Let's see how much money I can spend *cough, cough*

After my pseudo-complaining about the cost of hiring a midwife (or moreso that insurance won't cover the cost), I'm actually considering hiring a photographer as well to document my birth. Am I nuts or what?! (Uh, don't answer that. Seriously.)

The way I see it, having a baby - this baby - will happen once in my lifetime. And this may very well be the last baby that we have. (Maybe. Nothing is carved in stone yet.) I would love to take pictures of my own birth, but, as hard as I try, I can't be in two places at once. ;) I really, really want good pictures from this birth - not just snapshots, but a photojournalist-style documentation of the events as they unfold. So I've justified to myself the expense of hiring someone to take photos, even if it means dipping into savings.

Now I'm trying to find a photographer who has done birth photography in the past and that I would feel comfortable with being in labor in front of. I don't think this will be an easy task, especially considering we only have about 7 weeks left!

I thought about hiring a doula who specializes in photography, but since I'm having a homebirth and will have two midwives here to support me already, I can't really justify the expense of a doula too. Not to discount their value, because I think doulas are awesome and, if I was planning a hospital birth, I wouldn't hesitate for one second from hiring one! But since I'll be birthing in the comfort of my home, I figure the money would be better spent going to an actual photographer.

So that's what I've been up to - trying to find ways to spend the money we don't have.

Oh, and I went for acupuncture tonight and they decided I don't need to start on the Chinese herbs yet, because I'm apparently doing so well. Yay! :)