Alone in the house with the kids...

Grandma came about a month or so after Landon came home from the NICU and stayed until just last week. This was when Jeremy and I officially parted ways. I was alone in the house with Landon and had Isabella in the NICU. It was nice just to have someone in the house with me. Grandma did laundry and dishes. If you have read my previous posts. It was never meant for her to live here but she stayed a while and it was great. But she is at the point to where she needs help and that means she went back to Arkansas.
So now it is the kids and I in the house by ourselves for the first time. Landon and Isabella and I are all alone. It is nice in many ways. Grandma refused to sleep in the bedroom and slept on the couch. So I never really had any alone time just chilling and watching tv. There is a certain amount of privacy I have gotten back. But it is different now because there is no one to talk to besides the kids. But so far I think I like it better this way. I am so glad Grandma got to know the kids though.
The kids and I need to stand on our 2 feet. It is just clear that family isn't going to provide physical help to us. It is part of that thing when some people realize that your kids don't grow out of prematurity and have long lasting health issues and that you can't go running here or there. Well they stop coming and calling. It is the same with family to a certain degree. But everyone has their life to live. This is our life. I do get lonely for adult company and that is outside of the company grandma offered. But being with the kids alone is easier in a lot of ways. Less to clean, etc.
Our life won't ever be what is considered "normal" for all practical purposes and so in many ways I don't feel like we fit in with family or friends.

Preparing to move - Lazy Saturday

Well I have cleaned out a lot of stuff already. But I found more stuff today to get rid of before we move. I don't think the move itself will be all that bad because I have went through everything. But I am ready to get moved!

Other than cleaning the kids and I have been hanging out at home. Isabella got up at 5 this morning. I am just worn out after the past week. So tonight. Right after they are off to bed. I am taking my bath and will be off to bed. Plus, I someone loaned me a new book to read that seems pretty good.

Sweet dreams to me!! And hopefully sleeping till 6 in the morning!

Isabella's MRI

Well we did switch the way we did Isabella's anethestic for the MRI and it was great. They used what is called an LMA. It is a soft, rubber almost diaphram like thing that sits at the very back of her throat after she is asleep. No endotracheal tube placed!!! This also meant she wasn't put under as deeply as she would have been if she were ventilated. They did a great job.
GHS Anthesia team rocks. Once I was able to speak directly with them they were very understanding. As for the rest of the doctors who could have helped me make that contact and made the process much easier. I will be in touch.
Back to the MRI. So instead of Isabella coming out of the MRI crying because she has been so deep under anethesia and woken up to have a tube pulled out of her throat and crying and having blow by oxygen on her face. Isabella came out of sleeping peacefully with NO OXYGEN. We walked over to recovered with her on the hospital bed. She slept a bit longer while I changed her diaper and they monitored her stats which were running 97-99%. Once she started to wake up I started some clear liquids. She whined once and we left. No drama and and she was eating and drinking tonight because her throat wasn't sore from the endotube!! Know we will have serial MRIs this is wonderful for Isabella. Her comfort and safety are very important and those guys did both today. I will be calling to report what a great job they did at keeping Isabella comfortable and making this much easier and less stressful on her. GHS Anthesia, if you ever read this. You rock!!

We won't know the results till next week sometime. Just wait and see.

Isabella is now 31.5 inches long!! I think she might be on the short side genetically. I am 5'4 and her Daddy is 5'8.

So for those of you who have struggled with intubation for things you feel could be done in a different way. Please ask about a LMA and let them show it to you. They let me see it and touch it. I can't tell you how much better this went for her. It was a blessing!

Prayer for a child in the hospital.......

> Almighty God,
> Who answers every need,
> Bless my child's nurse with a gentle touch.
> Bless my child's doctor with wise counsel.
> Bless my child's surgeon with a steady hand.
> Bless my child's therapists for their noble undertakings.
> Bless my child's pharmacist with precise thought.
> Bless housekeeping for washing away dangers to my vulnerable child.
> For each of these I pray today.
> Please guide their hearts, their hands, and their minds
> So they may bring comfort an healing
> To all those you entrust in their care.
> Amen.

