Joey is now just over 7 months old.  (7 months, 10 days)

Here's the latest update to "Project Peanut".  I have surprisingly kept up quite well with this project.  I originally thought I'd slack off after a couple of months, but I haven't!  Yay me!!!!

Out of Pocket:

Carol: $3,280.33

Thom: $610.00

Others: $675.00

Total: $4,565.33

Medical Billed: $34,302.46
(of which $479.30 was paid by Carol [included in amounts above], rest
paid by insurance)

Okay, I FINALLY paid off Joey's crib. It'll be delivered and built either this week or next week. Also, Joey is 6 months old today!!!! WooHoo!!!

Generation Next Collection

Color: Cinnamon (as shown): Capturing the classic appeal of sleigh bed styling, the Generation Next crib has a drop-gate front that allows easy access to your baby. The crib converts into a toddler bed and then into a full-size adult bed with the addition of adult rails. Generation Next, the ideal choice for your family, is an entire collection of fine furniture that is designed to last for generations. In addition to the crib, I also ordered his high chair which will be delivered sometime after March 6th. It's a Foundations Transition High Chair:

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Okay, here's the latest update to "Project Peanut". Out of Pocket:

Carol	$2,469.29
Thom	$427.00
Others	$675.00
Total	$3,571.29

Medical Billed: $34,302.46 (of which $479.30 was paid by Carol [included in amounts above], rest paid by insurance)

Okay, I haven't updated the baby budget thing in a while, so I think it's time I did.  As you can see from the title of the blog, I've officially named this little pet project of mine "Project Peanut".  With that being said, let's get down to business.

Out of Pocket:
Carol: $1,616.55
Thom: $427.00
Others: $675.00
Total: $2,718.55

Medical Billed: $34,302.46 (of which $479.30 was paid by Carol [included in amounts above], rest paid by insurance)

Category	Total
Book	$1.98
Bed	$8.43
Food	$23.30
Dishes	$38.36
Bath	$75.73
Medicine	$83.18
Other	$92.87
Cash	$100.00
Travel	$136.00
Uncategorized	$160.37
Diapers	$167.08
Clothes	$176.36
Major	$333.23
Giftcard	$400.00
Formula	$442.36
Medical	$479.30

As of November 26, 2008. Current total out of pocket expense I paid for baby: $1,176.31 Current total out of pocket expense Thom paid for baby: $327.00 (includes bus trip to visit baby) Current total medical charged amount of baby (includes mommy's hospital stuff): $34,302.46 *** - This is the amount of medical I would have had to pay, if not for insurance. Approximate value of gifts to baby from friends, family, etc: $475.00 Total expense for baby, not including amount paid by insurance: $1,978.31 Total charges for baby, including medical: $35,843.77 Total expense for baby, including medical: $11,987.65 (keep in mind, insurance has contract for prices, HMO, so they paid less than actual charges. Approximately less than 1/3 of actual charges) So, while non-insurance contributions from myself and others only totaled $1,978.31, had I not had insurance, the total would have been $35,843.77 since I, as an individual, do not have contracts with the doctors on how much I'll pay them for services. Since little Joseph will be 12 weeks old tomorrow (Thanksgiving), I can safely say that he has cost $164.86 per week. That only includes items bought for him, not other things such as his portion of shelter, utilities, etc. As you "should" know, each person you add to the family raises costs of water, electric, etc. So, multiply that by 52, and you get $8,572.68 for a year. Obviously, this is not exact, because as the baby gets older, he will need more things. For example, he does not have a crib yet, so that will be a major purchase, plus Christmas presents. Plus, he'll grow out of his clothes, as he already has. Obviously, he can no longer wear his newborn outfits. It won't be long before he grows out of the 0-3 month outfits, maybe a week or two. As a side note, had I been responsible for the entire medical bills, he would have cost $2,986.98 per week. Since that includes initial hospital billing, it's not feasible to calculate that for a year. However, if I did calculate for a year, the per week allotment would go down since I only calculated this according the 12 weeks he has blessed me with his presence. Okay, so, just for the hell of it.. I went ahead and calculated it... By adding what I would have paid for medical, if I didn't have insurance for the year, the total would be $824.52 per week for a year. Or... $42,875.14 for the first year for all costs, including non-medical stuff. Or... $3,572.93 per month. Either today or tomorrow, I plan on categorizing the purchases and creating pie charts to show "where" the money is going. Maybe I can analyze the water bill to see how much of that can be attributed to the baby. That won't be so easy tho, but I can at least approximate. As for electricity, at the moment, the only possible portion that could be attributed to the baby at this point, would be the extra time the lights are on in the middle of night for feedings, so it's almost immeasurable. It won't be until he's older that I would actually be able to attribute electricity charges to him for things like plugged in electronics, extra TV time he might use, etc. So, in closing, I hope that someone, somewhere, finds this bit of information at least a little useful. I find it rather interesting, and almost fun to track. UPDATE: Here's the pie chart I promised.

