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Everything seems to bother me lately!

frustratedinMA's picture

So this weekend was a skids weekend. Started w/DH going to get the skids on Saturday. He went to their sports games, and then sd9 had a pizza party to go to w/the coach and team. DH left the house at about 9 am and did not get back to our place until 4pm. whatever.. I let that one go...

Then sd9 keeps playing w/a loose tooth. I ask her not to do this in the living room, as the couch is light colored, and figured it would bleed if she kept it up. This will come up later..

We went to a neighbor's house that was having a decorating party.. and the skids were the only kids.. that is ok though, since all the adults made sure the skids were involved, and let them do most of the directing and fun stuff. My neighbor has very limited seating in her home. There is a couch that seats 3 and a lazy chair. All seats were taken by adults. SS9 comes over to the couch and in the rudest tone states... "I guess I will have to sit on the floor" (now.. I dont know about you guys, but I was taught that adults get the seats, kids sit on the floor. if you have a seat, and an adult comes into the room w/no where to sit, you give up your seat to the adult).. I was MORTIFIED (I didnt know everyone at this party, and would hate to think they thought I let my child behave that way).. I said to SS, "yes, well, you are a child and children should sit on the floor when there are not enough seats for the adults" DH.. said and did nothing. Then, SS9 asks, "What are we doing after we are done decorating the tree?" (mind you its almost 8pm their bedtime is 9pm) I said, "you and your sister are going home and to bed after the decorating is done".. 10 mins go by, ss9 asks the SAME FREAKIN QUESTION.. I then said, "I already told you, you and your sister will be going to bed after, DO NOT ASK ME AGAIN" (I wasnt yelling, but put on that firm voice).. Again, no help from dh.

DH takes them back across the street to put them to bed.. and here is where I am TOTALLY mad.. (the other stuff made me irratated.. this just plain out made me mad).. A little back story. A couple of months ago, I showed my dh a tooth pillow that my mom and I made for me when I was a child. My tooth went into the pocket of the heart shaped pillow, and in the mornings, money appeared in the pocket instead. I told DH how I saved it my whole life, so that I can hand it down to MY child someday. I am totally excited, as I am pregnant, and now have a child to hand it down to... ) SOOO.. you MUST know where this is going. sd9 manages to lose the tooth between leaving the neighbor's and entering our house. She has lost teeth before at our house, we have her put the tooth under her pillow, then we switch it w/money. THIS TIME.. that was not good enough. He searched the house for MY tooth pillow, and without asking me, let sd9 use the pillow that I have been saving for MY child. He tells me when I get home how hard he had to search for it.. and that he FINALLY Found it.. Ummmm.. hid it, as its MY FREAKIN KEEPSAKE!!!

Can nothing be sacred?!?!? Am I overacting that MY tooth pillow from MY childhood should be used only by those that I want to use it.. that I was saving it for a specific person, and it was NOT sd. I made sure that first thing in the am. that I got it back. I said, ok.. where is my pillow. I made DH go get the pillow back as she had THROWN IT ON THE FLOOR.. and I plan on hiding it better.

I dont know if I should say to DH, next time, put it under their pillow or get your own tooth pillow for them. This is being saved. I am made at myself for telling him about the tooth pillow.. I was just so happy when I got pregnant, and mistakenly shared that piece of me w/him.

Thanks for reading.

Comments

Elizabeth's picture

Don't take that the wrong way. It doesn't mean your feelings are not justified, it just means being pregnant magnifies them in funny ways.

Your DH is at fault with the pillow, not SD. No, DH should NOT have taken it upon himself to search it out and give it to SD. It had to be his idea, as SD didn't know it existed, correct?! I am lucky in that DH has learned to respect my personal boundary issues, probably because I have so many of them. Smile

You just need to make it clear to DH that your property is yours. If you wish for someone to use it, you will give it to them, not him.

P.S. If that had been my DH and SD had wanted a seat (and she would have had even MORE of an attitude about it), he would have gotten up and let her sit in his spot. I've seen him do it!

