Well, the dust has settled around here. The layoff was scary and the timing certainly sucks, but there's never a good time to get laid off! One of the upsides of both of us working is that the other's income is a safety net of sorts.
By a stroke of luck, Mark's unemployment amount was boosted because the state department of labor uses specific quarters of income to calculate the amount - the two quarters used happened to be one in which he got his semi-annual bonus and then the other was one where he worked a lot of overtime. That was certainly a nice surprise and every little bit helps. Of course it's not what he was making before but when you subtract his high commuting expenses, premiums for insurance, his substantial 401k contribution, etc. it definitely gives us some extra breathing room in the budget while he hunts for a new job.
We're going to switch to my company's insurance plan. It sucks to have to switch mid-pregnancy and the premiums are around twice as much for a plan with higher co-pays and out of pocket max, but we would have had to re-meet a deductible for the new plan year regardless. We will likely switch to the high deductible with HSA plan for 2014 because my company's made some enhancements (especially for prescription drug coverage on the HD w/HSA) but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. So Wiggle's birth will cost us more out of pocket than we planned, but there's not a whole lot we can do about that besides expect to get on a payment plan with the hospital.
There were layoffs at my workplace a week after. That was a scary morning for me until it was clear that "the action" was complete. Between some retirements and the layoffs we had a 10% headcount reduction. It may not seem like a lot and I was pretty sure I'd be safe (this time) but it's still unnerving as hell to go through that - especially right after your spouse gets laid off.
So yeah. The situation sucks, but bitching and dwelling on it gets us nowhere positive. Mark is pretty confident he'll be able to find a new job in the coming months and I'm going to make a major reversal to my usual way of thinking and be optimistic that he's right.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
A no good, horrible, very bad day
Well, kids - if you're keeping track at home we're now two for two on my husband getting laid off while I'm pregnant. It's like some sort of sick cosmic joke.
I knew something was wrong when I got home and his car was in the driveway. I got Lily in the door and asked, "Are you sick?" and when he said no, I knew. All of the expected platitudes were offered: they're very sorry, they told him to apply for unemployment immediately, his supervisor is offering a great reference. Still, there's a lot of sadness and anger over the loss of a job he liked and was good at, through no fault of his own, and while I'm almost halfway through a second pregnancy. What was a very happy and exciting thing that we were looking forward to is now our biggest source of stress.
Our first concern is health insurance. Thankfully all of us are usually pretty healthy and if I wasn't pregnant we'd just switch to my employer's coverage, which costs more in premiums but is overall not a bad plan. With the baby due in 5 months, though, we have significant upcoming medical expenses to worry about that we'd never have otherwise. Mark's now former employer provided better coverage for half the premium cost and we were already well on our way to meeting the deductible thanks to some lab work I had last week. My available coverage has an out of pocket max nearly two times higher and with higher copays. We could COBRA through my pregnancy and the delivery, but it will likely cost a fortune to do so. We'll get the numbers today to plug into an Excel spreadsheet but it's likely that we'll switch to my employer's coverage and accept that when the baby's born we'll need to get on a payment plan with the hospital. Still, we will have insurance and my doctor and hospital are in-network with both insurers. We may just be paying the hospital back for the birth until this kid is two (which we did with Lily and can do again).
Then there's the issue of child care. With just Lily to worry about we'd be fine indefinitely with my income and his unemployment covering all of our bills, and with relatively little change to our lifestyle. But we're in the situation of needing two full time incomes to afford childcare, but not being able to afford to get by long-term on my income alone. So come August or so if Mark doesn't have a comparable salary coming in, he'll have to stay home with the baby while looking for work. We can't take Lily out of her daycare - she loves it and thrives there with her friends and caring teachers.
Thankfully we don't need to buy much for the baby. We were going to upgrade our infant car seat to the 30 pound model and get a stroller frame to use rather than the behemoth travel system stroller, but we don't need to do that. We have a crib, bedding, swing, bouncer, toys, etc. If it's a girl we'll be more than all set for clothes and if it's a boy, Once Upon A Child and hand-me-downs will keep him clothed enough. Mark got frustrated with me and said we should still get what we think we need to get, but I'd rather save the money in case this is a prolonged state of unemployment.
