Kennedy has been smiling more and more as the days continue to pass. She is starting to talk to us a little bit in her own special language...and she prefers to tell us stuff first thing in the morning. We finally have someone in our house that is a morning person...lol...Kaylee, Larry, and I are not morning people at all!
Kaylee went to her grandparents house in Ohio a few weeks ago, so I have missed her terribly. When she first left, I noticed Kennedy looking around a lot more almost as if she was searching for her sister. Kaylee tries to talk to her over the phone from time to time, but all of us are looking forward to her coming home next week. She has had tons of fun, and has gone swimming almost every day since she went to Ohio so she has loved every minute of her visit.
Well, we cleaned out our garage, sold what we could, and took the rest to the rescue mission. Late last week we filled up our nice clean garage with all of our junk that has been sitting in our basement! Needless to say, you can't even walk in our garage now, and it wouldn't even fit everything! The remainder of the stuff had to go in my dining room...so you can hardly walk through it. Our plan is to go through everything box by box and get rid of the items that we don't really need anymore.
YEAH!!! Our insurance is finally starting to pick up some of the medical bills. We were told that our insurance would cover 80/20...but that is not what's happening at all, so I have to make lots and lots of phone calls to see what's going on. So I have told myself that every extra hour I have next week will go to making all those dreaded calls. If in fact they are supposed to pay 80% and if I can get them to pay that portion, then we are estimating that our responsibility of the bills will be around $70,000. That is what we have figured so far...but I just got another bill from my C-section so who knows what else will be coming in the mail. lol. Every day there is at least one bill or one insurance claim in the mail...and they make my head spin. I will be glad when all the insurance is completely taken care of, and I am guessing that will take a few more months.
I got certified in CPR/First Aid today at the American Red Cross. I need both the certifications to be qualified to open a daycare in my home. I was shocked to learn all the changes that they have made with CPR since I took it 5 or 6 years ago. I feel so much better knowing that Larry and I are both certified in CPR in case something would happen to our children. I am definitely an advocate for parents being prepared for medical emergencies with their family.
We are waiting for Kennedy to give us some baby giggles, but she hasn't laughed yet. I think she laughed for me one time a few weeks ago, but I haven't heard one since...so now I am thinking she was just talking. You can tell that she wants to laugh so bad, so we are on our toes thinking she will laugh really soon.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
July 8, 2008 New Pediatrician
Larry and I met our new Pediatrician this morning, and we really like the man. He is a very family oriented man, and was very nice to Kennedy during the visit. He was not intimidated by Kennedy's medical history and even sat down with us in his office after the examination.
I told him that Kennedy had a pretty bad diaper rash from having rice cereal and apple juice, and he told me that we shouldn't even consider giving either of those unless she is at least 12 pounds. I felt better knowing that he could give us weight and age guidelines to follow so we don't give her too much or too little with her premature size. So we are not going to try that again until she gains a couple more pounds.
She weighed in at 9 pounds 12 ounces today, so she gained 3 ounces in just one week! We just can't get over how fast she is growing and how long she is getting! The nurse said she was due for a few shots, and I had to leave the room because I was choking up with just the thought of it. I know it sounds crazy that I could see all that other stuff happen to her while she was in the NICU in DC, but I didn't want to see her in pain this morning! Larry stayed with her to comfort her, and boy oh boy was she unhappy!
The nurse even gave us some free formula before we left, so that is going to be a big help to us in the weeks to come. We were very thankful for their kindness and generosity. We scheduled another appointment for next month to get a checkup and another shot. Larry will be working day shift, so I will have to go by myself for that appointment. I will have to prepare myself for the shot, lol!
So Kennedy has been smiling a lot more lately and she even gave me a little laugh the other night. I have been trying to get her to laugh since then...but she won't give me one. The smiles are pretty often now, but not as many as we want. I try to get her to smile all day long!!! lol
I told him that Kennedy had a pretty bad diaper rash from having rice cereal and apple juice, and he told me that we shouldn't even consider giving either of those unless she is at least 12 pounds. I felt better knowing that he could give us weight and age guidelines to follow so we don't give her too much or too little with her premature size. So we are not going to try that again until she gains a couple more pounds.
She weighed in at 9 pounds 12 ounces today, so she gained 3 ounces in just one week! We just can't get over how fast she is growing and how long she is getting! The nurse said she was due for a few shots, and I had to leave the room because I was choking up with just the thought of it. I know it sounds crazy that I could see all that other stuff happen to her while she was in the NICU in DC, but I didn't want to see her in pain this morning! Larry stayed with her to comfort her, and boy oh boy was she unhappy!