Updates all around

Grandma is now back in Arkansas. She was getting to the point where I had to take care of her and this was something we had agreed on a long time. She is ok with it.

The kids are doing well. We have just been bombarded since vacation. NOt with huge stuff. But Granny got sick. Landon's pacemaker was adjusted. Just little things.

Tomorrow is Isabella's MRI.

We close on our house on 7/7. So that is busy stuff.

Landon has appointments this month. Shriners on 7/17. The Shriner's hospital here specializes in Neuromuscular and ortho for cerebral palsy and he needs to evaluated thoroughly for any scolios, bone issues, etc. Plus, they may give us options for some treatments.

7/22 Landon has another heart appt. We are downloaded his pacemaker the Friday before to see if his heart does anything else goofy. We have turned on the EGM on his pacemaker and it will give us pretty clear understanding of what is going on. But this has only happened one time for 3 seconds. Hopefully it won't happen again.

The kids were due for eye check in June. But it has been crazy month. So I am going to squeeze those in August. Landon also needs to have a followup with the neuro in August.
Isabella is yet to be determined because it will be based on her MRI results.

Once we get moved. I really think it is going to help us so much. The extra space. Grandma being gone has actually alleviated some stress off of me. I didn't realize how closely I was watching her sugar and stuff. Plus, it means one less person moving into our new house. Which means more space. Grandma was never meant to be here permanently. It was so I would have someone here with me that could help a little. Well she can't help anymore and she is getting to where she needs someone with her all day. I will always be thankful that she spent this time with the kids and they know her and she knows them.
Plus, in the new house I will be closer to everything. That can't be bad, right?
The backyard is privacy fenced. So we are putting in little kiddie pool that you can throw away out there. I will put Landon in our extra bath chair out there. Isabella in the pool. Only an inch or so of water with me supervising. Plus, we will do a sprinkler. So much fun for the weekends when it is hot and we don't anywhere.

Oh and there is already a place set up for me to hang 2 child swings.

This is a long post. The house is pretty cleaned out. I have donated or tossed anything we don't use or won't be using. I am determined to start out organized in our new home. I have someone who is helping me move and get organized.

Plus, being in a subdivision in a cul de sac will be great for Isabella's gait trainer. Which it is looking like she won't need for long. She is going to be a terror walking. Seriously, I will be getting one of those child harnesses where she can't run away from me. I don't think I would be able to catch her if I had Landon in the stroller.

Well I think that sums it up!
Take Care

Landon

Well Mr. Landon was really trying to sit up while we were gone. He wanted to see what was going on. I have never seen him pull himself straight up off the ground so far. He even tried to grab his legs to pull himself up. This is huge for him. It was alot of work and effort on his part. I am very proud of him.
By the way, he got his first jacuzzi bath and he loved it. Isabella, Landon and I all crawled off in the tub. He was out like a light after the bath and Isabella was cracked out. But they liked it.
Maybe one day we can put one in our new house. A girl can dream.
Oh and Landon is still doing wonderful with thin liquids. Like applejuice thin. Go Landon!!

Isabella is pulling up!!

Ok, so my Mother has a fireplace and it has a step that is about half as tall as Isabella. We had padded it with a comforter because it is rock and we didn't want any heads getting boinked. Girlfriend pulled herself up and sat down many times. Then she crawled up on top of it. So now that we are back home I am curious to see how this carries out.
I can't wait for Isabella to walk. But I am telling you she is a hot mess and will be into everything!

We are home!!!

Well we are home. The trip was overall good. A few travel mishaps, but nothing to horrible. NWA ended up taking very good care of us. There is nothing like getting away for a bit, but it is nice to come home that is for sure!! The kids are happy. Bless them, they have had a long day.

Isabella did great on the plane. She just goes with the flow. Seriously, laid back. Landon definitely has sensory issues. Once he gets tired his startle reflex really kicks in and everytime there is a loud noise it makes him cry. This is only when he is really tired.

I will post some more tidbits from the trip later.

