Thursday

6fsn

I had visions of getting so much done this week. The only thing I have completed is breakfast with friends. I haven't even finished laundry yet. M2 has her first advanced gymnastics class today. It's going to be interesting. They say she's ready, but I'm not convinced. 

In alternative child milestones, 6let got his first grounding. He seems to be breaking house rules too much so he's grounded from friends houses for a week. 

Work is slooooooww.  They hire interns for the summer and they tend to take over my stuff. On the plus side they also tend to start new things so come fall I get to take that stuff over. 

Dh Dh is taking tomorrow off for yard work. I finally got us all eye appointments so we're headed out to do that. My sister is our doc so I should probably take a bottle of wine or something. 

mrsconn23

I feel ya on the getting stuff done train.  I'm surprised my suitcase isn't still sitting out half unpacked.  On grounding, no one ever tells you that it's punishment for you too sometimes.   

My mom is supposed to bring my nephew by here in a few hours.  DefConn is so excited that he's coming and that they're having a cousin sleepover.  

I'm off tomorrow, thankfully.  Not sure what all I'm going to do with the boys, but I'm glad I took the random Friday off.   This week has been crazy work-wise.   

charlotte989875

My suitcase still is only half unpacked. And I've gotten little done this week. In the first few weeks after the semester is over I fin it hard to manage my time well. I have projects to work on and things to do but I just don't. 

We're  finally staying home for a weekend! We've traveled so much lately I'm really looking forward to just hanging out and relaxing. 

Question: any of you with cats; mine keeps scratching the door for attention after H gets up in the morning. She's done this occasionally in the past, but it's been every morning since my NY trip. Any ideas on how to make it stop?

missJeanLouise

Good luck M2!

I am on the same train as y'all. I have been feeling run down all week and today I fell asleep for 3 hours. Now I feel like I have to hustle to get all of my normal stuff done. Praying DH will come home with a bottle of wine so we can curl up and watch a movie tonight. Friends come home from France tomorrow so I might facilitate a gathering if they are keen. 

6fsn

charlotte989875 said:

My suitcase still is only half unpacked. And I've gotten little done this week. In the first few weeks after the semester is over I fin it hard to manage my time well. I have projects to work on and things to do but I just don't. 

We're  finally staying home for a weekend! We've traveled so much lately I'm really looking forward to just hanging out and relaxing. 

Question: any of you with cats; mine keeps scratching the door for attention after H gets up in the morning. She's done this occasionally in the past, but it's been every morning since my NY trip. Any ideas on how to make it stop?

Tin foil or tape with the sticky side out. 

charlotte989875

That's great, thanks @6fsn

MissKittyDanger

Last night my stir-fry{ish - more burrito bowl rip off } turned out well. I have fried veggies for lunch today.

Stopped by a friend's place last night. Their place is nice but a tad hard to find lmao! Thankful for Google Maps lol It's a townhouse but it's kind of in the back of a bunch and the layout of the area is weird.
Made me envious as they only have a few more boxes to go thru, where as we moved at end of September and STILL have boxes in our basement.

This weekend we're hoping to start going thru them more seriously. I already have one bag full of donation stuff.

This weekend M is hoping to get his work bench at least started wtih the help of his buddy. I told him that since the garage stinks, I'm hoping they'll build it there so the garage door can be opened and aired out.
So gross Garbage and smoke. I nearly gagged grabbing the recycling bin this morning.

mrsconn23

DH is officially going back to day shift (in the next month or so).  Once the kids are back to school, I'll be alone again during the day.  Wahoo!  I'll be happy to be on the same schedule again and have our weekends back.  There are some things I'll miss about 3rd shift, but overall this is a good thing for us. 

MissKittyDanger

Weird question for mama's out there ....

This is the graco 4-ever car seat. Goes from rear facing to booster seat.
$449

http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=125260456

Good deal?