The nurse even gave us some free formula before we left, so that is going to be a big help to us in the weeks to come. We were very thankful for their kindness and generosity. We scheduled another appointment for next month to get a checkup and another shot. Larry will be working day shift, so I will have to go by myself for that appointment. I will have to prepare myself for the shot, lol!
So Kennedy has been smiling a lot more lately and she even gave me a little laugh the other night. I have been trying to get her to laugh since then...but she won't give me one. The smiles are pretty often now, but not as many as we want. I try to get her to smile all day long!!! lol
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
July 2, 2008 Heart Appointment
Kennedy had an appointment to see a Cardiologist from the Children's Outpatient Center in Frederick, MD yesterday. We were praying for her to be completely healed up, but we weren't that lucky. Everyone in the office were really nice and Kennedy did a great job sticking it out while they ran tests on her. Oh, and not to mention she weighs 9 pounds 9 ounces and is 22 1/2 inches long!!! She is such a big girl!
Our friend Emmie kept Kaylee for us during the appointment so she could be entertained rather than sitting in a Jeep and the doctor's office all afternoon. We dropped Kaylee off at the Rec Center before we left and she got to play there with Emmie for a few hours before they went to McDonalds for lunch. They also went to the pet store to look at the animals and even played Rock Band on her PlayStation 3. Needless to say Kaylee did not want to come home that evening. lol
Once all the tests were completed, we waited for the doctor to come in and discuss the results. The doctor sat us down and drew a diagram of her heart and explained everything in detail so we understood what she was up against with the diagnosis. It is better than it was in the hospital, and she appears to be slowly healing herself...so we were very happy with the news we received. Granted, she is not completely healed but the doctor has high hopes that she is on the road to a complete recovery.
She was diagnosed with multiple atrial septal defects and patent ductus arteriosus. What that means in our language is that she has two small holes in her upper chambers that is allowing too much to go into her lungs and she has a small canal below her two lower chambers that is pumping too much blood to her lungs. This canal normally seals off when a baby is a week old, but hers did not. If it does not seal itself by the time she is a year old, she will require heart surgery. Again, the doctor is hopeful that she will heal her own body...but he did explain that she is on a time limit to do so.
We were very relieved when we left there, and knew that God was taking care of everything in His time. The doctor wants to check on her again in 6 months and then when she is a year old to check the status of her condition.
GOOD DAY!
Our friend Emmie kept Kaylee for us during the appointment so she could be entertained rather than sitting in a Jeep and the doctor's office all afternoon. We dropped Kaylee off at the Rec Center before we left and she got to play there with Emmie for a few hours before they went to McDonalds for lunch. They also went to the pet store to look at the animals and even played Rock Band on her PlayStation 3. Needless to say Kaylee did not want to come home that evening. lol
Once all the tests were completed, we waited for the doctor to come in and discuss the results. The doctor sat us down and drew a diagram of her heart and explained everything in detail so we understood what she was up against with the diagnosis. It is better than it was in the hospital, and she appears to be slowly healing herself...so we were very happy with the news we received. Granted, she is not completely healed but the doctor has high hopes that she is on the road to a complete recovery.
She was diagnosed with multiple atrial septal defects and patent ductus arteriosus. What that means in our language is that she has two small holes in her upper chambers that is allowing too much to go into her lungs and she has a small canal below her two lower chambers that is pumping too much blood to her lungs. This canal normally seals off when a baby is a week old, but hers did not. If it does not seal itself by the time she is a year old, she will require heart surgery. Again, the doctor is hopeful that she will heal her own body...but he did explain that she is on a time limit to do so.
We were very relieved when we left there, and knew that God was taking care of everything in His time. The doctor wants to check on her again in 6 months and then when she is a year old to check the status of her condition.
GOOD DAY!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
June 29, 2008 Yard Sale Season
On Friday Larry was able to get his baby back...yep, we got the Jeep back home where she belongs! Enterprise was really nice, and helped us deal with the clueless insurance agent from The Hartford. I was pulling my hair out from having to deal with the insurance agent, and the lady from Enterprise said that she ended up yelling at the agent over the phone because she got so frustrated with her. lol All that is done and over with, THANK THE LORD, and we are very happy to have our vehicle back. Larry is really happy with the repairs that Bucky's shop did on the Jeep. He brought it home and immediately washed it....lol.
Well, it is SUMMER TIME and that means lots of yard sales!!! To help clear out this house, I have been cramming things into my dining room to prepare for a yard sale. On Saturday, my friend Emmie and I hung out in the front yard with our babies and had a yard sale of our own.
