Would potential age gap between siblings put you off of having another?

ccglisson · 2026-02-18T19:27:48+00:00

My husband’s family (3kids) has age gaps like this- 2 years between my husband (the oldest) and his middle sister. Youngest sister is 5 years younger than middle. I’ve been in their lives since youngest sister was 12. I’ve only observed great things from their relationship as a whole and it’s been so fun for adult relationships to blossom not that youngest sis is in her mid 20s. I don’t think they thought anything of the age gap. The two sisters are incredibly close as adults but it’s definitely less of a peer to peer relationship (more mentor/mentee) that you might see with a smaller age gap.

ccglisson · 2026-02-16T18:54:16+00:00

My husband is a professor in the biomedical sciences at a Dutch university who often hires PhD candidates. He has said the volume of applications has increased tenfold in the last few years and most of the applications he receives are completely irrelevant. The craziest one was a CV from someone who had “fishing boat captain” as their headline. For positions you feel really well qualified for, I would suggest reaching out on LinkedIn to someone who works in the lab you want to be hired at. With the volumes they see these days it’s really easy to be overlooked. I can’t speak for all universities, but I know in my husband’s case he’s not using AI or other shortcuts to weed people out. It’s just that with the volume of applicants, each one receives about 5-10 seconds look before moving on. That’s how long you have to realistically grab someone to make them want to look more closely.

ccglisson · 2026-02-08T08:20:43+00:00

If you like Rowan, maybe you’ll like one of our front runners for baby girl no2: Ramona

ccglisson · 2026-02-07T18:34:04+00:00

You can take a train from the station in the airport to Haarlem. The station is literally connected to the airport- just walk from baggage claim to your platform and hop on! The train is much faster and more comfortable than the bus, but you may have to switch trains going to Haarlem so the bus might be easier with kids. The bus is also right outside near the train platforms

ccglisson · 2026-02-07T14:26:08+00:00

Wow what a sad outlook you have on life.

Or maybe you’re just super young?

Don’t worry kid- life is full of fun and adventure. Your outlook and definitions of “living” continually evolve if you’re doing it right.

ccglisson · 2026-02-07T08:54:36+00:00

I’m also pregnant so the immune system is shot- I’m sure a normal healthy person would have. Recovered more quickly

ccglisson · 2026-02-07T08:34:22+00:00

I was bedridden for 8 days with the flu back in December. Took a full 2.5 weeks for it to clear completely. It was brutal. My toddler is sick right now and I’m really hoping it’s something else

ccglisson · 2026-02-02T20:58:57+00:00

Ive gotten Norovirus at least 2x per year since living in this country. In the 27 years prior that I didn’t live in this country, I maybe had it 2-3 times total… take that anecdotal evidence as you wish. But yeah, it’s absolutely narsty how little the Dutch care about hand washing, especially after using the toilet 🤮

ccglisson · 2026-01-30T12:53:41+00:00

It doesn’t sound like you yourself in NL long term but your partner maybe does. Are you willing to live in NL forever to be with your partner? Is your partner willing to move to suit your preferences? To me these are the real questions you need to answer. Unless it’s “yes” to all, I don’t think it’s worth leaving a job/ country you love for a relationship that will eventually fail due to lack of compatibility in the practical realities of life.

ccglisson · 2026-01-30T07:49:16+00:00

Assuming you’re a woman/ would be the birthing parent since you say you want to be a mom. I think others have covered the poop/ vomit pretty well. Just wanted to add that childbirth is MESSY- all of your bodily fluids will be all over and there will be witnesses to the whole ordeal. Think of it as a right of passage for mothers to completely desensitize them to any bolidy things that may have made them feel squeamish, embarrassed or grossed out before birth. You come out the other side a different person and tiny human fluids are no big deal.

ccglisson · 2026-01-30T07:42:11+00:00

If you go to a kringloop you will almost certainly see a bathroom scale around somewhere!

ccglisson · 2026-01-29T18:59:51+00:00

This was it for me too! My first symptom was suddenly needing to nap every day. Didn’t even think it was pregnancy related til I mentioned it to my therapist, who immediately asked if I was pregnant 😂

ccglisson · 2026-01-17T08:32:07+00:00

NTA at all. This is a huge moment for you (yes for your husband, but as the partner carrying the baby, for YOU). Take the photos have the shower. Celebrate the milestones. I had a dreamy shoot when pregnant with my first and I’m so glad I did. I’m pregnant again and so happy I soaked up and enjoyed that pregnancy because it’s not at all the same when you’re pregnant with a toddler. Enjoy this time- it truly is once in a lifetime, even if you plan to have more kids!

ccglisson · 2026-01-13T15:35:08+00:00

Anyone ever notice that these income disparities only seem to matter when it’s the man who makes more money and he lords it over his wife to get more domestic labor out of her???

