I had another job interview for babysitting this week. I already have a position with a family of a girl and two boys, aged 11, 8, and 6. They are adorable and so much fun to be around. This is more part time, and I decided that I wanted to work some more while I still can, before this baby starts a marathon and comes out of me. This job would be for the other three days of the week (making me work a total of five to six days a week, depending on if mom #1 is going trail running or not), there are three children, two boys and a girl, again: 11 and two nine-year-olds.
So far the babysitting has been great! We've been hanging out for a couple hours in the afternoons, playing games like capture the flag and whatever the two younger boys can invent to play between the two of them. They've eaten a lot of cereal, granola bars, watched a good amount of TV and minecraft videos, and gotten some exercise too. They have also consumed a good amount of apple juice.
On Tuesday, Ben and I went to Social Services and finished our application for WIC. We got checks for food that I need as a pregnant woman growing this child inside of me. This was humbling for Ben, and he hopes to pass up the amount of money that is the cap for this government program with a job. I'm content with it: I think it's important to prevent getting to the point of desperation with our finances, and this can be a cushion for us. We're going to have to start paying my loans in November, when I'm not working, and it's better to have some assistance before to save up to that point, than to struggle.
I got all my name change stuff--including my Virginia driver's license. . . the day before my 21st birthday, and I had realized the day I got it in VA that it was going to be vertical (like for under 21 youth), and was bummed because I thought they might have the sense to change the direction because I would be 21 by the time I received it. But no, instead, I will be questioned of my youth until 2019. That's not so bad though. But when I'm toting around one (or two, or three) babies, will they question me?
Wednesday was my birthday, and I didn't have to work which was a nice surprise. Mom #1 also found out (from her son, whom I told) that I was pregnant, and gave me three different baby carriers to use when the child is born. That was super exciting, because I've been thinking about what type of carriers I'd like to have. One is a sling carrier, another is a Baby Bjork (I still don't know how to pronounce this!) and one is for carrying the baby around once they can sit. I felt really blessed by people giving us things. :) One of my parents' seminary friends had a bassinet, execucer, and a high chair that they were going to give us, and there have been several people sharing maternity clothes and books.
On my birthday, we didn't get to go for a walk like I wanted to--it started thundering and raining right when we wanted to go. I got a couple cards from people, and a package from Mom and Dad, with my apron in it! I was super glad that came! Also with it were several cards and some birthday banana bread. . . Apparently Mom has been cooking up a storm. :) We also got a card from Ben's parents who gave us a gift certificate to Taste of Thai, one of Ben and I's watering holes (when we have the money). We decided to go there for dinner on my birthday, and we both enjoyed appetizers with our meals (I had fried tofu with sweet and sour sauce! Yum!). Ben wrote me a card a day later and is still trying to figure out what to get me for my birthday, (like Marie is. I think they both have the most trouble because they are some of the people who know me the best. Mom, who knows that I like things that I can use, asked me what at LL Bean I would like. I found a pair of Tevas I would not have bought for myself otherwise, and already love them dearly.)
Today began a little earlier than some of the other days... we had our first extended appointment at Brookhaven with our midwife, Misty. She's very informative, helpful, and we are excited about this little baby inside of me. Ben keeps saying he wants to hug and kiss the baby now, and I have to remind him that we want it to still be in the womb. :) We got to hear the heartbeat again, this time between 144 and 152bpm--our child was moving during the Doppler heart beat reading. My blood pressure is good too-- 104/68, I think she said. That's very healthy.
The main concern we brought up in the conversation was the fact that I'm A Negative blood type, which means that I'm part of the smaller 25% of the population that may have to get the Rhogam shot after the birth of this child. There's a possibility that I won't have to--if the baby also has a negative blood type, if our blood doesn't mix, there's no need. Unfortunately, the test to tell if the blood mixed and the shot to prevent antibodies from building up against future babies in my womb costs about the same. So we can pray that God already decided that this baby would be negative when it was conceived, or we will pay the cost of the shot being administered (which is not that much, it's just an icky product and I would prefer not to have anything extra pumped into my system).
Our midwife also gave us a baggie full of dried greens... no it's not pot. :) It's pregnancy tea, made of nettle, red raspberry leaf, oatstraw, and alfalfa. It's full of nutrients, and is to be brewed overnight and then drunk daily. I already looked up how to buy the herbs in bulk (they sell it at the birth center, but I'm a frugal nerd, and if I drink a lot of it (like a quart a day), we're going to need a lot of herbs.)
Ben and I decided at the beginning that we were going to exclusively breastfeed our baby for the first six months, and then introduce solids, and let the child decide when it was done with breast milk. I'm planning on staying at home and caring for this baby for the next couple years, maybe working part time. Marie expressed a desire to come nanny for a summer. :) We'll see what happens. While having that conversation, Ben said something about having two or three by that time. . . I can't even think about having more than one at this point. We're also talking about having a co-sleeper--a crib that is level with the side of the bed--for the first year to help reduce nights that we're up all night and increase breastfeeding. Plus, we don't have space in our apartment to put the child in another room. So it will be perfect for these first few months.
I made brownies again. They are super chocolatey and a perfect way to calm a sweet tooth. :)
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