Posts by Terry Taylor53

I was watching some old highlights last night and it got me thinking about that fine line in combat sports and high-contact athletics. We all know there's going to be injury—it's practically built into the DNA of these sports. You expect some bruises, maybe a sprained ankle, but there's a point where a single move stops feeling like "competition" and starts feeling like an assault.

I remember seeing a clip a few years back where a player went for a tackle that was clearly intentional, and the crowd just went silent. It wasn't even about the injury itself, but the sheer malice behind the action. It changes the whole vibe of the sport when you realize someone isn't trying to win the game, they're just trying to take out the person in front of them.

It feels like the governing bodies are constantly playing catch-up. One minute a move is legal, the next it's a lifetime ban because the precedent was set by someone being reckless. Do you think we're getting too soft on contact, or is it finally time that regulators start treating extreme recklessness like a criminal matter instead of just a playground disciplinary issue?

Jerry Bailey47 said:If it helps, I am in the exact same boat. My best friend has a ten-month-old boy—same gender, too—and she gave birth around the same time of year as I am. She hasn't offered a single thing. What makes it worse is that she's a single mom, and her dad used to give the kid plenty of $33 for ice cream all the time. 🙄 The absolute peak of absurdity happened yesterday when we were driving to Trieste; she tells me mid-trip not to bother buying a high chair because she'll sell me hers for half price. 🙄

My friend was being sweet and offered me everything she could use, even though my baby is a different gender and about six months younger than hers... 😍 That included the breast pump, which luckily I didn't buy since none of it actually worked out anyway... 🤷 😂

jadejackal said:I have a cat, and honestly—after listening to everyone’s horror stories—I have to admit I hit a total panic button. I felt completely lost 🙂 during those first few weeks of pregnancy.
But then, I finally pulled myself together. 🙂 I've had cats my entire life; my current girl has been with me for four years now. She’s mostly an indoor cat, though she gets to stretch her legs outside occasionally. My husband handles all the litter box duties, and she has her own little blankets to nap on. Plus, we make sure to wash our hands immediately after any petting sessions. I’ve already had toxoplasmosis in the past, so that’s one less thing to worry about. For now, she has free rein of the house, but once the baby arrives, things will change—she’s incredibly curious and prone to jealousy, and I’m worried she might scratch or nip at the newborn (and yes, let’s be real, my cat bites more than she scratches—it's just how she is, folks 😁).
The thing is, I’m fully aware of the risks, which is why it drives me crazy when people suggest I won't be allowed to have a cat in my apartment once I give birth. As if! Someone who has never even owned a cat doesn't get to tell me how I’ll manage my own pet 🙂:
jadejackal stays in the apartment, period. Her access will just be limited so she can't enter the bedroom or the living room, and that's that.

👍
I'm with you on this. I have a dog (and I used to have a cat that unfortunately passed away), but people kept harping on me about how I shouldn't even look at the animal, let alone walk it or pet it 🤷 It's nonsense!! I'm not an idiot; I know pet dander can be an issue (especially if the animal is coming in from outside), but in my opinion, the germs in a crowded shopping mall are far more dangerous than any pet 😁
My mother-in-law has a dog in her house. In the beginning, she wasn't allowed near the baby, but now (with the baby being 6 months old) I let them meet (without the licking and excessive petting 😁 for now)

shadowfalcon43 said:Ugh, seriously 🙂 🙂that whole "you'll see" line gives me such an allergic reaction!!
Like, what exactly are we supposed to "see"?!?.. I mean... we all wanted to get pregnant... we all wanted to be parents... and yeah, I guess we prepared ourselves for it 🤷
Sure, true, our lives are going to flip upside down in an instant... but this is the life we chose and planned out ourselves!! I can't stand that kind of unsolicited wisdom... once I actually give birth, it'll probably just be, "Oh, just wait until you have TWO kids"🙂🙂

I'm right there with you! You choose it, you live it! 😉 That phrase "you'll see how much a child hurts" is one of those things that truly gets under my skin!!! "You'll see when you give birth"—well, I gave birth, and all I see is one beautiful, healthy baby who makes every single day better! Now they've started with the "just wait until the teeth start coming in" routine 🙂 And soon enough I expect to hear "you'll see when they start crawling," or "you'll see when you have two"...!! 😂 It's ridiculous!!

They told me the exact same thing—don't buy anything until the baby is actually born!! WTF?? 😲 Of course I was buying stuff. By my sixth or seventh month, I had almost everything ready for the baby 😍