In a weird mood.

I have some issues festering in my brain right now. Im not going to vent about them for the most part right because I need time to let these "feelings" cool down or else I will sound like a self righteous nazi! lol. But I will say this... nothing in life is "free". Someone else is always footing the bill somewhere. Financially, Emotionally, Physically...etc.

Okay enough of that.

So I submitted my maternity leave plans to work today. I am requesting 12 weeks (60 working days) off starting on the first business day I miss when she is born. I am *HOPING* she is born on May 10th because thats an easy date to remember and is convienent for me (leave wise).

If she is born on Monday May 10th, 2010 then that will be the first day of work I miss and thus start my 12 weeks of leave (assuming they approved all 12 weeks lol).

It should go something like this:

5-10 to 5-14 (processing period/no pay)
5-17 to 5-21 (55% from CA)
5-24 to 5-28 (55% from CA)
5-31 to 6-04 (55% from CA + 5% STG)
6-07 to 6-11 (55% from CA + 5% STG)
6-14 to 6-18 (55% from CA + 5% STG)
6-21 to 6-25 (55% from CA + 5% STG)
6-28 to 7-02 (60% STG)
7-05 to 7-09 (60% STG)
7-12 to 7-16 (leave without pay)
7-19 to 7-23 (leave without pay)
7-26 to 7-30 (leave without pay)

Monday 8-02-10 start back to work.

The percentages on the right are how much disability I will be recieving. It comes out to like $500 a week or something. So huge pay cut... but Ill be home with the baby so its not like that big of a deal lol.
The only major bills that I have are my car payment, my insurance payment, and my credit card payment. Well, credit cards are all at a ZERO balance so that wont be an issue. My car payment is actually onyl $180 a month because I have been double paying it since I found out I was pregnant. So I will need to have money to pay 4 car payments (3 while I am actually ON maternity leave and then 1 for when I return to work but wont get a paycheck in time for). Well, I already have money set aside for those payments so thats not a worry. I also will need to have 3 weeks work of daycare set aside because I will go back to work on the 2nd but wont get paid until the 25th. So thats taken care of too. Especially with the disability pay and savings. As for car insurance, I pay it 6 months at a time and so April I will pay the $600 for the next 6 months so that wont even be an issue either lol.

So that aspect should be set. Just keep our fingers crossed that they approve all 60 days lol. I think they were exepcting 6-8 weeks for my request lol. We shall see how they handle that...

We are also getting pretty close to set on "stuff" for the baby.
We will be buying the BOB revolution in late April.
I am buying the infant seat and bases on the 25th of this month.
I will also be buying the bouncer and swing on the 25th (after all my showers just incase someone splurges on one of those "bigger" items.)

Wanna see which ones we are getting??

This is the BOB Stroller (Black so we can use it with either gender in the future)
This is the bouncer I am gonna go get. Its only $30 at walmart and its super cute so I dont care if its not gender neutral because I can always buy a different $30 bouncer if a boy comes our way some day lol.
This is the car seat. I FREAKING LOVE IT! There was a pink and brown one but this one matches her room and it just happens to be my favorite colors lol. Ive done SO MUCH research on car seats and decided that we would be going with the Graco Snugride 35 because it rear faces up to 32 inches and 35 pounds. It has amazing reviews and its priced very reasonably for the "grade" of carseat that it is. I am also getting an extra base for Davids car so we just have to snap the seat in regardless of which car we drive.

YAY! Time is ticking but I really feel ready. Im just glad that we took it upon ourselves to plan on getting everything we need so that we arent waiting around hoping money pops up or someone to gift it. Its kind of liberating. haha. "IM CASSANDRA, AND I BOUGHT MY BABIES CRAP" lol. Not quite as motivational as the army comercials... but still.

We can do this :) We are going to be parents.
We are going to provide for our children.
We are going in it for the long haul!