Update to van shopping

I took the buick in for trade in but they couldn't give me near what we needed nor what we could sell it for. We decided w/out hesitation it would be best to get as much out of the buick as we can. We'll be putting it out for sale and when we sell it we will check back with the same dealer and others and even private sellers until we find a van of similar mileage and condition. This kia sedona has really raised the bar as to what I will find acceptable. At least it means we wont be jumping into anything since it does require quite a bit of looking around to find the RIGHT thing.

Van shopping

After years of no car payment it looks like we will be sucked into one. :-( But we need a van for obvious reasons. While we haven't had a car payment, we sure have been driving around a couple old beat up cars. It's time for change and a better vehicles. I've done so much looking for the right vehicle. I found the one I REALLY want. Simon isn't quite as fond of it, as he would rather buy it out right, and with the trade. I want it, even if we have to get into a small monthly payment. It's way more reliable, nice, and just perfect for my needs and wants even. He got preapproved for the loan yesterday so now it's a matter of seeing if the buick my grandfather gave us will trade for what we know it's supposed to, give them a check, and get the loan completely taken care of. Not much left, HOPEFULLY it'll happen today. Fingers are crossed. Ellie loved the rear air condition when we test drove it. She was happy as could be, pointing to the air and laughing and clapping. I've gone for the extended rear facing for saftey, but poor kid doesn't get air blowing right on her being rear facing, plus our air only works most of the time. When it doesn't we don't drive at all and cancel anything we have because lately the heat index is over 100. As you can see a new vehicle would be a very positive purchase. I think Simon's hesitation is because like I said pay it off, but I don't want to drive around in another 130,000+ mile vehicle, that's the same thing we have now. What I have found for a killer price is a 65,000 mile Kia Sedona and it nice!! I love how the back seats go down into floor, as we don't have room for storing them. It will help make transferring the huge double stroller mega easy. I also didn't know that vans these days have a special mirror that you use just to see the kiddos. Pretty nice, if I should say so myself. All in all the van is nice. If we get it I'll post pics. Oh and the reason I really want this one, is because in our price range I'm not finding multiple deals like this one. If it looked like we could find similar deals in a few months, then we would wait, but it's just not very promising. We're in TN and I found a similar deal in Florida and another in New York so what I found isn't common at all. Like I said what I'm find is 100,000miles. A lot of people get rid of their vehicle around 100,000miles because they know that the transmission is unreliable, the timing belt is iffy, and other things are likely to go out. Then you have the 130,000mile cars that the transmission will go out if it hasn't already, then you have the 190,000mile ones that the transmission has been replaced, the only concern now is the engine and the fact the car is considerably old. In "my" van it's on the newer end of what I've been looking at, with way less miles and we have a 1yr warranty. This would be the best birthday present EVERY...just a week early, lol.

FIL's joke

My FIL has this joke that he dreamt he was awake then woke up and found out he was asleep. I had a dream exactly like that recently. I could have swore I was awake, until I woke up and realized I was actually asleep. Talk about weird.

VBAC vs. repeat c-section

I see a new dr. on August 3, for a consultation to get their opinion.

My dr's reccommendation is to get a repeat c-section. His reasons are, 1. They don't do them because there are several hospitals women deliver at in the county. By law the dr. must remain on the L&D floor at all time while a woman is laboring during a VBAC. He can't promise the on call dr. can do that because somebody else may go into labor somewhere else, and it's just an inconvenience for them to have to be glued to the hospital. 2. He can send me to the university doctor's, they have residents and doctor's overseeing them at all times. I could switch and see them, however that would mean my dr. would lose a patient and money so he's not advocating that. 3. The reason he's giving for not being a fan of that option is because at 38w3d when I was induced for several days I hadn't made much progress. I wasn't even quite to 3cm yet, even after they broke my water that morning. He says my pelvic opening must be too small causing me not to progress.

My opinion, is 1. Rememeber the amniotic fluid was dwindling for about a month and it got too low, so they had to induce. I was 38w3d when we had the c-section. I was still somewhat early, especially considering a pregnancy can be up to around 42wks. I was also tracking my ovulation via fertility friend and I know based on ovulation signs CM and temps that I ovulated a week late. I just so happened to always measure right based on my LMP. I don't know, but I think my EDD was really a week later so it made me more like 37w3d and I just don't think my body and the baby was ready to come out. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe regardless of how far along you are your body should respond to the oxytocin...

That's why I'm getting a 2nd opinion. I'm living in the county beside the county we used to live in the one that has 3 different hospitals. So where we are now we have 1 hospital and I found a doctor (a female dr. yay) that takes my insurance and does VBACs and has been recommended. I will just have a consultation with her and I have tons of questions to ask her, both specific to my situation and also questions I've found online. I was going to go with a midwife but they said that a doctor has to be there at all times anyway so I might as well just go straight to the dr and especially since it hasn't been a real long time since I had my c-section. I think it's probably best anyway. I'm thinking about looking for a doula, especially if Simon is still over the road trucking because there is a chance he misses the birth if we let the baby come on his/her time schedule.

