u/genkcals

Hi, I'm a first time mom to a 6 week old boy. I need to go back to working sooner than I realistically want to because we are positively broke 😅

What's the process to hiring and vetting a babysitter, how much should I be paying them to care for my baby? I also have a cat in the house - should I be offering more money because of his presence? They don't need to do anything like scooping litter or feeding him kibble.. he kind of just loiters and follows people around.

I've been a babysitter for someone before, for $20/hr for her 3 year old, but I can't realistically offer that much per hour that I'm at work as I would go into the negatives.

Hi, I just adopted a 7 week cat (hes 8 weeks now) and I'm not sure if I'm being a good cat mom.

I would've adopted two but my apartment doesn't have space for 2 kittens and there will soon be a newborn, that much poo might put everyone in the house in a coma haha.

I got him a cardboard scratching toy with a ball, he barely uses it though. He spends almost all day in bed with me and napping if he's not running circles around the bedroom and playing in our laundry.

I'm just scared I might be encouraging unhealthy behaviour for him. He spends LITERALLY almost all day with me until my partner gets home - which they play for an hour or so in the living room. He will climb onto my chest or head and just sit there for hours and hours on end. He purrs a lot and almost never deploys his claws unless hes climbing or angry that I'm lifting him up to move him around.

IDK if he just really likes me or is attached, or misses his siblings.

ALSO his food - I see a lot of debate about good food for kittens. I know male cats and uti's are devastating so I make sure he has plently of hydration.

I give him 1/3 can of Fancy Feast kitten food and about 1/3 cup of purina one kibble with water in the bowl to soften the kibble and extra hydration (along with a seperate dedicated water bowl)

I'm so scared of being a bad cat mom 😓😓 Maybe it's because I'm paranoid of being a bad human mom soon too, but I just want to hear from other cat owners if I'm doing fine or if I should change something.

Not a food post - more of a question.

What recipes do you guys have for your chorizo quesadillas? I only ever get them with just Chorizo and Oaxaca cheese, but how do you season your meat or your favourite ways to prepare it?

Thank you!

On google they have 3 options listed as most common : Custodial UGMA account, High Yield Savings Account, 529 College Account.

I don't necessarily want to go with the college one just because there's no guarantee he'll want to go to college. I went to a trade school and his father didn't go to college, so not top priority.

I like the sounds of both the UGMA and HYSA but I'm unsure which one is better in the long run.

The plan is to deposit money weekly / monthly into his account as soon as I have a reliable source of steady income (for now until then probably only $50-100 a month) and keep it going until he's 18. (216 months, 216 minimum deposits ending at $10.800 minimum)

Im 30+2 and currently admitted in the hospital overnight for early contractions and concern for preterm labour 😭

How did I get here you may ask...? Lifting a mattress by myself 💀. I thought since I'm an independent woman who regularly does decent physical work (I'm a home baker and regularly lift a pretty heavy wagon when selling my baked goods) i could totally disassemble a bed and clean up the room all by myself.

About an hour after i lifted the mattress I went back to my apartment and just laid in bed for hours, could barely sleep because my heart was pounding, but I figured it was fine. NOT FINE!!! I passed out at my prenatal appointment and have been in the hospital for nearly 11 hours haha.

Baby and I are fine, but I think I'll be sitting around doing nothing for the last 9 weeks haha.. no more strong independent Wonder Woman shenanigans.

****UPDATE**** 5/5 at 11 AM

I am now home after almost 24 hours in the hospital haha . Me and little buddy are good, hes a strong 3lb 4oz and I'm gonna stop being hardheaded and doing things I absolutely shouldn't be doing.

I feel like it's important to note, this is just MY experience. I'm 125lbs at 30+3 and have done 0 weight training ever. I shouldn't have even been thinking of lifting a mattress that was well over half my weight, let alone actually doing it.

If heavy lifting is normal for you and approved by your OB, that's all you love!! Do what makes YOU feel safe at the end of the day, if that means ceasing all plans of heavy labour then so be it :D