Take Care

Almost over

Well vacation is almost over. It went pretty well. We all had a great time. the close on the house has been moved to July. Hmm, watched the movie Fracture. It was good. Did a bit of shopping. Got apedicure. Isabella pulled herself up!!!!!! into a standing position. Landon worked so hard trying to sit up so he could see what is going on. he doesnt do that at home because it is the same people. I have to say both kids loved meeting & seeing everyone.

Vacation Update

We arrived fine and so far everything is going well. I have had a bit of computer withdrawal. We are in the boonies in Arkansas. No internet. This is a first for me in a few years. The kids are having fun and Landon has been enjoying Lemonade.

For those few who may have found me supportive

Honestly, I try to give hope. There is always some hope for some things. May be it isn't the exact things we want. but the hope is there. This isn't me trying to be a saint. A doctor said this to me and it has stuck with me through the hardest of times.
I pray alot and I believe that we have an awesome God and that he blesses our lives each day. We may not see all the blessings how little or how small.
I would post my favorite small blessings on here but they would only be riduculed.

No matter where you are at in your preemie's life you have right to receive any kind of support you want or don't want. When there is a lot of doom and gloom I do try and bring a little light to the room. Maybe that isn't the best way. But I just don't want people to get so caught up in the negative and bad stuff that may or may not happen and they don't know if it will happen yet because it hasn't that they can't see any of the good stuff.

To some this may not make sense. But that is ok.

For those offfended by me - this is for you

I removed the posts of the rude emails sent to me. It is ok for that person to speak her mind. But for me, it isn't. Not on my blog or in the community. I can let this community to go.
As for me and my children. "pity" is the word used to describe us. Well I am not sure what sums up pity. I didn't think the pictures on blog showed pitiful children and made me pitiful. I never said my children didn't have issues or lifelong issues. I also never denied that others do. The thing I did say is that we would deal with those problems when they arose and if they arose. I will not treat or label my child with anything they do not have.
Denial would mean I expect Landon to walk in the near future and I don't have that expactation at all and that is why we are exploring Pediatric Power Wheelchairs. I don't know what limitations Landon will end up with as he grows. I can only deal with them when they come our way.
Isabella's biggest hurdles will be walking and eating. The liver issues will be lifelong.
Will my kids become OCD, ADHD, LD, MR or failure to thrive? I do not know. But if they do we will treat, deal and cope with it at that time. I don't think preemies are born and go home and everything turns out just dandy.
My words have been twisted to alot of people's own interests. That is ok.

What I do I know is that Landon and Isabella's futures have a lot of uncertainities. One is whether or not they will still be alive. It is morbid but that is the reality of the situation.

I wouldn't waste energy on pity for us or me for that matter. My children and I may have huge hurdles to overcome but I won't let it rob everything else from our lives. That is all that I try to give other parents who are having a hard time. Is just a little piece of light that things may not ever be perfect and things will happen.

Landon, I don't care if he never walks, or how high his IQ is, he is my child and God made him perfect. I love him just the way he is. I wish he had not been through so much. As for lifelong care, that is possible. We have already started addressing those issues in case I die young.
Isabella I believe will go on to be an independent adult who will be able to handle her healthecare needs. Let me rephrase a bit. I hope that I can instill this in her.

The liver, the heart, the cerebral palsy and everything little thing anyone or myself can find that isn't perfect with my children is ok. But we are still going to have fun and play. Run the water sprinkler and play in it. Life is to short to be sad and miserable everyday.

I do beleive that everyone accepts and deals with these things differntly and that is their choice.

I will be honest here. I never meant to offend anyone in the community besides one person. I did that and have been removed from the community. So she can now stop sending me nasty emails and such. You can't change me and I can't change you. As for the abrasive comments I have made about you. I stand behind them and honestly have no regret for saying them. I am sure you have said worse about me. Actually you did and I had it posted on this blog. But the difference is that it is ok for you to pick and offfend anyone you choose and to treat them how you see fit. But if anyone stands their ground and doesn't apologize and back down from you. Then you just can't take it. I never back down from things I believe or stand behind.

Before I wrote this post I walked into the kids bedroom and looked at them and I tell ya they are just to precious for me to waste whatever time we have here together being miserable.

