THIRD!

Trimester that is…

I should have posted this yesterday, but I was having a meltdown.

Since August, I’ve been working a job with a contractor for a MAJOR website. 

For the most part, it has been an ok job.  I can’t share most of what I did because of a non-disclosure agreement, but I can say that I’ve looked at the internet way more than I should have.

The job is mentally very challenging.  There are complex rules and quotas for the amount of work that need to be followed.  Training is provided and is pretty good.  However, training is UNPAID.  Only time you are actively working is paid.  So if you take a break and get a glass of water and a pee break, then you don’t get paid.

It has been a blessing to have this position.  The car payment we took on in June stretched our budget to the limit and this has made up for that payment and allowed us a little leeway in our budget and has allowed us to do stuff like purchase a new chest freezer.  I had also planned to use this cash to help pay for things the baby will need as well as some child care in January and February for Phoebe.

With the gestational diabetes, I’m taking two shots a day with two different kinds of insulin.  This has also meant more doctor’s appointments which has meant more co-pays and more parking fees and more gas for the car. 

So we’ve had a lot of extra medical bills and the cash has been really helpful there too.

Starting at about 32 weeks, I’ll have to go to the perinatologist twice a week and CHILDREN ARE NOT ALLOWED!!  They banned kids last year during the H1N1 stuff and just decided to keep it to protect their patients from germy kids.

I decided the best way to deal with this was to find a mama with a kid about Phoebe’s age to play with.  I also decided I’d pay a set amount a week – basically the going rate for baby sitters around here for 6 hours of babysitting each week.

I could have worked something out with several mom’s I know and the few relatives who are fairly close geographically that I have around here.  But I was trying to make things easy on myself and just get it all set-up in advance and not have to worry about it.

So that was the plan until yesterday.  But then I, along with a goodly number of people were released.  So there goes my plans.  There goes the feeling of security I had about dealing with the upcoming wave of doctors.  There goes the extra cash I was planning to use to pay for stuff like… oh I don’t know.. like a crib for the baby boy to sleep in or bottles to feed him?

I have been putting off all kinds of prep for this kid because we just haven’t had the cash to do it.  I have a few gender neutral onesies and t-shirts that I got at a friend’s yard sale.  I also have a few things from when Phoebe was born that are still serviceable – you know, all those little things like nail clippers and first aid kits and all the other almost useless things that everyone says you’ll need.  I’m also happy that I kept the majority of Phoebe’s swaddling blankets (I’m hoping that Nugget will let us swaddle him – Phoebe loved being swaddled).

So here I am, at the beginning of the third trimester, feeling bad that I am WOEFULLY unprepared for my baby boy and now the financial rug has been pulled out from under me.  Don’t get me wrong – there are a lot of people who have things a LOT worse off than we do.

We are up to date on all our bills.  Our mortgage is paid to date and we’re in no danger of losing our home.

Moo’s job is busy and his company is actually making money right now.  Hell, they are hiring like crazy right now.

Our car is still so new that we are covered by the warranty for almost everything and we even have free maintenance.

So we are better off than just about everyone we know.

But we have a very tight budget and EVERY penny is accounted for.

I have enough faith to know that everything WILL come.  I have enough faith to know that we will have a crib in time for Nugget to make his appearance the end of February.

With the exception of the nightly leg cramps and the gestational diabetes and the occasional heartburn, I’m doing pretty well.  I went to the doctor day before yesterday and the doctor was very happy with me.

I just have to concentrate on everything good and have faith that God will bring us through this little tight patch.