Hi Heather
& Welcome to YT! I read yr post last nite & wrote you a long paragraph, but I arrowed back to read yr post again....then lost what I wrote originally.
Anyway, I know you found YT because you are trying to learn all that you can & are asking for advice. I commend you for that!
Honestly, I think some are a little harsh with opinions to newcombers because we aren't as experienced, but "wasn't everyone @some point". To judge someone that you don't even know "personally" is really harsh. It's not at all strange to me that your husband would want to take things into consideration first. It's a brand new home. Not everyone can just replace things as easily. I wanted to get one when my daughter got her little furbaby, but my husband wanted to wait because of traveling, thought we'd be moving soon, etc. A yr later, I wanted one soooooo bad, he came to terms with it. You wouldn't believe how much he loves And cares for her!!
She is so spoiled by us Both!! We tease who she loves the most.
Timing has alot to do with it sometimes. It's possible that you need to wait a little longer for your toddler to get a little older first. But after you weigh all the pros/cons, you are really the only one to know if you can handle it all or not.
I did not have any problems potty training Bella. She uses puppy pads. It really works out great for me. The key is keeping them confined in small areas & it takes a while. They get confused & forget when they have full roam. Also, she slept all night long in a crate the first nite. She just wanted to be able to see Mommy so I elevated the crate on a small table right beside me.
Praise, Praise, Praise is important! I will say, she did go through the "chewing phase", but that goodness, hopefully that's over. They are just like real toddlers in that you have keep an eye on them at all times!
I wish you all the best. Hope you get lots of advice that you can soak in. Hope you continue to tune in @YT no matter what yr decision for now!