Identity Theft

My sister called me at the end of April, reporting a collections notice in my name at her address in Columbus OH.  She called to inquire with the company and found that someone had opened an account in my name, with my social security number and date of birth, then hadn't paid a bill of $160.  I mean, if you were going to do some damage, wouldn't you choose something a little bigger?  Well, in filing reports and complaints and paperwork and calls, I've thoroughly reviewed all 3 of my credit reports (because there are 3 agencies.. the things I'm learning!) and found 2 additional breaches in my identity.  For the love of mike! That measly $160 is now a measly $2,271 for a US Cellular account and another measly $254 for, get this, an Ice Mountain Spring Water account.  If this weren't so irritating, it'd be funny. Today, as I called the Federal Trade Commission to update my identity theft affidavit, the nice lady on the phone casually says, "in reviewing the thefts, it appears that the person may have attempted to open a small business in your name and SSN". WHAT?!!  Is that freakin' possible?!  After chatting it up with the IRS, there have been no new businesses opened under my name, so thank goodness for that!

I've been to the GRPD twice, have to go again tonight to get an officer's signature for the first of possibly three fraud packets I have to complete and mail in to prove that I did not in fact, live in Chicago in 2010 but in Grand Rapids MI.

What a pain.  All for a cell phone account, a U-verse account and some water.  What's wrong with these people?  Why can't they get a job, use their own shit and leave mine alone?

I haven't been stressed about it all, it's just tedious and my butt hurts from the hours, literally, sitting in front of my computer and on the phone.  I have pages of records of who I spoke to, for which company and when and what they said.  There have been tears when US Cellular wouldn't release information about this alleged account and the collection agency wouldn't either... I mean, it's my freakin' SSN, and I ain't paying just to pay!  The good news is once I complete the police report and the paperwork, I can have the collections off my credit report and I won't owe any money... but there's always that looming chance they'll use it again.

Moral of the story:  check your credit reports occasionally.  Mine have 3 addresses in Chicago where I've never lived... see who is doing credit inquiries and call them to see why if you haven't authorized it.  If Michelle hadn't gotten that notice, I wouldn't know anything about it and who knows when I would have... maybe when I apply for a new credit card or loan... it's good to be in the know.

The Extended Profile

I'm donating the baby's cord blood after delivery, so anyone who may need access can have it.  (You can pay to store in "just in case" but lord knows if we'll need it and frankly, it's too darn expensive.)  In the process of signing the consent and writing out my past medical history, the blood bank asked that I get an extended profile of the donor so they could have a more thorough medical background.  Joc called the sperm bank that the baby daddy is from and she said the person on the phone was so excited that we were pregnant, she didn't make us pay the $20 it costs for the profile.  She emailed it to us and told us we have "priority" over V413's sperm in the future, even if it's not listed online in the list... for more kids.
The profile was 12 pages long, it's waay more detailed than the quick image they give you in the online list.   It was like getting to know the guy, he says he's attractive and has a good sense of humor.  It was fun to read through the pages of information and imagine what the baby will look like when he or she comes out of this womb.
Speaking of getting out... I'm full term now.  37 weeks, can you believe it?  The doctor checked my cervix on Wednesday (she was doing a strep B test so since I had my pants off anyway I asked her to check me), and she said the baby is still pretty high in my addomen and the cervix is only a tiny bit soft.  So, as I thought, this kid probably isn't coming early.  But, that's ok.  I also read though, that a person could get checked in the morning and not have any signs of labor and could still deliver that day or some people walk around dilated to 3 cms for days.  I haven't had any contractions, no mucous plug loosing, no water breaking, just feeling round.  I'm getting so many boy guesses these days, when previously people were guessing girl more than boy.  And I've been told by many people that "pregnancy suites me"... I'm not going to agree with them because I'm ready to have this body back, but would they tell me I'm fat and miserable?!  That'd just be mean. (c:
I'm on the countdown... but trying to not count too loudly as this 3 weeks could easily go through 5 weeks... just praying that everything happens as it's supposed to and the baby comes out healthy and happy.  And that breastfeeding isn't too miserable and that pushing this baby out of my vagina isn't too horrible and... ok, i'll stop voicing all my fears. (c:

The new job

Well, I've been at the new job for a week now.  I started last Monday with a 4 hour "orientation" to the job and it's broad and very non-specific requirements.  I was excited but honestly, a little bored.  I have to sit down with about every "white coat" (as I call the leadership, non-staff persons) in the hospital to introduce myself and see what their job is and how it relates to my job.  Yippee.  (insert sarcasm script there)  I'm lucky though, I'm working in critical care, amongst the people I know and love working with and around.  Many of the people I have to "introduce" myself to already know me, so it'll be quick.  Kristy, the gal who they hired as the other part timers, has ER experience and she's in the Oncology area of the hospital.  She knows minimal people, although she was on committees and knows people from those, and she has that friendly, easy to talk to personality.  But she doesn't even know her way around the hospital at times.  So, she has a bigger learning curve than I do.
I like the job, so far.  I'm just trying to get organized really.  And find stuff to do.  Yesterday, I voluteered to coordinate orientation for new nurses... but was told I shouldn't as I'll be off on maternity leave for 8 weeks.  Ugh.  This kid puts a cramp in things.  Luckily, Kristy voluteered and said we could work together  so I could take over when I come back if I wish to.
Another thing is the old critical care educator had a candy dish that she kept filled pretty much all the time.  I bought three bags of candy last week and it's all gone!  Woa.  I can't keep this shit up!  Not to mention, I'm sitting by the candy dish... I'd love nothing more than to eat it all day.  Jeez.  I don't know if candy will stay high on my priority list, that's for sure.  (c:

