The daily ramblings and rantings of a stay at home wife and mom of four. Some days it's all about who went to time out.....me.....or them.....
So my Sassy girl is the UPS box (she did the costume by herself), the cute UPS delivery gal is her buddy Cassie, Bethany is in the back as the Greek goddess (Pandora to be exact), a doctor (cutest one ever) and the best ding dang COW ever…….
FYI – the cow costume is the same costume that Pootie, Crash and Lola wore….I made it – it’s the best dang costume ever…
Please ignore this blog background…
I’m trying to come up with a new one – ya know me, I get bored bored bored with the same old same old.
Blogspot is having some issues and I keep getting an error code …so until they get it fixed – this is what I am stuck with..
So you know that the baby Bubba has gross motor delays. They are minor minor minor – but he still has them…which is why we are doing physical therapy. (Yes, this is from his grade 3 brain bleed)….
Bubba has met every gross motor mile stone (crawling, walking and running) that has come his way….he just doesn’t necessarily do some of the things well. He still runs – and he’ll tell you he runs fast. But he falls. He falls if he gets distracted walking. (We call it ADOS- as in attention deficit OH SHINY!)
So – PT Christie thinks he really needs orthotics on his sweet little feet. This will help him not drag his toes or tip toe walk and run which will in turn – increase his balance and make him walk right.
She wants to put him in what is called an AFO or an SMO. An AFO is an ankle foot orthoses and and SMO is a supramalleolar othoses and it’s the smallest of the AFO’s.
I called the insurance company….known as an ugly word here in my house because I swear I feel like Matt Damon in the Rainmaker every time I call them…..
They said “ NOPE”, they wouldn’t pay for it…because those are used for hold wait for it….wait for it…
FLAT FEET!!!!
Like I have time to worry if one of my kids, much less the Bubba, has FLAT FEET!?
So here is the conversation with insurance girl after she tells me No…….
ME: Pardon!?!? – are you looking at my son’s history?
IG: Yes ma’am (so perky I could have smacked her thru the phone BTW)
ME: So you see that ya’ll’ve already paid like a ba-zillion dollars for him?
IG: Yes Ma’am…..I can see his history.
ME: He was a preemie, born at 28 weeks, weighed 2 lbs 12 oz and had a grade 3 brain bleed…do you see that?
IG: Yes ma’am. (she has such a way with the english language you know)
ME: and you see that he just had an MRI and saw a neurologist and he has PT once a week.
IG: Yes ma’am.
ME: AND YOU THINK THAT I’M CONCERNED THAT HE HAS FLAT FEET? REALLY? (YES, I was raising my voice at this point)
IG: I know, it’s frustrating.
ME: So…..what are we going to do about this?
IG: You’ll need letters of determination from his provider for us to reconsider anything.
ME: ya’ll are going to make this hard aren’t you?
IG: I’m sorry ma’am.
ME: Yeah right……– you’ll get them.
That was 2 weeks ago. So PT gets the letters from the neuro doc AND the pediatrician and SHE writes one. Total of 3 medical professionals putting in writing that Bubba NEEDS them and its’ not for flat feet!! Faxes it over last week, they’ve received it. But it can take 10-15 days for them to make their decision.
And, meanwhile, there's the client...
They're getting all these letters, some from Claims, some from Underwriting.
Most people give up.
And this, of course, is intended.
So I call again today
Me: Have ya’ll made a decision?
IG: (again, another overly peppy and perky girl) No ma’am. It can sometimes take them 20 days to make a decision.
ME: Y'a’ll told me 10-15 days last time.
IG: Welllllllllll
ME: So what now. You realize ya’ll are holding up a 2 year olds ability to walk correctly – right?
IG: Im sorry ma’am. ’I’ll check into ma’am and can call you back. (enough with the ma’am beaacchhhhes)
So then overly peppy insurance girls calls back and leaves this message:
IG: We need to know what KIINNNNNDDDDD of AFO he is going to get.
So I call them back.
ME: What do you mean what KIINNNNDDD? Like the brand?
IG: I’m not sure, let me check (puts me on hold). We need to CPT code.
ME: Why didn’t you tell us that to begin with?
IG: I’m not sure – let me check.
ME: No, don’t. Ya’ll are making this very difficult. You have NO IDEA HOW MANY TIMES I’VE WATCHED the Rainmaker….You’ll get the code. BUT – if there is anything else that you are going to ask me for next week – can’t we pretend it’s next week and just ask me for it now?
IG: No ma’am. It’s this week.
Let's talk about this mysterious section U. Let's explain it to the jury.
Just read paragraph three.
"Claim handlers are directed to deny all claims within three days."
It’s so infuriating. But, I’m not giving in on this one. I waited for 25 months to get one thing straight with this sweet boy of mine….I’ll fight another 25 months if I need to!!!
Every lawyer, in every case, crosses a line he didn't mean to cross.
It just happens. And if you cross it enough times, it disappears forever.
Then you're nothing but a lawyer joke.
Just another shark in the dirty water.
Same thing about the dang insurance companies…
Oh and by the way…I’ve scheduled my boob squishing for November 28th…have you scheduled yours?
