the kindness of semi-strangers

Last night at pickup, one of Isaac's daycare teachers gave me a big Rubbermaid tub full of baby clothes. They are from her daughter, who just had her third baby last fall and isn't planning any more. All of her babies were boys, so some of the clothing is very "boy," but a lot of it could be considered gender-neutral, and anyway it's not like I wouldn't put blue on a girl. ;) It's all infant sizes and summery stuff, so it should be just right for Cosmo. Yay!

Also, a fellow single mom from a fertility board messaged me saying that she was sending me a bunch of clothing that her baby has outgrown. It's lovely how generous people can be. I hope to find a way to pay it forward....

I also got a very sweet email from a former coworker offering to help with "anything [I] need" after Cosmo arrives. Aww. It's nice to know I have people on my side.

More updates to come....

I hate money.

Sigh. Another day, another financial dilemma.

I got a notice in the mail from Comcast (cable-TV provider) that they're going to shut me off on the 16th if I don't pay them the lousy $80 that I owe them. I also got an automated phone call from the electric company, which I hung up on, but I'm assuming they were saying something similar. I also have a car insurance bill from last month that I haven't paid. I got a second thing in the mail from them, which I didn't open, but I presume it says that my car insurance will be canceled if I don't pay them awfully soon.

I get paid next Wednesday, at which point all of this will be okay again. I can pay all the above bills plus the following two weeks of daycare with next week's paycheck. But I don't know if all of these creditors are going to wait until next week. And currently I have 48 dollars in my checking account. And tomorrow I have to pay daycare.

I just asked my mom to lend me money for tomorrow's daycare bill. When she lends me money, she takes it out of her home equity line, which doesn't allow her to make a withdrawal of less than $500. The daycare bill is less than $500. So, we agreed that she would write a check for two weeks of daycare, and then I'll be covered for tomorrow and next Friday. What's another $600 when I already owe my mom $45K?

I am due to be reimbursed about $400 from my flexible spending account for daycare. I faxed in that form last Friday. They usually process it more quickly than this, so I was really hoping that would have appeared in my account by now (they direct-deposit it) but no such luck. I guess I'll cross my fingers that it shows up tomorrow.

I hate living like this. I hate money.