Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Expanding our life

Well yesterday we made the first step toward acknowledging the fact that our family is going to be doubling in size in a nine month period.

We bought a double stroller.

I just happened to be on Craig'slist and someone on base was selling a double stroller in our light green color for $50. It was in excellent condition -- didn't even look like it had been used --and so I decided to take her up on the offer.

Of course, in order to get it home, we had to leave our trunk open. The double stroller won't fit in on our Saturn. Either will a second car seat.

This has meant that we have had to begin a search for a second vehicle. JB and I haven't been car shopping since the first year we were married -- when we bought this tiny little Saturn we are driving now. That was ten years ago. The Saturn has been extremely faithful to us -- taking us to nearly all of the Continental United States including an east coast and west coast trip of 5,000 miles each. But it is very small. It is so small that we are not sure how I will be able to get Isaac's car seat in and out of the backseat when I am significantly pregnant. It would take some special skills, that's for sure because getting Isaac's car seat in and out right requires some interesting twists and turns to achieve.

I really dislike grown-up decisions. Like, really, really dislike them. How do you decide what vehicle to buy? We have always said we will not take on a car payment, and while we may have to take on a small one, we have made the decision we will not buy anything remotely resembling new. But how "old" do you go? There is a place on base where people sell their old vehicles. Yesterday we drove a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer. I LOVED it! Not only was it not a mini-van (I really don't want a mini-van) but it had incredible leg room, a 3rd row (which is mandatory since we most likely will have 3 children under 3 in just 2 years), a DVD player, rear air (very helpful when your little son overheats in mere seconds), and a host of other wonderful features. Scrubs would be able to take trips with us again as well. But should we go older and cheaper? Or go newer and more reliable?

I don't think we need advice as much as we could just use you prayers that we make the wisest decision we can make. I know people buy vehicles everyday. We just haven't bought one in a decade. (Well, unless you count my bucket which we purchased from friends for $500, could fit about nineteen of my athletes in it at one time, and I sold four years later to a student for $500.) Okay so it didn't have heat or air, and I had to drive it in the winter with my head out the window because the defroster wouldn't kick on. Oh yeah and sometimes the hood flew up while I was driving too. That was interesting. But, hey, it was $500, and it made the 3 mile commute back and forth to my Kentucky high school each day without incident. Well, unless you count the time it ran out of gas in the middle of an intersection right before school started. (The gas gauge didn't work either.)

On the topic of adding to our brood, as of Sunday, I am ten weeks pregnant, and nearing the end of trimester one. I've never been pregnant before, so I don't have much, well anything, except my friends' pregnancies, to compare my own pregnancy to. I have got a good case of nausea and food aversions, but most days they are pretty manageable. JB has informed me that I can worry later in pregnancy about eating healthy and right now, my priority is to find something that I can eat. My list of can's is pretty small but right now it includes: toaster streudels which I haven't eaten, like ever in my life. I can also eat Cinnamon life, bananas (on occasion), trail mix, sprite, and other foods as the spirit moves. Last night JB went and got Greek for dinner (it was the only thing that sounded good), and I ate it during the Bachelorette finale (I know. I'm horrible. Can you believe Jesse won?!) My fatigue seems to be dissipating some which is probably a combination of pregnancy and Isaac sleeping through the night about 50% of the time. If he doesn't make it through the night, he only wakes up once, around 2-3am.

I don't look pregnant so sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind me it is real. If it wasn't for the nausea, I don't think I would even believe it. I have decided (well, JB helped me decide) to give up running. So each evening, after it starts getting a bit cooler, Scrubs and I go for a long walk. We tried to take Isaac one night, but the kid, seriously, overheats in a few seconds and gets pretty upset and wants to return to the air conditioning immediately. He is definitely his father's son. So instead, Scrubby and I walk for exercise, and I really enjoy the quiet time with just me and my pup, who has become a pretty good leash-walker if I do say so myself.

My first OB is appointment is tomorrow. Then on Friday Isaac has his two month appointment, and I have my first real ultrasound on the same day. That's sort of weird huh? I'll make sure to update you after these appointments on our little growing boy and our little growing belly baby.

P.S. Oh and JB said that Isaac giggled last night while he was changing him. His first laugh! JB saw it. I missed it!

16 comments:

Aimee said...

Wendi~
Having bought three brand new cars in my lifetime thus far and having had four beater cars, I am going to offer a small piece of advice.
Don't buy new, which I know you already decided, but get what they call a Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle. This means you don't lose 25% value five minutes after signing papers, yet the car still has a warranty and is in good condiation as far as mileage and looks. Obviously in Florida, you have no choice but to have AC and something else I would recommend is cruise control. I wouldn't go with anything older than a 2004 personally. Just my two cents. Good luck in the search and I totally feel ya on the minivan option. Hope you can find an SUV that is more your style.
Oh, one other thing, if you can possibly manage it and you don't have an aversion to foreign cars(which by the way are now made in the USA oddly enough!), get a Honda or Toyota. I have had two Honda's now and absolutely adore them. My brother has one with over 300K miles on it and it still passes smog in California!
Good luck!