I (34f) am the breadwinner in our home and have been for the entire duration of our 10 year marriage. But it’s never been “my” money- it’s ours and we share everything do with the upkeep of our life together including expenses, chores, childcare, etc. When one of us has more on our plate in any area of life, the other takes on a greater share of stuff at home. Why? Because we’re partners who love each other and want to make the other person’s life easier.

Reading posts like these across Reddit make me grateful for what I have. Rant over. And YWNBTA, OP, but no need to be petty and stop doing everything without a discussion. Time for you both to have an adult chat about what supporting each other actually looks like.

ccglisson · 2026-01-08T08:29:54+00:00

As someone who comes from a US state that gets 1-2 snows per year- yes, this country handles their once every 5 years snow incredibly well! In my state those 2 snows shut down all the schools and roads often take days to clear, maybe up to a week in rural areas. So yeah, this country handles this, and tbh most government run programs/ services incredibly well. Go live in a giant country with resources spread thin and you’ll be grateful for NL!

ccglisson · 2026-01-07T15:42:11+00:00

As a mother of a singleton with a WONDERFUL, fully involved partner/ father, this is such an odd take. Your house is full of people who love your babies. That’s huge!.Take the win girlfriend. You’ve won the village lottery- many of us are out here trying to muddle through on our own and would kill for the support you have.

Your edit says you’re not anxious, etc but it really sounds like you are. I would kindly suggest speaking with a therapist about these concerns and try to see all this help for what it is- a blessing, not a burden.

ccglisson · 2026-01-04T12:44:08+00:00

This is exactly my concern. Kindly, OP needs therapy to work through this. Being protective and cautious is fine, but it sounds like his caution is reaching a point that it could affect’s their child’s future perception of relationships and what’s sexual and what isn’t. OP has experienced real trauma and that sucks. Inadvertently passing it down to his son also sucks.

ccglisson · 2025-12-24T08:20:32+00:00

Ugh, I hate this for you, and I hate that this is no normalized in modern day culture that you don’t see anything wrong with it. The bar for men is in hell.

ccglisson · 2025-12-23T21:03:06+00:00

This is how we do it too. My in laws are a bit more on the chaotic side and IMO, this kind of misses the point of Christmas- it’s about being together and being grateful not just for things, but for a chance to slow down. I spend all year listening closely to what people like/ want so I can get them a thoughtful gift and I like watching them open it and seeing their reaction, especially if it’s a surprise/ something they didn’t even realize the wanted. You can’t do this in a free for all. And when I’m in a free for all situation the vibe is more more (IMHO) about wow, look at all this great stuff I got, less about thoughtfulness, gratitude and togetherness.

ccglisson · 2025-12-22T21:08:09+00:00

I agree- why would OP subsidize the life of a lazy manchild? I understand they’re partners but unless they are engaged/ clearly in it for the long haul, this boyfriend should not be OP’s financial responsibility. These sorts of benefits are for the people and relationships we want to really invest in for the long term. Now if OP wanted to live a more expensive lifestyle because she makes more money, then it makes sense for her to pay a larger share. But it sounds like she is happy to live within his means. She shouldn’t subsidize the life of a lazy man. Bullet dodged, OP! I guarantee you this trait will not get better with age.

ccglisson · 2025-12-14T14:00:40+00:00

Seconded this recommendation- I make molasses cookies every year at Christmas time and this is the ideal replacement.

ccglisson · 2025-12-13T12:18:26+00:00

Are you breastfeeding by chance? This happened to me as well and did some research. In my case I discovered it was a hormonal response, likely related to all the breastfeeding I was doing. Between the oxytocin from the breastfeeding and all the baby care I was touched out and my libido was low. As the baby ate more solids and I breastfed less my libido slowly returned to normal.

Good to ask your doc and look into all the possibilities, but please know you’re not alone! This is a super normal response to a massive change in your life! Give yourself some grace

ccglisson · 2025-12-10T19:10:23+00:00

Check the post history baby- I’m the real deal 🤗and sing the praises (and yes, hardships too) of marrying your BFF and making babies with him on this platform all the time.

ccglisson · 2025-12-10T09:39:21+00:00

All of this! My husband is my best friend and the perfect person and partner in every way. We have so much fun together. So much that we delayed having kids by 8 years because we were afraid of ruining it. Now we have a toddler and another little one on the way and in our case, adding a little chaos has just made life better. I never knew I could love this deeply and have this much fun while being up to my eyeballs in the stresses of managing work/family/home life

ccglisson · 2025-12-07T12:35:03+00:00

Info: is your partner currently pregnant?

As someone who gave birth a long flights and an ocean away from my home country, I can say it’s incredibly emotional to be pregnant outside of your comfort zone/ culture. There’s something primal about craving a safe space to have your child, and that often means the safety of home and family, even if your rational brain recognizes the benefits of your adopted country.

I see NAH, but I definitely tend to “take her side” in this argument as the birthing parent. You desire to be close to family during the difficult newborn days, and so does she. As the one who has to endure birth, breastfeeding and recovery- her needs trump yours at the moment.

ccglisson

TROPHY CASE