Which in a way was better than the reaction of the second-to-last grandparent: "Oh, you're having a boy? I wanted a girl." and no communication since.

Ack. {{Raquel}}

Just looking at that The Team site.... it might not be a pyramid scheme. It might just be sales. Or maybe it's sales, involving you recruiting more people, which I guess would make it a pyramid scheme.

From what I gathered, you recruit people into teams who proceed to shop at affiliate websites, and then you get the money saved from cutting out the middleman, which of course encourages you to continue shopping at said websites. It's the magic of e-commerce! Michael Dell said so!

Also, heh, they made a point to note that it's not a pyramid scheme because the shape of recruitment is not a pyramid. There's no one at the top, and the entire team reaps the benefits. So it's a pyramid-y scheme.

But I'm not a big fan of being brainwashed.

Job-ma for Karl and his perfect job.

All the jobma in the world, Karl!(Except the tiniest deadline-ma, which I'm using) Timelies... The city of Phoenix has some problem with our tap water(Ew!)Allegedly, it is a combination of a plant under maintenance and increased sediment from the mountains...um, but there's a reason I relate to the Munchkin, cause part of me is, like, "as if! And would they ever tell us *to* panic. Um, no." Not that I have any specific reason not to believe. except 1000 x-files. My mom is making me a little nuts, though, as the World's Cleanest Hippie. It's like living with Lady MacBeth right now, straight up...if Water Treatment doesn't get on the stick, I'm "suggesting" she spend her lunch hour with them...I bet they'd work real fast.

Raquel, that does suck. Sometimes B-H contractions can be pretty severe. Their official description is that they are painless so I called the painful ones false labor, to differentiate in my own head. I don't know why, but that helped. And yeah, I had lots of those.

Boys are fun. I'm glad you're having a boy. Unfortunately, relatives are strange creatures who only sometimes give us the support we need.

Many congratulations Hil!

extra-strength job~ma to Karl.

Yay for D&D, and a home and pain-relief for BT.

Timelies. I'm behind in all my work and the babies are evil. IOW, nothing new here.

Which in a way was better than the reaction of the second-to-last grandparent: "Oh, you're having a boy? I wanted a girl." and no communication since.

Raquel, I hear you, although I got the exact opposite response (re: gender). Perhaps I should offer to FIL that we switch. I didn't know you were having a boy - that's cool. I'm not asking about names because I get asked that question every fricking day and I have no answer yet.

{{Raquel}} damn that's harsh.

Timelies.

Raquel, my sympathies. That doesn't sound like fun at all.

ION, I fucking hate Windows XP. That is all.....

Thanks guys - as problems go, mine are not on the level with, say, some guy living in my house for 5 months while I'm overseas. But, you know, family. Can't live with 'em, can't kill 'em.

Nonian, we've adopted govie-speak and call the kid FNU (first name unknown) most of the time. I know I've wailed about this here before, but choosing a name seems like one of the biggest responsibilities possible!

I did dream a couple weeks ago that we'd named the sprog Mortimer Firefox, but I've sworn to not name my child anything I'd name a D&D character.

(((Raquel))) Oh, that's so tough. I'm right now restraining myself from e-mailing my cousin in Nea Kifissia; he'd send his mother straight over to fuss over you, rub your feet and shoulders, make you a big steaming pot of something nourishing and tell you that you're having exactly the right baby for you. Because that's how people should be treating you. I am so sorry.

P-C, "The Team" is also known as Amway, if that clears things up. That link breaks it down, but yeah, pyramid-y is a good summary. It's legal, but icky. And it's not a way to make big bucks, either:

In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission requires Amway to label its products with the message that 54% of Amway recruits make nothing and the rest earn on average $65 a month.

(And I owe you email. Soon! Ish...)

I know I've wailed about this here before, but choosing a name seems like one of the biggest responsibilities possible!

Oh, thank goodness I'm not the only one. I've been a little freaked out about finding the right name. It's our first "parenting decision" and it seems huge. I don't want to screw it up.

We had our puppy for about 3 days and couldn't think of a name. I was feeling like the worst dog-owner ever. Then, as I was falling asleep, "Toby" popped into my head and we knew that was the right name. I'm hoping the same thing happens here, although I'd prefer it be before she's born.