33 Weeks: What I Lost

Happy Halloween!

The above is my (happy) Jack-o-latern.  I always carve a happy one, but this year I made sure to, as to not scare Kauffman even more.  

Dan carved Margaret's most likely real name into his pumpkin, so I can't show it here.  But, if you want to know, you can just stop by and trick-or-treat at our house. :)

Pregnancy Update

The past few weeks I have lost quite a few things:

- Sleep.  Tons of it.  Dan and I have finally set up shop in the living room because the couch is the only place that I can sleep and support my belly at the same time.  Dan loves the piles of pillows and blankets on the floor.  He says it feels like camping.

-My breath.  My lung capacity is shrinking by the minute.  If I sit in the wrong position I find myself struggling to breathe.  I tried to paint my toenails last weekend and every time I bent down to paint one I had to suck in a huge breath, like I was going under water.  

- Bladder control.  No sneeze is safe.

- Flexibility.  Dan caught the below picture as I was trying to bend back and almost fell over.

- It.  Yep, I have lost it, mentally speaking.  I start start crying at almost anything and I cannot calm myself down.  I know I have said this before, but I get so frustrated with myself, because usually I am so even tempered. The following have led to a full on melt-down:

• Planning my dad's birthday party
• Not having the energy to play with Kauffman
• Regretting not playing with Kauffman enough the day after he leaves
• Finding some lost dogs on the street
• Losing a file at work (I solved that one with Halloween candy)
• Dan bringing home a car full of junk

-Self control.  Mainly on Halloween candy.  At the rate I am going we might have to hand out pennies instead.

Other updates:

- Dan is starting to think everything I do is hilarious.  Sitting on the stool to get ready in the morning.  Grunting as I get up from the couch.  Eating too much Halloween candy.  He says he loves that I am finally showing some vulnerability, whatever that is supposed to mean.  He has received some advice from some wonderful women and I am reaping the benefits - foot rubs, back rubs, ice water delivery, dinner, etc.  He is doing a great job.

(He is pouting in the above picture because he doesn't want to show his belly.  hehe)

- We get to tour the hospital this weekend.  I am so glad I will finally have the setting correct in my nightmares about the delivery.  Ha!

Food

Breakfast and lunch were leftovers, but I did make something for dinner - buffalo chicken pizza.

I topped a Trader Joe's pizza crust with a sauce of hot sauce and blue cheese salad dressing.  I added shredded chicken (that I boiled for about 15 minutes), a bell pepper sliced, and 1/4 onion sliced.  I topped it all with a little cilantro and cheddar cheese.  It was delish.  

Thought for the day

Question for the day

What is your favorite thing about Halloween?  I love handing out candy - I can't wait to see all the costumes.   

 

5 Lessons in Insurance

Like most people, I am not the biggest fan of insurance.  In fact, one of the main reasons I don't work in a pharmacy is to avoid dealing with insurance companies and all of the problems they bring with them.

So, when I looked at our Financial Peace University schedule and saw that insurance was this week's topic, I almost didn't go. I had such a wonderful day on Sunday, and I didn't want anything to bring me down.

Then, when on the way there, I realized that Dan was still covered in pumpkin and tomato seeds (this week was green tomato baseball instead of hedge apple baseball).  I almost turned around. (Seriously, wouldn't you think a shower was necessary if you had tomato seeds in your hair?)

However, I was so happy we went, because in one hour Dave told me pretty much everything I needed to know about insurance.  There are so many things I have been confused about.  Do I need this?  How much should I pay for that?

I am going to relay 5 of the take-home points to you.  Some of you might find these pretty obvious, so I apologize in advance for my lack of insurance knowledge:

1. Make a will.  I know this doesn't technically have to do with insurance, but Dan and I don't have one.  This typically wouldn't have been too big of a deal because for a long time we didn't have anything.  However, now we do, with the most important being our future daughter.
2. Make sure your liability on your car insurance is at least $500,000.  A serious accident would cost that much.  As I am accident prone, I am putting that on my to-do list.
3. Purchase long term disability insurance.  We are much more likely to become permanently disabled than we are to die.  I think I have this through my employer, but another thing I need to put on my to-do list.
4. A HSA (health savings account) type insurance plan is great for families who are either really healthy or really sick.  I had never heard of this type of insurance before this class, and I am very intrigued.  
5. Never buy any other type of life insurance other than TERM life insurance.  Apparently the cash savings types don't pay out what they say they are going to.  

Are you asleep yet?  If you made it through that, I will reward you with a video of my favorite baby, err,  big boy singing his ABCs.

Food

Yesterday was one of those days.  I forgot to take out the trash.  I forgot to put on deodorant.  I almost forgot to eat breakfast, so I put a piece of apple pie in my Greek yogurt container on my way out the door.



Lunch was leftover roast and veggies from Saturday night.



At work I am currently training a girl from India.  I happened to mention to her that I LOVE Indian food and she sweetly brought me some shrimp curry.



Did you think anything could look that beautiful in a tupperware container?  This was beyond fantastic.  So flavorful and so spicy.  Margaret was doing flips for the rest of the night.

I am going to make her give me the recipe, and then I will share it with you fine people.

I busted into the Halloween candy for dessert.  I hope kids in my neighborhood don't like Nerds.

Thought for the day

After discussing life insurance, one of the couples in my group said this and I almost fell out of my chair laughing:

"If one of us died, the other one of us is just going to have to get in shape and find someone to marry.  That is the only way we could afford it."

Bahahaha

Question for the day

Any insurance advice you have learned the hard way?

Thankful

I couldn't sleep last night.  

I just laid in bed, eyes wide awake, thinking.

Thinking of how extremely thankful I am 

and wondering how I could have showed that gratitude even more.

Yesterday some of my very good friends threw me and Marge an extremely cute baby shower.  

The pictures don't even do it justice.  We were spoiled beyond belief.  

(Yes, that is a B.O.B. jogging stroller!  Thanks Momma!)

I wanted everyone to know, with all my might, how much it meant to us.  

Saying, "thank you" and "I love it" just didn't seem good enough, I wanted to say even more.

Not only were we spoiled with presents, but I had the chance to see some girls I haven't seen in a very long time.  It was wonderful to catch up.  It seems that there is something in the water, because I think there are more girls in that picture who are pregnant or had a baby in the past few months than not.  

It was absolutely wonderful to see everyone!  We missed Sarah, but she seemed to make it in a lot of pictures.

As if I could handle any more fun for the day, I also woke up to babies in my house,

a husband who went to the grocery store, and B and G for breakfast.

Then, we carved pumpkins.  

We are fairly certain Kauffman thinks the pumpkins are alive.  He kept on introducting himself to them, and wanting us to pet them.  Then, he was extremely upset when we started cutting them open (notice he is standing a good distance back).  

So, I am sure putting his sister in one didn't help.

Poor kid.

Thought for the day

Question for the day

Have you ever felt like you wanted to say more than "thank you"?  What did you say instead?

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

Strides Against Breast Cancer

Good morning and happy Saturday!  

I just wanted to pop in and say how excited I was so see this on my Facebook newsfeed this morning:

My good friend Chessa and her mom (and her dog Slim) are walking for Strides Against Breast Cancer this morning.  

Momma Vicky has been cancer free for more than two years, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than her first race.   Don't they look awesome!?!

That put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

Chow

Breakfast - apples, with a side of honey, butter, and toast.

Lunch - a cinnamon roll, edamame, cabbage, and Ritz crackers (who eats that?)

Dinner- stack at the Nybergs.

Thought for the day

Question for the day

What was your first race?  Mine was a St. Patrick's Day race - always a good cause to get up and move!