Larry took the garage and completely gutted it. We had our driveway full of our garage junk, and people kept asking if it was part of our yard sale...lol. He finally had the chance to hang up my cabinets that were given to us last year!!! I am so excited to have them hung...I can finally organize all my kitchen stuff and put it all in those cabinets in the garage!
We had a handful of people stop by to say hello and buy a few things, but we ended up getting rained out a few hours into the yard sale. By the time we packed it all up and put it in the garage...the rain stopped! Isn't that how it always works!!! That's okay though, we made a little over $100 to put towards our bills...so it was totally worth it. We are going to have another yard sale this coming Saturday to see if anything else will sell. Whatever isn't gone by next weekend will be taken to the Rescue Mission.
I am going to start scoping out yard sales for baby items too. Emmie found a baby saucer for $3 at a yard sale for her daughter!! Those things are at least $35-$60 brand new! We still need a handful of things for her, and yard sales are the place to find them. I am ready to shop shop shop!
Well, it is SUMMER TIME and that means lots of yard sales!!! To help clear out this house, I have been cramming things into my dining room to prepare for a yard sale. On Saturday, my friend Emmie and I hung out in the front yard with our babies and had a yard sale of our own.
Larry took the garage and completely gutted it. We had our driveway full of our garage junk, and people kept asking if it was part of our yard sale...lol. He finally had the chance to hang up my cabinets that were given to us last year!!! I am so excited to have them hung...I can finally organize all my kitchen stuff and put it all in those cabinets in the garage!
We had a handful of people stop by to say hello and buy a few things, but we ended up getting rained out a few hours into the yard sale. By the time we packed it all up and put it in the garage...the rain stopped! Isn't that how it always works!!! That's okay though, we made a little over $100 to put towards our bills...so it was totally worth it. We are going to have another yard sale this coming Saturday to see if anything else will sell. Whatever isn't gone by next weekend will be taken to the Rescue Mission.
I am going to start scoping out yard sales for baby items too. Emmie found a baby saucer for $3 at a yard sale for her daughter!! Those things are at least $35-$60 brand new! We still need a handful of things for her, and yard sales are the place to find them. I am ready to shop shop shop!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
June 25, 2008 Medical Bill Drama
So my life has been engulfed in making phone calls to everyone under the sun that has to do with our medical bills. Unfortunately our insurance has denied all of our medical bills, and the bill collectors are on my toes for their money. I have talked to so many different people begging them to resubmit the claims because we have insurance under Larry...and it is supposed to cover a portion of our bills. The helicopter transport has resubmitted two times now...and has been denied payment both times.
Larry has spoken to a lady at work about the problems, and she continues to reassure us that everything has been taken care of and that Kennedy does have insurance. She says for us to tell them to resubmit...but that has not worked. For the past two weeks, my patience has worn thin...and we were even sent to a collection agency for one of the bills! I was HOT when I found out that we were sent to a collection agency for the one because I never got any notices for that bill, and I have never been sent to a collection agency before in my life. I immediately paid that bill in full when I was at their office, and walked away a wreck.
Someone at Larry's work gave him a number of another lady that we could contact for help with figuring out what is going wrong with our insurance. I called her today and she was super nice on the phone with me. She told me what she needed from me, and I packed up the kids and headed straight for her office. She made copies of all the insurance claims, and said that she will start working on everything tomorrow. She knows what she is reading, and what all those codes mean...so I really think she is going to be a tremendous help.
I am boiling over with frustration and I am tired of crying about our finances. I am scared that we are not going to be able to pay our bills, and I am watching our credit cards get piled up with charges just to make ends meet. I tried to get SSI for Kennedy when she was born, but they told us that we didn't meet the financial criteria and that we were denied. Yesterday they told us that we still have to have an appointment with them next week to review our income and assets one more time before they close our case. I started to cry over the phone with the lady because of all the problems we are having with the bills. In order to qualify for SSI, you cannot own more than $5,000 in assets (not including your car or house). We own $5,400 in assets and it makes us ineligible for SSI to pay for Kennedy's medical bills. It is just so unfair how the system works sometimes.
Anyway, Kennedy has another appointment next week to check on her heart. I am very eager to see the results of the echo because I feel that everything is healed up, even though they told me that it cannot close up on its own and would need surgery when she is a year old. I know that she will not need surgery and that God is working more miracles with her.