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you got such a good deal on a double stroller! And even the right color, how cool! Can't wait to hear about your doctor's appointments! = 0)

Suzanna Catherine said...

Being the old fuddy-duddy that I am, I've had everything from a 1951 Studebaker (it was my high school car back in the early 60s) to a *brand new* 1999 Saturn L1 (my newest new car and still going strong).

I can't improve on anything aimee said. CPO cars are really great. My mom has had a couple of them. Toyotas. She swears by Toyotas. My cousin loves Hondas. Ususally, you can't go wrong with either.

Good luck and I'll be saying a little prayer for just the *right* vehicle to come into your life!

Aimee said...

I thought of something else one in Florida should beware of, flooded out cars. Do a CARFAX report on whatever you are contemplating to be sure you aren't getting a refurbished flooded out car. All sorts of problems to deal with and none fun. In hurricane country, its a big problem, so buyer beware.

Anonymous said...

2 words: gas mileage

Wendi Kitsteiner said...

Gas mileage isn't that important to us, honestly. We don't drive the vehicle much. We just need a vehicle. And when your vehicle is big, mileage is bad. There's no way to fix that.

AW said...

(Well, unless you count my bucket which we purchased from friends for $500, could fit about nineteen of my athletes in it at one time, and I sold four years later to a student for $500.) Okay so it didn't have heat or air, and I had to drive it in the winter with my head out the window because the defroster wouldn't kick on. Oh yeah and sometimes the hood flew up while I was driving too. That was interesting. But, hey, it was $500, and it made the 3 mile commute back and forth to my Kentucky high school each day without incident. Well, unless you count the time it ran out of gas in the middle of an intersection right before school started. (The gas gauge didn't work either.)

Wendi, I think you are the most positive person I have ever met. Anyone that has the patience to deal with a vehicle like this should be canonized. LOL!

AW said...

Oh...I've always been anti-mini-van mom. Until I saw my SIL's Honda Oddysey. Check into it. You don't have to commit. But take a look. I was impressed for a mini-van. There is something to be said for the newer mini-vans...they aren't what we grew up with.

Anonymous said...

Hey Wendi,
we have had our Honda CRV for over 4 years with over 132,000 on it now, it is too small for any more than 2 kids, but I would choose the next step up which is the Honda Pilot. It seats 7 and is very roomy probably like the Trailblazer. But it's a Honda, so I am biased, I love Honda's. You could probably get a great used one.
I am NOT a min-van mom either, I will Never own one!
Kathleen

Anonymous said...

I have 2 small kids (2 carseats) and an Envoy, very comparable to the Trail Blazer. Love it, has the room we need... we have a large dog also that fits in the back comfortably :)

Anonymous said...

i think mini-vans are cool, wendi! :-) soccer mom style! you'd be hot!

Amy T. S. said...

I know you said you didn't need advice, but I'm giving you some. Nobody else followed your instructions, so why should I? ;o)

Until you get a new car here's what you do to load Isaac. Put his car seat on the seat and squeeze in next to it. Then, while sitting, snap the seat in (if it's an infant seat.) I had to do this while loading BB while very pregnant.

We bought a minivan three days after a miserable Thanksgiving road trip. Miserable, I tell you! It's a Toyota, previously a rental car.

TAV said...

"when I am significantly pregnant..." It's so awesome to hear those words from you!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to hear all about your OB appts and see your baby belly when it pops up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on your pregnancy! Awesome!

I've always been a "car person." In my pre-kid years, I tooled around in a fully-loaded electric blue turbo new VW Beetle. Being hip while driving has always been important to me!!!

So it's no surprise that when I needed to trade in my Beetle for a kid-friendly vehicle, I simply refused to even look at a mini van! So I bought an SUV. It was a nice car, no doubt. But after about a year with that, I decided to trade it in on... yes, a mini van.

I must admit, other than my VW Beetle, it's my favorite vehicle ever. It rides great, there's loads of room, its built-in shades can pull up over the passenger windows (great for baby), and the dual sliding passenger doors make reaching in to unbuckle kids and carseats a breeze.

And an added bonus.... Because mini-vans are generally lower than larger SUVs, a child as young as 2 or 3 can climb into the car and crawl into the carseat themselves. All you have to do is buckle them in! Believe me, you'll cherish the early self-sufficiency--especially with two (or more) kids! :^)

Wendi Kitsteiner said...

Amy, this car we have is really, itty bitty, I can't fit in the seat with the car seat in if the carseat is in the middle. I can barely fit my rear in it right now if I have to ride in the back. I have to buckle before I shut the door. :(

Anonymous said...

Wen-
I FINALLY got a new computer and internet. I am now officially a member of 21st-century humanity! Of course, one of the first things I did was go to your blog... The Bucket blog (I went back to ready it) had me laughing so hard I literally CRIED! You are too much!

And yaaaay 11 weeks!! I actually find myself just randomly thinking about you and saying out loud - "Wendi is pregnant!" It's like a little personal celebration every time the thought crosses my mind.

I love you guys so much. And I really, really hope I get to see you "significantly pregnant". I'll have to make a point to come down to Elgin BEFORE baby #2 arrives.

Hugs and Kisses,

Nicole