PS Mommies Thread!

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 7/16/2008 12:28:40 PM
Author: TravelingGal
Noooooiiice Diver!!!

I just got word from a friend in Oz that she got engaged. I share this story because her previous partner (defacto relationship) left her when their son was only 6 weeks old.

Apparently he never wanted a kid and just got fed up with the whole thing (although personally I think he probably fell out of love with her beforehand and then felt trapped when she got pregnant). Of course, he adores his son now (after she did all the groundwork!)

I''m just SO happy for her. I remember when she called and was just sobbing over the phone that suddenly she is a single parent. I CANNOT imagine having the father of my child leave me when the baby is 6 weeks old. You are just in the middle of hell during that period and to be dumped like that...wow. Somehow she made it through and her son is adorable and happy. I can''t think of another person who deserves what she''s always wanted...a happy marriage and family.

TGal that is so wonderful your friend in engaged now after such a difficult break-up... I know someone who''s husband just left her at 8 months pregnant for another woman

. I hope she finds happiness like your friend did.

 

[softly softly]

The talk earlier about baby baths reminded me of a funny story I read in our local newspaper the other day:

Curious child gives bathroom the finger

14:54 AEST Mon Jul 14 2008



He is not the first two-year-old to be curious about bathwater running down the drain, but he could be the first to destroy his parents' bathroom in the process.

He stuck two of his fingers into the bath drain to enjoy the feeling of water suction on Sunday night.

But the suction dragged his fingers in too much, they became stuck and it took the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and State Emergency Service six hours to free him.

Seth plugged his fingers in the drain at 8pm (AEST) and rescuers were called 30 minutes later, CFA fire officer Bruce Quarrier told AAP.

"The hole was corroded so it turned when we tried to remove it, which caused pain to the young lad and we couldn't do much," he said.

"The crews had to work under the house and cut pipes away from there, so we could lift the bath up and get enough clearance.

"It has virtually destroyed the bathroom, we had to cut tiles off the wall to dismantle the bath."

Electric hacksaws were used first before the crews took the boy to Hospital with the pipe and drain still attached to him.

Once there, they used hydraulic spreaders, similar to the jaws of life, and hacksaws to carefully free him.

"It was one of those incidents you get where there are no shortcuts," he said.

"The parents and grandparents were upset but there was no short way of doing it without causing injury.

"The boy was frightened at times, but was often laughing and in good spirits and came away with no cuts or bruises, just one blister."

So how did mum and dad feel about having to replace their bathroom?

"I think they were just happy to free him and I don't think he will do it again," he said.

"His mother and aunty took plenty of photos."

Mr Quarrier said it felt like there was a "cast of thousands" there including family and relatives looking on.

Hope his parents have better like finding a plumber here than we have!!!

 

[TravelingGal]

So if you can believe this...

The exterminators came by and did their thing. I came home though, to find our window broken. Apparently the gardener fell through it!

Ugh, so we are now dealing with a broken window all night. Fortunately they are coming first thing the morning to fix it. They couldn''t do it today because the exterminator said no one could come in for 5 hours.

 

[divergrrl]

Tgal, how did the night w/ a broken window go? I''m curious to see how the extermination went. I hope your fleas are gone. INfuriating. Did the landlord ask the offending tenants to get their pets dipped?


Where is everyone???

 

[janinegirly]

Hi mommies,

I was wondering if you could help me, I''m in a bit of a "baby gear" panic. As everyone probably knows, I"m in a tiny apt so had registered for the Graco Travel Lite crib--it''s just like a PNP but miniature. Well they (BRU) just discontinued it (2wks before my shower), so I dont'' know what to do. Are there similar products for a newborn to be in the same room as parents for a few months? Should I just rely on the bassinet of my stroller (bugaboo version). We won''t be in this apt much longer, but I suppose I''d have the same issue in a bedroom of a house..I would think it''s better to keep the baby in the parents room for the first few months.

thanks...

