How much is that baby? - Pregnancy

I kept a pretty good log of what I spent throughout the entire pregnancy/hospital/baby process.  And there are many things that you don't need, and probably a few more that you do want, that I didn't have.  But sometimes its helpful to look at a big picture.  For me, that was three categories - Pregnancy, Medical, and Infant.  I'll break them into three separate posts.


So for my pregnancy, all expenses fell in one of five categories - books, nursery, clothes, medical (anything outside of standard medical care), and Etc.

Books

I bought four baby related books while pregnant -

• What to Expect When You're Expecting $14.95 - boring
• The Expectant Father $12.99 - waste
• Baby Bargains $9.99 - definitely recommend!
• Happiest Baby on the Block $11.99 - waste

I was so lucky to receive a ton more as loans from friends.  I loved the Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, but found WTEWYE an awful, boring read.  Of the books I bought, I'd only recommend Baby Bargains - I used it as my Bible while registering.  If you can't borrow this one, definitely buy it.

Nursery

I did a break down here of where everything is from, but here's the quickie of what it cost.

Furniture - Crib $139, Side Table $25, Side Table $129, Rocker and Ottoman $675, dresser $299, Shelf $69.

Fixtures - Paint $85, Stencil $80 for two, Crown Molding ~$300, Baseboards ~$100, Mirror $79, switchplates $85, closet racks $24, ceiling light and electrician installation $195, curtain rods $50, crystal knobs $6, wooden blinds $100.

Decorations - pillow $29, canopy hardware $49, "G" $10.50, lamp $30, rosary $8, fan $49, frame $14, rug $139, shelf decorations $43.

Would have bought if I hadn't received as gifts:  humidifier, crib sheet (two), crib skirt, canopy curtains, window curtains, diaper genie, changing pad, changing pad cover.

Clothes

Two things about clothes.  One, you can find great deals if you're really willing to look - consignment shops, Craigslist, online clearances.  Or, you can do what I did, and borrow a ton of options from friends.  Also - lots of non-maternity clothes work really well while pregnant.  Anything I bought that wasn't maternity and I can still wear (empire dresses, etc), I didn't count here.

Old Navy - great for casual, weekend wear.  I LOVED their maternity leggings and their jeans, and anything knit was a big win for me.  You can't beat the sales they usually have, either. The leggings and the full panel jeans lasted me all 40 weeks.  The demi panel jeans only lasted me til maybe week 27, and then they were cutting into my belly.

• Black maternity underbelly leggings $12, 2 pairs of skinny jeans (full panel) $30 and $18, 2 pairs of bootcut jeans $27 and $12, Black and Gray striped knit tunic $22.

Target - it was so close, and I'm ALWAYS there, it was a no-brainer for me to pick up random items.

• Be Band $18, 2 v-neck tees $9.99 each, V-neck sweater $19.99, cardigan $24.99, dress $29.99, Leggings $19.99.

Nordstrom - Two bras. $79 and $46.


Motherhood Maternity - Black pencil skirt $29, jean shorts $32, ruffled tank $24, pink dress $39, blue dress $34.


Asos - this was where I went for anything cute or even moderately trendy.  Shipping is a hassle, since it comes from the UK, and quality was hit or miss, a la H&M, but it was overall a success.

• Navy and white striped knit dress $63, White strappy sundress $13, strapless maxi dress $27, Black one-shoulder cocktail dress $89, floral strapless dress $60.

Medical

When I talk about the medical bills, I'm going to break it down in two parts.  My doctors had one dollar amount that was to include all prenatal care, one post-natal visit, and the birth.  I'll mention that, and the birth, in a separate blog post.


So in this particular blog post, I'll only mention any medical bills or expenses outside of the standard prenatal care. Worth noting:  I started out with Blue Cross Blue Shield Anthem PPO Health Insurance.  Around 6 months into my pregnancy, I switched to Cigna Health Insurance, with a High Deductible.  So I'll give you the "what it would have cost" amounts where I know them, and then what I paid out of pocket.   


Over the Counter Meds: 

• $14.49/month for One A Day Women's Prenatal with DHA.  For an entire pregnancy, comes to ~$144.90.  (And you're supposed to keep taking them after you deliver).
• Metamucil: $12.99
• Fiber Pills:  $9.99
• Tums:  $3-$5 a bottle, I went through 10 bottles.   Yikes.  ~$40 total.
• Tylenol:  $11.99

Pregnancy Confirmation:  Since I got pregnancy with the help of fertility medication, I had a few extra assurances early on.  Most doctors won't see a pregnant woman until she is 8 weeks pregnant, but with my history, I was seen that day to run Beta Labwork.  Once the pregnancy was confirmed, I was put on Prometrium and DHA to help prevent a miscarriage.