THE INDY RACE
I am so horrified by the accident that happened in Las Vegas at that Indy Race. It totally scares me…..and his wife was there…..I feel so bad for her and her two sweet boys. I hope that some type of change is implemented to protect the drivers. (I know they know that there is HUGE immeasurable risk involved when you “sign up” to be a race car driver….)
SISTERWIVES
I am so fascinated by the show Sisterwives on TLC. I’m not all about sharing my hubby – heck I don’t really share my diet dr. peppers very well – but I kind of get it. (Let me also add that I believe that the Bible tells us what is right and wrong…but in the old testament those guys had multiple wives I’m not really wanting to debate doctrine here I’m just saying I get it…).
I mean think about. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN VILLAGE…I’d want the whole share the house set up like they had back in Utah…Cause that system worked….Three of them worked, (the hubby and two of the wives) and then the other two stayed home with the kids….
Again, I’m NOT saying I want to share Hubby. (I’m having too much fun with him these days – now that we are getting up there in our age…) maybe its more of the shared responsibilities that are there? I’m just thinking it’s kind of fascinating…..weird but fascinating…
POOTIE
I am so proud and nervous and excited for my oldest son. He has been asked (again) to go to this soccer training day and workout with the national trainers. It’s a big deal in the youth soccer world. I’ll keep you posted on what all is going on there as things progress. I just want him to do his best and have fun doing it….and to be safe
WEATHER and CLOTHES
I am so over this weather changing all the dang time. Yesterday we had the hottest day on record for October or something like. We’re supposed to have rain tonight and tomorrow and something the weather folk keep calling “THE BIG COOL DOWN” later this week (they are SOOOOOO dramatic and annoying).
TGIF – thank goodness. I mean really, I felt like the days were dragging this week!!!
Hubby took the day off on Wednesday. He is losing hours at work. ….as in – his vacation bank is full and he cannot accrue anymore so they will be lost. So he’s going to start taking random days off…which is great when he checks with me first on the day. I had to go to PTO meetings at the middle school in the morning. so instead of us getting to go out to breakfast, we had to go to lunch. But that ended up being fun because one of my best friends, KERRRRIIIEEEEE, got to come with us. We had hoped her hubby, MARCCCCC, could come too, but he had to go out of town. Which stinks because we all have a great time together.
So- I have these things that the PT has me do with Bubba as part of his therapy. Hubby did them…and it's really nothing more than playing certain games (and Bubba does most by himself) but I was texting Hubby from the meeting reminding him of the rules…make him use his right foot. Make him reach. Don’t let him crawl up the stairs…stuff like that.
We also got to take a nap..which is just the most glorious thing in the middle of the day when you have 4 kids.
Tomorrow, (which is now today since it’s taken me forever to finish this post) Hubby and I are going to the races. Don’t ask me which one – the one at the Lowes Motor Speedway that starts at & something tonight. I AM a race snob and I am not ashamed to admit it. Only way I’ll go is when we are so fortunate to have SWEET SUITE tickets, so we do and we’re going. PLUS we have VIP parking…
I’m really looking forward to this event with my Hubby – seriously I am. It’s not to often we get the time or the opportunity to go off like this just us. Don’t get me wrong – we love getting family time and love being with the kids…but this is fun and exciting FREE ADULT TIME! (Free food free drink and I’m not having to pay for a babysitter either – my in laws, bless them, are coming over….)
This was the little invite that came with the tickets and parking pass 
One of the FUNNIEST posts I've ever read..
And it’s true….
I have to tell you. I don’t get WHY women wear pants that show a panty line! GRANNY Panties are for
1-Granny
2-bad period
Period.
They make thongs for a reason….
It’s raining here. I really do hate the rain. I know. I post that all the time. But I do.
Today consisted of taking Pootie to see the Orthopedic doctor about his knee. This weekend he went to the mountains with his buddies and they ran around like hillbillies. Paintball guns. Fishing. Being boys. He had a blast. But he did step into a hole and mess his knee up a bit. I got multiple text messages from him on Saturday night and Sunday morning telling me how bad his knee hurt. For my boy to text me as much as he was texting me….I was concerned.
Fast forward. X-ray – lots of twisting him this way and that and he’s fine. A strain on the knee ligaments…continuing icing, keep it elevated when he can, and he put him in a compression sleeve. Light practicing and then he can play his butt off this weekend.
His team goes to Raleigh on Saturday for a game. Big deal, but not as big as the next Saturday….the 22nd. Pootie has been asked to come to a national market training session. He will train and scrimmage for a couple hours in front of the national trainers and coaches…with other kids around the region who have also been asked…It’s a big deal….and he is very excited….and now we know that his knee is ok….
