I am so sorry that you had to go through that, it sounds horrible. What your co-worker did was really nice, but to be honest, if he is upper-level management I would really like to see him using his position to agitate for a change in policy. Nobody should have to rely on the kindness of co-workers in order to get to…

They're probably so exhausted they don't have the capacity to feel a full range of emotions that would include terror, anyway. How do you keep three newborns fed and get any sleep?!

Yikes. :/

Depending on the age of the kid, the ringbearer throwing a fit partway down the aisle isn't necessarily a sign of bad parenting. Toddlers, for example, do stuff like that, it's age-appropriate behavior. A reason not to involve kids, though, for sure.

We had a small wedding and invited a handful of kids— niece and nephew, a close cousin's toddler, my best friend from college's toddler, etc. I am 100% fine with the idea of inviting kids who either you are close to or whose parents are very important to you, and excluding the rest. My niece went around and took these…

I really sympathize with how you are feeling. Can I suggest that you consider continuing to work, even if there isn't really any financial benefit to it right away? I stayed home with my first son for 18 months, and I'm home now for a few months with a newborn. With the first, I thought I wanted to stay home, and I…

Yeah, at least a card would have been nice. But with two (young?) kids and twins on the way, there's a good chance they weren't up to baking cookies. I had one kid and one on the way in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and I definitely wasn't on my feet mixing cookie dough. Although I did manage to get gifts for…

Awesome. I would love hand-knit socks.

I gave my UPS driver a Starbucks gift card this year. What I was trying to say was "I don't know you, but you seem like the kind of person who should be alert on the job, and at least you'll be able to find a Starbucks wherever you are."

Count me among the numerous other commenters who have had this test and think this post misrepresents the situation. Here in the U.S., you get this test through your doctor, who should explain how it works, how reliable it is, and what to do next if the results suggest a likelihood of chromosomal issues. My doctor did…

Seriously. I'm sympathetic to the fact that it must be hard when you have a spouse who pulls 50% of the weight (usually more, let's be honest) who suddenly needs you to take care of most things. I felt bad for my husband last night when he had to cook dinner and watch our toddler while I sat on the couch asking him to…

Oh, man, I am so sorry. I hope you are able to get some help for the PPD and with taking care of that toddler. I have a two year old and another one coming any day and I'm a little bit scared.

Resentment? Are you talking about the resentment a man feels toward his pregnant partner? What does he have to resent, exactly? That he gets to walks around for 10 months, his body unchanged, eating and drinking what he wants, continuing his career without disruption, sleeping comfortably through the night, continuing…

Yeah, especially because fuck you, people, we can't sleep now! We know we're not going to be able to sleep when the baby comes. We're not lying awake half the night desperately trying to get comfortable and getting up to pee every couple of hours for fun while we count down to the even worse sleep deprivation we know…

I actually haven't used it myself, but I guess it probably varies. If you want a popular item that might sell out, maybe this is a way to make sure it's reserved for you by the time you get the money together? (I'm thinking of years ago when that talking Elmo doll was so popular for some reason.) Or maybe you find…

I doubt you can write it off since it isn't a non-profit.

According to the Toys R Us website, there is a $5 fee plus a 10% deposit to put something on layaway. Then you have to make regular payments, and there is a cancellation fee (but I didn't see it mentioned exactly what that fee is). You don't get the item until you've finished paying for it. I guess it probably works…

This is a scenario in which a marriage between a dog person and a cat person will turn out to look like a really smart idea. In my divorce, there was no question; I got the dog, my ex-husband got the cats, and I think all parties were probably relieved by that outcome.

I've never had a pre-nup, but after getting divorced I see it differently than I used to and I agree with you— eve though I didn't get burned in my divorce financially because there weren't really any assets to be had. I see it as an act of kindness toward both of the couple's future selves to hash this stuff out when…

Oops, my dog's name is Charlie. It was a rejected baby name, also my husband's grandfather's name. I guess it's weird to name your dog after a deceased family member? My SIL seemed offended, although I thought it was strange that she didn't notice until we'd had the dog for something like two years.