What has me most irrationally panicked now is the fear that my pregnancy and maternity leave will make me expendable to my employer. I'm back in the position of being primary breadwinner at a time when there's threatened downsizing on the horizon and I know I'll be out of the office for at least 2 months this summer. Emotionally I don't even know how to handle that fear so it's probably best to not let it enter my head right now. I keep telling myself that even in an absolute worst case scenario we will not wind up hungry and on the streets because we have family who would take us in.
If Mark's out of work much past April, it will mean we won't be able to save up so I can take unpaid leave when the baby comes. We were counting on saving more money and getting a fairly large lump sum from his expected bonus in March, but now that won't be happening. So I'll get my 6 weeks of disability and 2 weeks of dependent care days and maybe use a week of vacation and that will probably be it. I was so looking forward to my 16 weeks this time but if it's not meant to be, I'll deal with it.
Mark says that my only responsibilities right now are to go to work and kick ass, and take care of my health and the baby's. It's on him to keep the house running and to handle a time-critical job hunt in this abysmal job market. We have to try to keep things as normal and stress-free as possible for Lily's sake. I'm so grateful for his strength and support in a situation which is so emotionally difficult, especially for him. I pretty much lost it in a hormonal mess!
This sucks. Right when we think we can relax a little, that life is finally going our way, we get kicked down again.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Christmas Vacation
Still feeling pretty sick and tired. At 15.5 weeks, that second trimester rebound can start ANY time now! In the last few days I've been able to take less Zofran but that may be because I'm home on vacation until January 2nd and Lily is in daycare, so my days are pretty relaxed. I'm able to nap if I want to. It's a good thing.
We had a fairly low key Christmas around these parts. The tragedy in Newtown put a bit of a damper on festive holiday spirits, plus I really haven't been up to my usual degree of decorating and holiday preparation. Our tree got lights but no ornaments and the rest of our seasonal decor. I was pleased that I managed to sew a pair of special Christmas pajamas for Lily (I ran out of time to sew the matching PJ pants for Mark and me, though). I don't have a picture of them but will take one when I do laundry.
I'm doing some little crafting things in my remaining time off work. Lily likes to kick her sheet and blanket off while she sleeps and I've been saying that she needs a sleep sack with holes for feet to help keep her warm overnight - enter a McCall's pattern that I picked up for 99 cents during a sale six months ago. It has sizes that range from ~6-9 months up to 4. I sewed size 2 for Lily and it's HUGE on her but I'm very pleased with how it turned out. It has a separating zipper and knit ankle cuffs; I could have added sleeves but chose not to for the first one. It was a lot less expensive than buying a toddler sleep sack and I was able to pick a pretty fleece print. Excuse my floor; I didn't sweep it after my sewing afternoon!
I've also made lotion bars - they look like bars of soap but when you rub them (dry) on your skin, they melt slightly and moisturize. They're supposed to be great for eczema (which Lily has had since she was a baby) and for grown-ups' dry winter skin. It's super easy - equal parts by weight of coconut oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax, melted in a double boiler with essential oils mixed in, then poured into molds to cool. I used some silicone muffin liners because I don't have a fancy soap mold and they turned out really nicely. I put one in each bathroom in a little dish so I can moisturize my hands after washing them. Lily likes using them too.
In-progress is my first attempt at homemade hair clips. All you need is ribbon and a hot glue gun, but there's a definite learning curve - especially to sealing the ribbon ends so they don't fray. Lily's way into bows and clips right now so hopefully I'll figure it out soon.
We had a fairly low key Christmas around these parts. The tragedy in Newtown put a bit of a damper on festive holiday spirits, plus I really haven't been up to my usual degree of decorating and holiday preparation. Our tree got lights but no ornaments and the rest of our seasonal decor. I was pleased that I managed to sew a pair of special Christmas pajamas for Lily (I ran out of time to sew the matching PJ pants for Mark and me, though). I don't have a picture of them but will take one when I do laundry.
