The Frustration Continues.....

As most of you know my son had tubes put in his ears about 2 1/2 weeks ago. The doctor that did it is actually a doctor that comes in from Boise once a month (don't understand why?). I did not know this. After the surgery the doctor told us to call and set up a month check up with him, than he continues to tell us that he is only in Blackfoot on the first Thursday of the month. He said just call in and set up an appointment. I was a little confused and when I got home and looked at his card that’s when I noticed that he was from Boise. Yay - just what I need another doctor who is never around when you need them. So that's exactly what it has turned out to be. I called Friday and today and when I ask to schedule an appointment they put me on hold and than it goes through to the clinics answering machine. I am so frustrated. I can't find anyone reliable.
Austin has been so whinny since we got home and I noticed Saturday that his left ear has got a bunch of mucus looking stuff coming out of it. He doesn't act like his ears hurt, he hasn't played with them since the surgery? I've been told putting tubes in baby's ears is a common thing...so I am sure at least one of you have done this or know of someone who has at a baby with this surgery. Is this stuff normal? I can't get a hold of the doctor so I don't know if I so worry or if it's just normal? Does anyone know?

New Orleans to New York City

We are back from our latest trip. This wasn’t a planned vacation. Aaron’s mom called us about 4 days before and said they had decided to go to the fence convention in New Orleans and than they were going to stop in NYC for a couple of days – and they invited Aaron and me to tag along. Of course I was all for it, NYC is one of my favorite places! But the downside was that I would have to leave Austin home for almost 10 days…I’ve never been away from him longer than 2 days! It was so hard. I cried when we left him. Sharon and Jenny were wonderful enough to take turns watching him for us. We really appreciate them…it’s nice to know you have friends that ask to take care of your kid.
We left Tues. (Jan 13) and got back late Thurs. It was a fun trip; Aaron’s parents are so fun to travel with. Here is a little summary and photos of the trip….

NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans is different from any place I have gone to on vacation. You can see than Hurricane Katrina really hurt this city. There were so many abandoned buildings, some were still boarded up. It’s weird because one street will be prosperous and than you walk down the next street and it looks like a ghost town. We took a city tour and they showed us the remains of some neighborhoods where the water washed them away, it was sad. All that was left was the front steps of some houses. The thing I didn’t get was that there were some big band new houses (build by or contracted out by Brad Pitt) that were build right in the same spots….I don’t get it – Nature will always win out. It will happen again.
New Orleans had some very neat old buildings; I didn’t know that it is one of the oldest cities in America. I just wanted to go around photographing all the neat buildings. I did post some pics on my photography blog if you’d like to see them. Click here

Aaron and I waiting for the tour bus

Aaron with the golf clubs Jan won at the fence convention

Me and all the beads Aaron gave to me

Bourbon Street

There were all these neat murals all around the city

Jan and her fav. machine

This it was a lot of the houses looked like where Katrena hit

(some only had front steps left, no house)


NEW YORK

This was my third trip to New York, and I still fall in love with the city every time I go! It just amazes me. It's like a little piece of each culture in the work all crammed into one city! There is so much to see and do. I think I love it so much because there is so much to photograph! I also posted some pictures on my photo blog. Click Here.

I love the architecture! It just keeps me in awe! I think everyone needs to experience New York at least once in their life....Jan finally got Dan to go. He had been dragging his feet about a trip to NY ever since I have known him. It's just a city full of such energy and history. You've gotta love it. Where else can you have Italy and China a street away??

Besides the architecture and scale of the city my next favorite thing about New York is Broadway! The plays are wonderful. This trip Jan took us to Jersey Boys....such a good play! I love it. Here are some photos of us enjoying NY!

Eating at Serendipity

Jan purse shopping

Dan & Jan on top of the Empire State Building

Aaron and I on top of the Empire State Building

Aaron looks evil in this picture.

