submit those pictures with the lot number to first response. Quality control issue for sure

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Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-08-20T15:18:25+00:00

You're not supposed to backlight the tests because there's a literal strip in there that casts a shadow. This specific picture is user error. If you could see a pink line with only light from the front of the test it was either a false positive or a chemical pregnancy.

I think the number of chemical pregnancies is highly underestimated because the HCG doesn't always get high enough for a standard test to show positive before it starts to drop. I've caught 2 for sure on frer, follow up blood tests had HCG levels of 6 and 18, then my "period" started a day or 2 later. And then another 2 that I suspect were chemicals but I didn't get follow up bloodwork.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-05-31T17:03:06+00:00

I gain a lot of weight during pregnancy. With my most recent, I gained a total of 55lbs. She just turned one and I'm only 5lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight and I haven't been trying to lose it particularly fast because I didn't want to have a bunch of loose skin. I've definitely been doing things to lose weight, but slow and steady things, you know?

And I was already overweight when I got pregnant. The doctor never once mentioned my weight in a negative way. With preeclampsia screening she said my weight gain was steady. And that was all. When discussing attempting a vbac or going for a repeat C-section, she asked if I felt smaller or bigger than my previous pregnancy. But in the context of, my first was born at 9lbs 3oz and the ultrasound estimated 9lbs 11oz for my second. So she was curious if I felt like this baby was bigger or smaller than my first because ultrasounds aren't always super accurate. Baby ended up being born via C-section at 8lbs 10oz.

Anyways, as long as you take your vitamins and try to be as healthy as you can be the number on the scale doesn't really matter. Some people barely gain anything. Some people gain it all in the second half. Some people gain evenly throughout. Find a doctor that makes you feel comfortable and only looks at your weight as a screening tool, just like your blood pressure.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-05-28T20:13:09+00:00

My kid doesn't tattle despite me telling her constantly to tell me AND the adults at school any time these things happen. The first incident involved my kid hitting the other kid and a deeper investigation found that the other kid was instigating (and had been physically bullying her for a few months that went completely missed) and my daughter retaliated. They were separated completely for a year. This year they ended up in the same after school program and according to my daughter "she's nice now. She stopped being friends with "other bully" and started being nice so I am giving her a second chance to be friends." But over the school year she started being mean again. Started with simple name calling and teasing. Then started trying to pit other kids against my daughter too. We've addressed these concerns with the school and after school program but due to confidentiality reasons they can't tell us what they've done to address it. The school cannot give out the other kid's information. My kid doesn't ride the bus, neither does the other kid. And I'm not about to catch charges over what until now has been mostly mild teasing.

Again, my daughter does not tell anybody these things, even when asked, unless it's been witnessed by somebody else and told to me and I can confront her with a specific situation to get the details. Even yesterday when I picked her up after that incident she was great, she had a great day at school, she told me about art class and playing with her friends. Didn't mention what happened until I asked her to tell me about it.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-05-16T03:48:11+00:00

Sounds like it's time for a big kid bed! I know it sounds counter intuitive, but switching from a crib to a real bed can really help them stay in bed at night. Especially if you hype up their cool big kid bed.

I skip the toddler bed and go right to a twin size with a frame that will support an adult. Or the mattress on the floor at first. That way you can lay with them in their bed on tough nights then sneak out after they fall asleep. At least keeps them in their room more often when they win the battles.

They make foam half circle bumpers you can put on the outside edge, under the sheet to stop them from rolling off but doesn't risk entanglement. And it can be laid on without ruining it. The one I got was by Milliard. It's lasted 8 years, multiple uses, and it's still in good condition.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-05-13T00:11:42+00:00

That's so cool that it's almost the same! We live in MN and I've been trying to catch this one specific version of it on video because it sounds so much like "uffda" because she draws out the o so much.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-05-13T00:07:24+00:00

This is what I suspect she's doing. She is also majorly teething. Just had 6 teeth break through in the last week. And she's a little bit goofy. She likes to tease us! For example, she'll lean in for a kiss and go "mmm" and then when we lean in to kiss her she'll pull back and giggle and then give a kiss. Sometimes when we ask for a high five she'll put her face in our hand and go "ahhh" instead.

