My own personal diary - for the world to see.

I feel like this place is ignored except for my visits to randomly ramble on about whatever happens to be floating through my mind. I'm cool with that.
I've been reading different blogs. I will go to one that catches my eye, go to the beginning and read the posts in chronological order. I enjoy this very much. The current one is from a mommy who has a child with special needs. She is anonymous enough to keep her privacy but open enough to share her life with the blogosphere and I love it that she shares her kids' triumphs and the little things.

If I were a decent writer, this blog would be organized, a fun/interesting read, and be bringing back followers. Alas I simply have an online journal that the world can see.

Onto Booger. Booger is doing well. she can crawl-and crawl forward!! She is no longer stuck in reverse gear. Go my little angel! She like eating fruit chunks from a can with only juice, no heavy syrup for her. She is only eight months and does not need all that extra sugar. She has had a taste of mommy's Splenda sweetened fruit pop and loved it. She is a puffs fiend. She's go through a full container if we let her. Her favortie food is sweet potatoes, but has her daddy's appetite and love of all foods. There's nothing she won't try so far. she even had canned mixed veggies with lima beans sans skins and enjoyed them. Go A!

She has her nine month checkup at the beginning of August so we get to see her current stats. My only concern will be her head shape. Her head is still flat on the back, despite only reasting on her back while in the carseat. Her left side bugles out and the right seems okay. You don't notice this unless her hair is wet and slicked down. I think I'm going to give her a wep mop of hair during the visit so the ped can see just what has mommy concerned.

After her surgery for hernia repair, she has gone from not rolling over to crawling!!!!! She is a happier girl, even mre so than she was pre-repair. I am amazed at her babbling, her consonant sounds and every thing she has learned so far. She *knows* how to hold her bottle but chooses not to. She knows how to use a soft spout sippy but again chooses not to. At this point, being that she is under a year, I am happy with this and not concerned. We will transition when the time comes.

My prediction for her ped's appointment is as follows:
-Her head circumference is still below the growth curve but following it
-He'll say her head will be alright, but I will challenge this because a head is not supposed to bulge.
-She will be less than twenty pounds but more than 16
-He will be happy overall with how she is progressing.

A Good Time

I awoke to the screaming demand of my child for her soothie. The Mister was downstairs starting laundry, and the babe wanted out. I gave her the soothie, and crawled back into bed. She went back to sleep. All was well. I dozed for a few more minutes, just long enough to gather my wits and be able to move without stumbling around. The husband and I enjoyed our coffee while the wee one played with her toys. Boog had her lunch then went down for her afternoon nap. We went outside and worked (don't worry, we had her monitor on and could hear her if need be). There's a storm creek next to my home, and our neighbors to the south had a tree limb lying in the creek. After two weeks, no progress was made, so we took the wood after trimming the limbs and stacked it for fall firewood. (This was not theft. The neighbors had already taken the firewood they wanted and left the rest for the city to clean up.)
On and off today we worked outside chopping the wood into manageable sized lengths and stacked it. Tomorrow I get to work on the wood given to us from another neighbor. We will have so much this fall for our outdoor burn sessions. yay,
At the day's end, we went to a local ice cream place that sells handmade soft serve and got some lemon and raspberry flavored stuff. Yum!
Now it is bedtime for the Boog and we so need to get her down. I'm off to feed my Tyrant and tuck her in afterwards.

Not so wordless Wednesday

I found a new blog. Ellen over at Love That Max has a amazing writing style, great humor and one pretty awesome set of kids. I've been reading her stuff for the past few days, getting caught up at whatnot. I had to share. Through, her I've found a LOT of other wonderful people, (and it makes me even more aware of just how lame I am here in my own little dark corner of blogdom). I simply had to share the latest thing to occupy my reading time.

Wordless Wednesday

On doctors, coding, and other bull hockey

Boog went to the neurologist in late April. she was examined and diagnosed as developmentally delayed according to the words of the doctor. He prescribed physical and occupational therapy to help her get on track. I fought with insurance and finally found somewhere to take her that was equipped with staff who knew what she needed. Cut to this past friday, the fifteenth of July. We get a bill stating several hundred dollars was due by 7-31-11. Naturally, I called to find out from the doctor's office and from the insurance company just what was going on. After two brief phone calls, I learned the official coding for the appointment was "Early intervention" and that was A's diagnosis. Insuracne refuses to cover early intervention anything. I called first thing this Monday morning, and was given the run-around by the nurse for that neurologist. I call back at twenty minutes before the office closes and it turns put the nurse lied to me about speaking with their billing person, as she was out today.
The nurse told me she would speak with the lady in billing and have her call me back. She did not disclose that the billing person was on vacation still.
I will not be paying this bill. Insurance will or the darn doctor will eat the cost because I'll be damned if I am paying fro 15 minutes of time with a guy I could barely understand when he spoke, and who seemed to not give a rat's butt about proper terminology and wording when speaking directly to him much less in coding and billing.
I am beyond ticked off. This is not right. We did not go see him because A was suffering from "Early intervention" but from "developmental delay". Argh!

Could this be how it is for the Wee One?