I'm doing some little crafting things in my remaining time off work. Lily likes to kick her sheet and blanket off while she sleeps and I've been saying that she needs a sleep sack with holes for feet to help keep her warm overnight - enter a McCall's pattern that I picked up for 99 cents during a sale six months ago. It has sizes that range from ~6-9 months up to 4. I sewed size 2 for Lily and it's HUGE on her but I'm very pleased with how it turned out. It has a separating zipper and knit ankle cuffs; I could have added sleeves but chose not to for the first one. It was a lot less expensive than buying a toddler sleep sack and I was able to pick a pretty fleece print. Excuse my floor; I didn't sweep it after my sewing afternoon!
I've also made lotion bars - they look like bars of soap but when you rub them (dry) on your skin, they melt slightly and moisturize. They're supposed to be great for eczema (which Lily has had since she was a baby) and for grown-ups' dry winter skin. It's super easy - equal parts by weight of coconut oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax, melted in a double boiler with essential oils mixed in, then poured into molds to cool. I used some silicone muffin liners because I don't have a fancy soap mold and they turned out really nicely. I put one in each bathroom in a little dish so I can moisturize my hands after washing them. Lily likes using them too.
In-progress is my first attempt at homemade hair clips. All you need is ribbon and a hot glue gun, but there's a definite learning curve - especially to sealing the ribbon ends so they don't fray. Lily's way into bows and clips right now so hopefully I'll figure it out soon.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Laying low
I've been keeping a low profile because I've been busy gestating! Lily will become a big sister in mid-June.
Pregnancy is different after the first baby. The first time around I could get home from work and collapse on the couch and have a Lean Cuisine for dinner if I ate at all - now there's an active 2 year old to take care of. Mark's work schedule makes it more stressful since I handle the parenting solo four weeknights and all day Saturday. He takes over on Sundays and on Monday evening so I can get a little break but many nights I'd get Lily home from daycare, throw up, cook chicken nuggets or mac & cheese for us, and then let her watch Sesame Street or Signing Time. I'd get her in bed and then wind up on the couch where I inevitably fell asleep by 8 PM, only to be woken up when Mark got home - and then I'd be asleep in bed within a half hour! The house's level of cleanliness was getting shameful and none of us were eating nutritious foods for a while there. The fatigue situation is still pretty significant but is slowly improving. I have pretty severe nausea again, actually worse than when I was pregnant with Lily. Thankfully my OB got me on Zofran at my first prenatal visit. It doesn't take the nausea away totally, but it does take the edge off and reduces vomiting (I went from 3+ times a day down to once and sometimes none).
I admit that I sucked at work in various degrees from around 6 weeks until, well, now. On many occasions I abruptly left a meeting to go throw up and I dozed off at my desk more than once. I spent numerous afternoons sitting at my desk clenching my jaw and concentrating on NOT hurling. Once we got Zofran on board I found myself a lot more able to get work done and be productive. I also needed to avoid spending time in the lab and at our test facility unless really necessary due to the presence of radiation sources and potentially teratogenic chemicals. While the radiation sources are very safely shielded and I don't use the really nasty chemicals I still prefer to not even go near any of it during my first trimester. Just like last time I haven't told anyone at the office and so it's taken some creative pawning-off of work onto others. I've ended up calling out sick or going home early a few times because I felt so crummy. I think some of my colleagues have become suspicious (probably since I've been in maternity pants since 10 weeks and have now started maternity tops because they're actually long enough to cover the panel). I plan to tell my boss in the next week and then whoever finds out will find out.
Things with dates were a little weird but worked out in our favor. I went for my first OB appointment at what we thought was 8 weeks 4 days and found out I was actually 9 weeks 2 days. While my dates were solid, my cycle is shorter now than it used to be and I must have ovulated early because the baby was measuring big, and I wasn't going to say no to fast-forwarding five days! I had my NT scan earlier this week and the maternal fetal medicine doctor measured the kiddo right on schedule with the new due date so we're sticking with it.
