Healthcare Cost

With the upcoming election and all, I find this topic a very appropriate one to discuss. The cost of healthcare SUCKS! I am a school teacher and actually enjoy my job -- until I see my paystub each month and see what I am paying in healthcare. It is no wonder that the nation continues to suffer a teacher shortage!! My hubby switched jobs this year (from teaching to business) and his company does not provide health benefits. So, I am forced to cover us all (family) on my policy.

This is what I pay per month:

Health Insurance - $ 474.84 ($1,000 deductible/$35 co-pay for EACH Dr. visit)
Dental - $ 79.32
Vision - $ 20.89

I am also expecting a baby in March and to date, we have paid $ 2,200 to my ob/gyn office. Goodness, that is only my portion. My insurance covered the other 80%. That amount covers all visits, lab work, and the cost of delivery. Thankfully, we made the last payment last week. And, we have not had to put any of it on credit - only possible through GOD. Of course, that amount does not include the services provided by the hospital at the actual time of delivery. The hospital bills (anesthesiologist, pediatrician, nurses, etc.) will arrive about 1-2 months after the birth of the baby - another $ 2,500 or so. WHAT THE CRAP?!?!

So, here is my question...is this normal????? And, which presidential candidate can actually fix this screwed up system???? Let me know and I will vote for him or her!!!

Getting ready for the baby...

In 45 more days, our new baby girl will be here!! There is so much to do and so little time. The nursery is slowly coming together. Because we are having another girl, the nursery theme is the same. My daughter and I spent last night unpacking previously-owned toys that have been stored in our storage closet downstairs. She enjoyed going through her "baby toys." She really didn't seem bothered with the fact that her baby sister will be the new owner of those toys. My hubby and I plan to attack the attic this week to search for more hand-me-down items such as clothes, blankets, etc. that can be washed and moved into the nursery dresser drawers. My hubby assembled the crib last weekend and we have officially moved our daughter..."KB" (what I am going to call her now) into her Disney Princess room. The name "Babyluv" no longer fits a 4 year-old. As we prepare for our new baby girl, I can't help but think about how our lives will change, especially KB's. She has been the "only child" for four years. How will she feel when the baby arrives? Our lives have revolved around her and now there will be another little girl in the house. As KB and I laid in her bed watching a Hannah Montana DVD the other night, I just stared at her sweet, little face and I became overwhelmed with emotion. I cried a few tears! She is such a beautiful little girl... long, curly hair, soft flawless skin. She is no longer a baby, but a young lady! I can't believe how fast the years have flown by. I remember seeing her for the first time and thanking God for such a wonderful gift. I love being her Mommy! Now, we will have two little princesses! Ready or not, here we come...

31 weeks...

I had my 31-week appointment today and everything is moving along quite well. And...we have a name - ASHLYN PAIGE (the middle name may change, but not Ashlyn)

Here are my stats:

Weight: 146
Total weight gain so far: 22 pounds
Blood pressure: 104/68
Baby's Heartbeat: GREAT!

I love being pregnant!

29 Weeks...

I had my 29-week appointment today and everything is moving along quite well. No, we still do not have a name picked out! Help us, please!

Here are my stats:

Weight: 144 (Ouch...gained 7 pounds in 4 weeks!)
Total weight gain so far: 20 pounds
Blood pressure: 114/72
Baby's Heartbeat: Absolutely beautiful! She also had the hiccups. It was so cute!!

I am feeling great!! We actually scheduled my c-section for March 12th -- 10 days before my actual due date. My daughter came 12 days before her due date and weighed over 8 pounds, so my OB/GYN feels good about scheduling my c-section at that time. I am not thrilled about having another c-section but I have no choice. I have an irregular shaped uterus. I can't believe I have less than 10 weeks left. I love being pregnant and it makes me a little sad to think that this will be my last pregnancy! I unpacked some old baby things in order to do a quick inventory. I wish I would have kept more of my baby stuff, but I gave most of it away to my cousin who is a single mother of 3 children. So...I decided to create a registry at Babies R' Us. Is that tacky for a second child? It has been nearly 5 years since my 1st child! There are only a few items that I need for the baby (besides diapers and clothes). The main item is a travel system - a very expensive purchase. I loaned mine to another family member 2 years ago and it is now beyond repair. So, we will just have to wait and see what I get.

I have truly enjoyed being home the last two weeks - one of the very few perks of being a teacher. We love watching our little girl wake up Christmas morning and unwrap her gifts! Fun times! Although we spend quite a bit on her, I never feel like it is enough. I guess growing up POOR left me with some emotional scars. As a child, the majority of my Christmas gifts consisted of the things I "needed" such as coats, clothes, etc. I remember waking up Christmas morning year after year as a child and asking myself, "Was I not a good girl this year?" I rarely got the things I asked Santa for - toys and cool things. So..now I have a tendency to go a little overboard!! Although we showered our daughter with gifts, we believe it is extremely important to create family traditions/memories that money can't buy. I have to stop every year and remind myself what Christmas is all about...to celebrate the birth of JESUS, not a time to stress out and shop 'til you drop. It is so easy to fall into the "trap." Along with explaining the significance of Christmas to our daughter several times, we did create some fun memories this year. We baked cookies, wrapped presents, made cards, saw Christmas lights, listened to Christmas music everyday on the Christian radio station and sang along to most of them, enjoyed cocoa with marshmallows, enjoyed Christmas feasts, watched Christmas movies, and spent lots of quality time together. We had such a wonderful time! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas,too!

Well, it is really late and I need to get some sleep. Adios.

P.S. I will attach some pictures of my belly next week. Just call me "Big Momma!"