Aaron looking at the "Tiles for America"

It was tiles from children around America in honor of 9-11

Getting ready to go skating

Skating in Central Park

Hard Rock Cafe

Aaron and Dan sick of purse shopping - and walking

The Temple...different from all the other temples

I LOVE NY

Here is a list of the things I think you must do if you go to NY:

Top Ten Things you must do in New York

1- See Time Square
2- Eat at Serendipity
3- See a Broadway Play
4- Walk around Central Park
5- Go Purse shopping in China Town
6- Visit the top of the Empire State Building
7- Walk the Brooklyn Bridge (I’ve only made it half way)
8- Eat at Carnage Deli
9- Do a City Tour (on the top of the Bus)

10- Ride the Subway

Austin's ear update & some help please

First off I'd like to say thanks to those who agree with all the insurance and medial complaining I did last post. It's always nice to know I'm not the only one who feels a little picked on once and a while! :) And thanks for all the suggestions of doctors, I really appreciate the recommendations!

As for my little buddy;

The tube placements went well. They put a tube in each ear just to avoid any future problems with the right ear. The doctor said it was a good thing we put tubes in because when he cleared out the left ear he found tons of puss. So his left ear was pretty bad (poor kid). He seems to be doing just fine now. Once and a while he will get a little whinny and mess with his ears (still worries me) and he still throws a holy fit when you have to give him his ear drops. But other than that he seems to be doing well. He is back to his normal active life. We go back next month to check on the tubes.

Thanks for all of your prayers and concerns!

______________________

My next task I will be taking on (after the fun filled trip we have planned...you'll hear all about that when I return :) is planning Austin's 1st birthday party. I am so excited. My biggest problem is I think I want it to be to perfect, and he isn't even going to remember it. I think it's because it's his first birthday and our first child and I am so excited. I have all these ideas but I don't know how to go about doing them.

So I am asking for some help out there. I know there are tons of people who read our blog...I know there are more than those who usually comment. I am asking for EVERYONE and ANYONE to help me with some ideas. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!!

I think I am going to do a Monkey theme (since he is my little monkey) .

And I want to be creative and have a lot of cute fun things to do and decorate with, but the problem is....Im not to crafty and creative when it comes to this kind of stuff. I am not much of a host, I'd love to be but I come from a family that wasn't into parties and themes. Anyways so here is me asking all of you for some major help!! Anything will be greatly appreciated and will help me!

Oh and I don't want to make it a Curious George party. Im really weird when it comes to characters??? Don't really know why!

I have a few ideas but I don't know which direction to go. I need some help picking a final theme and than I can start running with my ideas....

Here are some ideas for a theme: Just Monkey, Circus Monkey, Jungle Monkey, Suft Monkey, or Sock Monkey.

I had a few other ideas but I don't know where to get them done.

1. I'd love to have a personalized shirt for Austin that says, "This little Monkey is one, and he's having lots of fun" - or something like that, with a monkey on it. Where can I go to do something like that?

2. I'd like to do some party favors for the little kids that have barrel of monkey's tied to it, but the only barrel of monkey's I can find are at Wal-Mart for $5/each and I can't spend that much plus per kid (I wish I could). So does anyone know where you can buy that type of stuff in bulk?


So that's where I am at right now. Thanks for any input! I can't believe he is turning one next month!!

Austin pulling a Risky Business (tom cruise - but no sunglasses)

I was changing his diaper and I went to grab a new diaper and he crawled right to his car to play, it was so cute with his little bare butt showing.

It makes me sick!

Well my little buddy has been sick for 3 months now and tomorrow it will hopefully be all better.

Austin has had ear infection after ear infection since he was 9 months old and he will be turning 11 months. We just got back from the surgical center where we scheduled his appointment to get tubes in his ears. We met with Dr. Rodgers today and he said he could do the procedure tomorrow morning. I just hope this will give my little man some comfort finally and free of ear infections.

