Craptastic Unawesomeness

Those are the only two words that I can think of to describe the last few days. It has been very stressful indeed. It all started Tuesday night (which was actually after midnight, so early Wednesday morning) when I found out our checking balance was $0.00, and our savings balance was only $130. I tried paying our Verizon bill, but it couldn't be processed, so I checked our bank account. Turns out, where I thought we were ahead financially, we were actually behind. I take responsibility for not keeping track of our financials, but at the same time, I got screwed. My *previous* employer decided to cash both a $500 and $300 check at the same time, which cleaned out our account. This was for our health insurance, to keep it active. Like I said, I didn't
account for those checks, but at the same time, the $500 check was given to them in October. So I guess I forgot about it, thinking it was cashed.

So after checking my account, I realize that I didn't get my unemployment payment for the previous week. Not getting that payment also set us back. I thought maybe that I didn't claim my benefits for the previous week, so I contacted the NYS Dept of Labor. Are you ready for this crap!? I did claim my weekly benefits, but my claim is under review. Why, you may ask? Well, it turns out my *previous* employer told NYS that after my short term disability ended, that I chose not to return to work. Haha! I'll repeat that: I chose not to return to work, so therefore, I shouldn't be eligible for unemployment. Isn't that a crock of bullshit? Well, to make a long story short, I spoke to the HR department and told them the real story. That my position was posted and filled while I was out on maternity leave, so I didn't have a position to come back to. So it was chosen for me to not return. I also told him how unhappy I was with how the whole situation was handled, and how I thought it was shady. He agreed that I have every right to be upset, and he was going to talk to some people, and find out what's going on. I should be hearing from him on Monday. We shall see.

To top it off, Matt's windshield is cracked all the way across, so we have to somehow come up with the money to fix that. At least $500. I have no idea where that is going to come from. We'll have to figure it out, I guess. At least I went food shopping, and that cleared. And thankfully Cael is breastfed, because we wouldn't be able to afford formula. I'm going to see if I can try to apply for WIC. It would definitely help us out.

Cael has been super fussy the last few days, too. It's really taking a toll on me, too. The constant crying, not wanting to be put down, not taking naps anywhere but on me. It's very taxing. And not to mention exhausting. Matt also left for Long Island yesterday, so not having him around in the evening is also hard on me. But he needed to get away, and I can't blame him. He has been going non-stop since the summer, when I was put on bed rest. He needed a break, and I can't say I blame him. Hopefully he'll come back feeling relaxed and refreshed.

But anyway, back to Cael. I'm not sure what to think. I'm hearing that you can't spoil an infant at this age, but then people tell me you can. I talked to my mom about it, and she looked up some things on the internet. She found a site that talked about a mom with a similar situation. She attributed it to her baby being breastfed. They take comfort in breastfeeding, and therefore fall asleep while on the breast, and get used to sleeping on you. It makes sense, and could explain why Cael will only nap on me. The lady suggested trying to keep your baby awake while breastfeeding, and then put them down in the crib for their nap. I know it's going to probably take some time, but I'll have to work on it. At least it gives me some hope that I'm not spoiling him, and that it's because he's breastfed.

Onto happier things. I got Cael to chuckle yesterday. It was *the* cutest video ever. He's also trying to roll over from back to belly. He's getting really close to doing it, and I wouldn't be surprised if he rolls within the next week. He's getting so big, I can't take it. We also started cloth diapering tonight. It's going to be interesting to see if he soaks through everything in the morning. I guess if you're going to test them, overnight would be the time to do it. We're really low on disposable diapers, so I'm glad that I got the detergent today. I really don't want to/can't buy more diapers, so I'll be doing a ton of laundry. I only have enough inserts for 7 diaper changes, so I'll be doing laundry probably twice a day to reuse the inserts. Wish me luck!

In other news, we had 6 inches of snow on Wednesday night. It was Cael's second snowfall. So Thursday morning, I put Cael in his cute bunting, took him outside, and sat him in the snow. I took some pictures (of course), and he was so adorable. It was cold out, so I didn't spend too much time outside.

I was also given a Moby Wrap by a friend of mine. I am so thankful for such a wonderful gift. Cael loves it! And it's so comfortable too - much more comfortable than my Infantino carrier. I can't wait to wear it out in public.