What else…..my new favorite thing is to sit and work (at either of my part time jobs) and do the split screen and watch tv on my laptop. So much easier than trying to watch it on the actual tv. Plus – I’m saving time. I DVR most things but even then I have to stop and hit FF…..this way – there’s like one commercial every so often so the actual time it takes is less…for example. I love The Good Wife. But for the past 2 Sunday’s the DVR hasn’t gotten it recorded because the time is messed up because of football. So, I watch it on my ‘puter while I’m working. Without all the commercials the show is only 43 minutes and 15 seconds. I’m capturing more of my day by watching tv on the ‘puter 
Hubby is taking the day off tomorrow. I’m trying to figure out what we could do with the baby after my pto meetings at the middle school and before the Big 3 get home from school. Is there still putt putt around here? I think the Bubba would LOVE it…he wants to go play golf so bad he can hardly stand it…
Now I’m watching Revenge – another really good show that started this season….OH – and my friend Marybeth had mentioned how much she liked CASTLE – watched the season openers last week….LOVED it…
Be patient with me – this is a tough one to write.
I have the sweetest friend. Seriously ya’ll. She really is. She has the sweetest heart and I just love her….and her family – love them too. Her hubby – he’s one of those guys I can’t help but pick on. He has an accent. He knows I make fun of him. My favorite thing that he says is the word VERSION….sends me over the edge laughing. No really.
Cause he says it like Ricky Ricardo… “es many dif-rent ber-shons”.
They have have two of the cutest kids. They are the Bubba’s buddies. We spend lots of time together “in the hood”.
So my sweet friend…..She’s a young mom. I’m an old mom. She does organic…I do “whatever”. She puts her kids in their jammies at nap time…Bubba sleeps at my feet while I work at my desk. We are POLAR OPPOSITES…and I love her dearly. She is my much younger “soul sister”. I know she is…..
They are pregnant with their 3rd babe….they went this past Thursday to find out if they were going to have a boy or a girl……THIS time they were going to actually find out. HUGE deal for them. THEY didn’t find out with the first 2.
Bless them – this was the email that they sent out to everyone after…….
Please forgive the email delivery of our news. We wish we had the emotional energy to have this conversation with each of you personally. Yesterday at our routine 19 week ultrasound they discovered a problem with our precious third baby. The baby looked perfect, face to toe, but appeared to have no skull and no brain, a condition called anencephaly. The doctor cried as she told us the news. We were in shock, and instantly devastated. After a sleepless night and many hours of tears, we saw a maternal-fetal specialist at the hospital today who performed another ultrasound and confirmed this diagnosis. This condition is fatal and our little baby is considered "incompatible with life."
Before I go any further I want you to know that this tiny angel is another GIRL and we have named her Glory Adela. We believe her very existence - her small beating heart - is glorious, worshipful praise to God. Adela comes from (my husband’s) grandmother and it means "noble." Because of our faith in Jesus, we believe this tiny princess will live a life of royalty in heaven as a daughter of our King. For eternity! A few hours after we decided to call her Glory I heard “R” joyfully shouting this verse from Isaiah from her chair at the kitchen table, "Holy, holy, holy is our God! His bright GLORY fills the whole earth." We hadn't even told “R” about her name yet, which made this a sweet confirmation!
Other than her missing skull and brain, Glory is perfect. Her heart beats strong and she measures right on target. However, because she has no brain she cannot see, hear, feel pain or move spontaneously. It is unlikely that she will pass away inside of me, and it is also unlikely that I will go into labor on my own, even if I were to carry past my due date. She will likely pass away during delivery or very soon after. We will most likely have to induce labor for her to be born and this is where we need your support and prayers.
Many of you know I have a condition called Protein C deficiency. It is a hereditary blood disorder that puts me at extremely high risk for blood clots. You may remember the Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism I survived in 2004. I am at highest risk for these potentially fatal complications during pregnancy, and I take injections twice a day to offer some protection. Our medical team of obstetricians, midwives, the maternal-fetal specialist and genetic counselor have advised us to induce labor at this point in time. They believe that the risks to my life are far too great for me to continue this pregnancy.
We believe that Glory's life has great purpose. We desire to know her, love her, carry her as long as possible to enjoy our time with her on earth. Our hearts tell us to carry her in my belly as long as we can. However, we recognize the risks the doctors have discussed with us and will keep these in mind as we pray through this difficult decision. Please pray alongside us this weekend as we try to reconcile our great affection for our angel daughter with the desire to preserve my health and life.
We need to give an answer by Monday and plan to meet with both our pastor and my hematologist (blood specialist) Monday morning.
An amazing friend prayed these things for us last night and I want to ask you to pray them also:
Thank you for walking with us. We feel your prayers and cherish your support.
I know. I sobbed for most of the weekend. I am still so amazed by this mother’s strength. My special friend was heartbroken and there was nothing anyone of us could do, except to tell her, them, that we loved them, and we were praying and thinking about them……
Today marks the 5 days that this sweet family has had to digest the news of their little girl, Glory. I cannot tell you the roller coaster and bureaucratic, political, law, MESS they have had to go through the past 2 days. As of right now, my friend will be able to carry her sweet Glory until closer to term. They will be able to love, safe and sound in her mommy’s belly, as she should be. …….
Pray for my friend. Pray for her hubby, a good man. Pray for their 2 other bebe’s. Pray for the doctors and other medical people that are and will be playing a roll in Glory’s life….because that what it is….a life.
They will have a chance to rejoice in the Glory of her life.