6fsn

I didn't spent $450 combined on car seats for my 8.5 year old. I'm not sure how long before it expires so you may end up needing a booster later too. Also I loved having a bucket seat for newborn stage. 

redwoodoriginal

@MissKittyDanger you're not even pregnant yet, so don't buy things like car seats that have expiration dates. You have no idea how long it could take or what could happen. Also, the removable infant car seat is clutch for the first few months because no one should wake a sleeping baby to take it out of its seat! 

DrillSergeantCat

I sold another piece of furniture last night and got two totes (that H remembered to bring home) packed. My dining room now has only 1 piece of furniture in it and I'm going to pack it up tonight. 

My best friend and her daughter came over to pick up PG's clothes she's outgrown and they stayed about an hour. I don't know why, but Mouse hates them! He cries and won't leave my lap when they're over. 

MissKittyDanger

redwoodoriginal said:

@MissKittyDanger you're not even pregnant yet, so don't buy things like car seats that have expiration dates. You have no idea how long it could take or what could happen. Also, the removable infant car seat is clutch for the first few months because no one should wake a sleeping baby to take it out of its seat! 

Not buying now. Pricing stuff.
Also was looking for a friend since she was looking at them.

mrsconn23

I have probably spent $450 on car seats for DefConn, but we had to have two once he was out of his pumpkin seat.  But I agree with @6fsn, having the infant seat is a lifesaver when they are teensy. 

DrillSergeantCat

MissKittyDanger said:

Weird question for mama's out there ....

This is the graco 4-ever car seat. Goes from rear facing to booster seat.
$449

http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=125260456

Good deal?

No. I got mine at Target for under $300

ILoveBeachMusic

I think it is ridiculous that car seats have expirations dates. Of course, like a bike helmet, they should't be used if they've been in an accident.

MissKittyDanger

6fsn said:

I didn't spent $450 combined on car seats for my 8.5 year old. I'm not sure how long before it expires so you may end up needing a booster later too. Also I loved having a bucket seat for newborn stage. 

This is suppose to last 10yrs - also if I were looking at it for myself {I'm looking for a friend fyi} I was a tiny child and so was M, so likelihood our kid could be tiny.

kvruns

@MissKittyDanger that sounds super expensive to me, though I know your prices are higher.  I feel like similar ones here are more like $300ish depending on sales. There is a lot of debate over using a convertible like that from the beginning vs doing the infant seat and then a convertible. I personally like the infant seat as it is so easy to plop into the car and then into his stroller so I'm using it as long as possible.   Edit: that same seat at Babies R Us here is on sale for $240. That's such a big difference

@DrillSergeantCat yea for totes, finally!  totes magotes lol

southernbelle0915

MissKittyDanger said:

Weird question for mama's out there ....

This is the graco 4-ever car seat. Goes from rear facing to booster seat.
$449

http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=125260456

Good deal?

Personally, I don't think so. We have this convertible car seat ($110):
https://www.amazon.com/Graco-Contender-Convertible-Seat-Glacier/dp/B00PTL2BE8/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1496930581&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=graco+contender+65&th=1

Even when we have to buy a booster seat, we won't need to spend more than $60. So $170 total. $450 seems like a lot. And car seats do expire (10 years I think?). By the time the kid is totally out of a booster seat, you might be pushing that expiration date. 

6fsn

ILoveBeachMusic said:

I think it is ridiculous that car seats have expirations dates. Of course, like a bike helmet, they should't be used if they've been in an accident.

It's plastic sitting in a hot car. hard hats expire too

kvruns

@southernbelle0915 is there anything you don't like about that seat? Is it extra big or bulky? I need to get a convertible in the next few months so I'm keeping my eyes open and that is a good deal

southernbelle0915

Oh and ditto everyone on the infant seat that clicks into a base. Oh my god, I cried when I had to give that up. It's just so easy. In and out of the car in a jif... and, most importantly, they can stay sleeping.

This is the one we had for that...
https://www.amazon.com/Graco-SnugRide-Connect-Infant-Tangerine/dp/B00AHVR1QI?th=1 

southernbelle0915

kvruns said:

@southernbelle0915 is there anything you don't like about that seat? Is it extra big or bulky? I need to get a convertible in the next few months so I'm keeping my eyes open and that is a good deal

Honestly no. I'm a first time mom, so maybe I don't know about great features I'm missing, but we've been using it for 9 months and have had zero complaints. 