 

[divergrrl]

Janinegirly: You could most certainly use your bugaboo bassinet feature, but probably not for long. There is also the mini-arms reach co-sleeper, or you can get a regular bassinet. There are tons out there. Or as my dh and I used to joke, "put the baby in a laundry basket!" JUST KIDDING!


here is a link to BRU, and their bassies/cradles....

http://www.toysrus.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2256271


i personally like the mini co-sleeper --- its also portable---, or the more classic wooden cradle towards the bottom. Those dont take up much space.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

We are FINALLY home!!!! Too bad it is just for a week

Diver, you are a funny lady. I think you will look great with short hair.

TGal, what a PITA! Poor thing! Hope it all turns out okay.

janine, T slept in a bassinet for her first 4 months (in our room).

Ella, T loves her puffs! Target has them on sale right now (cheapest I have seen). They will "gag" at first. Don''t panic. I think it b/c it is SUCH a different texture than the babies are used to.

Lili, thank you.

RE MIL issues: so I talked to DH about her on our loooong ride home. He *always* gets defensive about his family but as T''s co-parent I think this is important to talk about. Let me also preface by saying my MIL *IS* a wonderful person. I am very lucky. I think I realized it''s a control issue. I say she should have a 8 oz bottle. She makes a 9. I say please don''t rock her to sleep. She says Tessa asked her too

. I say we like to feed her more veggies than fruits since they are better for her and she doesn''t show a preference. She ALWAYS feeds her tons of fruit. I say I don''t think we are going to give her juice the first year or two. She always says, "oh well when you start giving her juice soon..." I think she is just used to being in control and thinks she knows best. But I hear/feel like she is disrespecting MY parenting/decisions. I think DH sees what I am saying. It is TOO many things that just add up KWIM? I really, really don''t think she is doing this to make me feel bad. I think this is just who she is.

MEANWHILE one of SIL''s friends gave me $hit for being a SAHM.

She said something like it is my DH''s money not mine. Not only that but she brought it up to SIL later and she exploded on her.

Feels good to have someone stand up for you! I guess I am not used to any negative comments since most my friends are SAHMs.

 

[divergrrl]

Wow Tacori, that''s heavy stuff! you know, the whole "its his money" thing really ticks me off. Being a SAHM is hard, often tedious work. We bust our butts from sun up to sun down with little breaks between. Yeah we get to enjoy our children all day long, but most of us are hard workers. Thank goodness my DH sees the value of what I do around here. Its worth its weight in PLATINUM. My children are well adjusted & very happy/healthy, my home is clean, our meals are healthy (not to say that working moms can''t pull this off, many of them do, and I respect their choices) and I gave up a LOT to stay home. I gave up my career, I gave up a good paying job, I gave up meaningful adult interaction, and some days I think I gave up my sanity. So hell yeah, that sure as you know what is MY money too.

Some people are so rude. I bet she''s just jealous (like if she has to work but secretly wants to stay home) or just doesn''t understand because she does not have kids (and she is also stupid and rude to boot). The best situation is one where you and your dh make the decision together & you are where you want to be (whether its home or working. Its nice being in control of your destiny. On days when I wish I was working, I always remind myself "I chose this".

blah blah blah

And I''m chickening out on the hair thing. I might just clean up the crooked layers so it styles easier and then do some highlights...I dunno...I''ll let my stylist decide. bok bok bok.

 

[divergrrl]

"So hell yeah, that sure as you know what is MY money too."


Is that even english? Dang...I''m tired.

 

[iluvcarats]

Date: 7/17/2008 12:07:13 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
We are FINALLY home!!!! Too bad it is just for a week

Diver, you are a funny lady. I think you will look great with short hair.


TGal, what a PITA! Poor thing! Hope it all turns out okay.


janine, T slept in a bassinet for her first 4 months (in our room).


Ella, T loves her puffs! Target has them on sale right now (cheapest I have seen). They will ''gag'' at first. Don''t panic. I think it b/c it is SUCH a different texture than the babies are used to.


Lili, thank you.