• Round 1 Beta Labwork: $3.11
• Round 2 Beta Labwork:  $3.11
• Prometrium Prescription:  $50.  (According to drugstore.com, without insurance this would have cost me $221.70)
• DHA Supplements:  $17.  Over the counter.

Emergency Care:  Around 6 or 7 weeks, I had some bleeding, and I started having some cramps, so I was checked pretty regularly.  Most normal pregnancies will only have one or two ultrasounds, and for my practice, the 20 week scan was included in the "one price", but the NT Scan at 12 weeks was not.  All of these costs are after insurance, since I can't find the paper work right now.  I'll edit this post once I find out what they would have cost without insurance.

• Early ultrasound invoice:  $85.74 
• Co-pay at 12 week NT Scan:  $30 co-pay.
• Quest Labs Invoice:  $2.50 (checking Beta levels)
• Quest Labs Invoice:  $11.77 (follow up Beta)
• Hospital Invoice:  $125.46 (ultrasound)
• Hospital Invoice:  $430.80 (ultrasound)
• Quest Labs Invoice:  $9.15 (bloodwork)
• Quest Labs Invoice:  $54.36 (full bloodwork panel at 12 weeks)
• Radiology Invoice:  $3.60 (ultrasound)

Elective Ultrasound:  Lastly, at 16 weeks, Tyler and I chose to have an early elective ultrasound to find out Guinevere's sex.  We went to a third party vendor, and paid $78.75.

Etc.

Announcements:  To tell Tyler, I made t-shirts for the dogs, and bought Redskins onesies.  $26.  To tell Tyler's parents, we bought a picture frame and put an ultrasound picture in it. $14.


Pregnancy aids:  A snoogle - this weird curly pillow that saved my back, and a cover.  $75.49.


Extra size in a bridesmaid dress for ordering the maternity version:  $30.


New car:  I definitely wouldn't have gotten this if I weren't pregnant - I would have run mine into the ground, then bought a small commuter car.  Brand new Hyundai Tucson - $15,000.


Maternity Pictures:  I got a dear friend to do them, and she gave me an incredible bargain, at $100.  Expect to pay up to $450 with most photographers, for session fee and prints or CD.


*Note:  In this section, I'd recommend researching classes you may want to take - first aid, CPR, breast feeding, preparing for childbirth, etc.  Some of them get pretty expensive.  I just watched YouTube videos and relied on Google.

Total

Books Total:  $49.92
Nursery Total:  $2811.50
Clothes Total:  $788.94
Medical Total:  $1,125.22
Etc Total: $15,245.49


Pregnancy Cost: $24, 963.15


um, fuck.


To do it on the cheap, you could have deleted the whole nursery section and just bought a pack 'n play for $100, only borrowed books from the library, borrowed clothes or searched Goodwill for under $100, and skipped the announcements and fancy pillow, to really only cost your medical total.  But I figured I'd keep it real here.


And now, I'll get ready for my husband to completely flip out when he reads this in his Google Reader.  It seemed like such a bargain when we did it in pieces...

I swear, I'm not dead

But I certainly feel like it.  My sweet, sweet baby, that has been good as gold since the day I conceived her, and has slept through the night since she was one month old, for 12 hour stretches, has been taken over by monsters.  

She got her first cold, and it has been two weeks and she is STILL suffering from the congestion and misery.  And the second she got sick, she quit sleeping.  No more long naps, no more sleeping through the night.  She's usually up at least twice at night before midnight, then usually up again around 3, then 4, then 5...omg.


Thankfully, I have a husband who usually offers to get her first, but we are falling apart over here!  I don't know how you mamas do it, I had no idea how lucky I was!


She's started solid foods, and LOVES to eat.  Green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas and squash have all been huge hits so far.  She's less sure about water - she only likes it from a cup, and refuses a sippy cup. 

