Hurray!!

Knowing that we would have some major medical bills because I was giving birth, we set that up in the budget. And boy did they roll in! They didn't exceed my deductible but they were split up in ways I wasn't expecting.

At the same time all this was going on, Alphy got insurance through his work. Because of circumstances there, I ended up being doubly covered for the month Matthew was born. It also wasn't really set up until a month afterward so we had to resubmit some of Matthew's bills. Anyway, those doctors' offices submitted to the second insurance as well. And a lot of our huge bills are evaporating! Can you spell R E L I E F?!

So you wanna deliver papers?

We have been looking in to all sorts of things to help us earn a little extra money in order to pay down debt. I saw an ad that said "Newspaper carriers wanted". So I called. I thought, "I could do this. The money earned would be incentive enough. The kids and I could adjust to a more tired mommy."

I went in the very next day. I found out things were quite different from the newspaper delivery days of the 1980's (the last time I had any experience with it). 2:30 am. Just a little on the early side. And that was just the beginning.

We met at the warehouse where all the bundles are delivered. ALL different newspapers are put together into a single route in a single area, so the carrier could be delivering the local paper, several regional papers, and any or all of the nationals. They let you pull only those papers that are needed for your route that particular day. So no more extra papers and ads. You prep all your papers there at the warehouse and then load them in to your car. You are given a printout of the "best" way to do the route based on starts, stops, holds for vacations, etc. for each day.

Then you have to complete the route by 6 am weekdays and 7 am weekends. Some routes are big enough that you will be gone the entire 4-5 hours.

I found out a few things:

• 2:00 or so is too early
• 4-5 hours missing from your normal sleep is not good for you, especially if you have no way of taking a nap later in the day
• The air is just chilly enough to set off my asthma
• Matthew is not ready for me to leave him for that long in the middle of the night yet
• The routes are too far away. (A Provo or Orem route would have been better)

Maybe I could be a night "stalker" at a store in a month or two when he starts sleeping through the nights.

I hate packing

We are moving to a much larger place. We have outgrown our basement apartment and need more space. We found a house, all on one level, for a decent price. But now we have to pack.

We've actually been half packed up for a while. We thought that we may move before the end of our contract. So we began to prepare. Didn't happen. We never did unpack though. So we just had to continue the process.

Now most things are packed except all those little (and big) things that just don't fit anywhere else. Do I keep it or do I toss it. Or does it go in a box marked "Miscellaneous" to be sorted later (and probably tossed).

We shall see.

Is February Over Yet?

Since the 3rd of this month, we have been sick to one degree or another. I think it is finally ending, just as the month comes to a close.

It all started with a stomach bug and Angela. Then Jamie and I got it. It seemed to skip Alphy. For me, one night of vomiting on a pregnant tummy was not fun. I lost 10 pounds in fluids just over that weekend. Then I got a UTI. Not fun.

Then the girls got colds, which haven't ever really gone away but at least aren't too bad at the moment. Then Alphy had stomach pains bad enough to send him to the emergency room. Maybe the stomach bug finally got him. We don't know. It ended pretty quick. Except that the next night, Angela went in to the emergency room. Her cold had created a cough that kept getting worse. Then she developed a fever. After a day and a half of fevers not going away and Angela not acting normal, Alphy took her in.

Bacterial pneumonia. Antibiotics that caused interesting diarrhea and later diaper rash.

Then, I got a sore throat. And a cold. That led to pink eye. Jamie also had a slight case of cold-caused pink eye. Enough so that one morning, she woke up with her eyelashes stuck together and cried "I want to see again."

Now Alphy has post-nasal drip and a sore throat, while the girls and I are recovering from everything else.

Please let it all end with the end of this month!

We're sick

Wednesday evening, Angela threw a crying fit and then threw up. She threw another fit and then threw up again. Was she sick or just crying too hard? Then she threw up again and again and again. We had to change her pajamas 4 times, her bedding twice, and put her in the bathtub twice as well. Jamie did her best to help out. It was after 11:00 before we got to bed.

Thursday, Angela was a bit better but still clingy and crabby. She threw up a couple of times. No one else showed any symptoms so we thought maybe she had eaten something bad.

Then came Friday. I ended up with a major headache. Jamie complained that her stomach hurt. She threw a crying fit and threw up afterwards too. Sick or too much crying? Four hours later, the green beans she ate at dinner came up all over Alphy's side of the bed. Angela ended up throwing up again for the first time in 16 hours.

My stomach wasn't feeling too hot either. But then I'm pregnant and I stay sick all the way through. After getting things cleaned up and figuring out sleeping arrangements, emergency throw up arrangements and throwing up a couple of times myself, we went to bed. The girls were asleep about 11:00. Alphy and I not until midnight or later.

I didn't get any sleep. I got up about 6 times to throw up what water I had drunk and whatever bile was in my stomach. Saturday, I just stayed in or near my bed. My blood sugars were way out of whack, and I wasn't eating properly, so I didn't bother taking any more readings after the first time.

Jamie and Angela seemed better yesterday, but we still weren't sure. We all ended up skipping church today because it is better to be safe than sorry. My stomach has settled, finally. Jamie complained of a hurt tummy this morning but she returned to normal after eating breakfast.

Alphy is the only one not hit yet and I hope he doesn't get hit.

I'm tired

I haven't written for quite some time. I look at my blog and think "I need to write something ... tomorrow." I have lots of excuses but really it boils down to being exhausted, meaning procrastination is lots easier.

I am half-way through a pregnancy. I don't get to take naps. I can't go outside to walk, my favorite form of exercise. I still work part-time. So doing things on the computer other than reading or interacting with Facebook is a little overwhelming because it takes thought.

We are having a little boy. He's quite active, although he isn't keeping me awake yet. Jamie knew he was a boy 2 months before we found out for sure. She is excited for the new baby. Angela is coming around slowly. I just wish we could get Angela potty-trained before this baby comes.

Anyway, I'll see if I can't write once a week to keep it updated. We'll see.