BMJen's picture

Is something you shared with your mother. Why in God's name would you want to share it with anyone other than your BD? I love my SD like she's my own, I really do. But the fact is that she isn't. From time to time she makes it clear, but BM makes sure to let me know, like I could ever forget.

Now I have my own BD. There are things that I save for her. I would be so heart broken if my DH did something like that. Now SD will always be able to tell BD that she got to use that pillow first. UGH.

That was something special for you and your daughter to share, for a memory to be continued. He was wrong, wrong, wrong to even assume that was okay.

That makes my heart hurt for you.

From now on make sure you lock up everything that has emotional value to you so SD can't be "the first" to use it. You know she'll make sure you BD knows she used it first. That pisses me off.

melis070179's picture

hmmm....hard to comment when I don't know how your relationship is with the SKs, but from the sound of it, its not a very good one? So it depends on your perspective...you could look at it like your DH was trying to make you feel included by having her use something that is sacred to you. It may hurt his feelings if you say something and make him feel like his daughter isn't good enough to use it and is not as important as your child. I would try to let this one go. I would be hurt if my husband got mad at me for using something of his for my son. I would feel like he didn't care about my son & it would divide our family into "us" against "them". But at the same time, there are some things I wouldn't want my SS using of mine that I would let my own children use. I just don't think I'd come out & say it for fear of hurting my husband's feelings.

frustratedinMA's picture

My relationship w/the sd is ok. Her mom is seeing to it that she grows more and more distant. Its not that I dont like the child... its just I saved this from my childhood, to give to my first child. Its something that was very near and dear to me.. and wanted it to be solely for my child.

Its not that I dont share anything w/the skids, they are both using beds and bureaus from my sister and I's childhood. Something that I was saving for my child, but thought it could go to good use w/the skids. So its not like I dont share at all.. But I was VERY VERY specific when I showed it to him... I wish I had never shown him, as then it would not have been used.

melis070179's picture

I understand how you feel...but in a man's mind, his daughter using it now is not preventing your child from having it in the future. I'm sure he feels like it was something important to you & you wanted your child to use it, so maybe he was trying to make a nice gesture by letting SD use it too, to show that he thinks of her as your daughter too? I'm just trying to say I don't think he was doing it maliciously to try to hurt you, I think he was probably actually trying to do the opposite and create a new family tradition with the pillow? Just trying to look at it from his point of view too.

frustratedinMA's picture

Ha.. DH was standing.. too funny, but I am sure you are right, he would have given him the spot.

You are correct, SD had no idea about the existance of my tooth pillow. It is DH that I am ticked at. though, her actions after of just tossing it on the floor really made me not happy. I am pissed that DH gave her something to use, that was not his to give in the first place.

After his explosion about returning them an hour earlier once the baby comes, I am afraid to even bring it up. But god help me.. he is NOT going to find the pillow next time, should there be a next time.

Oh.. and so I need maternity clothes. I am down to a pair of slacks, a skirt and a pair of sweatpants. I mentioned that there was an outlet near the skids home that is over an hour away... and perhaps we could go there after the drop off. we call and get the time of closing.. 6pm. Guess what, that would interfer w/the skids extra time (as he draws out the process each time he has them) and so he KNOWS I have no clothes, yet he did not offer to bring them back at a time that would have allowed me even an hour to get some things. An hour was all I would have needed and he knew that. That ticked me off too.. just remembered!

melis070179's picture

why couldn't you guys go before the drop off & take the SKs with you to the outlet so you can get what you need & he's not having to part with his precious babies (just a hint of sarcasm!) an hour early?

frustratedinMA's picture

oh.. because we havent told the skids yet. we want to wait a bit longer, so that the bm doesnt find out and cause drama.. AS SHE WILL.. so we couldnt go to the maternity outlet store w/o them realizing that I was buying clothes for me. Sorry for the confusion.

melis070179's picture

you mean you need maternity clothes and they haven't figured out you're pregnant yet? Aren't you showing? Or maybe you could get away with buying some clothes 1 size bigger for now? Thats what I did because I knew after I had the baby I would also be wearing a size bigger for awhile until I lost the baby weight.