RE MIL issues: so I talked to DH about her on our loooong ride home. He *always* gets defensive about his family but as T''s co-parent I think this is important to talk about. Let me also preface by saying my MIL *IS* a wonderful person. I am very lucky. I think I realized it''s a control issue. I say she should have a 8 oz bottle. She makes a 9. I say please don''t rock her to sleep. She says Tessa asked her too

. I say we like to feed her more veggies than fruits since they are better for her and she doesn''t show a preference. She ALWAYS feeds her tons of fruit. I say I don''t think we are going to give her juice the first year or two. She always says, ''oh well when you start giving her juice soon...'' I think she is just used to being in control and thinks she knows best. But I hear/feel like she is disrespecting MY parenting/decisions. I think DH sees what I am saying. It is TOO many things that just add up KWIM? I really, really don''t think she is doing this to make me feel bad. I think this is just who she is.


MEANWHILE one of SIL''s friends gave me $hit for being a SAHM.

She said something like it is my DH''s money not mine. Not only that but she brought it up to SIL later and she exploded on her.

Feels good to have someone stand up for you! I guess I am not used to any negative comments since most my friends are SAHMs.

Tacori-

My MIL, who I love dearly, used to drive me bananas with my first. She was the first grandchild - she might as well have been the queen of England as far as they were concerned. They used to feed her all sorts of cr*p, tons of fruit (tons of everything), but of course when her diaper EXPLODED she was all mine again!
It''s funny, my DH doesn''t remember her ever having a problem saying NO to them, but to our kids - never!
For instance when they took our kids to the movies and let my then 4 year old son eat an entire bag of popcorn, which he threw up all over his bed in the middle of the night. "He must have eaten too much" YA THINK?!!

This was around the time I started reading Don''t Sweat the Small Stuff LOL

Also, it''s nobody''s business wether you go to work or stay home (and WORK)
She''s just ignorant. It''s called a family for a reason - everyone does his/her part to make it work!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Diver, you have such a pretty face short hair would really work for you....but if you are unsure that''s okay too

The friend is not married and has no children so she obviously has no concept. DH WANTS me to be a SAHM (as do I). So like you said, it we are on the same page. Once in awhile I do feel bad about not contributing financially. Other times think my life would be *easier* if I did work outside the home. But I do love my life.

iluv, thank you for your advice. You are right. I do need to let those comments slide. T is the first grandchild. It isn''t JUST that she is spoiled. It is that she QUESTIONS all of my parenting decisions (or at least that is how I feel). Keep in mind I just spent 2 weeks with her and let''s face it....I don''t even like my DH after two weeks straight.

 

[TravelingGal]

Tacori, I got frustrated reading your post and I don''t even know your MIL. That kind of stuff would irritate me to no end...and I''d be confrontational (in the nicest way possible) about it which would probably add fuel to the fire.

Diver, the window people pushed back the appointment to 1pm, which is coming up. I am going to tell them to fix it from the outside because the window is in front of a very flea infested area and I don''t want them to bring that sh*t in again after we just exterminated!!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

TGal, I don''t say anything b/c I honestly don''t know WHAT to say. DH is little help in these situations. I made him make a pack with me that if we don''t agree with something one of HIS parents do, he will talk to them. If it is MINE, I will. He agreed, after I explained ALL the different situations that she was being rude (not on purpose maybe but my feelings were justified). Did I mention whenever she gave her a bath (like once or twice a day which I do not do, as my doctor says 3x is best but allow her b/c she loves doing it so much) I could hear her say to Tessa "I bet no one ever washes *blank* body part! I do!" *eye roll* Are you kidding me?!?! passive aggressive much?

Arggg....thanks for letting me vent! Good luck with the new window.

