Weekend Randoms 3/16 - 3/18

TalesOfASocialIntrovert

Friday feels.

moguippy

We are moving the cats' litter boxes to the basement so they won't be upstairs any more. This means they need access to the basement at all times. I figured we could just leave the door open or put a doggy (kitty?) door in the basement door.  DH says "why don't we cut a hole in the vertical part of the bottom step IN THE LIVING ROOM and they can walk through that" (there is a ledge that they could walk on underneath those stairs.) Me: "we are NOT cutting a hole in the stairs in the living room" (that is what you see as soon as you walk in the house) WHY do I even need to say this?!? Who thinks cutting a hole in stairs is even a good idea?? Men...........

hillbillywife

@moguippy hahaha. Good luck with that! We used to have a cat door in the basement door for my cat growing up to be able to access the stairs. Worked well! 

My son son is home from school today so we all got to sleep in a little bit but my daughter has cried for most of the morning already. Sad face. I think I’ll take them to the children’s museum for a bit and maybe then to lunch because I’m dragging my feet getting going. 

canucklehead123

@moguippy omg...this makes me so nervous for you.  We once tried to move our cat's litter box (when I say cat, I mean queen of the house)... she just continued to do her business on the floor in the original litter box spot until we moved the litter box back.  When asked, the vet explained that the problem was behavioral.  Diva.  I sincerely hope this doesn't happen to you, as cat pee is the worst - especially if it ends up in your drywall (yes, you will have to cut out your drywall and replace it...LOL)!!   

moguippy

The litter boxes are currently in the room that will become the nursery... so that would be a big problem. Luckily they are pretty good about using the litter box, and we've only lived in this house for less than two years so it's not like they've been going there for 10 years. But yes I am super worried about that.  

zg49

We had to move our cats boxes to the basement too before our DD arrived and it helped to move them to the kitchen area for a few days (only room between where they were and the basement) and then the bottom of the stairs for a few days and finally to where we actually wanted them. Made it an easier transition for our cats to "follow" the litter. 

knottie9f2468e8835387e9

@moguippy hope the transition goes smoothly for you! 

I'm starting to get worried about our puppy adjusting to not being the baby of the family anymore. I've been playing YouTube clips of babies crying and jabbering to try and get her used to the noises so she doesn't bark every time he cries lol

morethanamama

So I went to dinner with some FTMs from my prenatal yoga and we talked about strollers, now I'm considering the nuna mixx which is another $$$ option my husband laughs at how many times I've changed my mind! And then of course what did I dream about? Car seats and strollers *facepalm*

zande2016

@kissableviv I totally agonized over the stroller decision with #1, you'd think I was buying a car or something. Now I barely give our stroller any thought and have to trade it in for a double lol. But I totally understand! We have the Cruz, and will be getting the Vista since it's convertible. 

My husband is signing the contract for his new job today and starting on Tuesday (after serving jury duty Monday)! I'm so relieved. A little nervous still since a big part of his income will be based on the bonus and commission structure, but they assured him the projections are very realistic and attainable so I'm trying to just go with it. Also, now that he's out of the retail side, no more nights and very little weekends! Woohoo. After being with/married to a weekend warrior for 6 years, this will be amazing. Things are finally looking up. And my blood sugar has been good these past couple days too! Maybe the two are related. 

nimmle

@kissableviv I'm with you on the stroller thing. I think I'm finalized on the Chicco Bravo Trio, but then I start thinking about the Citi Mini. I think I'm still settled on the Chicco, but we'll see.

@zande2016 I'm so happy your hubby will have his nights and weekend back. That will make such a nice difference!

I really need this cold weather to end. I don't have too much longer that I will be able to zip up my winter coat. 

morethanamama

@zande2016 yay! Definitely a good change for you guys. At least there is money coming in fingers crossed that he does well with the bonus and commissions.