BMJen's picture

are pregnant! Doesn't it seem like he would be more concerned with you than anything right now? That's how I felt when I was pregnant. But the more I tried to show DH how much I adored our not yet born baby the more he seemed to dote to SD. I couldn't figure it out for anything.

One night after the baby was born we got into a argument about how chaning the baby should be more important than talking on that damn cell phone and my response from him was "I don't love BD anymore than I do my other two and don't expect me to". Okay, I get it. You think I'm trying to force out your other kids? Duh, idiot. Of course not. Once I realized what the BM was pumping in his and SD's head I realized that everything I was saying was coming off that way, though if he hadn't be poisined by the witch he wouldn't have felt like that.

We're beyond that now and I stand firm, you won't love BD more than you do your other two. But she is your baby girl, your youngest, she deserves a special place in your heart. And she is ours...that's special to me. I don't love her more than I do my son, but she's got a special place as does he.

I hope you don't go through all that I did during my pregnancy. If you ever have any problems and want to talk please pm me. I've definatley been there and done that with this situation.

Hugs to you!

frustratedinMA's picture

Wow. That is pretty insightful. I do know that the last Sunday he had had them, he accused me of trying to eliminate the skids from our lives... this was when I requested that he stick to the time to take them back.. which was 1 hr earlier than he ended up leaving that night, which caused him to get stuck in 3.5 hrs of traffic.

melis070179's picture

ok...so this tell me right there that he is a little worried that his kids will feel left out & is trying to make sure everyone is treated equally. I don't think his intent is to take something special away from you, but maybe share it as a family. If you don't like this, you can hide it better, but if one of his kids happens to lose another tooth as your house he may ask where it is & then you'll have to tell him you don't want his kids using it. That may drive a wedge between you guys. But trust me, I feel the same way when it comes to my SS. I try to "fake it" so I don't hurt my husband's feelings. I may not love his kid, but I do love him.

frustratedinMA's picture

Yeah.. I dont know what I would do if he asks for it again. Maybe tonight, I will as politely and as nonconfrontationally say..

DH I am putting My childhood tooth pillow away for the baby. I want our baby to be the next to use the pillow, I have dreamt of doing this for my baby since I was a little girl.

Or something along those lines.. That way he knows in the future, not to ask or look for it again.

melis070179's picture

yeah, I think its a good idea to emphasize that its about your dream since you were little to hand it down to your first child & its not about not wanting SD to use it, that it really has nothing to do with her personally. Hopefully he will understand...or you could just hide it real good & only have to tell him this if he asks for it again. Maybe you'll get lucky & she won't lose any more teeth at your house & you won't have to risk hurting his feelings. And try not to take her throwing it on the floor personally, you said yourself she didn't know about the pillow in the first place so I doubt she was trying to hurt you. She just probably didn't realize it was something that was imporant to you.

Sia's picture

I soooo remember having the same feelings when I had my first child. I wanted everything to be new and untouched. I am not sure why, but I didn't want any hand-me-downs from Dh's kids. Stupid I know, but that is how I felt. I got over it when my 2nd was born. Wink I understand your need to keep that a "special" thing for your child. I did try to share things w/the skids, but they had no appreciation for anything, so I stopped.

frustratedinMA's picture

If I hadnt shared other things, I could see him being upset... but the fact that one of them has my childhood furniture set, and the other one has my sister's childhood furniture set (identical) and that I put in her room my vanity that my mom got me when I was a teen, and then I put my full lenght mirror in her room, as it wouldnt fit in mine.. means that I dont have a problem sharing. Its just it was this one piece of my childhood that I loved and wanted to pass onto my child and MY child only. I actually remember my mom making it. I got to pick out the material.. and then she made it.. and made one for my sister.

