What's in a SSN?

Super busy day today with attempt number dos to get a birth certificate for Josie girl. For those of you who don't birth at home, this is the one big pain in buttoocus. I would birth a million babies at home if the man wasn't bringing me down on all the bureaucracy b*@%#! I mean puleeze! It isn't as if we haven't done this before, but the hoops they keep a changin' so what we needed almost four years ago for Dema is not what we need to do today for Josie. In fact, we tried to get this stuff taken care of in December. The person who handles this type of request (a birth cert. and then a SSN for someone born at home) was not in. We were told we needed a notarized letter from someone who knew me pregnant and after the baby (not the father of the baby). Last time and this time we have pictures of the actual baby being born, but no, no, no, no...don't show actual proof. Okay...

My sister wrote this nice little letter saying she saw me do the deed and all is well and true. We finally get the family down to Public Health again (we went a few days ago, but it was closed) with the notarized letter, but wait...no, no, no. We need this particular form to be filled out and notarized and no we don't have a notary on staff. Yes, the form says exactly what your letter says, but it still has to be on the form. For Dema, my dad just had to come down to Public Heath and sign something. Now we take the forms with us and Rob had to get back to work for a meeting so we'll be back at Public Health tomorrow to hopefully get this resolved.

I don't mind doing paperwork. I just wish it would be consistent and the people knew what was needed. This year there is some special instructions with the forms where they want all the names of the people who were at the birth (including midwives). Now, I chose to birth unassisted (without the aid of a midwife) so all is find and dandy, but in Illinois the laws are such that lay midwives can/have/do get in trouble from time to time for attending births. We are working to have this changed, but as it stands the added instructions for the form are slightly disturbing to me and feel a wee bit like a witch hunt.

It also states that you have to file for a birth cert. within one year of the baby being born. Well, this doesn't sound like a big deal, but my friend Alicia had five babies at home and had to go through a ton 'o s*%^# to get the birth cert. because she didn't get it within the year and the baby turned into a pumpkin. It all turned out well for Alicia, but it was an ordeal with judges and all.

Sooooo...our taxes will be a little late this year since you can't get the SSN without the birth cert. and you can't get the birth cert. without all this paperwork and you can't claim a child on your taxes without a SSN.

Taken with my cell phone at Public Heath. I thought the picture was appripo since we are completely at the mercy of the government...in someone else's hands.
Some days I feel like we are all just a number.