So glad I'm not the only one going crazy with this stuff. @nimmle we were SUPER set on the Chicco but when we tested it my husband kept saying it was too flimsy. We were set on the Cruz as I didn't want the highest price tag of the Vista (which is also heavier) plus we could use the Chicco car seat with it. And I didn't want the bassinet that comes with the Vista. Now I like the bassinet, and looking at the Nuna their car seat is super highly rated. But an extra base is $150!! And we have an extra base for the Chicco seat already so I feel like it's such a waste of money. I know, I'm ridiculous...

zande2016

@kissableviv we were gifted the bassinet, which does not come with the Cruz but can still be used with it. The same one is compatible with both strollers. I liked it for walks when he was a newborn, rather than strapping him in his car seat. I did that a lot when I was still recovering and needed fresh air/light exercise. Bonus, if he stayed asleep when we got home, I would just take the bassinet off and plop it on the coffee table and not feel bad or worried at all about him continuing to sleep (with car seats I'd feel nervous, they're not really supposed to sleep in there unless they're in the car). The bassinet is also approved for overnight sleep but we never really did that. Overall I really liked it, but never used it again past like 3ish months. You could totally buy a used one too, a lot of people use them very little so you can get one in good shape for a decent price. Also, if you plan on having a second within the next 2 years, I'd go for the Vista over the Cruz - I regret not doing that, since now we have to sell our Cruz and buy the Vista. The Mesa car seat that snaps into the Cruz and Vista is also great, but if you already have the Chicco I see no reason not to use that.  

wildtot

@zande2016 yay! I’m so happy for you and your husband!!

yep no decisions on strollers here. We want something that works with our key fit but all the ones that do are either bulky or super expensive. It’s gonna be our big ticket item for sure.

comealongponds

@nimmle I hear you on the cold weather. I can’t zip any of my coats anymore but I refuse to buy a maternity coat lol

zombiehoohaa

@zande2016 Awesome news!!!

Re strollers: We were gifted Graco bases for our cars, so we are going that route for carseat and stroller. Plus we are on a budget.

Took the maternity ward tour lastnight at the hospital we plan on giving birth at. I really enjoyed how they explained what we needed to do when in labor, where to go, what is expected, etc. It made it even more real to take this tour. The tour guide (who was our instructor for our baby basics class) repeated multiple times to take the left overs of anything disposable, such as diapers, wipes, postpartum panties, etc. Most of the women on the tour were due within 1-2 months. Made me feel like I'm ahead of the game. 

hillbillywife

@zande2016 did I say Yay! Already? If I have, double yay! If not, I’m so happy for you! What a big weight off! 

Has anyone started making big purchases for baby yet? I keep thinking it’s too soon to buy stuff but I only have like 4 more months which also seems not that far away... better to start too early and not overwhelm the bank account at the end, right? 

zande2016

Thanks all! @hillbillywife we haven't bought anything yet, besides a couple outfits, but I think it's totally fine to start now. The one thing I'm holding out for is our registry completion discount. Our registry is private but I just made it for the discount at the end. Also now that BRU is closing I am definitely waiting to see if they have anything we need on sale. 

morethanamama

@hillbillywife not sure if a rocker counts as a big purchase but we bought that ($350). We were gifted the baby monitor. We were going to buy the bassinet but we are getting a free Snoo from DH's company so no need now and we are holding off on the crib...we won't need it until he is a bit older plus I'm secretly hoping that's what my mom wants to gift us so we can buy it when she is here, lol. Smaller items were mostly from the consignment sale.

I definitely want to get the stroller and car seat soon but because our place is small I'm also holding off and enjoying a babystuff-free space for a few more weeks! 

acunamatada

@hillbillywife with my first, I didn’t have anything yet. I might have purchased nursery furniture but it wasn’t put together for another month or so lol. This time around we have almost everything, only needed a couple biggish purchases and I got it all already. I’m holding back on buying outfits because I know I’ll go overboard lol. I need to sort through DS’s baby clothes and pick out the gender neutral items. 

wildtot

Idk who to believe now. Our home warranty is about to expire at the end of the month. So we had an inspector come check it out because warranty people don’t know anything. The inspector said our siding is incorrectly installed so we’ve been pushing warranty to fix it. They keep saying it’s correct but they can’t even give me the manufacture info for me to do my own research. Who’s lying to me?? Who do i trust?? It’s been nothing but a pain to deal with warranty this entire year we’ve been in the house that it’s hard to believe anything they say. 

Sarafuss

@hillbillywife we have almost everything we need for baby which is super early lol.  We didn’t need too much though since this is #5.  But we did buy the car seat since the Chicco Keyfit 30 in the color I wanted was on sale for $160 on Amazon.  I made an Amazon registry and check the prices almost daily and will buy a few things when the prices drop.  My MIL bought us the City Select stroller (the 2016 model is only $415 on Amazon right now!) and I bought all of the adapters and accessories I wanted.  I plan to do a Carter’s trip this weekend to get a few more outfits (after I go through DD’s old clothes to see what I have).  I feel like nesting has kicked in really early this time and I needed stuff now lol.