The baby shower was excellent, the thank you's are still unfinished.  )c:  We got new french doors and a new back door, and the house is warmer already!  It's freakin' amazing.  And we can have a door mat now!  Our old back door was warped and dragged across the kitchen floor when opened, this one actually fits in the frame correctly and doesn't move the mat when opened.  I was so excited when I saw it!  So worth the money to replace the doors.  Love love love them.  If we decide to stay in this house, you know windows are back on the top of my wish list. (c:  I haven't told Joc though...
About a month to go until the due date.  This countdown is annoying but inevitable.  I'm anxious to see what the baby looks like, how labor will be and what life with a child is like.  Soon, so very soon we will see.  It just feels like a long time away still.

Shower time!

The nursery is almost complete, thank you Jocelyn!!  Joc has done so, so much in that room, who am I kidding, she's done pretty much everything... I think I weighed in on when it was time to take the spare bed out and helped move the furniture a little but really, that's about it.  She painted a row of sheep on the wall that she made by drawing and cutting out cardboard stencils, she made our old TV armoire into a mini closet (the doors and drawers need one last coat of paint and should be installed by the end of the weekend), she unpacked the crib and put it together in record time, she took an old dresser put a fresh coat of paint on it and changed the knobs for fancy brushed nickel knobs and built a changing table topper for the baby to have diaper changes.  She bought some nice baskets for blankets, and organized the clothes, she's rearranged the room (a few times) so it flows perfectly, she installed a dimmer switch for the light, and bought a nightlight to keep on for the baby.  She's been the perfect helper for this baby momma.  I am so blessed and lucky to have her around to help us prepare and most days, I think she's more excited than I am to meet this dancer that's grown to about 5 pounds now in my uterus.  (I call him or her a dancer because he likes to back his butt up into my right side... I've taken to singing that song, "back that thing up" all the time... I rub my side and say, "honey, there's no more room over there!")  She rubs my feet after a long day at work, is sensitive (most times) to my hormonal needs, and is constantly rubbing my belly and talking to our baby.

I took some pictures of the nursery last night but Joc wants to wait until the doors are completed and on the closet before sharing them on facebook and on here.... so you'll have to wait a few more days, it's very cute and very baby.

We have our big and final shower Saturday, we are excited to see our friends and family and to hang out with them to celebrate the baby that will join us soon (thank goodness!).  We'll wash the clothes, pack the diaper bag (thanks Rachael!), and start thinking about our hospital bags (although really how can we pack that bag when I might need to wear those clothes yet... and my toiletries are used at least 2x a day... those might be the last minute things we grab along with a meal, when my water breaks or labor begins).

It's getting closer and closer.  It's getting real and yet still so unbelievable... there's a baby in my belly.  I know it's true but I'm not sure I believe it just yet, not until it comes out and omg... there is it.  Gulp.

Solutions

Solution to my previous dilemma:  the boss lady agreed to 24 hours a week in the salary position, so I officially (over the phone and email) accepted the job.  The offer letter is "supposedly" in the mail, I start Monday the 18th but have no clue what my schedule will look like.  I'm not even sure how flexible it will be or if I'll find myself at the hospital 5 days a week but for different amounts of time each time.  Regardless, I hope I've made the correct decision and that I enjoy the new role as much as I hope.  It's bittersweet, as my shifts on the unit will be significantly less, I hope to pick up at least one 12 a month but depending on my workload for the new job and how I feel in the last couple months of the pregnancy...  I have said since graduating nursing school that I would only work as a bedside nurse for 5 years, here I am at 6 years and I'll be sad to leave it behind.  I'm praying this is the path I am supposed to go down and I will still have opportunities.  I will mostly miss my co-workers and friends, but will still seem them, at least the ones I am truly friends with.  

Another issue I've brought up on this blog: religion.  Our struggle, well Joc's more than mine, with the Catholic faith not accepting our relationship has come to a head... but not a big nasty one, a nice and hopefully peaceful one.  One of the nuns from Aquinas that Joc spent a semester in Ireland with, Sister Alice, was at the Ireland reunion that we attended a few weeks back.  Sister Alice has a gay niece who lives in CO and just had a baby with her partner.  We didn't really get into a deep convo with her at the reunion but Joc decided to go to mass at the Marywood chapel (where the Dominican nuns live, whom are affiliated with Aquinas and we were told by a neighbor has an accepting congregation and a more liberal approach to the faith).  She ran into Sister Alice at mass but it wasn't until a few days later that Sister Alice emailed Joc to welcome her and let her know how happy she was that Joc had decided to come to mass there.  Joc then took the opportunity to express her frustrations with the Catholic church and Father Jim's outright refusal to baptize our baby.  Sister Alice's response was lovely.  She pretty much disagrees with the stance and hopes that the church moves forward soon (which I'm not holding my breath for but whatever) but she also let her know that there are multiple gay couples who attend mass at Marywood and she's pretty sure there have been baptisms for gay couples there too.  She encouraged us to come again and speak with another Sister, who later also emailed Joc to welcome her.  It felt nice, and I know Joc was pretty pleased with how it has played out.  We'll have to see how it all goes and hopefully, we've found a nice Catholic home to raise our kids without changing our faith to fit our needs.