Tuesday, March 27, 2012

B Cubed Still has No Name

Is there anything wrong with his first name being listed as B Cubed on his his birth certificate?  How do people find out they are having a boy or girl and automatically know his or her name will be ____?  I can't do it!  I have three great names picked out (middle name is the same for all three), and while I love them all, they are all so different.  I think if I wait a year or so, I might be able to pick the "right" name.  How does one pick a name without knowing what his personality is let alone what he looks like?  Am I the only one struggling with this?  I think this stresses me out more than him actually entering the world and changing my whole life!  I think he shall remain B Cubed until I see his face and spend some time with him.  I realize that he has to have a name before I leave the hospital, but unless I can hang out there for a year, it's going to be a tough to decide on one.


On a different note, I had my four week check-up last week.  While I eat about the same amount as I did before I got pregnant (and in many cases less) and I continue to work out or at least walk my dog for 30 minutes a day, I can't quite figure out where the 20 pounds has come from! My goal was to gain 25 pounds total, and that clearly isn't going to happen.  Since B Cubed only weighs a little over a pound, where did the other 19 pounds come from? I've been told by everyone that I'm only showing in by belly and nowhere else.  It makes me feel better that my pregnancy is not taking over my entire body. Let's hope it stays that way! Yesterday was the first day that I was unable to button my work pants which kind of bummed me out, but at least I made it 24 weeks wearing my "regular" pants. I'm hoping that I can continue to wear my work pants with the belly band for the remainder of my pregnancy.  


I tried to convince my doctor that I needed to have another ultrasound, and here's how that conversation went:


Me:  "I think I should have another ultrasound."
Doctor:  "Really?  Why?"
Me:  "I don't feel him very often, so I want to make sure his arms and legs haven't detached."
Doctor:  "Let me write up that paperwork and see if the insurance will cover that claim."  (laughing)
Me:  "There isn't a code for that reason when filing?"


Despite my good effort, I did not get an ultrasound, but I did make her laugh.  I purchased a 3D ultrasound through Groupon.  My mom and I will be doing that next month, so I can see him again and in much  more detail.  Maybe then I'll be able to figure out his name... wishful thinking!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Needs vs. Wants

My condo has been on the market for five months. I have two bedrooms and two baths which is really just fine for me and my baby.  I work out of my home, and currently my office is in the soon-to-be nursery, but I've figured out where my office will be after the nursery is done.  While this place is just fine, we will grow out of it quickly, I have stairs to climb, I have a dog and no yard, and I have a neighbor that isn't the quietest.   It's not the ideal place, but at what cost does one get out of a not ideal place but one that is easily affordable, comfy, has enough space right now, and has neighbors who are excited about the baby and want to help?

I was going to take my condo off the market at the end of the month.  I've had a good amount of lookers, but no offers.  Yesterday I had a showing, and while I was registering for baby things, I had a missed call from my real estate agent.  When I called her back, I learned that I had an offer coming in!!!!  The woman LOVED my place!!!!  Panic completely set in while I waited for 2 1/2 hours for the contract to arrive because I was going to have a big decision to make.  I'm upside down in my mortgage right now, so I knew that I'd have to come to the table with money.  Based on the offer, I would have to come to the table with $23k!  Yikes!  As much as I would love to get out of this place, I was fighting the "need vs. want" battle!  I don't need a house.  I want a house, but at what cost?

I was on the phone with friends and family for hours asking their opinions/advice.  Some said counter offer so the money I had to bring to the table would be less while others said don't do it because I should hold on to that money.  As a SMC, I have to make sure that I can provide for my baby and not live paycheck to paycheck and have debt.  So, the "needs vs. wants" battle continued for 18 hours!  Could I financially do this?  Could I find a new home in time?  Would I have the energy to move in my third trimester and get an entire house ready instead of just a nursery?  While I thought all of this is possible, I was still hung up on taking such a large chunk of money out of my savings while still needing to take some more out for a down payment. 

In the end, I sadly turned down the offer without making a counter offer.  I didn't even want to bring $15k to the table if I could get a higher offer (which didn't seem possible), so I didn't want to play the negotiating game.  I am worried that this might have been my only chance to get out of this place, but I'm trying not to look back.  I'll try to sell in one year if I feel the need to get out.  In the meantime, I'm going to sit tight, get the nursery ready, nest, and raise my baby in my manageable condo..  That's the way it should be, right?  So, now my condo is officially off the market.  It's sad that I had to let that dream die, but I've got a bigger and better dream to focus on, and my dream of a house will be on the back burner for a while.  Hopefully when I pursue that dream again, I'll have more money in the bank thanks to a bonus check (let's hope!), more equity in my condo, and the possibility of being able to get a little higher of an offer.  Wishful thinking, I know, but it's what makes me okay with this very difficult decision that was complicated by hormones.