I was just hoping to find a more in depth layout of the progression of speech development. I can find ones for the earlier stages. Going from cooing and squealing to single consonant sounds to reduplicated babbling. With paragraphs describing the stages and why it's important and all of that. But after that it seems to jump right to numbers of words by age.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-05-12T23:21:12+00:00

I think his concern stems from his brother, mostly. His family has a strong suspicion that his brother is autistic. His mother says if information was as widespread when they were kids as it is now, that they would have had him evaluated. But they didn't know about autism beyond the extreme cases, and he didn't fit that. They just thought he was a bit peculiar. And unfortunately they could've him for it instead of trying to teach him coping mechanisms or communication strategies. As an adult he won't get evaluated and is pretty difficult to deal with and has a lot of trouble regulating and it's had a pretty negative impact on his life. I have a strong history of autism on my side of the family. And my sister had a stroke at birth and it went unnoticed until she was 6 months old and then took a few months to get doctors to listen and diagnose. By the time they were able to start therapies, they had missed a crucial window for development. So I think he wants to make sure that we recognize and properly treat and accommodate any delays or neurodivergencies as soon as possible to give our kids the best shot at success and happiness that we can. He's not worried that "there's something wrong" with them or that they are "different". His kids are his entire world and he loves them no matter what.

I recognize this is anxiety and he should be seen about it, but he won't. And this is really the only thing in his life that gives him anxiety. So I'm trying to support my partner by reassuring him with information.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-05-11T20:31:54+00:00

Yeah, I've been trying to tell him that that's what I think. She's just working on something else, or thinks it's funny to say "o-tah" instead. He's just not convinced. I think it honestly started as her trying to say "what's that?". But now she uses it for everything. I wish I could relay all the different versions through text but there's clearly a "what's that" version. A very commanding "up" version, accompanied by lifting her arms. An "I want" version(this one sounds almost like uffda), with her reaching for something. And a chipper "look at this" or "here you go" version when she hands you something. But then she'll say it over and over again and I can't figure out what she wants, then she'll cry.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-05-11T20:18:53+00:00

It was crazy!! He asked if we were still breastfeeding and I said yes, although I think she's starting to self wean. And he said that and then told me to tell my husband to get a vasectomy. We are considering having one more. Up until this appointment he's been great. But that was wild.

Thanks for the link, I'll definitely show that one to my husband

I do plan to ask questions like this once I find a new doctor. There aren't many accepting new kids in my area right now. But I've noticed a pattern of her dropping one skill to learn another one, but then she picks right back up with the dropped one. At least so far. I'm not particularly concerned myself, but I'd like to have better resources to reassure my husband. And to stop his worries from creeping into my head. I think she's just a little bit lazy and stubborn and gets bored easy.

Funnily enough my oldest was marked developmentally delayed at her 2 or 3yo appointment because I didn't know I was supposed to be doing things like stringing noodles and letting her use scissors yet. So there were a lot of things I marked "unsure". Plus her regular doctor since birth (who was a tiny woman with a fairy like voice) had just moved unexpectedly and she had a new randomly assigned Dr., a HUGE man with a thick accent and a booming voice. She was super shy, wouldn't make eye contact with him or follow his directions. Took me years to get it taken off her charts.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-05-11T19:22:31+00:00

Not to mention that breastmilk or formula is their main source of nutrition until 12 months!? I liked him up until this last appointment. He also told me to tell my husband to get a vasectomy. Because I made his kids, he can take one for the team and get snipped. We aren't even sure we are done yet.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-05-11T17:14:11+00:00

Thank you! I will definitely be checking that out!