Early/mid October was full of some crazy emotional stuff for us and our families. First, Mark's dad's companion of 10+ years passed away after a hard fight with cancer. I found out I was pregnant 10 minutes before leaving to go to her wake. Saying goodbye to someone who had been a de facto mother-in-law and a grandmother figure to our daughter was very difficult. At exactly 4 weeks (since LMP) my maternal grandmother passed away. While we were not close, my parents flew to Michigan for the funeral, leaving their dog with us. And a week after we found out about the pregnancy I developed a major infection around my dental implant which prompted a trip to the emergency dental clinic (and a call to my OB to find out what the heck was safe to do/prescribe) and several visits to my own dentist, including two weeks on pretty large doses of amoxicillin. Because of all of the upheaval and craziness I was terrified that something would go wrong with the pregnancy - I don't know why, it just felt like we were waiting for the other shoe to drop. Fortunately I've had no signs of a problem and have had two ultrasounds now which show everything looking great with the baby.
Pregnancy is different after the first baby. The first time around I could get home from work and collapse on the couch and have a Lean Cuisine for dinner if I ate at all - now there's an active 2 year old to take care of. Mark's work schedule makes it more stressful since I handle the parenting solo four weeknights and all day Saturday. He takes over on Sundays and on Monday evening so I can get a little break but many nights I'd get Lily home from daycare, throw up, cook chicken nuggets or mac & cheese for us, and then let her watch Sesame Street or Signing Time. I'd get her in bed and then wind up on the couch where I inevitably fell asleep by 8 PM, only to be woken up when Mark got home - and then I'd be asleep in bed within a half hour! The house's level of cleanliness was getting shameful and none of us were eating nutritious foods for a while there. The fatigue situation is still pretty significant but is slowly improving. I have pretty severe nausea again, actually worse than when I was pregnant with Lily. Thankfully my OB got me on Zofran at my first prenatal visit. It doesn't take the nausea away totally, but it does take the edge off and reduces vomiting (I went from 3+ times a day down to once and sometimes none).
I admit that I sucked at work in various degrees from around 6 weeks until, well, now. On many occasions I abruptly left a meeting to go throw up and I dozed off at my desk more than once. I spent numerous afternoons sitting at my desk clenching my jaw and concentrating on NOT hurling. Once we got Zofran on board I found myself a lot more able to get work done and be productive. I also needed to avoid spending time in the lab and at our test facility unless really necessary due to the presence of radiation sources and potentially teratogenic chemicals. While the radiation sources are very safely shielded and I don't use the really nasty chemicals I still prefer to not even go near any of it during my first trimester. Just like last time I haven't told anyone at the office and so it's taken some creative pawning-off of work onto others. I've ended up calling out sick or going home early a few times because I felt so crummy. I think some of my colleagues have become suspicious (probably since I've been in maternity pants since 10 weeks and have now started maternity tops because they're actually long enough to cover the panel). I plan to tell my boss in the next week and then whoever finds out will find out.
Things with dates were a little weird but worked out in our favor. I went for my first OB appointment at what we thought was 8 weeks 4 days and found out I was actually 9 weeks 2 days. While my dates were solid, my cycle is shorter now than it used to be and I must have ovulated early because the baby was measuring big, and I wasn't going to say no to fast-forwarding five days! I had my NT scan earlier this week and the maternal fetal medicine doctor measured the kiddo right on schedule with the new due date so we're sticking with it.
Early/mid October was full of some crazy emotional stuff for us and our families. First, Mark's dad's companion of 10+ years passed away after a hard fight with cancer. I found out I was pregnant 10 minutes before leaving to go to her wake. Saying goodbye to someone who had been a de facto mother-in-law and a grandmother figure to our daughter was very difficult. At exactly 4 weeks (since LMP) my maternal grandmother passed away. While we were not close, my parents flew to Michigan for the funeral, leaving their dog with us. And a week after we found out about the pregnancy I developed a major infection around my dental implant which prompted a trip to the emergency dental clinic (and a call to my OB to find out what the heck was safe to do/prescribe) and several visits to my own dentist, including two weeks on pretty large doses of amoxicillin. Because of all of the upheaval and craziness I was terrified that something would go wrong with the pregnancy - I don't know why, it just felt like we were waiting for the other shoe to drop. Fortunately I've had no signs of a problem and have had two ultrasounds now which show everything looking great with the baby.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Another slow cooker recipe...
Because I'm too darned tired to come up with anything more significant!