Kaylee got her back handspring on the trampoline tonight at her gymnastics class. She got it on the cheese mat two weeks ago, but now she is doing them on her own on the trampoline. We were so excited to be there to watch her tonight. She is so cute running around that gym in her little outfit! This is her last class until August because she will be leaving for her grandparents house in Ohio next week. We are seeing if she can be put in a gymnastics class in Ohio for a few weeks while she is there so she does not lose what she has worked so hard for.
Kennedy is starting to smile a little bit, but still not like we want her to. She is right on target for the average baby her age, so we are very pleased that she is not too developmentally delayed. She is starting to grab for things when they are near her, and she opens her hands more than she used to. Kicking her legs is one of her favorite things to do, and she practices standing up a lot now on our laps. I just can't wait to get one of her big smiles with a belly laugh...it will be amazing.
Larry has spoken to a lady at work about the problems, and she continues to reassure us that everything has been taken care of and that Kennedy does have insurance. She says for us to tell them to resubmit...but that has not worked. For the past two weeks, my patience has worn thin...and we were even sent to a collection agency for one of the bills! I was HOT when I found out that we were sent to a collection agency for the one because I never got any notices for that bill, and I have never been sent to a collection agency before in my life. I immediately paid that bill in full when I was at their office, and walked away a wreck.
Someone at Larry's work gave him a number of another lady that we could contact for help with figuring out what is going wrong with our insurance. I called her today and she was super nice on the phone with me. She told me what she needed from me, and I packed up the kids and headed straight for her office. She made copies of all the insurance claims, and said that she will start working on everything tomorrow. She knows what she is reading, and what all those codes mean...so I really think she is going to be a tremendous help.
I am boiling over with frustration and I am tired of crying about our finances. I am scared that we are not going to be able to pay our bills, and I am watching our credit cards get piled up with charges just to make ends meet. I tried to get SSI for Kennedy when she was born, but they told us that we didn't meet the financial criteria and that we were denied. Yesterday they told us that we still have to have an appointment with them next week to review our income and assets one more time before they close our case. I started to cry over the phone with the lady because of all the problems we are having with the bills. In order to qualify for SSI, you cannot own more than $5,000 in assets (not including your car or house). We own $5,400 in assets and it makes us ineligible for SSI to pay for Kennedy's medical bills. It is just so unfair how the system works sometimes.
Anyway, Kennedy has another appointment next week to check on her heart. I am very eager to see the results of the echo because I feel that everything is healed up, even though they told me that it cannot close up on its own and would need surgery when she is a year old. I know that she will not need surgery and that God is working more miracles with her.
Kaylee got her back handspring on the trampoline tonight at her gymnastics class. She got it on the cheese mat two weeks ago, but now she is doing them on her own on the trampoline. We were so excited to be there to watch her tonight. She is so cute running around that gym in her little outfit! This is her last class until August because she will be leaving for her grandparents house in Ohio next week. We are seeing if she can be put in a gymnastics class in Ohio for a few weeks while she is there so she does not lose what she has worked so hard for.
Kennedy is starting to smile a little bit, but still not like we want her to. She is right on target for the average baby her age, so we are very pleased that she is not too developmentally delayed. She is starting to grab for things when they are near her, and she opens her hands more than she used to. Kicking her legs is one of her favorite things to do, and she practices standing up a lot now on our laps. I just can't wait to get one of her big smiles with a belly laugh...it will be amazing.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
June 17, 2008 Car Accident!!!
We had our whole day planned out together. Larry took a personal day at work, and we were going to spend the whole day doing family stuff with the girls. Our plan was to head out in the morning, go to the DMV, the post office, eat Chinese for lunch, and then head over to Berkeley Theatres to watch Kung Fu Panda.
We slept in the best we could, and then headed to the DMV to finalize all the paperwork on the Jeep. The lady was very helpful, and we weren't even in their all day!! We got to the DMV just before lunch time, and the wait wasn't very long at all.
After the DMV, I asked Larry to drop by the post office so I could buy a handful of one cent stamps and pick up a package. He dropped me off at the front, and was attempting to pull around to get a parking spot when he was T-boned by an elderly couple!!!! I was opening the door to the post office when I heard the sound...and I knew it was my family. My heart went up in my throat as I turned around to see Larry getting out of the Jeep. He was not a happy camper as he looked at his precious Jeep laying in pieces all over the parking lot.
I ran over to the accident to make sure everyone was okay, and tried to calm Larry down the best I could. The police were called to the scene and I called my insurance company to file the claim. It was very obvious that Larry was not at fault because he was hit on the rear passenger side of the Jeep, but the couple that hit him kept saying that it was his fault. Well, that just made Larry more enraged, and it was hard to keep him calm. I talked the elderly man (passenger) to get back in the car and wait for the police. I needed to keep those two away from each other!!