Landon's Pacemaker

Well we downloaded last night and for the first time there was an "incident". I found this out today and we are leaving for vacation tomorrow. They said to go. It only happened one time for 3 seconds. It is sort of hard to explain. But basically for 3 seconds his bottom chamber of his heart was beating WAY faster than the top.

So when we get back we will have an Echo and EKG and the pacemaker will be equipped and programmed to record pictures of the incidents going forward.

So it scared me to death and I fell apart for a moment. But then Amy (the nurse) called me back and talked to me for a while and explained everything and we talked about it a little more.

I don't like it and don't want it. But we will see what it is or if it even happens again.
So all I can say about that news is YUCKY!!

The good news is we will be closing on our house on time!!!

Wow, what a suprise!

I wasn't suprised at all about a decision that was made and I am sure there are some of you visiting here to see what I will post. I don't care personally. I will continue on the way I always have.
For thos who were offended, My perception is mine to have and to talk about if I choose. There is nothing distinguishing in this blog about anyone except me and my children. Otherwise, plenty of stuff I have said could be applied to many people.

I am saddened by your lack of depth and the rivalry you feel toward other preemie parents who aren't doom and gloom and don't live a tragedy everyday but have accepted their path wherever it leads.

There are a few folks I will miss there and those know who they are.

Oh well, life goes on.
If you don't like me or my thoughts, I suggest you don't read or come back to this blog. Heard of freedom of speech.

Blogging to me

The interesting thing about blogging is that your put yourself out there to be read and interpreted as the person reading it perceives it. Also, blogging is writing and fun. It is a bit of a hobby and a way to keep family and friends in the know.
I also use this blog to write about the kids. But it is also used to write about how "I" am feeling. This blog isn't used to bring down others or point them out. I have even set up posts weeks in advance.
This is just about me and the kids and how I am feeling.
Some people can think I am bitter and angry and have issues that need to be fixed. If that person sees my blog that way. Then that is their perception. Some people see it as an "Amen". Everybody has their own view. I am not trying to change it.
I am also not trying to violate anyone.
Do I get mad, angry or upset about things going on with my children. Yep, it happens. But the world isn't going to stop because I am upset.
This is the place I can talk about things that may or may not be read by others and just talk about whatever I feel like.
Right now, I could spend hours on strep throat and Landon's Squiggles Seat.
But I can only think of 2 blog posts that were related to any one person. I will tell you that I don't think that person knows this blog exists. Life with preemies isn't peachy and some of posts expound on that.
I have posted about wanting to get out of the house by myself and go to a movie, at the time was I frustrated, yep. Did I get to go to a movie? NOPE. Am I okay with that today? Yep. It takes a lot to get me angry and keep me there and stay there. I am a forgiving person. I know I have been forgiven for many things, too.
I am also an avid reader. I read lots of blogs. Some are preemie related and alot aren't. Some are just fun. Some are just someone else plowing their way through life that may not even have kids.
I do consider myself to be intelligent. Not a genius by any means. But I do love smut magazines and reality tv. The good cheap reality tv. So on most stuff I don't have a lot of deep thoughts. But when it comes to kids and family and religion. I do.
Well I have rambled on here.

Well

The antibiotics are working. I sweat to much last night it was gross. My sheets were wet. I thought could I have actually urniated on myself? It was just sweat. My body is getting rid of the infection, which is good.
Right now I feel like I have been hit by a train.
But I have to clean and was my sheet and blanket. Plus, start getting our stuff ready for Friday when we leave.

I will do my best to never get strep again!! In all my almost 30 years I have never had it and it sucks having it now!

Landon's Equipment

Well it finally came and we have it all set up. I love it. It fits him really well and is easy to use. I can't remember how many pounds it goes up to. It has a hydraulic lift on it. So when you move him up and down it doesn't require much strength at all.
Everything we got came from the Leckey Squiggles line.
http://www.leckey.com/template.asp?parent=96&pid=296
The above link is the chair I am ordering. I can't wait. It will work as a booster for when we got out to eat. Eating out will be new for the kids.
I am also ordering a creepster crawler.
I took some pictures of Landon's equipment today and uploaded. You can see them at
www.flickr.com/midnitesky21

Friday is fun day!!