I've taken to making this homemade applesauce with some frequency - it was great when I ate fairly strict paleo, because there's no need to add any sugar. I tend to buy a large bag of Pink Lady or Macoun apples at BJ's and just go to town. You can get fancy and mix apple varieties or add a few pears to add some depth of flavor, though!
Slow Cooker Applesauce
4 pounds of apples (or an apple/pear combo), peeled and cored
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick or a generous sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove cinnamon stick (if used). After cooking, process apples with a potato masher for a chunkier texture or an immersion blender for a very smooth texture. Enjoy!
I've taken to making this homemade applesauce with some frequency - it was great when I ate fairly strict paleo, because there's no need to add any sugar. I tend to buy a large bag of Pink Lady or Macoun apples at BJ's and just go to town. You can get fancy and mix apple varieties or add a few pears to add some depth of flavor, though!
Slow Cooker Applesauce
4 pounds of apples (or an apple/pear combo), peeled and cored
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick or a generous sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove cinnamon stick (if used). After cooking, process apples with a potato masher for a chunkier texture or an immersion blender for a very smooth texture. Enjoy!
Friday, November 23, 2012
The Black Friday haul
First off, the refi closed successfully on Tuesday - HUGE relief!
I hope everyone had a sparkling Thanksgiving. I'm one of those nutcases who goes out shopping in the wee hours of Black Friday every year. When Mark worked for a big box electronics retailer in the early years of our marriage, I never went shopping because of how crummy the day was for him. Then in 2009 I started going out by myself for fun and have gone every year since. That first year I was sort of foolishly thinking that I could waltz into Kohl's shortly after it opened and would get exactly what I wanted. When the checkout line stretched around the entire store I walked in and walked right out, going instead to other stores in the same plaza and driving out to Cabela's. After that year I got smart and planned ahead for which stores I would go to, for what deals, and in what order.
This whole "opening on Thanksgiving" business is utter BS and I refuse to shop for Black Friday deals on a holiday. As someone whose father has always been a restaurant manager (and in his industry always works on Thanksgiving) and whose husband spent a lot of years in retail and had to work this Thanksgiving (albeit with like 2.5 times pay due to the holiday), I believe it's important for those often low-paid service and retail workers to be able to have a real holiday. (Is this where my brother chimes in and reminds me that as an active duty service member he has duty on his boat on both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, with no holiday pay to speak of?)
Anyways, I knew I wasn't going out last night. The only electronics item we really want is an LCD TV and the prices on those are usually best in January/February, so we're waiting on that.
I dragged my tired carcass out of bed at 4 when my alarm went off. It was challenging, and in a future post I'll elaborate on why, but I made it happen. I got dressed and out the door by around 4:15.
Target
I arrived at around 4:25 AM and parked in the second space from the door. The employees said that it had been an absolute madhouse at 9 PM when they opened, but most people were there for the electronics doorbusters. They still had some of them - I very nearly walked out with a 40" LCD TV, but decided that moving it myself was not advisable at the moment.
I had planned to pick up mostly housewares and maybe some toys and clothes. I managed to get nearly everything on my list, and because it was between 4-10 AM and I spent at least $50 on items in certain categories, I got a Target gift card for my trouble. I used my beloved debit RedCard and got another 5% off my whole purchase!
I hope everyone had a sparkling Thanksgiving. I'm one of those nutcases who goes out shopping in the wee hours of Black Friday every year. When Mark worked for a big box electronics retailer in the early years of our marriage, I never went shopping because of how crummy the day was for him. Then in 2009 I started going out by myself for fun and have gone every year since. That first year I was sort of foolishly thinking that I could waltz into Kohl's shortly after it opened and would get exactly what I wanted. When the checkout line stretched around the entire store I walked in and walked right out, going instead to other stores in the same plaza and driving out to Cabela's. After that year I got smart and planned ahead for which stores I would go to, for what deals, and in what order.
This whole "opening on Thanksgiving" business is utter BS and I refuse to shop for Black Friday deals on a holiday. As someone whose father has always been a restaurant manager (and in his industry always works on Thanksgiving) and whose husband spent a lot of years in retail and had to work this Thanksgiving (albeit with like 2.5 times pay due to the holiday), I believe it's important for those often low-paid service and retail workers to be able to have a real holiday. (Is this where my brother chimes in and reminds me that as an active duty service member he has duty on his boat on both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, with no holiday pay to speak of?)
