Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Out of Debt??

I don't even know what to think. B and I are so close to actually being out of credit card debt that we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We should be 100% credit card debt free shortly after #2 arrives!

Not only that, but this year I have actually been GREAT about contributing to my 401(k) and we made a nice contribution to B's IRA.

After spending the last 5 years of my life close to 10K in credit card debt, I honestly don't know what to think about seeing small balances on the credit card bills.

Now -- to start saving for college for 2! YIKES.

How do you prioritize your investments/savings? Should we make monthly contributions to all accounts (savings, B's IRA and the kids custodial accounts)? Or do we max out one area over the other?

Monday, February 26, 2007

Name my kid

Because I am seriously done with presenting lists to B and him shooting down EVERY SINGLE NAME!!

Actually, that isn't true. We have a list of 6 names for a boy and ZERO for a girl. We all know that means that I will be popping out a little girl any second now.

Our boys list is as follows (so you get the idea of what we like): Reed (my favorite and I get to sign the birth certificate, so HA), Sawyer, Colton, Trent, Ashton and Wyatt.

HELP! We are quickly quickly approaching the due date.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

No love for #2

So, #2 is practically forgotten about in our house right now. L is still front and center in the spotlight and I don't think he plans on giving up his title anytime soon. Before L was born, the nursery was completed (in Sept, he wasn't due until Dec), all 0-3 and 3-6 month clothing was washed -- and there was A LOT of it, and I was making plans for my maternity leave and clearing off my desk at this stage.

Today I am 36w (my calendar, not the OBs). Some random old sheet is on the mattress (that still has the plastic on it) from when Lane used it as a floor mat, #2 doesn't have bedding (although I can blame that and no name on the not knowing the gender), the room is filled with all the supplies for the bathroom renovation (which we plan to start THIS weekend!), I just washed some of the clothing that I can call gender neutral and put it in the drawers over the weekend and we finally picked up the recliner for the new babies room.

All in all, if this kid comes when L did -- we are totally screwed! It will be sleeping in a drawer. Poor kid.

Oh, and did I mention no names yet. Have a list of 6 names for boys (Wyatt, Sawyer, Trent, Colton, Reed or Brooks) and NADDA for a girl. So of course you all know what our surprise is going to end up being. We were leaning towards Lyla, but now, I don't really like the name anymore, gotta love hormones.

Any name suggestions? Any advice? Is this normal for a #2?

Monday, February 19, 2007

Return to the land of the living

I feel all out of sorts today. I left the office on Tues early because B had to work that night (plowing snow) and for all sorts of reasons TODAY is my first day back to the office. Between Tues and now, there was a scary episode of L's lips and hands turning blue, 5 straight days of vomitting by L, 2 days of vomitting by B and then of course just to round it out 1 day of vomitting on my behalf which then resulted in one overnight stay in the labor and delivery floor for pre-term labor. All the while, co-worker from hell is emailing me like a fiend and doesn't understand why I didn't come running into the office on Friday after being released. Hmmm.

Anyways, I am happy to report, I am finally back to the land of the living. We spent most of the weekend laying around relaxing. L returned to daycare today (why yes, I am one of those awful mothers who works. Why you may ask -- only because I am the breadwinner in the family and it is either me working or us living in a cardboard box. Oh and B tried the SAHD thing for 8 months -- at the end of which we were $12,000 in debt. You live in the NYC burbs on one salary -- I dare you.). He was so pleased. The funny thing was, as soon as he saw Ms. Denise --one of the woman who spoil him rotten at daycare -- he was happy as could be to be there. He was not however happy about being bundled into his car seat in the morning to go to daycare. Wonder what that was all about.

Ok, well, I must now go and catch up on all the wonderful piles of work the accumulated in the last 3 days. It is amazing. Don't these people realize that in less than 5 weeks, I am going to have a second child and they aren't going to see me for 12 weeks. One would think they could survive 3 days without emailing me multiple times a day.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Doula and unmedicated births.

We met with the doula on Wednesday. B is still a little hesitant about having the doula at our birth, but I think he sees it as a replacement for him. What he doesn’t get is that I really need both of them there. B for when I am pushing and I NEED to maintain eye contact with him and the doula for the walking the halls, suggestions for ways to relax, and just being that extra set of hands that all woman should have when they are in labor and especially if they want an unmedicated birth.

Notice, I will never call it a “natural”. Natural to me is if the kid comes out your hoo-ha. A section doesn’t make you any less of a mother, but as one of my co-workers states -- it is the escape hatch for emergency use only. Just like you wouldn’t get off a plane using the fun little slide unless absolutely necessary. I don’t care if you are unconscious or high as a kite when it comes shooting out your hoo-ha, that is natural to me.

The one thing I feel like I need to address is always WHY do I want an unmedicated birth. I get asked it all the time and if one more person says “well you wouldn’t have a root canal without meds, so why give birth without meds” I will SCREAM! First of all, having a root canal is the result of a problem. Being pregnant and in labor is usually not the result of a problem (pre-term labor and the like aside). Also, how many people where drugged when they were infants or in elementary school when they cut new teeth. How is that any different? It is a natural biological process. And honestly, no matter how low your pain tolerance, if you WANT to have an unmedicated birth then you CAN do it.

Do I think that an unmedicated birth is for everyone? What are you freaking kidding me? Absolutely not. Some people barely want to be present when their child is born and they should take advantage of the entire arsenal of meds available. Some people don't want to feel any pain in labor (my best friends fall in this category and one got her wish, fingers crossed for you W).

So the next time someone tells you they don’t want the epidural for labor, don’t look at them like they have 3 heads. Most people have thought it out and researched it and have a very good reason for WHY they don’t want it (I react very negatively to the epidural. I have had one and won’t have one again). Oh -- and I don’t give a rats patootie if you drug yourself to high heaven either. Everyone should have the labor she wants.