noideawhatshesdoing

@zombiehoohaa The hospital we're delivering at only does virtual tours of the maternity ward for safety and security. Visitors also have to be on a guest list provided by me or they can't get on the floor. So it's a bummer they don't do tours, but nice to know my toxic aunt won't be able to come try to force her way into my life. But, when I was in the hospital for the fainting/dehydration problem since it was the same hospital, they had me in one of the triage rooms up in labor and delivery instead of having me down in the ER. So DH at least knows the layout and what to expect up there when it's time, I figure I'll be too distracted to care what the surroundings are. lol. I've been joking I did it on purpose to get a tour, he doesn't think I'm funny.

zombiehoohaa

@noideawhatshesdoing That's kind of a bummer for the whole virtual tour vs real tour. I understand why though. Everything was on lock down unless you had a badge or talked to someone behind the locked doors. Visitors have to check-in and request to see us and only 4 at a time. I'm letting family and friends know not to come to the hospital. They told us that if we are having a vaginal birth, we will only be in post partum for 24 hours, then go home. So hopefully this also works in my favor of "please don't show up".

I would be laughing at that comment. Your h needs to live a little. lol 

Edit: because I suck at typing lately

acunamatada

@noideawhatshesdoing LOL.. Not funny that you fainted.. But we never went on a tour with DS, two days before I went into labor I tried to hop a fence 8 months pregnant with flip flops on (not my brightest moment but it WAS a short pool gate..) I gracefully slipped and fell and went in for observation just in case. DH still calls it our practice run because we wound up in the same pre-delivery room two days later. 

noideawhatshesdoing

@zombiehoohaa In H's defense, I make a lot of really bad, poorly timed jokes. I'm like the awkward crazy old uncle you don't introduce to nice people when it comes to my jokes. But I think I'm hilarious, so that's what matters to me.

noideawhatshesdoing

@acunamatada see! I'm not the only one that was trying to get a sneak peak at the surroundings! Crazy you had the same pre-delivery room.

zombiehoohaa

I may buy this book just for s & g now. Share it with my mom. 

noideawhatshesdoing

@zombiehoohaa I bought that this morning! I needed a break from all the informative books I was reading.

morethanamama

Also virtual tour here. But they have a maternity orientation meeting I'm going to on Wednesday and they go through some of the logistics. So hopefully that is helpful.
Our doula is super familiar with the hospital so I feel a little bit better about being with someone who knows their surroundings. Who knows how we'll be feeling that day! I'm scared but also very excited when I think about it.

noideawhatshesdoing

I've had such a travel itch for weeks, like so so bad that I can't even watch a travel show. I just want to get on a plane and go explore somewhere. But since we're using some of our vacation time toward mat leave (unpaid leave here) I can't take time off. Stupid Facebook had to bring up a memory from two years ago when we were in Budapest, and now I'm just dying to go somewhere. anywhere. I know it will be worth the wait, but I really want to wander down some old path or alley in some foreign country and find some unexpectedly amazing food at some random place that's been in business for 100 + years.

SmashJam

@zande2016 yay! I'm so glad your DH got the job! what a stress reliever and one less thing to think about. Glad your numbers have been great too!

stillcozy

I am about in tears I am so over these migraines! 

flockofmoosen3

lindsayleigh1989 said:

I am about in tears I am so over these migraines! 

Aw, I'm sorry! Internet hugs!  

flockofmoosen3

haha, oh yeah I almost forgot: so I'm at a conference and everyone attending has been using a certain hashtag for it so we can find each other's messages on Twitter. Last night, some guy from the conference posted "Slide into my DMs if you're DTF tonight. #conferenceI'mAt" My reaction was shock mostly, because we're all professionals and following the same hashtag and I couldn't tell if he was being serious or trolling us. My DH said it could be both--he's trolling us unless it works, haha. There were no response until this morning when some other dude was like, "Hey, smooches!"

zande2016

I am SO angry right now. My husband just walks in from work and tells me that on Monday night he left his paycheck on my passenger seat when he was using my car and now he can't find it. Ummmm what? And you waited until almost a week later to look for it? Wtf? Did you not think your wallet would be a good place to put that?? I told him I was a zombie this whole week so I have no clue if I saw it/accidentally threw it away, plus my work garage is valet parking and one of the guys could have grabbed it. I'm just so freaking sick and tired of feeling like I have two children to take care of (and one on the way). I'm the only one who worries and watches our finances, and he lost his job a month ago and has been working shitty side jobs to get by, and he goes and loses one of his pay backs?? And somehow thinks I was going to watch it and keep it safe an entire week?? I'm just baffled. Why do I sit here stressing and pulling my hair out over money when he's not even responsible enough to not lose a check. Oh and this is after he told me earlier he got a $400 toll violation bill for not paying a toll bill he'd gotten. I'm also pissed because I just got done reviewing our credit card bill and he has been buying expensive lunches while working construction jobs during the day - and buying food from the restaurant he's been working at. It's like he thinks if he uses a credit card the money isn't real. Ughhhhhh I'm just so so angry and tired and angry. Thank god he got a new job because that's the only thing stopping me from ringing his neck. 