Anyways, I knew I wasn't going out last night. The only electronics item we really want is an LCD TV and the prices on those are usually best in January/February, so we're waiting on that.
I dragged my tired carcass out of bed at 4 when my alarm went off. It was challenging, and in a future post I'll elaborate on why, but I made it happen. I got dressed and out the door by around 4:15.
Target
I arrived at around 4:25 AM and parked in the second space from the door. The employees said that it had been an absolute madhouse at 9 PM when they opened, but most people were there for the electronics doorbusters. They still had some of them - I very nearly walked out with a 40" LCD TV, but decided that moving it myself was not advisable at the moment.
I had planned to pick up mostly housewares and maybe some toys and clothes. I managed to get nearly everything on my list, and because it was between 4-10 AM and I spent at least $50 on items in certain categories, I got a Target gift card for my trouble. I used my beloved debit RedCard and got another 5% off my whole purchase!
- 16 piece Corelle dish set - winter white frost (I picked up two boxes of these last year and wanted to add to it)
- Memorex DVD player (for the little LCD TV we have in our room - no need for anything fancy)
- Paul Frank fleece pajama pants for me
- Angry Birds toddler pajama set for Lily
- Jenga and Memory games
- Queen size flannel sheets (I love flannel sheets in winter!)
- Graco baby doll accessory play set (not for Christmas - to be Lily's potty training present)
A.C. Moore
I pulled in at 5:03 and got a decent spot. I was apparently #90 to enter the store and got a $5 gift card. My sole purpose in going was the 50% off Melissa & Doug. They had this deal last year and it was awesome for Christmas gift giving and I was psyched to see it again this year.
Unfortunately I got stuck in line behind two women who were quibbling about their holiday themed duct tape ringing up for 10 cents per roll higher than the advertised price. One of them was buying an effing Cricut machine (they're not cheap!) and yet demanded that a manager re-ring her order right there rather than having to wait in line. All to get 10 cents back on each of three rolls of duct tape. She kept looking back at me and saying, "Sorry, but you understand." Um, no. It's THIRTY CENTS, and I will give it to you from my own purse if you'll freaking move along and let me put this heavy basket down! I was a little disappointed that the manager caved as soon as this shopper expressed an objection to waiting in line - hello, I and others have been waiting in line behind her for a lot longer!
- Wilton gingerbread man decorating kit
- Melissa & Doug wooden fridge food
- Melissa & Doug wooden pantry products
- Melissa & Doug magnetic dress up dolls
- Melissa & Doug grocery basket
- Melissa & Doug lace & trace shapes
- Melissa & Doug lacing beads (x2)
The lacing beads were all I really needed to find there. Lily is insistent that Santa is bringing her "a pink lacing" and after some questioning and observation at daycare pickup we discovered that she wants a lacing bead set. We don't make a big deal about Santa in our house, but the jolly old elf will be bringing the lacing beads! I picked up two because Mark always gets a ticket from the Giving Tree at his office (he tries to choose a child of the same age/sex as ours). We like to give several toys and the lacing beads make for a great choice for an older toddler or preschooler. The rest of it is all for Lily, especially for her play kitchen.
Lowes
Lowes is in the same plaza as A.C. Moore so I figured I'd stop in. I just got a few things.
- Two pointsettia plants
- A balsam fir wreath for the front door
- Outdoor power stake with remote (for Mark's lighting display)
- Christmas light storage reel
- Two plastic storage containers (they were a doorbuster BOGO)
I briefly considered a nice looking storage bench but decided against it due to the weight and size of the box. Then I headed home (with a stop at Dunkin Donuts) and found my family still asleep. I left the packages in the car and went upstairs for a snuggle with my favorite people and dog, then had my breakfast while Mark got Lily ready for daycare. When Mark left to drop her off I headed out again to Joann Fabrics.
