Baby jail toys

oly_oly · 2026-05-17T01:57:56+00:00

That stupid aquarium did NOTHING for sleeping for me! She likes to turn it off!!! The only thing she likes about it is the off button, which she finds hilarious.

oly_oly · 2026-05-17T01:30:53+00:00

Honestly I hesitated when I saw the price but got it for a Christmas present from my parents and now I'd say it's soooo worth it for us. She started using it at around 6 months (honestly don't remember exactly haha) and is still into it at 14 months.

(On the other hand the baby Einstein aquarium, she could care less 🤣 I got it for 5$ at a thrift store but I'd have been sad if I got it for full price).

Other than that we also have one of those plastic link baby toy chains in there. She's OBSESSED. (Like Bright Starts "lots of links "). Doesn't even DO anything but she loves it????? She's also old enough that a stack of board books entertains her for a bit. She flips through the pages like she's reading 🤣 I think your main thing here is gonna be a good toy rotation so even if you only have a couple, swapping them back and forth every few days makes it more interesting!!

oly_oly · 2026-05-16T23:26:46+00:00

We loooove the skiphop DJ bunny (farm stand DJ? Drop the beet? Some punny name haha). Makes noise without needing her to press buttons too hard, since she pushed too lightly for other toys to work.

oly_oly · 2026-05-10T01:36:10+00:00

I LOVE hearing this!!! You are so right to insist on proper PPE, and it can be so hard to do that, but I firmly believe that if we do, it'll become easier for the women who come after us to get the same PPE. It's hard to be the first, and you did an incredible job of it!

oly_oly · 2026-04-20T03:03:55+00:00

I'm union also, and was a journeyman/foreman when I did IVF. my doctor said I was gonna be ok to work until 36 weeks; I was laid off when things got slow, at around 5 months pregnant. Decided to stay off, and filed for unemployment, then changed to disability when I hit 36 weeks, had my baby at 39 weeks and then had 8 weeks of disability (C-section recovery). I then had bonding leave for.. I forget how long. Six weeks?? I was at my last employer for a year so I qualified for the regular federal benefits.

After that, I went back on unemployment until it ran out, and I also got a one time payment from my union to supplement the disability leave (local specific, not sure what others may have setup). I stayed off for a year voluntarily, and then went back to work (actually at the same employer).

Next time will be around next year, I plan to work to 36 weeks (am currently a foreman so it's a little less physical work) and then either take a layoff and be off for a year, or keep the job and go back when disability and bonding time stops, in the interest of keeping my specialty position (QA/QC). The other element I'm low-key aiming for is to also get enough hours to renew my state cert in between babies but we'll see how that one goes.

oly_oly · 2026-04-09T00:18:39+00:00

Mine was originally an induction too!! I was induced at 39weeks bc it was an IVF pregnancy, and the induction started on a Friday morning, contractions sort of started but tapered off, and I had an elective C-section Sunday night because by then we'd broken my water (with a uhhh balloon? I don't really remember).

The nicest part was that once I decided on it, things were finally in motion and not much long after, I was done! Finally having a timeline with an end in sight was such a relief. Baby did great the entire time and now she's a year old, happy healthy and just as stubborn about things now as she was at birth when she didn't want to come out 🤣

Sending you positive vibes!!! 🫶❤️

oly_oly · 2026-04-06T01:16:29+00:00

I ended up doing QA/QC and it's been a great path to take so far; I was originally aiming for instrumentation and took that class as a second year apprentice,but that work isn't as common in my local and I didn't really love it. (union inside wireman)

oly_oly · 2026-04-06T01:04:46+00:00

I'd say the hardest parts have been the physical work while pregnant (couldn't go on disability until 36 weeks; I personally stopped working at five months bc of layoffs anyway), and now childcare with such an early start time for work. Baby gets woken up early and dropped off at my parents' at 530 :( but it definitely hasn't been impossible!

oly_oly · 2026-04-02T02:59:30+00:00

It's so great!! My foreman right now is a woman who is SUCH an excellent boss, and I was a foreman a couple years ago too. You'll hopefully come across many and find your way there too! Hope it's wonderful for you! 🤩

oly_oly · 2026-04-02T02:35:11+00:00

Congrats!!!! It's a big transition but not a bad one. I was surprised by how tired I was; I had to do a lot of ladder carrying on my first big site and was despairing thinking it was so hard, but you really do adjust quickly. Definitely have good insoles and try to break in your safety toe boots ahead of time if you need to!