The other thing that I have saved, the Barbie Dream House that my sister and I shared. Its in the basement at my mom's where its safe. CLEARLY! DH had asked that I give it to sd. I said, oh.. Its not just mine, its my sister's as well. We agreed whoever had a girl first would get the dream house for her. Seeing as how my sister has a child and plans on more, I could not give it to sd. NOT that I wanted to.

Sia's picture

how you feel! Maybe it is something within them???? Maybe they feel territorial? Dunno. My DH kinda did the same thing. I think maybe after they have already had kids, some things just aren't as important to them anymore?

BMJen's picture

that there have been comments from the SK's to DH about will he still love them when the baby comes? Will they still be important? They probably really do feel this way, it's normal. Even if they weren't to be step siblings. But what makes it worse is that since it's step, the BM gets to put her two cents in. I'm sure she's not helping the kids to understand that daddy will always be thier daddy to, just like he will be to the new baby.

Mark my words, when the SK's show up with gifts for the baby you'll cringe thinking that BM has bought these for your child. This is a fight I still fight, and BD is 14 months now. Make it a point now to DH that he is the one to take the kids shopping for the baby, not BM.

Back to the point, if I had realized sooner what DH was thinking and feeling I could have prevented alot of arguments. Talk to him and tell him that you understand his kids will always be a part of his family and you wouldn't have it any other way. you don't want to push out SD, but, this is your first child. This is special to you and there are things you want to share with her and only her. Once the lightbulb came on in my head things were better.

You know what else? Men don't attach to thier kids like we do. I loved my daughter more than anyting the moment I found out I was pregnant. To be honest, DH loved her when she was in the womb and worried about her, but the love he has for his other two didn't come out for a minute. I think it takes them a bonding period. It's very strange.

frustratedinMA's picture

Oh. the skids dont know yet.. so he hasnt been getting questions like that. Although I do know that my sd asked my MIL YEARS AND YEARS ago, if we had a baby, would she still love sd. I was actually surprised by this question, as she already had a cousin that shared MIL.

I do realize that they will have these feelings, so we have decided how we plan on telling them. A friend has a puzzle (12 pieces) that they said we can borrow and we are going to have them put that together. we want to do it in a fun way, then dh will tell them that things will change, as any household will w/a baby, but that our love for them will not change, that they will always be a member of our family. Then ask them if they have any questions.

I do know that he isnt the same about the baby as I am now. I am constantly concerned there might be something wrong.. he isnt. He made a big deal about money I was spending on acupuncture which was actually for the baby.. how its not fair to his kids.. blah blah. I pointed out his flawed thinking on that one.. as I told him how much is spent on skids, vs how much was spent on the acupuncture. (fraction of the child support)..

I do not want BM even seeing my baby, and I made it clear that she is NOT to show up at the hospital. He will of course have to have these convos after she finds out, which will be AFTER the skids find out.

sweetthing's picture

and agree that DH was out of line with that pillow.

I think that our husbands just assume that when we marry them that we will love their children as much & in the same way that they do. My therapist says that is unreasonable.

I know how long & hard you have wanted that baby & what you have gone through to get to that point. I too walked that road. I have many special treasures that only my son will be getting someday. It is not that I don't love the skids BUT why would I give them my great great grandmothers dining room table or mt great, great grandfathers violin that I played in high school. They have 4 sets of family when you include BM's boyfriends parents ( hell they call them grandma & grandpa so let them give them so heirlooms right. Smile ) My son is part Ecklund & Bourcy these are treasures my grandparents gave me and I will give my son and share with him that history.

I do have a lot of Jewelry from my first marriage & have a necklace & earring set in both skids birthstones that I will someday give them to give their wives, but the rest will go to my son for his wife & daughters.

