Friday, February 29, 2008

4 month check-up

Ms. Melly...
Weighing in at 13lbs 11oz.
Length...26 1/2 inches.

Yah big fat babies!!!!

Oopse, forgot to say the winner is Denise with a guess of 13lbs 8oz. Mine was second closest with 14lbs. Denise, you candy is on it's way.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

A picture is worth a thousand

Melly really likes snuggling with stuffed doggies. And here is one that was given to her by Mr. J. Enjoy, she sure did.



Her daddy has figured out a new rocking game and this is the face she makes while playing. Think she likes it?

Saturday, February 23, 2008

The big storm

So every news station has been saying how terrible this storm is going to be. How we are going to get 2-3" of rain with huge gusts of wind up to 60 mph... and what is going on? Not a whole lot. We had some wind. We had some rain. We also had some slush. But nothing more exciting than that. So don't believe everything you hear.

It's Chinese New Year today. We are moving out of the year of the pig and into the rat.

And last but not least...a baby fix.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Another few pictures

These are the beautiful flowers that Mr. C had sent to my work on Valentine's day. They are still sitting on my desk... but not quite as pretty. And they were a huge and wonderful surprise.



Last Friday my office held the last of the baby showers. This is Mel-Belle doing her best imitation of a troll hording her treasures.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The cost of being born

**Warning, this is a rant. You have been warned**
I am currently at war with the hospital billing company. Which I guess is better than being at war with the hospital... which I was earlier this year. I am not exactly sure why they keep sending my bills when my insurance company is supposed to be covering the whole thing. But here I am, calling the companies on my pumping breaks and making a big fuss. The current theory is that most people, when given a bill, will just pay it and move on. Thus getting the billing agency all the money they think they want instead of what they agreed to get from the agency contracted with the insurance people. Confusing? Yup. But after several phone calls and some very helpful claims people I am once again sitting here waiting for a debt to be erased. And let me tell you how tired of calling these people I am. However I also found out how much having a baby costs in SC county...

are you ready for this?

Upwards of $50,000!!!!

That's $30,000 for the hospital (the room, food and nurses) and $20,000+ for the doctors. Whoa!!!

Who knew that being brought into the world was so expensive? And that is not covering the cost of the OB for the previous 9 months or the tests pre-labor or even the vitamins and antibiotics. Being born is an expensive proposition.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

I know too many posts in one day....

This is the actual outside of our new house. Our new balcony and our bedroom windows.



This is the kitchen dining area of the new place.


The inside of the master looking at our walk in closet. (This picture taken with my back to the window)


And here we have Melly's new room. (This picture taken with my back to the window)

Grandma's pictures

This past weekend we were visited by Grandma D. She took some wonderful pictures.

This one was just after her bath.


This is in our new living room... More pictures of the condo to come


My Baby cakes.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!



And a special I love you goes out to Mr. C who surprised me with flowers and candy at the office.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

The childcare crisis at home

Last night, just when everything was going so well in our lives, I got some crushing news. The woman who is looking after Melly has to go to Florida to look after her dying father. He has been given a prognosis of between three months and three years. And let me tell you how many ways this sucks. It's awful because he is dying. It's terrible because she doesn't want to go. It's crappy for Melly since they have bonded. And it's just about the end of the world for me and Mr. C as we are about to have a huge mortgage and our disposable income (how we were paying for childcare) is very small now.

And what are we going to do about it? Well last night I managed to completely fall apart. Crying and blubbering. And after a while I realized that no matter how much crying we did, that was not going to solve the problem. (Unfortunately once you start down the feeling sorry for yourself path it's hard to come back up and be rational) Then Mr. C and I brainstormed ideas of what to do. All of the places I looked at on the internet were over $1000 a month and had waiting lists. (Too much and we need someone in a month and a half.) Then we thought about all the people we know who don't work and we would trust with our baby. (Unfortunately, the list of that is extremely small, being only one person in the area: Polarmouse. Fortunately you are off the hook, keep reading.) Then I remembered the childcare switchboard which is located one cube over from me at work.

This morning, after setting my stuff down, I walked over to talk with them. Within twenty minutes I had a list of eleven people (well ten people if you don't count the woman who only speaks Spanish) who were all within two miles of our new house and whose rates we can probably afford and who have openings for a four month old baby. Now we need to talk with them, find out who we like best and figure out how we are going to find an extra 200 bucks a month to pay her.

Still in minor crisis mode, but no where near where I managed to get last night.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Don't sneak up on new mommies

We had a wonderful weekend. Lots of signing paperwork for the condo and spending time in the bright sunshine. We even had a visit from one of the Grandmas. It was very nice and relaxing and full of fun!

On Saturday night we all went out to dinner. It was a little late and Melly had been awake all day and was getting tired and over stimulated. So as soon as the dinner was over I took her in her stroller outside to get some fresh air and away from the noise. (And hopefully to fall asleep). I was out there alone for a few minutes waiting for Mr. C and his mom to pay and leave.

I stopped and stretched for a second and took my hand off the stroller. Then out of the corner of my eye I noticed someone running straight for me and the baby. I reached for the stroller and held it in a death grip and balled up my right hand to give the attacker a punch in the face....and stopped about a half second before punching Mr. C in the face for coming after my child.

What did we learn from this little story? Don't charge a woman with a stroller, no matter how well you know her.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

WE GOT THE LOAN!!!!!!!!

WE"RE BUYING THE CONDO!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, February 04, 2008

Belly, take two

So this is what a baby belly looks like after she...ummmm...evacuates a little...

Saturday, February 02, 2008

Just another night...


(Look at that baby belly!!!)