Posts by James Cox6

Nathan Kelly said:It honestly just gets under my skin when people stare at a pregnant belly like they’ve never seen a woman carrying a child before 🙄

Not me—I just look them straight in the eye and smile... then comes the inevitable commentary: "You look so beautiful," "That looks great on you," or "Is it a boy or a girl?" Since I can't help being chatty, it always turns into a full conversation...

ruggedhound said:I’ve noticed the same thing—it seems like guys in their late 40s or 50s are the ones driving up the numbers most...🤷🤷

And when it comes to the actual rules? Nobody gives a damn about pregnant women. You could practically run them over with a stroller and no one would blink an eye.🙂

Jerry Bailey47 said:I second that. Just the other day at Monterey, some guy cut right in front of me—and I was actually with my mom—while the older ladies just stared right through me. ☕

That's true—but I just stand up for myself and tell them to shove it...
The first time it happened, I stayed quiet and waited for someone to notice. The second time, I tried asking timidly. Now? I just speak up bluntly...
I don't have the patience to deal with other people's lack of manners—if they don't have any, I'll be the one to point it out. ☕

Nathan Kelly said:Everyone keeps telling me I’ve "filled out," which is basically code for saying I have a masculine build now

I can't tell if people are actually trying to be nice or just being blunt, but honestly? They aren't wrong—there is definitely a more masculine energy to my frame these days🙂

There's an old saying that girls make their moms look ugly, while boys make them glow...
Out of my three pregnancies, I was actually pretty too during the first one... with my first, I dealt with hemorrhoids, and this time I'm breaking out in spots everywhere🙂
it's honestly pretty gross

William Perez4 said:I think I’ve heard that theory floating around too, you know, the one where they say if you're carrying low, it's gotta be a boy. But honestly, I have no clue how anyone is supposed to actually tell if it's low or high, I guess it's all just guesswork to me 😬

Yeah, 🤔—I'm also sitting here wondering what counts as high or low. 🤔

slybadger99 said:Haha, I haven't even gotten to that yet. It's still way too early.

I don't have my meeting until 11:00 tomorrow.

I really ought to add the ticker symbol.

Your little tests actually seem to be quite lucky, 😁

yeah, apparently 🙂
because they’re blessed by fate—bringing nothing but good vibes 😍
you're already 11 weeks 😲 put a pregnancy bar in your signature and get over to City Hall... you seem pretty hormonally charged... I dig that vibe 😍
come on, get to City Hall

slybadger99 said:The sentence goes: when a baby comes back to life. My baby is just a pig eating slop.

And the question: why on earth do you want to know the gender?

Because I want to. If you aren't interested, I won't tell you. 🙂

And look at her... 😂
how did you find out 😉 what the gender 🤔 was?

ironjackal20 said:My godmother was the poorest person in my father's family, but she was definitely the richest in spirit. My father never acknowledged her, which I think was a heavy burden to carry back then.

We are so close and I'm so glad they chose her... every time we see each other, she mentions how embarrassed she still feels that she couldn't afford much more than a tiny little fawn pendant. I still have it today and it's such a precious keepsake. I really don't know if it's worth $33.

I just hope my Lara feels the same way about her goddaughter—that she's happy with the choice and that she loves her just as much today as ever.😍

ruggedhound said:It’s honestly pathetic to me that someone would choose a godparent based solely on their bank account.🙄 🙄
Or even worse, that anyone would think it's okay to ask those kinds of questions in the first place.🙄

Wait—so this actually happens? (What was I thinking?)
People really do that?
And here I thought she was just messing with me. 🤔

Okay, then why involve religion at all? If money is priority number one, the whole point becomes meaningless.
Isn't being a godparent supposed to have a different kind of significance?

Godmother Lara lives on a standard paycheck from $1167, living modestly with her husband, and we chose her with our hearts... she loves my child and my child loves her. Every time she visits, she brings a little something to make my kid smile, calls to check in, and is genuinely caring. 🙂
I couldn't have found anyone better 🙂 and she was chosen from my side.

On the other hand, this other godmother was chosen from my side too—she's a long-time friend (we went through college together, through thick and thin) and yes, she’s wealthy, but that wasn't the motive. She loves me, my child, and respects my husband. She’s a good person, a sincere believer who felt honored I even asked, and I know I could trust her with everything if I ever needed her to look after my child.
I trust her completely. That's how I made my choice.

Michael King said:Honestly, it’s getting beyond annoying. Every single day, I feel like everyone is breathing down my neck, asking stuff like, "So, have you guys picked out your godparents yet? You know it's getting pretty late, right?!"

No, we had absolutely no idea... thanks for the heads-up. 🙄

It’s not like I don't already stress about it enough on my own. We just can't seem to settle on anyone, period. Maybe one day we actually will. I mean, I really wanted to have this all sorted before the baby arrives, but if it doesn't happen, it just doesn't happen.