This was posted in July, but I still have not gotten it yet. Any help would be appreciated. I am getting a Crib4Life crib for the new baby-to-be. 

If anyone would like to contribute for the baby, this would be a great way and no shopping is needed.  Any amount can be gifted toward the crib by calling the following store and giving them my name (Carol Harstad). Payment arrangements can be made right over the phone.

CRIB 4 LIFE
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
Phone: 407-774-4222
Operating Hours:
    10:00 am - 06:00 pm MON - WED
    10:00 am - 08:00 pm THUR, FRI
    10:00 am - 05:00 pm SAT
    01:00 pm - 05:00 pm SUN
    Closed HOLIDAY

Generation Next Collection

Color: Cinnamon (as shown):






Capturing the classic appeal of sleigh bed styling, the Generation Next crib has a drop-gate front that allows easy access to your baby. The crib converts into a toddler bed and then into a full-size adult bed with the addition of adult rails. Generation Next, the ideal choice for your family, is an entire collection of fine furniture that is designed to last for generations.

Current out of pocket expenses:

Mommii: $640.12
Daddii: $175.00
 Total: $815.12

Special Thank You:

I'd like to send a special thank you to everyone for gifts received.  Joseph has so far received gifts such as diapers, clothing, baby tub, Walmart gift card, receiving blankets, gift certificate toward Crib4Life, and more.  Everyone's gifts are greatly appreciated, and much needed.  Thank you SOOO much.

Update on Joseph Daniel:

We got to come home from the hospital today.  Everything is going great.  Joseph passed all his screening tests with flying colors.  He got his circumcision yesterday, and had no problems whatsoever, not even cranky.  I'm so proud of him.

He took to his bassinet right away and loves it.  The bassinet he's currently sleeping in, is the same wicker bassinet that Cheyenne used as a newborn, over eight years ago.

He likes pacifiers and took to the breast feeding right away.  He got to go on his very first ever shopping trip to Winn-Dixie for mommy's prescriptions and various other baby items.  He got to ride home with his mommy, grandma, grandpa, Cody, Dominique & Cheyenne.  His first trip in a vehicle went very well and he slept most of the way.

When we got home, he was greeted by the neighbors Michelle, Rafael, Cheyenne & Ty.  A little later, he was visited by La-La and Carlos, the new kids down the street.  He got tons of hugs and googles, and he loved every minute of it. 

He also got to meet the zoo when he got home.  He met the doggies Cujo and Garo and met the kitties (all 8 of them!).  One kitten in particular, the one I call Broken Turtle (or glue-stick [cause he's always practically attached to me like glue]) took to Joey right away.  He even climbed into the bassinet with Joey and laid down and cuddled with him.  I had to take him out, just in case he decided to play with Joey's feet squirming around.  He didn't like that.  He wanted to stay with the baby, but I was too afraid he might accidentally scratch him.

All in all, little Joey had a great first day home. 

