Sunday, October 31, 2010

Halloween

For the record, I understand and absolutely respect the values of many of my peers who shy away from Halloween activities on Sunday.

But Dave was reading someone's blog this week. She said something interesting that may have just changed how I feel about the topic. She is a non-member who loves the gospel and is married to a member...

She said... Jesus said suffer the little children to come unto me. Halloween is the one day a year when we have children, of all ages, knocking on our doors. She said, "What would Jesus Do?" He would welcome them. He would bring his very best candy, so that they would know and remember his home, and want to return.

I have a teenage LDS neighbor who hasn't knocked on my door in years. I miss her. I was delighted for her to knock on my door again. Imagine her surprise when she was greeted with a bowl full of the coolest (nostalgic packaging as if from the 30s) full sized candy bars. "Oh, Wow!!!," she said. "Here, you can have another one too. " ("She's my favorite." I told her friend. ) Any opportunity to let her know that she is both loved and welcomed in our home.

I haven't always been as welcoming as I should have been. But, I'm starting to think maybe the blogger was right... That is what Jesus would do. Never miss an opportunity to love.

Nesting


I'm so on a maniacal cleaning spree. Cleaning, throwing out, or storing everything in sight. Including some things that I'm sure I've rarely touched in the past 6 years in our house. Friday, I plowed through like 5 different piles if stuff, scrubbed all the cabinet doors in the kitchen and the refrigerator, yesterday steam cleaned all the carpets (with Dave's help- Thank goodness), today scrubbed down the laundry room. B came by.... He says, "Mom, what are you doing?" Me: "Oh, just cleaning." B: "For Seven.?." Me: "Ya. Just gotta make sure everything is clean for the baby. I cleaned like this before you came too. Lots of preparations."

I just thought... What a wise little boy! He really gets it. I guess somehow, this whole nesting thing just makes sense to him.


Friday, October 29, 2010

Preparations

Dave is self employed and I work part-time. We have medical insurance, but no plans are offered for those who are self employed cover maternity. Dave called our doctor and hospital before we got pregnant and it looked like the bill would be around $5K. WRONG. More like $12K! (That is a LOT of $... And There is a Big difference between $5k and $12K).

So, I've been working on it all year (when I was awake). Collecting the resources is like trying to fill a giant swimming pool with a fire hose sized siphon draining it at the same time. But, now it's time.... The "last" (yeah right) $7K is due in like 2 weeks when we register for the hospital.

I've been working with fervor to find and pool the resources...
Filing Dept care reimbursement account
Filing Medical reimbursement account
Resubmitting unpaid accident claim from last year
A couple of remaining pay checks
AFLAC and maternity disability forms (after the baby's born)

Whew! This is what it means to take care of a family.... Filling out lots of forms. A new kind of nesting.

I created this crazy spreadsheet yesterday of what's coming in and going out when. I'm grateful. Somehow, it's all gonna work out.

Of course, we still have another $10K liability by the end of the year. (Shakes her head and laughs). Somehow this is all gonna work out. Sometimes, you just take a big, deep breath and know that Heavenly Father is gonna take care of you.... He Always Has!




Relatively normal



So, for about the past almost 2 weeks, I have felt relatively normal. Ok, well not "normal", but what I assume is "normal for a woman who's 8 months pregnant". It's amazing.... I'm not in a walking coma, not puking, not a total insomniac, and not in so much pain that I can't function....This must be what "normal" pregnancy is like.

I remember when I was a kid, my P.E. teacher bringing in this medicine ball. It was about twice or three times the size of a basketball and Really heavy to kick or move around. Being 8 months pregnant is like carrying around a 25 lb, dense and amazingly muscularly firm, wiggly/ randomly lopsided medicine ball inside your abdominal cavity. Don't want to move too fast for fear that you'll knock the medicine ball out of it's careful symmetry. Or, heaven forbid, Cause harm. Couldn't move very fast anyway with this ginormous heavy weight. I find myself taking long, hot baths at the end of the day to relax the muscles that have been working so hard to balance this gargantuan weight and to bring circulation back into my feet.

But I must say, this really isn't too bad. I can deal with this level of discomfort. Especially when I know that we will be having a little girl coming soon. This must be what most women experience. No wonder they keep getting pregnant... If this is as bad as it gets for them.

It's been nice. I've had enough energy to get some nesting done.... Taking care of those tasks that are vital to having a stable place for our little girl in just a few weeks. I just feel so much better knowing that I've taken care of those things. I got her pack-n-play (bassinet) set up in our room, went through all of Ian's stuff for gender neutrals, handed down 8 boxes of Ian's clothes (ages B-3) to make room, made some drawer space in our room, got rid of several piles throughout the house, and made a little stack of B-3 month clothes for our little girl. I cleaned out the refrigerator. I'm sure I'll have a mad cleaning spree at some point, but no point right now... Too much time to get it dirty again. But I am grateful to have the energy to take care of my family!