 

[mrssalvo]

oh tgal, you poor thing with the whole flea mess. I hope they are gone for good. Glad the window is getting fixed..how did the night go?

tacori- glad you''re back. so sorry about the MIL. I''m lucky my MIL is pretty good about not undermining me, my mom on the other hand loves to give my kids little candy treats which is crazy b/c she was a lot more strict on the junkfood when I was a kid.

diver- don''t chicken out on the hair (although I can totally understand) I really do think that KH cut would look adorable on you and you have the pefect color/hair to do it.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Tacori - sorry to hear about the MIL woes. James is the 5th grandchild on hubby''s side, and the only one in town, so his parents are trying to be involved. So far so good as far as struggles are concerned. James is the first grandchild on my side and my parents just love him and have let us do our own thing - and only offering advice when asked. Hopefully it stays that way! I also can''t believe that someone gave you crap about being a SAHM that'' just rude. I think it''s great that you have the means to spend all that time with Tessa and that your husband supports you in that decision.

Diver - I think the KH cut would be totally cute on you! I cut all my hair off about a year ago (maybe longer) and I love it now! It''s much shorter than the cut you''re considering though.

Working moms - how did you deal with having to put your baby in childcare? I will have to return to work the first week of September and I''m already teary-eyed about having to leave James in childcare. We are most likely going to go with a home-based person and not a center but I''m so uneasy about leaving him with anyone other than us or our families. He''ll only be 8 weeks old and I will never forgive myself if something happens to him. My boss is allowing me to go back part time at first, but I''ll still have to go into the office everyday - probably from 10-4 or something along those lines. Please tell me this gets easier.

Jess

 

[TravelingGal]

Tacori, I find that a lot of grandparents do that passive aggressive thing. My mom is a lovely person and does things my way, but she does make little comments to Amelia. Like for instance, she saw that I had some socks for her with little logos on them which were visible with the socks were folded out. She thought it would be rough on Amelia''s skin. I''m like, huh? They don''t touch her skin! Later on when I had different socks with new logos, my mom said to Amelia, "WE like THESE. These are nice and soft!"

Diva, my heart''s with ya. I work from home, and go back to work on August 20. But even though I work from home, I don''t wanna! I want to devote all my time to Amelia like I do now! And the thought of business travel makes me ill. If you had asked me 2 months ago, I wouldn''t have said this. But now she''s FUN! I did all the groundwork and now I wanna reap the rewards.

I can''t imagine what I would do if I had to put her in daycare (my guess is I would survive though). TGuy and I have an agreement - if I get laid off and we don''t have a mortgage to worry about yet, I get to be a SAHM for a few months.

 

[Linda W]

TG: Hangs head in shame. Uh oh, I said some things to my daughter when my grandson''s were babies too.

I really think all grandparents do. It is really hard to keep our mouths shut. tee hee. I am better now, I promise.

 

[MommaBear]

Diver - I think you''d look great with a bob cut... just no 70''s disco diva perm!!!
my son use to take my keys and stick them into EVERYTHING... keyholes, inbetween his toes, cabinets, he tried ''unlocking'' the electrical socket covers!1

tacori - things got pretty bad with my MIL when my 1st husband died... she tried to take over the whole funeral.. wanted to ''give light'' to his body with
20 other people he never met sitting around him.. OMG> then when my son was in her care, i''d find him in his carseat with the chest plate unbuckled.. she never
tightened the seatbelt when she put the car seat in her car... he''d come home with bug bites..

i cringe whenever she calls cuz i know she wants to
see him and she has every right to...

speaking of my son...
he''s peeing everywhere EXCEPT IN THE TOILET.. i knew this was coming.. everyone says they do this with a new sibling but - why me! LOL
twice today he had an accident. he''s totally capable of going by himself and was fully potty trained. i feel like i have twin newborns.
one is just about 3 feet tall and the other is 21inches long. he messed the couch and my husband is on edge. ugh.

2 day countdown till party time!
this is what''s on the menu: fried rice, noodles, egg rolls, papaya salad, chicken curry with french rolls and rice noodles..
we''re going to order 10lbs. of carne asada and a giant party burrito with spanish rice
appetizers: taquitos & guac., shrimp cocktail, chip and dip, california rolls, not sure what else...
it''s quite ethnic. i need variety!

 

[TravelingGal]

Ha Linda...don't worry...I think I'll do it to Amelia when she has a kid. It's kind of normal, I suppose.

And my post should have read "Later on when I had different socks withOUT logos..." All kinds of typos in my posts lately. I really should reread what I write.