I was absolutely floored by a comment yesterday... from a well-meaning believer—a family friend.
A Godmother Lara... did you pick her just because she’s loaded?! (I’m assuming she’s talking about my social circle, given what I do for a living.) 🤷)
Look, sorry everyone—I’m not exactly a devout Catholic myself (half-Muslim, actually)—but if this is just how things work in the Catholic world, then what’s even the point of baptisms or having godparents? 🤷

Alright, let's settle this again—who’s actually the richest? Doesn't matter if they're from Earth or Mars. 🤔

jadejackal said:Honestly, it just gets under my skin when someone tries to snoop through my wallet

And what's even in there anyway?
It's just a mess of receipts mixed in with some cash... I end up digging through everything right then and there to find what I need. I can't ever seem to get my wallet organized.🤦

Jerry Bailey47 said:The hypochondriac pregnant women on this forum drive me absolutely insane—they’re paranoid about every possible ailment, real or imagined, and they spend their entire day spreading that anxiety to everyone else. 🙂

is this about me? 🥳

Here I am at 26 weeks and 5 days... back on this thread pregnant again, just like I was with Lara—the emotions just keep swelling, crashing, and resetting...
I honestly don't know what kind of comfort to offer on a thread where people cling to each other and grab at any tiny straw, thanking God just for a new day, a single breath, or another day of life...
Meanwhile, I lost my cool today because I hit a curb in my car and ripped off the fender...
I needed this thread—to reopen it, to read through it, to cry over my own life from 2009 and over all of you living through the struggles of sick parents and loved ones...
I would give anything in this world just to see my daughter again... everything... but hey, I hope we cross paths someday and she’s there waiting for me with the son I lost way back in 2007...

Forgive me—maybe it's just the hormones running wild, or maybe opening this thread is just an excuse to let out the emotions that went silent for me on September 8, 2009...

I wish you all the luck in the world. I hope your loved ones stay with you for a long, long time—cherish them... while you still can... I miss someone calling me "sweetie" so much... since seven months into 2009, no one has ever said that to me again...😢 I just have this deep need to hear it...
And it was my mother who used to say it to me😢

mistybadger55 😢
Your username—which I just saw pop up in that health thread—was what actually pushed me to open this painful topic again 😢
So, you're here too? Along with your mom?
🙂
I don't really have anything profound to say—but honestly, it wasn't until my mother passed away that everything people told me, both online and in real life, finally started to sink in. I used to reject it all...
Sometimes I’m angry at myself for that, sometimes I'm not...
Oh, mistybadger55... how is your mom doing now?

So I'm driving... but there's nobody 🤷
and I still have to get from point A to point B

The one thing that actually gets under my skin is finding out someone’s pregnant... whether it's a beta level of 150 or just finding out they're expecting... all those damn congratulations...
I honestly still don't get it—to this day... what exactly am I supposed to be congratulating anyone for??
What does "being pregnant" even mean? It’s a big nothing... there’s so much that can change, especially in those first 12 weeks... so if anyone wants to take offense, it's the damn celebrators 😠
Congratulate me when, God willing, 🙂 the baby is actually born...
I'll play along and offer congrats on this forum just because it's the default setting here, but in the real world... the moment someone brings it up to me... I'll cut them off mid-sentence... and they won't hear a word about that topic from me ever again...

Jerry Bailey47 said:It’s probably easier for her to just wait for her period to arrive. That’s usually the first real sign—from what I gather, her period hasn't even been late yet, which means she'd only be about two weeks along. No standard test is going to give her a reliable answer right now, other than the specific one you mentioned—but why go through the hassle of getting blood drawn and wasting money on tests when her period is due in a few days? Honestly, if she's that anxious, she can go get the bloodwork done, but once she sees her doctor, the first thing they're going to ask is whether her period has started.🤷

To be honest, I didn't read the whole thing closely enough..
Let's look at the details again...

Dec 17th - Day 1
Assuming her cycles are regular at 28-29 days, ovulation would have been around New Year's. That makes today 8 DPO, or Day 23

You're right 🙂, I was just skimming... she should probably just wait until her period is due and then take a test.

Anthony Gray said:James Cox6, I honestly think Jerry Bailey47 was probably thinking about the missed period when she said that—she just phrased it a bit clumsily 😉

Look, I’m right there with you on the fact that a blood test is the only way to know for sure if she's pregnant. If silentjackal7 really wants to stop guessing and end the suspense, they should just head over to the clinic tomorrow for a beta test and call it a day.

Aha... 🙂
Here’s the thing—if her period is due today, then by tomorrow, if she's actually pregnant, that beta level will be at least 120
And silentjackal7... just get the test done in the afternoon... those numbers usually double up by then if you're pregnant.

Jerry Bailey47 said:Honestly, there is zero point in doing anything until her period actually arrives—for heaven's sake. 🙄

What do you mean by that? 🤷
You've got me a little confused... what do you mean "until she gets her period"? If she's pregnant, she won't get it at all.

Look, I took a Beta test 11 days post-ovulation—so about 3 or 4 days before my period was due—and it was 40.

Anything over 5 counts as pregnancy. And I didn't just check out of curiosity; it's critical for me. By week 5, I need a confirmed pregnancy via bloodwork AND an ultrasound to prove it's in the uterus before I can start the medication I require.

So, I still don't follow your logic. 🤷

Why don't you just go get a beta hCG test done?
That’s the only way to be 100% sure.
No dilemma there.🙂

Jerry Bailey47 said:Good grief, I honestly thought I had misread it the first time—so I went back to double-check. 😁

Nah, I just skimmed it... you read it fine 🙂
elvital - just hold off until January 13th before you run the test.