It was well reviewed by consumer reports and extremely reasonably priced which is why we bought it.

MissKittyDanger

Ladies you are super helpful! I'm gonna send my friend these links and the advise Also good to know for future reference!

Thanks

kvruns

southernbelle0915 said:

kvruns said:

@southernbelle0915 is there anything you don't like about that seat? Is it extra big or bulky? I need to get a convertible in the next few months so I'm keeping my eyes open and that is a good deal

Honestly no. I'm a first time mom, so maybe I don't know about great features I'm missing, but we've been using it for 9 months and have had zero complaints. 

It was well reviewed by consumer reports and extremely reasonably priced which is why we bought it.

thanks! I know I have to try whatever I get in the car first because while I have an SUV it seems to be short in the length between backseat and front seat so not everything fits (the passenger seat is pretty far up now bc of the infant seat behind it). 

southernbelle0915

kvruns said:

southernbelle0915 said:

kvruns said:

@southernbelle0915 is there anything you don't like about that seat? Is it extra big or bulky? I need to get a convertible in the next few months so I'm keeping my eyes open and that is a good deal

Honestly no. I'm a first time mom, so maybe I don't know about great features I'm missing, but we've been using it for 9 months and have had zero complaints. 

It was well reviewed by consumer reports and extremely reasonably priced which is why we bought it.

thanks! I know I have to try whatever I get in the car first because while I have an SUV it seems to be short in the length between backseat and front seat so not everything fits (the passenger seat is pretty far up now bc of the infant seat behind it). 

So I drive a Buick Encore which is objectively tiny. It's tight but it does fit. Once he turns 2 and we can turn it to forward facing, it won't be such a tight fit. 

DrillSergeantCat

I'm team infant seat, too. It's so much easier to strap baby in inside and then just click the whole thing into the base. That said, do not use it on a shopping cart. It can cause the cart to be front heavy and tip over and can damage the "click" parts which could cause the seat to fail in a collision. Get yourself a baby carrier like an Ergobaby, Lillebaby, Kinderpack, ring sling, etc. The great thing about baby wearing is that your hands are free, people are much less likely to touch baby or get in their face, and the babies usually fall asleep. 

I have the Graco 4-in-1 car seat that Mouse uses and another Graco for PG that also clicks into our stroller. 

Also, check out this video for a better way to carry baby in the infant seat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCI2EsJ-pEY

southernbelle0915

DrillSergeantCat said:

do not use it on a shopping cart.

This makes me laugh because a few months after babybelle was born, I went shopping for thanksgiving. I didn't know you weren't supposed to put the whole infant seat into the shopping cart so I did. I also put in all my groceries. Like you could barely see that there was a baby in there.

It looked like an awful Anne Geddes photo shoot...all surrounded by produce (and bacon, rice, cheese and other groceries)

DrillSergeantCat

southernbelle0915 said:

DrillSergeantCat said:

do not use it on a shopping cart.

This makes me laugh because a few months after babybelle was born, I went shopping for thanksgiving. I didn't know you weren't supposed to put the whole infant seat into the shopping cart so I did. I also put in all my groceries. Like you could barely see that there was a baby in there.

It looked like an awful Anne Geddes photo shoot...all surrounded by produce (and bacon, rice, cheese and other groceries)

That is actually okay. If you're going to take it in, put it in the cart, just not on top like this:

kvruns

Yea I put the whole darn thing in the basket and it takes up the whole thing and once I forgot to pay for something so I had to go back in. 

My grocery also has these things where you can strap the car seat on safely - which is good so you can use the grocery basket but for someone short like me I can barely see over it and have run into things

DrillSergeantCat

I'm short too, so I'd have the same issue. Plus my babies both hated the car seat as infants. I have this and I love it. PG is too little to back carry, but she loves being worn.