Well Friday is the big day. We are all getting on a plane to fly to Arkansas. I am so looking forward to this. This will be our first real vacation in 2 years. Flying with everything we have going on should be a little humorous. But we will get there early and just take it in stride.

Once we get there I am not required to drive or do anything. The kids will have plenty of caregivers. Mommy will get to go to the movies!! What a party animal I am!

But we do have the Sit N Stroll car seat sold on www.skymall.com to take for the kids. The carseat turns into a stroller and back to a car seat. It was the best way for us to get them on off the plane. Thanks for family for getting these for us.
I did find one used But I don't think they are worth $250.00???
But we needed them and hopefully will get a lot of use out of them traveling to Arkansas alot more often.

Back to the strep

I really don't think I would with this on anyone. I am hoping we get by without the kids getting it. I have started them on antibiotics.
So by Thursday morning at the very least we shouldn't be contagious anymore.

I tell you it has kicked me in the arse. I knew something wasn't right when I left work on Monday. I was freezing in our office. FREEZING. To the point when I got in my van I didn't roll down any windows or turn on the a/c. It was 100 degrees according to temp guage on my van, well at least outside. The hot leather felt so good. I was so warm.

After I got home and start drinking some water and taking motrin I realized how bad I felt. We took my temp and it was 103. So I went on to the ER. Those who know me, know that I don't go unless I have to as far as drs go. I do routine physicals and exams.

Strep is very much like the flu. My whole body aches. My throat is horrible. So the kids and I are staying in tomorrow to hopefully not expose anyone else and give mom some much needed rest.

Bitter People

I love it when people can't stand optimism. It seems there are alot of Mom's out there with preemies that are older. Those parents are well past my age group. But those parents are the one's that humor me. They are so bitter and wrapped up in themselves.
But I do feel sorry for their children. I imagine them waking up every morning and saying to their child:
you are premature
you have many issues
you have cerebral palsy

I really do believe there are parents like this.

On the flip side, I love it when parent of preemies will say over and over again about how bad ALMOST ALL outcomes are, but then say how well their child is doing and how smart.
But if I were to say that about my child, I would be in denial.
Interesting, really.

I have been told many times how smart Isabella is, but that is me being in denial according to the old Goldie's of preemie moms out there. I couldn't possible know what I am talking about when it comes to children and their long term outcomes.

Nope, that has nothing to do with why I still live where I do to keep the insurance I have.

My children and I are quite happy. I have strep and am tired. But we are still happy. We don't wake up everyday and think what a tragedy their lives are.

However, I have found that alot of adults that have a very unfulfilled, faithless lives to be very unhappy and bitter. The only thing they may have or at least they think they do is their intelligence.

I have journals from the NICU stay from Isabella and Landon both. One day they will know how far they have come and all the trauma they have been through. But it won't be the soul focus of our lives.

Any time a child is born premature I cringe. I think that those parents may go through the same things we did. If they ask me I tell them the truth about my children and how uncertain things are for preemies.

I guess, I am just not an old, bitty yet that is unhappy.

Disclaimer:
Please note that this post in no way applies to any one person in particular or any one situation. I have met many preemie parents online, support groups and everyday social settings. If you feel this post is directed at you or someone in particular, please contact me and maybe I can adjust the wording. Thank You

Is it wrong to have hope?

I am not sure what some preemie parents thrive off of. Some make their child a medical experiment and reported on them like it is the New England Medicine Journal. Also, I think some use it to get attention or to how smart they "think" they are because they may have a preemie that is older than other.
I am the parent who is aware of most of things we will likely face in the future. But I still have hope and FAITH that we won't have them happen.
Wonder what some of those parents would do if they delivered their full term child and they had ADHD, feeding issues, etc. Then maybe that parent is the problem.