Mommabear, that sounds good! (the menu, not your son peeing everywhere.

)

ETA, forgot to add that Amelia only slept 45 minutes for her 3rd nap today and woke up before 4. She started having a total meltdown at 5:15 and I had to give her a bath, bottle, and put her to bed by 6!! She fell asleep at the bottle...it was the first time in a LONG time that I put her down totally conked out. Wow...what a crappy nap will do to a kid...

 

[iluvcarats]

iluv, thank you for your advice. You are right. I do need to let those comments slide. T is the first grandchild. It isn''t JUST that she is spoiled. It is that she QUESTIONS all of my parenting decisions (or at least that is how I feel). Keep in mind I just spent 2 weeks with her and let''s face it....I don''t even like my DH after two weeks straight. [/quote]



Oh I know Tacori. Sometimes 2 minutes is long enough, never mind 2 weeks.
It would drive me crazy if my MIL was passive aggressive like yours.
With my MIL I realized that she just misses *her* little kids so much, that she is blinded by her grandchildren and will do anything for them. I guess blinded by love is a good thing.
I hope it gets better for you! I can certainly see why she is so in love with little Tessa too - she''s a doll!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

MrsS, I am glad I am back too (though we are leaving again next week). Summer is always so busy for us!

Diva, I have no advice about going back to work. Just enjoy this time with James and try not to worry about it. I have a feeling working moms get crap too. Everyone always has an opinion.

I don''t mind advice, though I tend to think it is outdated. Just the little comments. I am sure I am over reacting.

TGal, are you my SIL?!? Is YOUR mom MY MIL? Seriously sounds like a conversation we would have. How funny. I guess that''s just how they show their love/concern. I agree tired babies are NOT fun!

Linda, I am sure you were fine. I just feel like she questions all of my parenting choices. Should have known when she was so weird about BFing.

Momma, that is horrible. I am so sorry! Hope your son adjusts soon.

iluv, 2 weeks is too long. Too had my DH doesn''t agree. He thinks it is great. Of course he golfs and jet skis everyday and has NO clue why traveling is hard with a baby.

She is very helpful. Let me sleep in most of the time. Helped with feedings and baths. I feel ungrateful b/c she is a good grandma.



Tessa is just STARING at the TV (Blue''s Clue). So funny.

 

[softly softly]

Oh I hate being looked down upon for choosing to be a SAHM. I honestly do not judge other women who work whether through choice or necessity - in fact I admire them as I have a hard enough time keeping up with everything as it is sometimes, but it saddens me that as women we sometimes seem to feel the need to judge each other for our choices.

Tacori, it sounds like you truly do appreciate your MIL, so kudos to you for being able to rise above the frustration

 

[Tacori E-ring]

softy, I do. She really is a great MIL. I guess nobody is perfect (myself included). I am sure if I told her how I felt she would think a little more before she speaks. But I don''t want her to feel awkward. After the milk incident I avoided her the rest of the day. I was so angry. Then we just acted like it never happened. My family just handles things differently than his. It''s hard to adjust sometimes.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/17/2008 3:29:31 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
TGal, I don't say anything b/c I honestly don't know WHAT to say. DH is little help in these situations. I made him make a pack with me that if we don't agree with something one of HIS parents do, he will talk to them. If it is MINE, I will. He agreed, after I explained ALL the different situations that she was being rude (not on purpose maybe but my feelings were justified). Did I mention whenever she gave her a bath (like once or twice a day which I do not do, as my doctor says 3x is best but allow her b/c she loves doing it so much) I could hear her say to Tessa 'I bet no one ever washes *blank* body part! I do!' *eye roll* Are you kidding me?!?! passive aggressive much?

Arggg....thanks for letting me vent! Good luck with the new window.

Ugh!! It sounds like she completely took Tessa over, Tacori I am really sorry you are having to put up with this, she is YOUR child NOT hers, and what you say goes!