It's hard to a stepmom on so many levels. Sometimes it is like we are made to feel guilty for the joy we take in the biological child we waited a life time for. I REFUSE to let anyone take away a minuet of the joy I take in my son. I waited almost 20 years watching friends & family have babies. Nothing is as wonderful as the moment you hold that baby in your arms. Everyday I thank God for my son, I also thank him for my skids but he is all mine ( and DH's.) My skids love me but will always love their mom in a different way and if that is okay then it is okay for me to feel the same. You too!

frustratedinMA's picture

OMG.. thank you... I am glad to know that so many of my girlfriends on here understand me.. its not all things, but certain things that I dont want anyone to have but my child(ren).. I too waited through all my girlfriends and cousins and even my younger sister having children.. while I stood by and watched and was happy for them. All of them of course, had children w/men that did not previously have kids. For that I am still a bit jealous.

I think I am going to have a gentle talk w/him tonight. Now that the skids are home, and we are home alone. Let him know AGAIN what my intentions for that pillow are and have always been, and that I would prefer that it is saved for this child I am carrying... that I saved it this long.

I know their mother doesnt do things like this for the skids, but really is that my fault? I sometimes think he wishes that the skids were solely ours. That I had them rather than BM. I can not help who they have as parents, but that doesnt mean I should sacrafice my wholeself and my treasures to the skids.

I dont think it will go over well.. but here is being hopeful. I am also going to explain that there is certain jewlery that will go to my child.. not the skids. as I am sure that my jewlery will be in the next couple of years.

BMJen's picture

BM is dying to sink her nasty claws into my daughter. Why would she even want to see her? I won't begrudge my xh of having kids, if he does I'll be happy for him and hope they are okay. I could care less to see them or him though to be honest.

When the shi* hits the fan pm me and I'll give you my number. Youre gonna need a friend! LOL!

Hang in there girl, you'll make it through all of this.

What are you going to do about the pillow and things of this sort in the future?

bellacita's picture

of how OUR kids have to suffer bc they werent "first"...i kow what ur DH meant and i know that its important to make sure the skids know theyre special when the new baby comes but dangit, why does that usually mean at the expense of the new baby? isnt it enough that we all KNOW that DH had kids w another women before us??? grrrr....

"Given the right reasons and the right two people, marriage is a wonderful way of experiencing your life."
~the late great George Carlin

frustratedinMA's picture

Absolutely.. I will pm you. I know it will hit the fan.. DH is eternally optomistic that she wont care. YEAH RIGHT! She cared that I bought a new car w/my money (had my last car for 9 yrs and was car pymt free for 4 yrs.. trust me.. I wanted to keep my old car.. )

I think I will tell him that its been a dream of mine since I was a little girl to hand my tooth pillow down to my first child. That its nothing against the skids, I just had it in my mind since I was little, and I will be putting it away so that OUR baby together is the next child that uses the pillow.

Then I am hiding it REAL good and crossing my fingers that they dont lose anymore teeth while w/us.

BMJen's picture

That you have a long road ahead of you is this is soley DH's attempt to make sure the kids know how important they are to him. Imagine when the SK's are pulling the "will you still love me" card.

But you know what, when it gets rough around here, and it still does sometimes, I just loose myself in my daughter. I forget whatever is going on around me and just play with her until I could completley care less what the others are up to! Sometimes I just have to let DH baby and pamper as much as he wants.

frustratedinMA's picture

Yeah. I can imagine what its going to be like. HELL comes to mind.. lol.

I dont mind if he does things w/the skids, and stuff like that, but I will not be happy if my child becomes a 2nd class citizen because she is from the second marriage. I want them all treated fairly, evenly...

BMJen's picture

from conception. They don't get it until later. I still hate to hear BM on the phone hollaring something about, if it were "insert my girls name" you'd do it for her!!!! That's her favorite comment.

Oh, and she'll care. He can think that all he wants but it'll be on. She'll do everything possible to interfer if she's antyhing like our BM. And I don't mean bio mom. }:)

frustratedinMA's picture

Yes.. she is like your bm.. I AM SURE! I think most of them have a screw loose. She is a control freak, and this is something she wont be able to control.