Then there are parents who must focus on all the bad. That I feel like you must even it out because others make thing wow, my preemies life will suck. Well to all the people who do nothing but point out negative stuff about preemies. You are negative and need it to thrive of off because you never accepted the fact that your child is "perfect". No child is perfect and many full term children are born with problems.

By the way, I am religious, I love God and praise him everyday for all the blessings he brings us all.

Strep Throat

It is the root of all evil. I have it and the kids are being treated because of exposure, etc.
It actually feels like the flu.
I have antibiotics and I am hoping to be completely healed by Thursday morning.

Isabella Eating

I also wanted to mention that she will bring her head to the spoon to get her bite. She knows the difference between bite and drink. She definitely has her preferences. She will usually eat pudding with only a few sips of milk.

But if we doing milk alone I can get at least 15 drinks into her. She puts the cup to her mouth but doesn't tilt it up high enough because I have the plug pulled out. But once she gets that part down. She will have mastered it.

I installed an a/c

That is right. Just call me Chasity the tool girl. I installed a window unit because our central just can't keep up and we were smothering today. Landon and his heart issues cant take the heat. Isabella and portal hypertension can't take the heat.
So that is right. I did it. Not quite like the manual said. Looks a little ghetto but it is installed and we are down from 80 degrees to 70 and that is a good thing!!

Isabella is still eating!!

I guess I am posting updates today. Isabella is eating. She still really only likes pudding but we are doing tapioca which has texture and vanilla. But she loves milk in the sippy cup and will even give herself the sippy cup!! Way to go my strong girl!!

My kids never fail to amaze me or remind me how beautiful life is and what a gift.

Isabella's MRI and sedation

Well Isabella is still young enough there is no way she will be still for an MRI and she must be. We need good pictures. Now, we are only focusing on her liver and a MRI won't take long.
In the last 6 months Isabella has been under general anesthetic 4 times and intubated. This is because the doctors that do the conscious sedation at the hospital we get them done at say it is to risky for her and she must be done through anesthesiology. They just won't do it. If they feel it is unsafe I do understand. But here is a bit more about it all.
We did use conscious sedation about 9 months ago for an abdominal ultrasound. We used Deprovan. She dropped her stats when she first went to sleep and required oxygen at 1 liter during the hour she was asleep. She woke up and we took her off the oxygen. Now, that was only 2 months after she had been off oxygen at home.
Every time they put her under general she requires oxygen in the recovery room for about 30 minutes and she feels terrible and her throat is sore from being intubated.

Every time a MRI is schedule it is scheduled wrong because her Dr's won't write for Anesthesia to do it and she is auto scheduled with the sedation Dr's mentioned above who won't do her. So if I don't start calling right after she is scheduled it is all messed up. This time I had it. She doesn't have to be so deep here are a few reasons why.
1. Is she still sick? On some levels, yes.
2. She stats 100% on room air.
3. She requires no breathing treatments and hasn't even had one in well over 7 months.
4. She is healthier now than she was in 10/07 when we used sedation.
5. She has a nissen fundo and doesn't burp or vomit or reflux.
6. She most likely wouldn't aspirate because fluids and food would have been taken from her hours before the scan and any contrast would be given by IV.
Now, with all that said. I do want her safe when this is done. But I want it with the least discomfort, recovery and trauma to her. PERIOD. I work pretty much to provide my children with medical insurance. So once the Dr's say they won't do it. They just don't do anything else. No one gave us any options.
Finally, I HAD TO CALL DOWN TO ANESTHESIA MYSELF. I want to say that these guys were great. They had options but no one in the hospital went to them. IT WAS ME. They would go to an emergency and call me back. Why couldn't someone in that hospital have had the decency and professionalism to say well we can't do it but let us see what the different options with anesthesia are?

It was suggest to me that we get our MRI's done somewhere else. We can do that but I need her MRI's to be from the same place and have consistency. Well I don't need it that way, but the Dr's at other hospitals do that are following her case.

The hospital gets paid by my insurance around $8,000.00 for every MRI we have had. The hospital in question has been paid well over $500,000.00 for Isabella's care and we do not owe them a dime. We are a customer because they are getting paid for their services and they should try to make her comfortable and treat her safely. They need to do both.