If you can somehow get this across to her now, it should make her realize that she is greatly overstepping her boundaries, and it should make things easier if they move closer to you. I know it is difficult for you, you are a great Mom, and don't deserve that kind of aggravation from someone who should be supporting and helping you. I react strongly to this because I have seen it many times, and I cannot fathom why these Grandmothers have to do this...

 

[Jas12]

Tacori--If i had a dollar for ever piece of unsolicited parental advice from my MIL....it''s annoying, but i mostly ignore it, thankfully i have charlie on my side so i vent to him. He''s even more critical of his parents than i am so it''s kinda funny, but i wish they would realize that we have to learn on our own, even tho we still appear as *kids* to them.

Mommabear--that menue sounds yuuummmmmm !


I am off on a road trip again--so much to pack. Co gets to see a bunch of new ppl this weekend and i can''t wait to introduce him to them--i luv this stage, he is just so cute with the smiles, cooing and giggles. I like him so much more now --haha

His sleeping however, sux. In addition to nursing twice in the night he is getting up *mad* for no particular reason. I really have to move him into his own room, i don''t know why it''s so hard from me to do it--every night i think i will and every night i back out want him beside me..soon.
Luckily my sleep issue is almost gone, so i can''t believe i think 6 very broken hours of sleep is very very good, but it is!

have a good weekend everyone

 

[divergrrl]

Linda: Well, I ''m sure you are ok, all parents do it...its ok to give advice! I ask mine for it all the time! I was asking my MIL for potty training advice & of course she had none! Neither did my parents! Did they all just block it out or something?

The one time I want them all to tell me what the hell to do, no one speaks up! ARRRGGGHHHHHH!

I think the balance is between being there to help, offering good advice when appropriate, and not being passive aggressive in undermining the parent''s wishes.

I mean really, Tacori''s MIL was outta line (and I''m sure she''s wonderful...mine is too) and she probably just wanted to "bond" with Tessa, and figured that kind of behavior would make her the "fave" gramma. When truly, all it does is erode your trust in her. She just needs to relax and enjoy her granddaughter instead of what she did.
Blankets? SIDS I mean REALLY. Tacori, don''t go soft on me now. It will only get WORSE, not better as you get older. Just smile & be politely firm. Try the PIP method. Praise, Improvement, Praise. "Mom, it gives me so much joy to see how good you are with Tessa, and it would be great if you only bathed her every other day, that''s all she needs. You are such a loving Grandmother."

Or whatever. Non-confrontational, and the message is sandwiched in a hug basically. Didn''t work on my own mother...but hey! They taught me that in yoga training...it works on some folks. Worth a try at least..no?

Jess: Oh honey, hang in there. It will get better. My friends who went back to work (except for one very type A girl--who went back at 6 weeks, & hasn''t looked back...) all cried on the way to daycare & then to work. It did get better. It will. Just make sure you pick a provider who you feel good about. (((hugs)))

I actually toyed around with the idea of going back to work for one year. Enough time to get rid of our debt & then sock away some cash for the last house projects--just to get it done--this waiting for bonuses each year & chipping away slow business is killing me. But when I started looking into daycare, my stomach clenched. I''ve been home too long.

Oh well, as soon as one of DH''s coworkers retires, he''s moving into that position & it will be a big income jump. 12 to 18 months. So if I can hang in that long with my unfinished basement, sad wood floors, strict budgets, and limited disposable income, it''ll be fine. I mean, I''ve done it for 4 years already, what''s another 1 to 2? And apparently we are getting a raise at the end of this month. Even 3% would be welcomed! Between Jake''s preschool, soccer, swim lessons, and college fund, my budget is getting tight. (and you all think BABIES are expensive?)

I even went to Value Village the other day to get Delaney some more summer clothes! Every tuesday they have .99 tag day! So a certain color of tag is .99 cents. I''m not buying her royal highness anymore playclothes at Gymboree. She gets everything FILTHY crawling around & she''s outgrowing everything that is not a dress. (she''s so long, I bought all 18 mo dresses for her, so those fit) Same thing with Jake...he has to have navy blue tshirts for soccer, and I don''t have any plain, so I went and got his there. Found a lot of cute stuff, most with tags on it, and he picked out a truck & we were out of there for less than $10.

some other moms in my group were talking about the .99cent tag sale, and these are well dressed ladies with stylin'' kids, so I figured what the hell--for playclothes its fine. So if you have a Value Village by you, go on Tuesday & go early. Ebayers hit it when it opens. But I think of all the beautiful new stuff I''ve donated because someone outgrew it too fast & its the same thing.