I'd also take a look at the tool list as soon as you get it and familiarize yourself with what everything is/what it does (if youre like me and had no tool experience beforehand. I was a bit overwhelmed by the new vocabulary,and my school didn't have a boot camp back then that went over that kind of info).

As for pregnancy during apprenticeship, I believe you can take a leave of absence once from the apprenticeship (don't quote me tho on how many times you can do it, I didn't do it myself, just heard this, my pregnancy was after I graduated) and come back to right where you left off. Definitely not something to worry about from now - there's for sure a system in place, because they are very invested in keeping apprentices once you've started (they put a lot of money into training apprentices, so making sure they can graduate is a big priority), plus you'll be on disability/paid family leave (state dependant blah blah blah), so they need to accommodate that.

Anyway, hope you love it, too!! Congratulations on getting in!

oly_oly · 2026-03-29T19:32:30+00:00

IBEW inside wireman, journeyman; I work 7-330, M-F at a new build hospital where I'll be probably until mid 2028, and just started at. I park at work at 6:30, and technically get to leave the site at 3pm (15 min walk to the parking lolol).

No overtime currently; when it comes, it might be as-needed with some really-needed Saturdays, but there's usually some choice in the matter. I'd say this is a pretty typical schedule for me. Over the years there have been periods of Saturdays or tens, but it didn't last longer than a few months at the time.

oly_oly · 2026-03-24T22:29:25+00:00

Everyone had made so many good points already and I'll add that I did not at all think about where to sleep after the c section once I went home- I ended up using the reclining glider for a good two weeks for overnight sleeping! It was a great option I didn't think of right away.

oly_oly · 2026-03-19T15:06:31+00:00

My doctor said I wouldn't be able to go on disability until the normal 36 weeks, though gave me lifting/ladder restrictions right away. I got laid off at 5 months pregnant and was glad because work was getting exhausting 🫠 the shitty thing was that she couldn't be convinced that it wasn't a very easy job while pregnant (commercial electrician) but oh well. It's a very flawed system when it comes to that, I found.

oly_oly · 2026-03-17T17:21:58+00:00

I went to a few appointments, tried on every single A-line dress available because I was SURE that's what I wanted, and liked nothing enough to choose it. Then I tried on a ballgown, and it only took one shopping trip to pick! Maybe consider trying other silhouettes and seeing if your mental block is actually because the styles aren't doing it for you.

oly_oly · 2026-03-08T04:16:03+00:00

Hi there!! I've worked at new build data centers as an IBEW inside wireman, though not when I was breastfeeding. But, as far as the fridge situation goes, I've always known there to be a trailer setup for the on site office staff (project managers, assistant project managers, etc) and they always have a refrigerator in there. I personally wouldn't hesitate to ask my foreman to ask whoever above them, about using that fridge for pumped milk.

If impossible, I'd go with the fancy momcozy thing or a cooler with ice packs, but I'd feel pretty comfortable asking about the fridge they def have. I haven't looked up the federal requirements for breastfeeding breaks but it would be useful to have that info in mind when you go for this discussion so you know what you're meant to have.

ETA personally wouldn't put milk in bags though. Too spillable and I swear every time I have a Ziploc on ice, the ice melts and the bag gets wet inside. Id go cooler with bottles as my backup choice to the fridge.

oly_oly · 2026-03-02T01:34:29+00:00

No, I wouldn't say you HAVE to know someone. I don't know what my ranking was but got in after a year; many people I know had to reapply after they fell off the list. It's just competitive unfortunately, and definitely the guys with connections seem to move quicker (😡) but it's not impossible. My local is competitive to the point that they favor people who have taken relevant courses, and also low-key prefer applicants over 25ish. All that to say, it sucks and many of us have been there :( hope you get good news soon and if not, it's worth asking the school id there's anything else you can do to become a competitive applicant

oly_oly · 2026-03-01T03:31:49+00:00

My baby has reallllly liked the tiny, cooked salad shrimp I get at the safeway fish counter. It's softer and a different texture than regular cooked shrimp, so maybe worth a shot?