     This morning, I woke up, I looked around, saw the brown mesh covering the slats of my sleep prison. I whimpered-nothing happened. No tall ones came. I cried louder, as surely this would have them in here to tend my every need- still nothing, though..... Finally I took a big deep breath and wailed at the tall ones. Oh yes, I hear floorboards squeaking, and the shuffle of feet, the door opens and - DADDY!- I see him and  grin so big because he makes me happy. Awesome I get some time in with Daddy! I get the wet heavy diaper off and a fresh clean dry butt, and some fresh clothes. I'm ready for my day people.
     First up, I go to my spot, with all my toys and do a bit of serious play and investigating my limits, exhaust my entertainment and now on to breakfast. Time to inform Daddy- "wahgrahble-ah-uh-ooooh-agh." Ooh-he's getting up, score. I only had to tell him once. Into my high chair for my meal. yummy pears and rice cereal.
     What next? I'm going to cuddle with Daddy and watch some Battlestar Galactica. Um Dad, not the floor, cuddles. I said CUDDLES. "WAHHHH AJH OOh Unh!" Much better. Hmmm, this is comfy, I think I'll nap.
      *Yawn* That was a good power nap. I want down now Daddy. Down, please. "Grrrr, grblegrble gah." Thanks. "Bababa-aahh ba" Hey, my Pooh-bear rattle. Hey look, it's Mommy! "Eeeeeeee-ah ha ha" Yay more cuddles! I think I'll just rest my head here a bit.
     *Eyes crack open* Why are the warm furries yelling so sharply? Why am I back in sleep PRISON?! "WAH Agh! Waaaaaaaaaaaaah?!" Daddy, there you are. I need a new diaper and some food. More floor time and some new toys. But that power cord looks much nicer than this noisy piano. My only problem is I can't reach it. I need to climb over the warm furries' sleep pillow. Off I go- one hand, then another, next the knees and oof.  Try again. Ha, already there, now to see how this tastes-wah? Um Mommy why are you picking me up? And you stink! Eww, you're all sweaty?! What have I missed why sleeping.... Oh well, you'll do for keeping me happy. Oh, a bottle, good thing as I'm thirsty. Yummmm....
     *Eyes open* Again with the sleep prison? Ugh. "Wahhahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"  Daddy! Good to see you! Hey, I'm getting a new outfit and a new diaper again already? Outside too, how fu- HOT! "Whimper" Really Daddy? It really will be okay? If you say so, then I guess I'll let you strap me into the moving prison.  Oh Mommy's store! It is awfully bright in here, but at least everyone smiles at me so I can smile back. This is fun Daddy.
     Hey, we're home! Mommy! More smiles for Mommy and cuddles too. Now it's real fun. Tickling, I'm all for that. "Heeeeeheeeeeee-ehehehehe" Hugs, smiles kisses, oh my! This has gone on for hours now, I'm getting tired. A bottle and some food. Mommy time for you to hold me. There now I can grab that colored thing with the string on your hip. What? What do you mean I can't have Mommy's pump? But, Mommy, it's so colorful and there's a string! WHAT?! That tubing isn't for Booger? *Whimpers sleepily* "Aaeeennhhhh" Ooh, the sucky thing!  Hey why am I back in the sleep pris- oh the mobile is on. I like the mobile. I need to get comfy. Onto my belly, tuck my knees in up under me, fist my hand around my blanket, tuck it under my chin. There we go.......

How our Bug has been since surgery

     When our Wee one was diagnosed with a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia of the right side, we were concerned. Then I used Dr Google, and became simultaneously thankful and scared spitless. Thankful because our girl was lucky in that her hernia was mild to the point where she was only mildly affected at birth and then not at all. Scared spitless because from the time she was born til her diagnosis, the hernia grew.
We saw a surgeon for a consult, got a second opinion out of my fear that she would suddenly have the hernia do something and it would become a serious condition quickly. The second opinion suggested a sooner surgery as he saw no benefit from waiting. We went with the second guy, and a week later, A was pronounced hernia free and on the mend. It has now been two months since surgery and while she has four small scars on her right side from the laparoscopic machines and the chest tube, she is like a new baby. We'd never realized how much she was developmentally delayed due to the hernia, but as soon as she started PT and OT, we saw a marked increase in her mobility, and development.
     She was at a two month old development level at six months. Now that she is eight months old, she is beginning to crawl, can go from laying down to sitting up and pulling herself sort of up towards things, and is grabbing at everything. Before surgery, she didn't grab at toys or put things in her mouth. Now she is a terror for anything not bolted down. I am so proud of her!

Netflix and Gran Tourismo.

I enjoy television shows that are currently running along with some that have been released to DVD and Netflix instant queue. The Mister prefers shows that have been released to DVD/IQ with maybe two that are currently aired. We have a routine set up.
     This begins with Mr K getting up when A does, makes coffee, starts and episode of Battlestar Galactica, and having coffee and quality time with the wee one. I get up put it on Baby 1st TV (awesome for babies, mind numbing for Mommy) until I awake after my millionth cup of coffee. He goes to work and so do I, but my job involves human, feline, and canine waste; human, feline, and canine dirt and messes; various other household maintenance needs and chores to be run outside the home. As my day progresses,  will find programs on TV to watch, and then put it on a Netflix show or movie, if I've gotten a DVD in the mail that day.
    When in town, my sweet husband will come home, do his thing with chores/maintenance, and sit down to an episode of something science fiction or educational, and then go play an hour on the Playstation 2. Usually it's Gran Tourismo. Fun for him to play, and A will get to watch Daddy play racers.
    In this event, I get to sit down with a cup of something yummy, maybe a sugar free popsicle, and watch mind-numbing teen girls become mothers.
    Our routines change up a bit on weekends and when Daddy is out of town for work, but this has become a nice routine.

Baby's first.

This July 4th was A's first Independence Day. She is still teething without result, so poor kid had a fever, looked bad for a bit, then reintroduced a liquid version of breakfast and was happy once again!
Mommy had fun too, she got to ride a horse, went shopping, and Daddy grilled chicken for dinner. Yumm!