Joann Fabrics
I'm sewing matching flannel pajama pants for us and a pajama set for Lily for Christmas morning and needed fabric. Snuggle flannel solids and prints were on an awesome doorbuster sale this morning but none of it was Christmasy enough so I went with the slightly more-expensive holiday theme flannel. I had a 25% off coupon for my entire purchase (excluding doorbusters) so the final cost of the flannel was still really good. When browsing the holiday fabrics I saw a cute panel for a cloth Christmas-theme alphabet book so I got that panel too, and will go back this weekend with another coupon for the batting.
- 7 yards of red and white snowflake flannel
- A Christmas themed cloth book fabric panel
- 6 yards of 3/4" elastic
- Thread
- A new cold drink cup for work
With that, I headed home, brought all of my treasures into the house, and collapsed on the couch for a 2 hour nap! Mark was kind enough to wake me up when he left for work. I'm of half a mind to get the dishwasher and washing machine going and then to run back to Target for a body pillow that looked pretty darned inviting...
Friday, November 16, 2012
The saga of the mortgage refi
Back in August, as we saw mortgage rates dropping, Mark and I discussed the virtue of refinancing. We bought our house in early 2006 and were fortunate to have a nice 5.125% fixed rate, which at the time was actually below market rates (we were able to take advantage of a first time home buyer program because Mark was working part time while finishing his degree and therefore our income was a hair below the limit).
The problem? Well, like just about anyone who bought a house in this part of the country between around 2004 and 2008, we bought close to the peak of what we now know was a housing bubble. We've lost not only the equity that we brought to the purchase (which was not insignificant; we saved for a year while living in a crappy low-rent apartment and living very frugally) but also what we've paid towards principal for the last 6.5 years. If we had to sell right now we might get what we still owe on it. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we have a house that can (barely) accommodate a growing family, and that we can afford; there are a lot of people who aren't as fortunate. It's just that we planned to stay put for around 5 years, or until after the arrival of our first child, then sell and move up to something bigger and better. You know, a house with a garage and a fenced in yard for the dog and the kids to play in, and maybe a nice bonus room that we could use for my crafting projects. Well, in April it will have been 7 years and realistically we're looking at 4-5 minimum before we'll have enough equity to sell and move. We're basically stuck here for the foreseeable future.
So I was pretty convinced that a refinance wouldn't be possible because we'd have to have the house appraised. I called our original mortgage broker just to ask - and she told us that we were eligible for an FHA streamline refinance. Limited documentation and no appraisal, with a sub-4% interest rate and a huge lender credit towards closing? You could have blown me over with a feather. Our response: sign us up NOW! We did have to pull together some pay stubs and bank statements and stuff like that, but nowhere near the level of what was required to get a mortgage the first time around. Our credit is decent so there were no worries there. We signed everything and got our 60 day rate lock on September 6th.
They warned us that it might take a little while because they've been inundated with these refinances with rates where they are right now, but we were assured they'd do everything in their power to get us closed within the 60 days - ideally in late October. Well, when Halloween arrived it was clear that we would not be closing by late October. They extended our rate lock in early November and we had to sign a new good faith estimate. Fine and dandy, we're making progress! Then on Monday (the 12th) I got the email and phone call that they'd underwritten and approved our loan - and we have to close by the 20th because our rate lock expires on the 26th and there's a 3 day right of rescission that has to fit in between. Um, OK? Mark's work schedule isn't that flexible and he already took a day off this week to come with me to a doctor's appointment, but he can try to make it work as long as we have a few days' advance notice. I can always just take a personal day with pay for stuff like this but I'd rather give my boss a little bit of a heads up.
So I called the closing administrator on Tuesday and left a message to call me - nothing. On Wednesday, both of us tried to get ahold of her - again, nothing. By yesterday I was in a semi-panic - three business days left in which to close and no one's freaking returning our calls! I finally got in touch and she informed me that they needed a letter, signed by both of us, indicating whether or not the property is currently listed for sale (Captain Obvious, we're doing the streamline because we have no freaking equity - no equity means there's no way we'd be trying to sell it. But I digress). This was at 10:15 AM and Mark leaves for work 40 minutes away at 11 AM so time was of the essence; I printed out a one-sentence letter at work and had Mark stop by the office to sign on his way to work, and got it faxed over. Late in the day the closing administrator contacted the attorney's office to have them schedule the closing.