wildtot

@lindsayleigh1989 oh no! It sounded like they were getting better hope you feel better soon!
@zande2016 omg I’d be upset too! Sounds like something my husband would do too. But actually I’ll have my stack of important papers somewhere and he’ll just go throwing them away without looking or asking and I’ve lost checks and important bills that way. He’s starting to learn to just leave it or check it before throwing thank goodness. 

cseley321

@wildtot just imo, home warranties are complete scams.  Always side with the licensed home inspector over a home warranty company... If you contact the person who did the home inspection, he can probably give you all of the details you are asking for in his report.

Also if it's the original siding and it was installed incorrectly, I don't think the home warranty company can help you anyway.  Usually they only make themselves liable for things that break in the home, and even then the coverage is limited (from my experience) to REPAIR ONLY under any circumstances.  Basically if you have a bad air handler, they will rig it each time so that it works, even if they know damn well that it will break again the next time the AC kicks on.  You will just get charged another trip fee for them to go out there and rig it up to work one more night.  I got into it with American Home Shield about my HVAC and finally got the technician to admin that NEVER in his 30+ years of working under AHS has he ever replaced a faulty unit.

Sorry for the rant, but it's still a sore subject even 10 years later. I had all kinds of awful plumbing and hvac issues and they would just do the bare minimum, take my 60$, and I would have to call them the next few days.  I ended up replacing all of it on my own, but not after they sapped me out of probably at least a thousand dollars over the course of a year.

SmashJam

@lindsayleigh1989 I hope you got rid of the headache! 
@flockofmoosen3 that's hilarious! I will forever wonder if someone answered his call in a private message and I don't even know the guy! lol

@zande2016 ugh that is so frustrating. Good for you for focusing on the positive, that he has a job, but still how annoying of him with the money spending! I can't remember what your financial situation was before but while my DS has always given ME crap for overspending (I do all the household shopping, take DS to do things, etc, so its not ALWAYS for me) I found out after we went down to one income he does the secret spending, buying DVDs for his friends and all sorts of random spending on cc. Now i have every cc in my wallet and I have access to his accounts so I can call him out on the dumb random shit he buys (although he's way better, its been over 6 mos on one income at this point).

My DH drove me a little crazy last night. I try really hard not to care if he wants to stay up and do something without me on weekend nights, and I am getting so much better than I used to be. But last night he like, very clearly just wanted to wait for me to go to bed so he could do stuff and was like, " Well I figure you haven't been able to veg I'll just turn on something." I said no Twin Peaks (Oh my god have you seen the new season? I gave up on ep 2 I can't even deal with the weirdness) because it sucks but he eventually turned it on anyway. I ended up going to bed early to read (not the end of the world) because I was damn bored and he thought I was mad at him...really I just had spent a couple days with no other adults around, just circumstance, and wanted to hang out and do something. Sometimes it just hurts that after a long week, he wants to stay up late alone and drink beer and talk to his friends online rather than talk to me right next to him and play games or watch a movie. I was super sensitive to it last night because I was extra bored, and don't get me wrong I love reading and the alone time was nice, but sometimes I feel left out of his plans and on certain days that rubs me the wrong way.

wildtot

@cseley321 we are actually in a new build so we have one year to get things “fixed” since the house is still settling. We don’t get charged for them coming over to do it. In fact they have half-asses it since we moved in. I’ve waisted so much time working from home for them not to show or do crappy work. We have the report from the inspector and i want to believe him more. I have till the end of the month to figure out this siding thing but if they don’t repair it correctly despite my efforts I’m gonna mention future legal action if our home becomes damaged from water or wind because of improper installation. 

cseley321

If it's a new build, I would  definitely side with the home inspector.  Best of luck! I haven't had a new build done, but I always hear they are a pita!

tarheelgirl8

I’ve been working on teaching/training DD to turn off lights when she leaves rooms.  I’m thinking now might be a good opportunity to teach DH too