Later gators

 

[sk8rjen]

Wow, I am soooooooooo far behind in this thread (i barely keep up with the other one!), but I had to stop in and say hi!

Ella -- those pics are priceless -- G and K are such beautiful babies

TGal -- great story about your friend! It''s hard to be a single mom, but i can''t even imagine it when the baby is only 6 weeks old

Diver -- that was hilarious

Jas, Lili, MrsS, etc -- hi!!
jen

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Lorelei, thanks friend. You are right about putting my foot down now. I guess it will have to wait until the next visit. I think it is better to address it when she does something than later. The ONLY thing that makes it easier to deal with is I think she REALLY doesn''t realize how controlling she is being. She does this kind of thing all the time. Like rearrange my pictures, clean things without asking, put things in places so I can never find it (that is really annoying)...so this goes way beyond Tessa. To her (and DH) she is being helpful. I feel like it is a tad intrusive. Oh, and she said she was going to start move boxes down early (and give me all the christmas/halloween stuff that is probably NOT my style but I will feel obligated to take) I ask where she was going to store it and she said "my husband''s name garage".

Ummm...it is MY garage too! She always calls it HIS house, HIS car, etc...my SIL already warned me she is going to be worse when she lives close by...*sigh*...thanks for letting me vent.

Jas12, can you BELIEVE how much more you have to pack now? Our Jeep was stuffed. It is fun showing off a cute baby huh? Have fun! You are SO lucky Charlie is on your side. DH always, always gets defensive (even if he agrees with me, even if they are 100% wrong like when my FIL made negative comments about my weight...when I was preggo

) so it is like walking on egg shells which really sucks since he is my best friend and co-parent.

Diver, thanks for the wonderful advice. I like to think of myself as a strong woman with strong beliefs and sometimes I think that clashes with my MIL. I don''t like to take crap from people but it is a tricky situation. I will try the PIP for sure!

It''s funny how many instances I would site. At the time I didn''t really realize it but once I was talking to DH about them I realized there were SO many times she went against what I wanted and what was best for T.

 

[Lorelei]

You are welcome Tacori! It will be best to set boundaries if you can, she needs to know her place and realize Tessa is not her child, and decisions concerning her are not hers to make. I am sure once she realizes she is perpetually going too far and overstepping the mark, then things will improve, you might just have to pull her up by saying things like " My daughter doesn''t need ......etc - thank you for offering,'' and if she is smart, then she will realize that she will have more to do with Tessa by letting you be the parent!! She has raised her children, now it is YOUR time! And you are doing an incredible job, I may not post much in the threads, but I have followed yours and T''s progress and you are a wonderful Mommy! Tessa is very lucky!!

 

[TravelingGal]

Diver...PIP...I love it!

Tacori, I agree...set those boundaries. It''s not like you are a mo-fo mom. You know what you are doing and Lorelei is right...Tessa is YOUR child, not your MIL''s!

Hi Jen, thanks for dropping in! I lurk over at the preggo thread everyday, but post when ladies ask questions and pretty much just stay quiet. I figure tired preggos don''t need to read an overwhelming amount of posts. Hm...for that matter, neither do tired moms. Oh well. Ha!

Jas, have a great trip! I wouldn''t worry too much about the own room thing...I think the ladies here moved their cuties when they were older than Co. We had to do it because we just are so limited in space and for logistical reasons. Although I am glad it happened when she was 5 weeks old as it seems her memory was shorter. She''s becoming so cognizant now, I feel like it''s harder to get things past her. Or maybe I''m just reading more into her...she is just a baby after all. She DEFINITELY has more of an opinion on things as far as when she is not happy and lets it be KNOWN.