Nursery Stuff!

Generally I just say 'the baby's room' instead of nursery since it won't be a fancy, decorated room, but I will make an exception this time :)  Last night I broke down and finally ordered the four big things we NEED for the baby: a crib (plus mattress, which is boring but kind of expensive), a changing table, a play yard, and a rocker/sleeper to keep next to our bed in the beginning (I suppose that last one isn't a 'need').  I was going nuts price-checking and comparing discounts and free shipping and wound up ordering from three different places for the overall best deal.  Fun times!  Here they are:

I am pretty excited to get this stuff in the empty room and set up, I think it will seem even more real then!  The stroller and carseat are supposed to be coming today or tomorrow, too, and maybe we'll install the carseat and pack the hospital bag in a couple of weeks.  Eeek!  I somehow feel a lot better knowing that we're covered if the baby comes, at least stuff-wise.  We still need to pick up some small stuff still, namely sheets and diapers, but even if we don't get them before the baby comes, Jeff can run down the street if necessary (and I'll probably get some sheets soon, I'm waiting to be able to use our registry completion discounts).

I am quickly realizing just how expensive babies are - I know, I know, everyone says they're expensive, but sheesh.  Not only all the 'equipment', and I know we haven't even gotten into paying for diapers and possibly formula yet, but the doctor's appointments are crazy too!  It turns out that in Washington, the prenatal, delivery, and post-natal stuff is billed ahead of time with the midwife/OB.  I have heard that this is fairly common (it's mentioned in all of my baby books) but since I didn't have to do it in Baltimore I guess I was hoping I'd escaped it.  Seeing that bill (which is only 20% of the total cost, since my insurance covers 80%!) was kind of a shock, especially when I add in what I've already paid for lab tests and ultrasounds (previous visits were only $20 a pop, so not bad; in WA they have to be billed as a whole because there are more than some number of them...I dunno exactly).  Luckily this is 20% of the total that the midwife bills, not the cost that my insurance will allow, so hopefully it will be less expensive when it's processed - one of my bills for the old clinic was $1500, my insurance 'allowed' $200, and I paid $50.  Even if not, it's a lot cheaper than what some of the gals online have said they had to pay, so I guess I shouldn't complain.  I don't even want to think about what the hospital bill will cost...yikes.  Even paying only 20% adds up fast when we're talking thousands of dollars!  Ay yi yi.  I think I need to stop thinking about this for now!  Maybe it's time to apply for some more jobs....

To end on a happier note, look how huge I am!  This was taken at 32 weeks exactly.