She looks like SUCH a big girl to me now.  What happened to my baby?!  She's sassy and outspoken, independent and very headstrong.  She demands to be the center of attention, and puts on a show anytime people are watching her.  Her favorite thing in the world is to go to the grocery store or mall and have dozens of strangers coo over her.  FOUR TIMES now I've had people ask me if I was at xyz store on abc date, because they remembered my "baby with the giant bow!" there too.  She is such a ham for attention, but I think the flowers and headpieces I put on her certainly help :)


Guinevere and Kimchi are inseparable.  They want to be on each other at all times, and it is SO cute the way Guinevere will fling herself towards Kimchi, wanting to pet her and kiss her.  By kiss, I mean eat her tail, but Kimchi doesn't care.

We also hosted a dinner party for 25 people on the 19th - it was a huge success, and we're so blessed to have such dear friends in our lives.  We then hosted Thanksgiving, which was a little more lowkey, but still lovely.  The turkey weighed as much as Guinevere!

And now Christmas is looming around the corner, and I fear I may never catch up.  I have a list of  pending blogs to write that is up to line 19 - shame on me.  Especially since I promised a post on the cost of babies, and then I couldn't find some of the medical bills I needed, and forgot to keep looking, so I'm making that a priority tonight.  And my Google Reader?  My unreads are in the thousands.  It may be January before I find out what is going on in your life, but I promise, I'll get there :)

Giveaway - My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbook Software

I was contacted by My Memories to do a giveaway.  I'm always baffled when companies find me, because I feel like I'm such a tiny little corner of the blogosphere, and I recently turned down two companies/sellers either because I wasn't interested, or I didn't think any of my readers would be.  But as soon as I read this email, I got REALLY excited.

As a new mom, I definitely want to preserve memories of Guinevere.  And so I'd had on my "to do" list making a calendar for the grandparents for Christmas, make photobooks of each year of our family, organize videos, etc.  I've never been a scrapbooker - the cutesy layouts with the buttons and stickers are not my style - I prefer a very clean layout.  


But thats what is so great about this software, is that it includes everything.  And so I can make my modern page layouts for my books, but can add in backgrounds and buttons to the same albums for a look that my mom will appreciate more.  But I will say, if you love the look of a truly custom scrapbook...this is definitely up your alley.

    

via                                                via

My Memories Suite is a digital scrapbooking software.  You download the software directly from their site, and it comes with hundreds (thousands?) of layouts, backgrounds, embellishments and more.  It also lets you add text, narration, music, video, and of course, pictures.  The best part is all of the options to share - you can print pages at home, export them to JPGs, PNGs or PDFs, have them printed professionally, or you can make interactive albums, movies, DVDs, or even set them up to play on an iPod.  It It is very easy to use, and very intuitive - I was able to figure out how to do what I wanted on the first try.  However, the forums on the site also have a lot of "how to" videos, as does My Memories themselves (This is their YouTube channel) if you really want to get creative.  


What I love the most is the ease of use.  I started one album, intending for it to be printed into a photobook.  But then, I added music, and removed some of the pages, and I could publish it as a video.  I can also edit the photos directly in the software, burn DVDs for grandparents, AND, because of the publishing output, I can use the album I make here, and take it to any printer I want to print it out - which really make this price-shopping, coupon-loving mama happy.

1. Visit their site at www.MyMemories.com.  Click "Digital Scrapbooking Kits" from the left-hand "Shop" menu, and pick a favorite!  Leave a comment below telling me which one you like best.


2.  For an extra entry, visit My Memories on Facebook, and "Like" them.  Leave a separate comment below letting me know you're now a fan on Facebook.


3.  For another extra entry, follow My Memories on Twitter @MyMemoriesSuite.  Tweet them, and me, @Mrs_In_Training, and leave a third comment below telling me that you tweeted.  (Feel free to C&P this:  "Win a copy of @MyMemoriesSuite digital scrapbooking software over at @Mrs_In_Training!")


PLEASE please please leave three separate comments!  That way you're getting three separate entries to win the contest!!!

PLUS, for everyone, a $10 promo code to use towards software if you purchase it yourself!

Check back for samples of what I created using this software this week :)

How much is that baby in the stroller?

After numerous requests, I've been drafting three different posts that document exactly what it cost us during the pregnancy, the medical bills, and the first 5 months with a newborn.  Obviously, many people will have different costs in different areas, have very different insurance, and different needs.  But, for those that are getting ready to start a family, cost definitely seems to be a scary unknown.