Many firsts today:  Shopping, car ride, non-family visitors, his first contact with the furries (the animals, lol), and his introduction to "home-sweet-home". 

Update on Mommii (me, Carol):

I'm doing pretty good.  Still in a good amount of pain, but it's expected after a c-section.  Feels like I've been a round with Mike Tyson punching me in the belly.  lol. 

I was prescribed iron pills because I have iron deficient anemia.  Between the iron pills, the pain medication (percocet), and the anesthesia, I'm a bit constipated...  (I know, TMI)...  The incision is doing VERY well.  It occasionally stings a bit here and there when I first stand up, but otherwise not too bad.  I do have quite a bit of swelling from head to toe.  I'm told that should start going away soon.  I'm hardly bleeding at all, which is a GREAT thing.  They did some type of procedure where they sort of scrape the uterus to remove as much of the yucky's as possible, therefore causing much less bleeding than letting it go naturally.  I remember after having Cheyenne (8 years ago) I bled like a stuffed pig for 10 weeks.  That sucked really bad, so this is a welcome thing.

I think it's gonna take a while to get all the stickyness off, left over from the bandages and bandaids, etc.  I feel like a pin cushion with all the pokes I got from the needles and the IV, etc.  Speaking of IV, they had to stick me three times to get it right and those damn things hurt like hell!!!  First they tried my left wrist..  no go.  Then my right wrist, no go...  Then they got another nurse to do it, and she did it in my forearm, and I barely felt it.  I don't know why they just didn't start there in the first place.

Oh yeah, my milk started coming in today, too.  So far it's not painful.  What is cool about it is that before I got pregnant, I was a 36D.  During the pregnancy, I went up to a 36DD.  Now, after milk has started coming in, I'm a 38DDD.  Seems like I get bigger (and stay bigger) after each pregnancy.  I'm not sure if that's normal or not, never looked into it.  The thing is, since I already have back problems (my spondylolisthesis, or slipped vertebrae), I don't think I need 'em any bigger.  lol.  But, I suppose there are some advantages to that situation. 

One last thing...  For our homecoming gift, Dominique cooked a special dinner for the whole family.  All by herself (she's only 11), she made a crock-pot roast, potatoes, baby carrots & onions, and stuffing.  I'm telling you, it was SOOOOO delicious, it's like the taste buds are having a party in your mouth.  If I didn't know better, I'd think that girl is gonna grow up to be a master chef some day.  She uses her own recipes (like I taught her to do) and can make even the simplest of dishes taste like they are cooked by the masters.  With her A.D.D., she can't walk from one side of the house to the other without forgetting what she was going for, but she can cook like she's the master chef of the Taj Mahal.

Now that I've talked your ear off, I'll update as things happen with Joey and the other kids.

First off, since I'm pregnant, I have the utmost right to be a bitch. If you don't like it...

BITE ME!!!!

With that being said....

Am I the only one that see's something superiorly wrong with a man who claims all bragging rights to his unborn son, yet has done NOTHING to help during the pregnancy? No emotional, physical or monetary support!!!

I know people have to work to pay bills, but is it SOOO difficult to take a day or two to travel to help out once in a while when he has no children to care for or other responsibilities that require him to be home 24/7? (He lives in Mississippi)

Am I completely nuts to think there is a difference between telling someone you love them, and proving it? Even if they live with you, and don't work, shouldn't they be the "main" housekeeper? I'm not talking white glove test, I'm just talking your basic picking up and dishes or whatever. Or is it okay for them to just complain that nothing is clean while they sit on their ass all day? (okay, off topic there, buy who cares, right?)

Soo, another thing... Is the father wishing that he could go to OB appointments the same as actually being there? I personally don't think so. Well, unless he's in jail or in the hospital in traction.

And, is wanting to have someone there to rub your tummy or your back or feet once in a while the same as wanting a slave? NO!!! It's NOT!!!