Well, I am not easily intimidated at all. So when I kept getting railroaded and roadblocked. I went to the administrator of the hospital, well one of them. He is now working with them. He was appalled that it had been suggested that we get our MRI somewhere else. I explained to him that I had been rude and upset with some of the individuals he would be talking to and he said understood because of all the frustration.

My goal is to have a plan of care written out for when Isabella has an MRI or sedated scan of any type that we can fax in from the scheduling dr's office and that way I shouldn't be on the phone for about 8 hours trying to get it all worked out. 8 hours isn't an exaggeration either.

So the anesthesia guys are going to do conscious sedation but with an LMA and that is a bit better than full intubation. If that goes well then I will expect them to tell me when we can stop using the LMA and go on to regular conscious sedation barring she doesn't get sick or anything. I am expecting a meeting of all of us in the room together. So there will need to someone from Radiology, PICU, Scheduling, Anesthesia, Pulmonology and maybe an outside specialist. I won't stop or back down till we get this done and I think that the administrator I spoke to understands. It isn't all about them not doing conscious sedation, it is about the whole process.

Her next MRI is on 6/27 and we have already fixed it. But there will be more and I don't expect him to have this all put together overnight. We have alot going on and I am sure he does. I just expect some results and hopefully he will touch base with me in a week.

Sometimes I think they forget we are customers and not completely at their mercy. Also, I think some doctors are used to patient's Mothers being intimidated or others being intimidated by them easily. Well I have seen alot with my kids and I just back down easily without a good outcome or sufficient plans in place for the future.

So hopefully this admin guy can bring these teams together and get us all fixed up!!

Rehabilitative or Developmental Equipment

If our child suffered a stroke which has left them with Cerebral Palsy. Are they getting services, developmental or adaptive equipment, therapy, etc due to needing rehabitiltation from the stroke or for development? It is really both, I think.
But you see most regular insurance companies won't pay for developmental equipment or therapy. Medicaid does. But they aren't regular medical insurance.

So remember that cerebral palsy is a broad spectrum term. For example, Landon has cerebral palsy but it was from a stroke. So we know where it came from. We are getting therapies and equipment to rehabilitate him.

I hope this makes sense. Email me if it doesn't because it can help you get services and equipment you need for your child!!

Take Care

Time is flying and I am to tired to keep up!!

The kids are doing great. Landon is cutting all kinds of teeth. I was worried about it for so long and now it is like they are all coming in at once. Other than that we are busy, busy and I am tired, tired.
As soon as I get some energy back, I will be posting some new pictures....

Isabella's First Pair of Jean Capris

Isabella really hasn't been able to wear alot of 2 piece outfits because the size of her tummy. Well her tummy is getting better and we are doing more tops and bottoms vs. 1 piece outfits.
My new sitter gave us a ton of clothes that her daughter had outgrown. So today Isabella had on clothes from her. Head to toe. She had on a Osh Kosh T Shirt and Baby Guess Jean capris and they fit her so good and didn't cut into her little tummy at all. I loved it!! She looked so grown up though. She is looking less like a baby and more like a toddler and it is something I knew would happen.
I just know we are moving into a new phase for her and it is sad to see the baby side leaving. I am sure when she is potty trained I won't be so sad:):) And $25.00 richer each week!

Yeah, I didn't get it done!

The cat's room didn't get scrubbed today. but hopefully I have enlisted some help and will get it tacled tomorrow. Today I spent running errands while the aide was here. My Grandmother needed some new clothes. Landon needed some shoes. He must style, you know!
It was so hot that when I got home that was all she wrote. I have most everything for our trip. Next weekend I will begin organizing it all.

Isabella will usually crawl to the door when I leave whine for a minute and go back to playing. Landon laughs when she cries. Today they were not happy that I was gone. Typically they are pretty ok with it and stuff. But today they were whiney the whole time I was gone! As soon as I hit the door it was all over with. I bought Landie Lou the cutest little shoes at payless today.
Tomorrow morning while it is still just a little hot I am going to try and get them dressed and sitting on the porch swing for a few photos!!
Well I am off to bed!