Sia's picture

on that one! My DH's ex was particularly creepy when our son was born. DH said it was b/c she had always wanted a son and they only had girls.... She bought a gift basket when he was born, I gave it to charity w/out anyone being the wiser! She lived in GA at the time, so I did NOT have to deal with her at the hopsital thank GOD!

BMJen's picture

BM tried to come to the hospital, used every excuse she could think of for it to be okay for her to come. I had a emergency c section, so of course hubby didn't want to leave me to go pick up SD, for that matter even my BS. I didn't want him to leave either. I needed him there. So he stayed. SD blew the damn phone up about how she wanted to come. Next thing you know, BM, I'll bring her. Me, Nope. DH, I'll get my mom and dad to bring her. BM, but really...I want to come up anyways. stupid.

Then I'm all drugged up that night and she calls DH phone. BM: Can I speak to Jen? DH: Jen, BM wants to speak to you. ME: (slurred from all the morephine) sure! BM: congrats Jen, I wish I could come see her. ME: Don't even think about it, Csection or not, we'll fight. The drugs didn't cover that one up.

So no she didn't show. Not for a lack of trying though. Of course she bought the baby tons of stuff, which went directly in the garbage and still does.

frustratedinMA's picture

WOW..

luckily I live in a town where there are TONS of hospitals.. I will NOT be disclosing WHICH hospital we are going to have the baby at. I mean there are a TON w/in driving distance to us. We live close to Boston, not to mention Cambridge, and then there are all the other hospitals in the local area which one could have a baby at.

DH and I have had that convo. He does not want the bm anywhere near me, the baby or the hospital. For the same reasons, DH will not be taking the baby to do pick ups or drop offs. And she never comes up our way, so hopefully she will never see the baby. Will have to talk to MIL and make sure she doesnt send any pics if requested or otherwise.

frustratedinMA's picture

At the suggestion of someone else, I am going to approach this convo a bit differently tonight. I am going with this:

Dh, I have been saving my tooth pillow for my child since I was a little girl. I have always wanted to pass this along to her (I believe its a her, we shall see on 12/1).. Perhaps we should pick up a tooth pillow at a store in the event the skids loose a tooth again, so that they can use that one, rather than the one my mom made me that I want to pass on to our child.

Wish me luck ladies.. going home to have that convo now.

jen76's picture

That is pretty much how I said it. I too had a pillow that my brothers and I used as a child. I took it when I got older as I was planning on using it with my children. I did let SD use once and never again. She was not taking care of it and was putting candy or something in the pocket. I took it and put in back in the attic and had my mom make her one of her own. Problem solved! I just told her that she had her own pillow now and didn't think twice about it. Mine is green and I made one that was pink and put the letter of her first name on the pocket. She loved it. Maybe make one for SD and SS, that way the each have their own.

frustratedinMA's picture

UPDATE!!!

I went home and didnt even get to the second part about getting the skids a pillow of their own and he was like.. Oh.. that's ok, I understand.

I was dumbfounded, but also wanted to say, how is it that you understand TODAY, but you didnt understand when I told you, or when you hunted it down in the house to give to SD!?!?!?

Either way, I got the situation resolved w/no problems.!!! YEAH

BMJen's picture

You accomplished the mission without the war. How'd you do that again? LOL!

I told my DH about your situation last night and asked him what he thought. He almost leaned tward your DH until I reminded him about my mothers promise ring that my father gave her that I've been saving for MY daughter for years and years, now I finally have one to give it to!

He completley understood that would be off limits and definatley thinks your DH was wrong about the tooth pillow.

So it's not just us women, some men get it! LOL!

Apparently your DH got it to....thank goodness!

frustratedinMA's picture

I guess he got it in the end. That is great that your dh gets it.

Maybe he does read ST, I talk about it all the time. Perhaps he saw what everyone else was saying and realized he made an error.