Between the two of them....

[Midnight12]

I want to beat someone. I have no one to rant to, have tried all day to calm down enough to talk to someone in a somewhat coherent manner....no use, things just keep coming up and little annoyances keep happening.
I suppose on any day it'd be no problem, but being an expectant mother it doesn't sit well with me.

This morning a list of chores was left by dad in law with no warning. Ok fine no big deal, would have liked it if he sat down and spoke with us about it the night before. I let it go as its things to do to get my walking in, and some exercise in without going overboard.
The next issue was that I'd asked hubby a day ago to set aside a morning to help me re-learn the carseat so that when the baby does come its no problem to get the seat ready. This morning was picked, I told him twice I'm getting ready to go play with the carseat can you come help....nope. the computer and tv are more important. No problem I figured it out myself. HOWEVER the van is so old of a model it doesn't have the proper seat latches or anchors for the baby seat base to latch onto.. got a bit upset about that because its just another thing to add to the list of reasons why we need a new car. That in of itself is another rant. Tried really hard to just let that go and chill out.

Tried to chill out by using the laptop and reinstall sims 2...so far so good. EXCEPT hubby powered down the laptop by holding the power button then wonders why i got on his case about not doing that because WE JUST had it fixed don't screw it again! Spent about two hours reinstalling and goofing around with the game....which then freezes. ok no problem exit out restart.
three times it freezes so i figure just uninstall and reinstall...after I find another way to calm down.

Let me say when I say calm down I don't mean I just flew into a rage over these things I mean got angry enough - slightly annoyed and wanting to hit something but don't - to want to stomp off. However it makes my head hurt and my heart beat fast. Bad in the sense i HAVE to sit down or get super dizzy.

Sign on to read while waiting for dad in law to get home to help with carseat base while hubby sleeps before having to get up for night shift.
Being the manly "i got this I dun need no manual" person that he is he believes he has it figured. Dad in law upon stating oh this is like sis in law's seat fubars the base, puts it in wrong and it still doesn't look right. The base is not secured tightly enough it can be raised enough that a tap on the brakes will move it.

At this point I kept stating each time he mentioned "this is like sis in laws car seat" that NO its not, that carseat is a sitting upright facing the front of the car for a toddler or older. THIS is an infant to near toddler seat and DOESN'T GO THAT WAY. All in a calm tone. Not wanting to get an attitude I just let him finish and now the base is just....scratched to hell from his efforts still ok but...its going to take more effort to get it out from the seat to redo it than i can handle....

I'm sorry I had to rant and I know, nothing to really get upset over. But to me it is a big deal if I'm crying for the first time in my pregnancy. Not crying for no reason which hasn't happened either. And i'm two months away from being due....
Well it would be if hubby hasn't kept putting things off and putting things off and putting things off. I'm well into the nesting phase and just want to dunk everything in sanitizer and boot people to the head for no reason.
SO tomorrow we go to the fire department or police officers to have them help me figure out the carseat or be told the car seat is too old a model it won't work.

[Shpepper]

When you go and see the police or fire department, if they tell you that you need to replace the seat, ask them where you can get help with that. Sometimes, they will have carseats that they give away. BRAND NEW ONES ! ! ! That have been donated and are given away to people who need them. Plus they will install it correctly. You might want to call first though because the person trained in how to install car seats might have specific days that they do it.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I was going to suggest you go to the police or fire department and have them check it. But you've already got that covered, so I'll just send virtual hugs.

[Midnight12]

Thankies for the hugs. I should have specified its not the carseat that is bad. Its the fact that the van is over 20 years old as in 1989 Safari something. Which means the model and seat design is out of date or specifically does not have the anchor ports (whatever the term is) for the current car seat I have. IE cannot properly secure the seat or at least not enough to be close to ok with it.
http://www.travelbc.bc.ca/cms_images..._Safari_LB.jpg (that exact color too)
only without the top railing, chipped paint, and generally worse off and falling apart, the passenger side door has to be opened from the inside and the sliding door often has to be jimmied open yeah. no don't feel comfortable placing any kid in there at all just because of the doors getting stuck.

[Evil Queen]

Gah, my poor dear. Have some cookies. You'll feel better.

Chocolate chocolate chip.