My father has been telling me for years that no one is ever truly ready for a baby, and I think he's right.  Even though I went through fertility treatments to get pregnant, I still wanted more money in the bank, and more time with my husband, and less pounds on my hips ;)  But I think that sharing our financial experiences might be helpful with others getting ready to start this adventure.


So next week, I'll have my posts up on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday...and I'm inviting other mommas to join me :)  Please feel free to post about your experiences, and what it cost you or how you prepared, and I'll either set up a Linky, or edit my post to include a direct link to your post, so we can all offer as much information as possible!


It could be that I'm the only one writing these...and that's okay.  But I hope those of you with some extra time will consider joining me.


Happy Friday!!

My girls

I'm exhausted today, so making it easy on myself -  pictures.


I need to just accept the fact that I'm never going to get a good picture of all my girls.  Between Kimchi yawning, Holly pouting, and Guinevere falling over, they're all sort of a disaster.

Why Being Pregnant is Awesome

In honor of a cousin that just told me she's pregnant and is, in her words, completely freaking out.


So here we go, why being pregnant is awesome:

• You get to be the center of attention.  People love babies!  And people LOVE pregnant people.  Everyone is going to hold open doors for you, return your shopping carts to the store for you, stand up and give you their seat.  Strangers are going to see you loading something in your car, and stop and offer to do it for you.  Little old ladies are going to tell you how beautiful you are, that you're glowing.  And no matter how fat and swollen you feel, people aren't lying - they really believe that pregnant women are this amazing gorgeous fertile goddess.

• You go over a year without a period.  No tampons!  No surprise visits when you're meeting with a client!  You can wear all the white pants you want!  I just got mine this past week, and Gwen is about 5 months old, for the first time since September 2010.  

• Prenatal vitamins = super bomb hair and nails.  Your hair is thick and shiny, and grows super quickly, and I don't think I broke a single nail my entire pregnancy, or since then for that matter.

• Your husband is in awe of you, slightly terrified for (of?) you, and will very likely do pretty much anything you ask him to.  Train him right, and he'll do things you DIDN'T ask him to do, but needed.  My husband knew better than to ever once walk through the door without either twizzlers or a ChikFilA milkshake.  And the one time he forgot - I didn't have to say a word, he walked right back out to fix his mistake.

• Two words - Maternity Leave.  Even if your kid isn't sleeping through the night, can you really imagine anything better than spending days on end napping on the couch while watching SoapNet and HGTV, eating homemade muffins that someone else made, and holding a snuggly baby?  

• Its the best excuse for pretty much all scenarios.  Friend needs help moving next weekend?  Birthday party for a co-worker in the city an hour away when you are pretty attached to your 8pm bedtime?  Mowing the lawn?  I actually started using this one for laundry, and Tyler had to haul the baskets up and down the stairs.  Could I have done it myself?  You bet.  Did I want to?  Fuck no.

• Had you been trying to lose that last 5 pounds on your eternal diet quest for the last 10 years?  There is no "small pudge/love handles" when you're pregnant!  By the time you're showing, its firm, and while people might still wonder "is she?", you feel a LOT more comfortable in a body that isn't squishy.  And by the time its obvious you're pregnant, you feel even more awesome about your body.

• If you always wanted big boobs...you get big boobs!  (And if you hate your big boobs, sorry.  They're gonna get bigger.)  

• You get to redecorate a new room!  Who doesn't love planning interior design?!  This is when your Pinterest membership comes in very handy..."I'm not WASTING TIME on the internet, I am working VERY HARD to determine the best design for YOUR CHILD'S future room that they will sleep in (maybe) for two years (maybe)." 

• At the end of a VERY short 40 weeks, you have a baby.  And you might have no idea what the heck to do with a baby, but the awesome thing is, it sorta just follows your lead.  The baby doesn't know that you put the diaper on backwards or that the milk is a little colder than maybe it should have been, or that the reason that onesie seems so big is because its a size 9month, or that sometimes, a trip to the store or grandma's house is only 10 minutes long, because you forgot the diaper bag - oops.  The baby doesn't realize that at any given moment, someone in your house is not wearing a shirt.  (It is usually me, but sometimes her - depends on who got puked on).  

This is why you do it.  The morning sickness, the back pain, the sad, sad absence of wine in your life - its all forgotten and forgiven at this moment:

And then, just five short months later, you have a squealy giggly little thing that likes to pet your face (swoon!) and opens her mouth wide and leans in whenever you try to kiss her.  That is why being pregnant is awesome.