No one needed to go to the hospital, and Kennedy slept through the whole thing! Kaylee was very shook up and became pretty emotional about the whole event. When Martinsburg PD showed up, they tried to cheer her up and get her mind off of the accident. A tow truck was called for the Jeep because it was not in a condition to drive, and we kept Kennedy in a cop car while we waited on Enterprise to pick us up.
I got all their insurance information from them, and told them that they need to call the accident into their insurance company ASAP so we can get all of this resolved. Once we got to Enterprise, I went ahead and called their insurance company and filed the claim myself. My insurance company told me that if they don't do their part, the process of payment could take forever!! We have enough on our plate right now, and I don't want to add this to it for another 6 months.
Needless to say, we did not get to the movies in time to see Kung Fu Panda. I promised Kaylee that we would take her to see it...just not today. We went home and tried to relax for the rest of the evening. This is just another test that we will pass with flying colors. Yea we aren't happy that our Jeep is in the shop, but I am thankful that no one was hurt. I can't imagine my husband and girls being hospitalized.
WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS!!
We slept in the best we could, and then headed to the DMV to finalize all the paperwork on the Jeep. The lady was very helpful, and we weren't even in their all day!! We got to the DMV just before lunch time, and the wait wasn't very long at all.
After the DMV, I asked Larry to drop by the post office so I could buy a handful of one cent stamps and pick up a package. He dropped me off at the front, and was attempting to pull around to get a parking spot when he was T-boned by an elderly couple!!!! I was opening the door to the post office when I heard the sound...and I knew it was my family. My heart went up in my throat as I turned around to see Larry getting out of the Jeep. He was not a happy camper as he looked at his precious Jeep laying in pieces all over the parking lot.
I ran over to the accident to make sure everyone was okay, and tried to calm Larry down the best I could. The police were called to the scene and I called my insurance company to file the claim. It was very obvious that Larry was not at fault because he was hit on the rear passenger side of the Jeep, but the couple that hit him kept saying that it was his fault. Well, that just made Larry more enraged, and it was hard to keep him calm. I talked the elderly man (passenger) to get back in the car and wait for the police. I needed to keep those two away from each other!!
No one needed to go to the hospital, and Kennedy slept through the whole thing! Kaylee was very shook up and became pretty emotional about the whole event. When Martinsburg PD showed up, they tried to cheer her up and get her mind off of the accident. A tow truck was called for the Jeep because it was not in a condition to drive, and we kept Kennedy in a cop car while we waited on Enterprise to pick us up.
I got all their insurance information from them, and told them that they need to call the accident into their insurance company ASAP so we can get all of this resolved. Once we got to Enterprise, I went ahead and called their insurance company and filed the claim myself. My insurance company told me that if they don't do their part, the process of payment could take forever!! We have enough on our plate right now, and I don't want to add this to it for another 6 months.
Needless to say, we did not get to the movies in time to see Kung Fu Panda. I promised Kaylee that we would take her to see it...just not today. We went home and tried to relax for the rest of the evening. This is just another test that we will pass with flying colors. Yea we aren't happy that our Jeep is in the shop, but I am thankful that no one was hurt. I can't imagine my husband and girls being hospitalized.
WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS!!
Father's Day
Father's Day was very nice. Each of us got Larry a card...even Kennedy! We gave him some of his presents a few weeks ago because he wanted them so bad. All of us went to the WV store and he picked out a WVU front license plate, and a WVU hitch cover for the Jeep. On Sunday morning, we gave him his cards and the 3 pack of Indiana Jones movies. I think he really liked all of his gifts.
We went to church and then came home to get ready for a Father's Day dinner for Larry and my dad. We had steaks on the grill, corn on the cob, and buttered red potatoes. It was a wonderful day, and everything turned out great for the both of them.
We got my dad a gift card to Lowes because that is one of his favorite stores to shop in. We have never gotten him a gift card before, and he said it was perfect. We also framed a picture of Kennedy from AnnaGPhotography for his wall at home. He says every year that we don't have to get him anything...but we always try to get him something if we can.
We went to church and then came home to get ready for a Father's Day dinner for Larry and my dad. We had steaks on the grill, corn on the cob, and buttered red potatoes. It was a wonderful day, and everything turned out great for the both of them.
We got my dad a gift card to Lowes because that is one of his favorite stores to shop in. We have never gotten him a gift card before, and he said it was perfect. We also framed a picture of Kennedy from AnnaGPhotography for his wall at home. He says every year that we don't have to get him anything...but we always try to get him something if we can.
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