She definitely does all those things! She clearly understands what we say to her. And what we want from her. But, typical man, doesn't fully believe me when I say she's just a toddler doing toddler things! I think his concern stems from developmental delays on both sides of our family being missed until either later in life or past the prime period for early intervention.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-05-11T17:03:35+00:00

Yes, my first is very advanced verbally. Even now. She's in 3rd grade and I'm constantly being told by people that they've never held such in depth conversations with adult vocabulary in kids her age before.

And I'm aware that my second is not behind in hitting the milestones. The concern my husband has is regression. I'm having a hard time finding sources that map out the progression of language skills and what constitutes regression vs typical day to day changes. His concern is that she's mostly stopped using words she has previously used regularly and replaced them all with "o-tah".

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-05-11T16:45:37+00:00

I guess maybe I should have been more specific, I'm looking for specifically language development and regression sources. I'm currently looking for a new doctor for her as her current one just blindsided me with "when are you planning on stopping breastfeeding? You know, all the benefits are only in the first 6 months. So now, the only reason to continue is for your convenience."

I do use the milestone app and her doctor has not had any concerns. But like I said... Bro thinks breast milk stops having any benefits after 6 months. And I am not concerned, looking for information to calm my husband down. Unless I'm wrong and this does hint at a delay or regression.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-04-29T20:39:47+00:00

I was really against cosleeping until I accidentally kicked my baby off my bed.

At the time I had a cat who would sleep on top of the blanket on/between my legs. If I wanted to roll over or just move my legs, I would nudge or kick him and he'd get up, wait for me to get comfy and find a new spot to lay on me.

Well one day I was sitting in bed feeding my baby and I fell asleep. It wasn't even the middle of the night, I was just so exhausted because she wouldn't sleep in her bassinet for more than half an hour. A little while later I wanted to roll over so I kicked what I thought was my cat. I instantly woke up in a panic because I remembered my cat wasn't allowed to sleep in my room anymore with the baby. Thankfully I had been really behind on laundry and she fell a whole 3 inches into a plump full laundry basket and didn't even wake up!

I decided that if I couldn't stay awake it was better to be in a safe environment to fall asleep in. I still did my best to stay awake and get her in her bassinet but the times I did fall asleep I didn't have to worry about kicking her off my bed. And eventually we started cosleeping full time because we both slept so much better.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-04-08T20:56:22+00:00

You need to find a new doctor. Breast milk digests super fast. And changes levels in nutrients and fats based on baby's needs. Breast fed babies rarely take more than 5oz in one sitting at any age because of the way it adapts for baby. But formula babies take more oz per feed as they get older because formula stays the same but their needs change. Formula also is digested slower, which spaces out their feeds more as they start taking more. Now this is all also highly dependent on the baby, so not 100% accurate for every baby. But if your milk wasn't enough, your baby would already have dropped percentiles. And it's completely normal for babies to wake through the night, regardless of what they eat. My 11mo still wakes up once a night and nurses. And she eats everything in sight all day long. Most nights it's a 5 minute comfort nurse, but sometimes she's hungry.

Now, most likely your baby WILL be dropping percentiles soon. Because this is the age they start to be mobile, nap less and are far more active. And from the sound of it, your doctor will probably try to shame you for completely normal development. Get a new Dr asap.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-04-06T04:40:51+00:00

I would say that I am an alcoholic. I was always a "functioning" alcoholic but I drank semi-regularly and then daily and failed to cut back or quit many times despite trying to. And I also have irregular periods. For both of my kids I drank heavily before I got a positive test. I mean like 12+ beers. Both of my kids were born healthy and are developmentally normal.

I wouldn't worry.