Oh yeah, and complaining that you've been kicked out for going PSYCHO, does NOT make it my fault that you're gone!!!!

So, besides working full time, and taking care of the kids (who have helped me quite a bit), here's some other things I've done in the past couple of months (even with my belly growing bigger every day and the muscle aches and pains that go along with it, not to mention all the Braxton-Hicks contractions, that, contrary to popular belief CAN be painful sometimes):

1. Mowed the lawn
2. Moved (Packing, moving and unpacking)!!!! (Although two friends traveled FAR distances to help with the heavy stuff, of which I am utmost grateful for!)
3. Fixed two lawn mowers, the a/c unit, the ceiling fan, redoing a leaky cracked toilet, and fixed the freezer!!!
4. Normal everyday stuff like cleaning, etc... (After work, and on weekends, when I'm not too sore from muscle pains to get around, or having contractions.)

Is it too much to ask to get even a little help from the man who claims he's so happy about having a son, while at the same he says he's wishing he was dead for ABSOLUTELY NO FUCKING REASON?

Granted, I'm capable of doing ALMOST anything without a man around the house, and I pride myself on that. But, being pregnant, I think it's a little more than desirable to have someone who's at least willing to help out in some way!!

Okay, be mad at me, I don't care!!! I got it out of my system and I feel better now!

Today (March 17th, 2008) (St. Patrick's Day)... I went today for Genetic Counseling. Since I'm 40 years old, they do this to make sure the baby doesn't have any genetic defects. I talked to the counselor for quite a while, giving family history, etc. He gave me some choices on what I could do:

• Do nothing
• Schedule an Amniocentesis
• Schedule CVS testing
• Get Ultrasound
• Get Integrated Screening

So, I chose to get the ultrasound and the Integrated Screening. They can measure the fluid behind the baby's neck to determine if it's at risk for Down's Syndrome. This measurement was good, so that's a good sign. They also took the first tube of blood for the Integrated Screening to check my blood for abnormalities. The can check for Down's Syndrome, Trisomy 18, and Open Neural Tube defects. They will take my blood and do another ultrasound on May 1st. The heartbeat was 160 beats per minute. The baby was moving around and even standing on his/her head at one point, and punching around with his/her arms. At the end of the Ultrasound, he/she was fiddling with his/her fingers looking almost like he/she was playing with a Nintendo controller. LMAO. Now, depending on what the next ultrasound and next blood draw shows, I'll have the option of getting the Amniocentesis. The ONLY reason I would get that test, is if it showed the baby did have Down's Syndrome, I would take classes, research, etc to prepare. I'm not going to abort a baby just because his chromosomes are out of whack. I will love him/her no matter what. So, as of St. Patrick's Day (today) the baby is healthy and growing like the bug he is (Baby Bugz).

Okay, here's my first entry for my being pregnant. First off, I'm so excited and happy, it's unbelievable!!! Soooo, I found out (unofficially) that I was pregnant January 21st just after midnight. I was about 1-1/2 weeks late on my period, and had some nausea, my boobies hurt, and my jeans were getting tight. (Oh well, no more size 4's for a while). Today, I went to the doctor and she told me I am definitely pregnant, and put me at 6 weeks. She also gave me a due date of September 17th, 2008. So, now I have to go for my ultrasound on February 19th (which is just before 10 weeks), and my first full check-up is on February 25th. I'm going to attempt to do something this time that I've never tried before. I hate keeping receipts, but just for giggles, I'm going to attempt to keep every receipt possible during the pregnancy and as long after the baby is born as possible, and keep everything in a spreadsheet, or maybe I'll even program myself a data application to use. My reason for this, is that I want to be able to look at a spreadsheet (or report) and physically see exactly how much I spent. Is that crazy? Maybe so, but I think it'll be interesting. So, there ya go. I'll post more as time goes by. Total Spent to date: $32.38. (2 tests & Doc Co-pay). Here's daddy: (Show him some luv) D J BUGZ Blue Orion Lounge

@ fubar