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Another delicious Pinterest find:

Source: scrambledhenfruit.blogspot.com via Lana on Pinterest

I loved these, and they were so easy to make.  I'll definitely be making them again soon.

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10 packets (I found this in my grocery store near the hot chocolate mixes.)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups all purpose flour

1 bag Kraft Caramels (14 oz)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment. (You really need the parchment!)
• In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
• With your mixer (or an energetic spoon) cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.
• Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.
• Refrigerate for about an hour. (If you're really impatient you don't have to do this, but it makes it so much easier to work with.)
• When you are ready to bake, unwrap your caramels. 
• Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut. (I used a rounded cookie scoop-full. My scoop holds about a Tablespoon.)
• Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
• Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Please don't over-bake! Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down (either on the parchment or on a rack.) If you forget about them and they cool too much and stick to your parchment, put them into the freezer for a few minutes and they'll pop right off.
• Yield: about 4 dozen, depending on how large you make your cookies (or how many caramels have been snitched out of your bag before you begin.) Store in an airtight container.

Cucumber Cups stuffed with Crab

I have no idea where I even found this recipe.  Normally when I email them to myself, they come from a blog I follow.  Maybe Pinterest?


Anyway, we went to a recipe party, and since I had a lot going on, Tyler offered to cook.  He picked this recipe, and I loved it!  Anything in cucumber is a winner with me, and I loved the balance of flavors.  I also thought they looked really elegant for minimal effort, and were easy to prep in advance, and just put together right before we had to walk out the door!  A perfect appetizer for a party where you aren't able to heat things up, either.

Cucumber Cups stuffed with Crab


Ingredients:
3 English Hothouse cucumbers
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup soft cream cheese
3/4 cup crab meat, excess water removed
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp brown mustard
1 Tbsp minced green onion

Remove the peel from the cucumbers using a vegetable peeler - Tyler just removed strips of it, for a stripey effect on the cups. Cut the cucumber into 2 inch slices. Using a small melon baller, scoop out most of the inside. You want to leave the walls and a thick portion of the bottom intact.

In a bowl, combine the sour cream and the cream cheese with a fork until well combined. add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Fill each of the cucumber cups with the crab dip. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve within 2 hours of making.

Rant: Zulily

Zulily is a daily deals-style website, similar to Rue La La or Gilt in that it was various shops or brands up for sale each day, at heavily discounted prices.  Items go quickly, so you are encouraged to check early and often.  As soon as I heard about this website, I was completely enamored by the darling dresses and accessories.


My first order was the end of August.  I bought 2 pairs of boots for Guinevere and an outfit.  They took almost TWO months to arrive, in spite of saying that it would take 10-14 days.  First off, 10-14 day shipping is completely unacceptable, when the shipping cost $8.95.  Call me spoiled (I love you, Amazon Prime!), but that is just bad customer service these days, since my total was $72.


But I gave them another chance.  So when I saw a shop selling adorable girl's party dresses with a matching dress for their American Girl Doll, I immediately thought of Lindsey and quickly messaged her for her daughter's size, and ordered a sweet black and white plaid taffeta dress with a mini version for Kirsten.  I've been anxiously waiting for it to arrive to send along to them - such a sweet family, and they were so generous to Guinevere and I when she was born, I was excited to find something perfect for the holidays.

The thumbnail image from my "Completed Orders" tab in my Account History.

They just emailed me - its not going to ship.  Their email makes no explanations - it says "We're sorry to say we are unable to ship the Black & White Plaid Party Dress & Doll Outfit - Toddler & Girls 7 you ordered.  We recognize this is a disappointing situation and we take full responsibility for not delivering the item you wanted."  Then they go on to bold the fact that they will, of course, refund the amount paid.  But, allow five business days for the refund.


They did offer a store credit of $10.  But after my first order, I got a store credit of $10, plus a credit of $5.95 for my shipping costs when I called to complain about the excessive time.  


So I now I should have $25.95 to spend in a store that I am hesitant to shop in ever again - since I can't count on anything to arrive.  But of course, when crediting back my payment from the dress, they didn't credit me back the store credit.  So now I'm off to battle customer service.


Zulily, you are such a good idea, and feature such great shops.  But after I use my credit, and hopefully actually get something, I'll just google the items in your shops and find them somewhere else.  You're too much of a headache to actually deal with ever again, and I am SUPER unhappy with my experience.