[FuzzyKitten99]

You can use a car seat base in a car without anchors-my ex-hubby & I had a 92 Cadillac Seville that didn't have anchors that we used our youngest son's seat in. The instruction manual should show you, but generally most rear-facing car seats I have encountered (as my years as a mom of two and 2.5 years of licensed childcare and being oldest of 6 kids and 20-some cousins, lol, have given me experience with car seats in all types of vehicles) just slide/weave the seatbelt through the two holes in the part of the base that faces the seat (ugh, hard to explain without physically showing you) and you pull the seatbelt as tight as humanly possible, then put the seat itself in.

However if you still have issues with the base, you can use the car seat without the base-I used to all the time. The way it looks when installed that way doesn't look safe, especially to a first-time mom, but I assure you it will hold in an accident, even a rollover, as long as the belt is pulled tight enough.

The FD or PD will show you how anyway.

[BarbieGirl]

You can use a car seat base in a car without anchors-my ex-hubby & I had a 92 Cadillac Seville that didn't have anchors that we used our youngest son's seat in. The instruction manual should show you, but generally most rear-facing car seats I have encountered (as my years as a mom of two and 2.5 years of licensed childcare and being oldest of 6 kids and 20-some cousins, lol, have given me experience with car seats in all types of vehicles) just slide/weave the seatbelt through the two holes in the part of the base that faces the seat (ugh, hard to explain without physically showing you) and you pull the seatbelt as tight as humanly possible, then put the seat itself in.

However if you still have issues with the base, you can use the car seat without the base-I used to all the time. The way it looks when installed that way doesn't look safe, especially to a first-time mom, but I assure you it will hold in an accident, even a rollover, as long as the belt is pulled tight enough.

The FD or PD will show you how anyway.

Along with this, Babies r us or Target sell the little belt clips that you use to hold the seat belt taut locking clip

Most car seats should come with this, there is a little nook on the back of the seat or bottom of the base to store it, so you might check to see if you've got one. But they aren't to expensive to replace if need be.

[FuzzyKitten99]

oh, and welcome to the 7-month stretch, lol!

[Midnight12]

Along with this, Babies r us or Target sell the little belt clips that you use to hold the seat belt taut locking clip

Thank you for the advice BarbieGirl and FuzzyKitten! :-)

DOH. I knew we should have held onto that piece. The carseat was a gift that my friend used with her son, she had to remove the covering to wash it one day. and just put the locking piece somewhere. So yeah I didn't think of that. Had to get a manual printed from online as the one she did have was in Spanish. Weird but easily figured out.

Went to the sherifs office today, they said the seat is latched and held down as good as it can be considering the car model. however we can tie it down in the front so when the driver brakes the car base and seat don't come up at all. With the handle pulled down in front I can tie it down using the triangle hole as leverage. Just being a first time mom makes me really realllllly paranoid. Mostly because I'm not the one driving either. (can't fit in the seat or move the steering wheel to sit comfortably anymore)
I feel really dumb now.

(car seat http://www.babytrend.com/car_seats_flex-loc/6364B.html )

[Shpepper]

Please don't ever feel dumb for wanting to be the best mom you can. I think it's great that you are getting all prepared now and not waiting for the last minute.

Remember too, you are mom and what you say goes. I don't care who else it is, you are mom and you RULE.

[Midnight12]

Please don't ever feel dumb for wanting to be the best mom you can. I think it's great that you are getting all prepared now and not waiting for the last minute.

Remember too, you are mom and what you say goes. I don't care who else it is, you are mom and you RULE.

oh great now I have to avoid going on a power trip LOL
I believe most of my paranoia's with my impending child come from watching my friend freak out over some things with her son while helping raise him

[Megg]

I understand where you are coming from. I never knew there were so many maniacs on the road until I was coming home from the hospital with my little girl. If the police say it is the best it can be, well they are the experts. Also trust your instincts, though. In your heart you know what's best for you and baby, no matter what anyone thinks.

Good luck, and you aren't alone. Just try to stay as calm as possible, you stressing = baby stressing. Maybe we should send you a stuffed salmon for the honey.

[Shpepper]

Power trip away. At least for awhile, you can blame it on hormones and maybe by the time that they go back to some semblance of normal, things will be the way you want them.