The paralegal contacted us this morning - freaking FRIDAY. Monday and Tuesday are our only options here. Monday would be nice since it's one of Mark's regular days off, and Tuesday morning would have been almost as good since Mark doesn't leave for work until 11. Except the attorney's office only had 1 and 1:30 PM free. Lovely. We took the 1 PM slot out of sheer terror that if we didn't take it we'd have no other option. Mark has to burn a half vacation day for the closing, which kind of sucks but will be worth it in the end.
I swear on a stack of Bibles that if this closing doesn't go through as scheduled, I might sit in the mortgage broker's office and sob. Loudly.
The problem? Well, like just about anyone who bought a house in this part of the country between around 2004 and 2008, we bought close to the peak of what we now know was a housing bubble. We've lost not only the equity that we brought to the purchase (which was not insignificant; we saved for a year while living in a crappy low-rent apartment and living very frugally) but also what we've paid towards principal for the last 6.5 years. If we had to sell right now we might get what we still owe on it. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we have a house that can (barely) accommodate a growing family, and that we can afford; there are a lot of people who aren't as fortunate. It's just that we planned to stay put for around 5 years, or until after the arrival of our first child, then sell and move up to something bigger and better. You know, a house with a garage and a fenced in yard for the dog and the kids to play in, and maybe a nice bonus room that we could use for my crafting projects. Well, in April it will have been 7 years and realistically we're looking at 4-5 minimum before we'll have enough equity to sell and move. We're basically stuck here for the foreseeable future.
So I was pretty convinced that a refinance wouldn't be possible because we'd have to have the house appraised. I called our original mortgage broker just to ask - and she told us that we were eligible for an FHA streamline refinance. Limited documentation and no appraisal, with a sub-4% interest rate and a huge lender credit towards closing? You could have blown me over with a feather. Our response: sign us up NOW! We did have to pull together some pay stubs and bank statements and stuff like that, but nowhere near the level of what was required to get a mortgage the first time around. Our credit is decent so there were no worries there. We signed everything and got our 60 day rate lock on September 6th.
They warned us that it might take a little while because they've been inundated with these refinances with rates where they are right now, but we were assured they'd do everything in their power to get us closed within the 60 days - ideally in late October. Well, when Halloween arrived it was clear that we would not be closing by late October. They extended our rate lock in early November and we had to sign a new good faith estimate. Fine and dandy, we're making progress! Then on Monday (the 12th) I got the email and phone call that they'd underwritten and approved our loan - and we have to close by the 20th because our rate lock expires on the 26th and there's a 3 day right of rescission that has to fit in between. Um, OK? Mark's work schedule isn't that flexible and he already took a day off this week to come with me to a doctor's appointment, but he can try to make it work as long as we have a few days' advance notice. I can always just take a personal day with pay for stuff like this but I'd rather give my boss a little bit of a heads up.
So I called the closing administrator on Tuesday and left a message to call me - nothing. On Wednesday, both of us tried to get ahold of her - again, nothing. By yesterday I was in a semi-panic - three business days left in which to close and no one's freaking returning our calls! I finally got in touch and she informed me that they needed a letter, signed by both of us, indicating whether or not the property is currently listed for sale (Captain Obvious, we're doing the streamline because we have no freaking equity - no equity means there's no way we'd be trying to sell it. But I digress). This was at 10:15 AM and Mark leaves for work 40 minutes away at 11 AM so time was of the essence; I printed out a one-sentence letter at work and had Mark stop by the office to sign on his way to work, and got it faxed over. Late in the day the closing administrator contacted the attorney's office to have them schedule the closing.
The paralegal contacted us this morning - freaking FRIDAY. Monday and Tuesday are our only options here. Monday would be nice since it's one of Mark's regular days off, and Tuesday morning would have been almost as good since Mark doesn't leave for work until 11. Except the attorney's office only had 1 and 1:30 PM free. Lovely. We took the 1 PM slot out of sheer terror that if we didn't take it we'd have no other option. Mark has to burn a half vacation day for the closing, which kind of sucks but will be worth it in the end.
I swear on a stack of Bibles that if this closing doesn't go through as scheduled, I might sit in the mortgage broker's office and sob. Loudly.
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