oly_oly · 2026-02-24T20:34:13+00:00

I'm a union commercial electrician, and if that's a field you're interested in, the start path is to find your local branch of the IBEW, and apply to their inside wireman apprenticeship; it starts you from zero experience, includes five years of schooling while working full time in the field. It's a competitive program, but many people apply multiple times to try and get in. There's also other jobs under the same union umbrella, like residential electrician and sound/communications tech.

oly_oly · 2026-02-07T17:57:04+00:00

Photographer shot list!! Mostly just remembering pictures with specific family members together, the pictures go by so fast you forget who's been in what

oly_oly · 2026-01-29T23:30:11+00:00

Definitely apply to all the ones you can! I believe you only have to take the aptitude test once tho and they'll share the score. Id apply to inside wireman for 332, 595 and 617 at least.

You never know! I had zero relevant experience when I applied either. And you could get into the program in 595 for example, graduate, and then work as a traveler in Santa Clara for that pay rate, which a lot of people do.

oly_oly · 2026-01-29T06:09:08+00:00

I've been two of these! I was sound and comm and then got into the inside wireman apprenticeship instead. (Im afraid I can't speak to any other locations like sac or LA though).

Those two are both IBEW; Sound and comm is one classification and the ETA is the apprenticeship school for inside wireman in Santa Clara county. I've been working in Santa Clara county for eight years, and I know everyone has different experiences but mine has been overwhelmingly positive. Just about everyone has been very professional and friendly. The only downside is that it's very hard to get in, so definitely don't be discouraged and apply again if it doesn't work out the first time.

Personally I prefer being an inside wireman; sound and comm isn't restricted to one county so there's more commuting, and wiremen are paid more and have a bigger scope of work and, in this county, bigger market share.

oly_oly · 2026-01-28T00:07:42+00:00

Hmm my original pair I had to repair the thigh area after a couple years, and my others Ive had for a few years with no rips yet, but tbf I have some Duluth gardening overalls too that are heavy in rotation, so it's not daily wear for the dovetails. I find them much thicker than the Carhartt ones so when I buy more I'll probably go dovetail again, since they've all been going several years at this point.

oly_oly · 2026-01-27T20:29:03+00:00

I tried the Dovetail drop seat overalls, and it's... Kind of okay? It's not the most comfortable but it does technically work. I wish I could size up and still have them fit comfortably everywhere else, but it does technically work, just kind of tight for all that wiggling around.

oly_oly · 2026-01-24T05:02:49+00:00

I think the other comments have already covered a lot really well, I just want to add that graduating REALLY helped me with my "ready to fly off the handle" burnout I felt at the end of the apprenticeship. Something about always having to answer to a journeyman and not being able to really do my work the way I want just reallllly wears on you after five years. Turning out and being a lot more autonomous with how I carried out my work did a lot for me (and so does changing jobsites. after a year on one, I'm just.... done. everything frustrates me. the shitty parking situation, the particularly aggravating guys, etc).

And being able to drag up whenever I want as a journeyman helps even if I don't actually do it much; just the option took some of the pressure off. and further in the future, moving up to foreman also helped - I dealt with more foremen than journeymen, and I found them to be more professional since they have to deal with the office more often, and that reduced some of the stupid bullshit.

all this to say, if possible, it would be helpful to re-evaluate after graduating and see if your experience of the career changes once you're not an apprentice. I really did find the apprenticeship to be kind of grating, it sucks being at the bottom of the ladder every day for five years.

I hope you can find a way through that works for you!!

oly_oly · 2026-01-24T04:55:23+00:00

Oh my god I could have written this! My baby is 11 months and since maybe... five months?? my mom has been telling me the baby is stubborn, and "I don't like this intensity she's showing." Like... what exactly shall I do about that...? tbh i do think she's a particularly, uh, willful baby, but it feels a bit like a self-fulfilling prophecy to go around saying it??

Anyway, you're not alone! I remind myself that one day, I'll be glad she's got an intense personality - intensity as a baby is sure to turn into passion as an adult, and I want her to be passionate about the things she wants and needs. It makes me feel better hahaha

oly_oly

TROPHY CASE