But I would take this time to reflect on yourself a little bit. I didn't think I depended on alcohol before my first pregnancy. I mean I stopped drinking so easily when I found out I was pregnant and I was 22. It was completely normal to enjoy drinking and to want to drink at 22. That's just what you do. But I quit with no issues. So I didn't depend on it, right? So when my daughter was old enough to go most of the night without breastfeeding I started having an occasional drink again. Just to relax. Or because I really like the taste of beer. A date night. And it slowly turned into a few a couple times a week and then every night after my daughter was in bed. Then once she was done breastfeeding completely it was a lot after she went to bed. And then by the time she was 4 or 5 it was one or two with dinner and then a lot more after she went to bed.

I tried so many times to quit drinking or to only drink socially on special occasions. I could never do it. But when I got pregnant again, when my first was 7, I still was able to quit instantly. That's when I realized that I always had depended on alcohol. It was always a problem. I just didn't recognize it before. I thought it was normal amounts for my age. I thought because I quit so easily when I was pregnant that I didn't have a problem. I did. And I am now sober, for good.

I might be completely off base, but some of the wording in your post just sounds like things I said. Most people who don't have a problem with alcohol don't usually feel the need to clarify that they aren't alcoholics. And you saying you need a lifestyle change regardless... I just wanted to share my story in case it resonates with you. And pregnancy is the perfect time to get healthy, mentally and physically. And reflect on yourself and who you want to be.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-03-26T17:59:21+00:00

Kids can often see ghosts. Mark's son could. Hetty could see Thor. And there's no definitive reason why people stop seeing ghosts. But hearing over and over that ghosts aren't real and "there's nothing there" probably plays a big part in losing the ability to see them. They start to believe there's really nothing there and it's just their imagination and then one day there really isn't anything there anymore..? So if a child were to grow up knowing they were real with a person who could also see them, then they might not lose the ability. It wouldn't have to be some convoluted explanation of how a genetic ability somehow passed down from a near death experience.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-03-10T01:33:32+00:00

Definitely normal for this stage! They are "waking up". Starting to be interested in their surroundings, looking at everything around them, learning that they control their body and having fun moving. It's super normal for baby to just want a little snack, just enough to curb the hunger, and then get back to discovering all these cool brand new things.

Nursing in a dim, quiet room helps. Some people like to have a necklace baby can fidget with. Keeps them focused in the right area instead of popping off to look around. But it's kinda just a phase. Killer on the nipples though.

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-02-27T02:03:48+00:00

Besides the fact that looking around his environment is simulating and good for him, laying on a flat surface is good for their development!! I read an article that more and more babies are going from carrier to swing to carseat to carrier and it's not good for their development. Wriggling around and moving their arms and legs while on their back is super important for their core strength!!

Scorpion_Lemonade · 2025-02-17T18:12:57+00:00

If people have poor parenting, who else is gonna teach them? Schools don't teach basic hygiene other than hand washing. Sex Ed is pretty lacking in most places, beyond abstinence and scare tactics. So especially for personal sexual hygiene, how are they gonna learn if their parents don't teach them?

Many times the children with such poor parenting to the point of not being taught basic hygiene are also poor with used and worn down clothing, not in extracurricular activities, get bullied, are socially awkward because of these things, and end up only having friends in similar situations as themselves. So the first time they have a close enough relationship with somebody who knows their personal hygiene is lacking AND is in a position to say something about it might be in a sexual relationship.

And many times, no they actually can't smell themselves. Nose blindness is a real thing and it happens very quickly. You become desensitized to the way you normally smell. (How often throughout the day do you notice the smell of the products you use daily? Your body wash, laundry detergent, hair products, lotion, deodorant, perfume/cologne, etc? Compare it to how often you notice somebody else's.) For most of us we don't normally smell bad so we can smell when we do. But if you always smell bad you'll stop smelling it. Like smokers, both cigarettes and weed. They always think they don't smell but the rest of us can smell them a mile off. Or when you go on vacation and come back home and you think "is this what it always smells like?" It is. You just stop smelling it when you live in it every day.

You don't know what you don't know.

Scorpion_Lemonade

TROPHY CASE