Before the appointment I need to tour the hospital I will be delivering at and make sure I like it. I also want to tour the hospital I will have a repeat c-section if I stay w/ my current doctor. It's closer to where we live and a lot nicer and newer than where we delivered Ellie at. I know I'm still in my 1st tri and its a little early to be touring hospitals. But I currently have a wonderful dr. and the office is super nice as are the staff. This new doctor's office and doctor has a lot of impressing to do. Plus the place I deliver at is really important to me. When I had Ellie since she was ok, they didn't wheel her away from me. She stayed in the operating room while they sewed me up then in the recovery room I was able to hold her and nursed her. I've heard from a lot of people that they generally take the baby to the nursery to do all the testing and bath. People complain because other family and friends get to see the baby better first before the mom sees and bonds. It's really important that whichever hospital I deliver at can grant me the same experience as long as there are no complications. So you see there is a lot for me to think about right now.

Slight change of subject...I have a friend selling their van, about the year we are probably looking for and it's a Honda so we like that. I asked how much so we'll see if we're going to follow through. I will feel so much better if we had a van or suv w/ 2 rows of back seats. Right now we have an older car that isn't perfectly reliable anymore. We'll see if this will be our van or if we will have to begin a search.

New computer

Finally we got a new computer!! Our desktop went out on us quite some time ago. My MIL got a netbook so she let us use her crappy laptop. That one went out. So we were using her netbook because her son in law always has her internet stick so she had little problem loaning out the computer. But at times she would comment and we knew we needed to get her computer back to her, I means it's the right thing. But the thought of living without my computer was just unbearable. Ok so maybe I would have survived. But we are also trying to get Simon a job working in the offices and to do that we need internet access. So we finally made the purchase. We got a Toshiba. It's pretty nice, but we didn't get a high priced one. We really don't need a high price one. I like to put pics on the computer, go to a few sites, and apply for jobs. Since my birthday is in a month, it's pretty much my Birthday present. I'm satisfied, but I know when my birthday rolls around I'll want something even if it's small. I'll probably buy a couple maternity shirts or something for myself.

Thank you

Thanks for all the congrats!!!

Ellie and me are worn out this week. We have had camp meeting at our church all week. All week we have, well I have but Ellie is my little shadow, working in the nursery. We have to be there at 6pm and work until 9:30pm. On adverage we have about 11 1yr old and 3-4 workers. It takes a toll on you physically and emotionally, especially when you have 3 hysterically crying for their mom's, 1 doing something dangerous, and 1 taking a toy or something from another kid. Last night was our last night working. Tonight I'm thinking of going to the service and taking Ellie to be in the nursery. She'll probably cry for her 2nd time ever going to nursery because I wont be w/ her. It's a really big named preacher that will be there tonight so I really want to be there. But I'm not sure if Ellie can "handle" it. She was getting sleepy, cranky, and clingy last night at 7ish.

I am trying to get a part time job. We don't need a lot of extra money. But if Simon has 2 lower weeks we really feel it. My MIL helps out, but she can't continue. She's trying to set herself up to retired next summer so she's having to put herself on a strict budget. I haven't thought much about Ellie while I'm at work. I guess I need to look into daycares. I hate putting her in daycare, but I really feel she's ready for it. After seeing her in nursery all week I think she'll be fine. Who knows it may even help her talk. She only has a few words she says, doggie, mama, dada, and thank you (kinda). Anytime she needs or wants something I just know what she's trying to get across. She has little need for talking with me around. Simon isn't thrilled with my decision, but I told him I would just see what is available, apply, and see what happens. It's possible I don't get anything if I don't I'll continue what I'm doing with staying home. We'll see where it leads.

*Surprise, Surprise*

Monday, May 24th something told me to take a HPT. I wasn't yet late, but I didn't feel AF was coming. We were also about to go to Mrytle Beach and knowing if I was pregnant or if AF was going to be ruinning parts of my vacation seemed to be vital info. Much to my surprise I got a faint BFP. We weren't even trying. Since the miscarriage we were actually preventing, by using condoms anytime I was close to ovulation or had ovulation signs such as my faithful EWCM. The only time we didn't use condoms was after I clearly ovulated and before I was due to ovulated. This time it was CD11, on mother's day. I have never o'd before CD18 so I knew sperm couldn't live for 7 days. I also didn't have any EWCM so it was an hostile environment for sperm, or so I thought. This was actually the first time not using condoms. I guess my body decided to ovulate on CD14, the first time ever in the last 10yrs I have done that. I will be 8wks on Thursday. I have seen the baby 2 times, once at 5w5d we saw the heartbeat. The 2nd time was after a spotting scare and we saw and heard the precious heartbeat at 135bpm. We haven't told many people and we are holding out as long as possible. My mom doesn't know how she will love another child as much as she loves Ellie, as Ellie really is so perfect. But my mom doesn't know yet either. I don't want to hear her negative comments. So please don't say anything on facebook.
The pregnancy is going pretty good. I have moments of nausea, but nothing a preggie pop can't help. It's a lot different than the pregnancy with Ellie. With her I was so sick I could hardly function. I think part of the ease is coming from staying at home. I have very few commitments were I have to be somewhere at a certian time. My EDD is 2/3/2011. Though this is a complete surprise, we are very happy and looking forward to Ellie being a big sister.