Birthday Miracle!

I turned 27 on September 30th. Since we just wanted to do something at home we had family and friends over for carne asada and carnitas tacos. Chips, salsa, guacamole, Spanish rice, and birthday cake rounded out the menu. I was really glad that so much of my family and a lot of our friends were able to make it.
I don't do it for the attention of my birthday, I don't do it so that people will buy me presents- I have a job if I really want something I will buy it myself- I really do it because it is a good reason to get people together. Just inviting people over on a Saturday to gather and hang out- maybe half of the people will show- You tell them it's because it's your birthday? Your percentage goes up significantly :D
I was super happy that my bestest friend and her family were able to come and hang out all night- our lives have changed since we left high school and so we don't get to see each other as often as I would like. Everything went well and fun was had by all... The real miracle happened on my real birthday the following Monday.
Since I am a planner, as soon as I found out I was pregnant I have been trying to maneuver everything at my job. FMLA paperwork, PTO and maternity leave. Well I was sadly mistaken that I worked for a company who cared about it's employees when I went and visited HR and they informed me that we DON'T HAVE MATERNITY BENEFITS. Wtf Iasis?!? You are a healthcare company and don't provide maternity benefits to your staff?
So... As it was, I would work up until this little bean makes his debut and then I would burn thru all of my paid time off, short term sick and long term sick that I have accrued... at day 61 I was eligible for short term disability and would be receiving 40% of my normal pay. Sounds great right?! (Sarcasm inserted here) Well the thing is we accrue time at the slowest rate possible and I wouldn't have enough time to cover the 60 days between going out and disability kicking in. I would basically be going about 40 days of NO PAY and then getting only 40% for the remainder of my 12 weeks. Eff.
On September 30th Iasis changed it's PTO policy and for once things were in my favor. We no longer had separate PTO and Sick- it was all lumped into one bank to draw from- we were given 3 more days a year and best yet.... Short term disability kicks in at 30 days rather than 60!. If I don't use any PTO until I go into labor I will have almost the entire 30 days covered before disability kicks in- HUGE WEIGHT LIFTED OFF OF MY SHOULDERS!
I know we would have been fine- budgeting a little tighter and not going out as much- but it is nice to know that at least some money will be coming in whilst I am home with the little one.
Walgreen's had better benefits when I worked there, 8 weeks of full pay and 4 weeks of half pay...another 4 weeks at half pay if you had to have a C-section.
My husband has better benefits at Kroger... He gets two weeks of paternity leave and has 240 hours of vacation to use however he wants. I let him know that 'he wants' to stay home a good month with me to figure this baby thing out :)