I just wish we could have gotten this cleared up sooner. I hope I don't offend anyone who might have family or friends who work in the medical field here in Blackfoot. But I am so sick and tired of the run around I have been getting! I don't want to go out of town for a doctor but after these past few months I feel like I am being forced to. I know so many people that go out of town for their doctor needs. I always that it was kind of a waste to drive out of town for a doctor. But now I can see why people do.

The first of last year I started seeing a doctor for my personal medical reasons. I met with this doctor and I was impressed, I thought he was very nice and spent time explaining my condition and the medication and all that good stuff. He even made a house call to check on me. I thought he was wonderful and I felt I had finally found a doctor I could go to for everything. Well than I got pregnant and when I had to start doing the monthly checkups my opinion went down hill. He never seemed to have time for my questions and worries (as a first time mother I had no clue what to expect). When it came close to my due date he wanted to induce me almost 2 weeks before my due date....I didn't know I had an option to try and go naturally until I talked to a friend and she told me it would be long and miserable if I let him start me (I’m glad I listened to her because I was only in labor for about 3 hours at the hospital before Austin came). And during my labor the doctor didn't say anything to me, infact he watched TV in between me pushing. I’m glad I had a good nurse there to talk me through everything. When my doctor came to check up on me the next day he sat down and started watching TV, I don't think he looked at me once. His bedside manner was horrible! Needless to say after my 6 week check up I never went back....and here I am trying to find a new doctor....AGAIN!

As for Austin's doctor he came highly recommended. I met him in the hospital when Austin was born and I was impressed. And when we went in for his first couple of checkup, again I was very happy. He is a wonderful doctor, very considerate, and spent a lot of time explaining things. Things were just fine until Austin started having ear infections. I could never seem to get into the doctor, he was either busy or not there. Austin was suppose to see him for his 9 month checkup and when we went in for it they told me he was not available, I even had an appointment. So Austin has been having all these problems and his doctor hasn't seen him once....wait let me correct that. He saw him once when we ran him in one night when his lips turned blue. In the past 2 months Austin has seen 4 doctors for his ear infections. And finally yesterday when he got to see his real doctor he said we should look into getting tubes in his ears.

Well to make a long story short he is scheduled to go in tomorrow morning at 6:45 for the procedure. It's only going to cost about $2000. My kid is worth it, but what makes me mad is if he would of seen his doctor for all of the infections he would of know what was going on and we could have gotten the procedure done a few weeks ago (which would have been on last years insurance clam) when we had already met the deductible. But no we will be paying for all of the cost because it's a new year and our deductible starts over. I’m not to happy about that one!!!

It's just very frustrating to take your baby in to someone new every time and have to explain everything to them every time! And not feel like you are getting anywhere with anyone!

Another reason I am sick is because I was sick for over a week and I went into the clinic to get checked on...once again our doctor wasn't in and so I had to go with whoever was available. And I went in and she said, "You’ll have to come back in 3-4 days I’m not sure if it's a sinus infection or not. Before hand I told her I am sure it's a sinus infection....I get one every year (never fails). She wouldn't give me any medicine. (Keep in mind our insurance coverage makes us pay $30 every time we even step into a doctor’s office) So I waited 6 days I it was heck. I went in and that lady doctor I saw before wasn't in so I so someone else. What do you know, $80 later I finally get someone to say it's a sinus infection.

Insurance makes me sick! But I am afraid not to have it! I think we have spend $300 or more in co-payments in the past 2 months....none of that goes toward our deductible. And all of the antibiotics we have had to get for all the infections. Heck I had a kid and with my bills and Austin's bills and visits to the doctor, we still didn't meet our deductible for the year 2008. It's amazing what insurance gets out of and what they claim as unnecessary procedures.

Anyways I'll stop complaining now. I just thought I'd share my disappointment in the practices around Blackfoot. Maybe I am just at the wrong spots. I’m not complaining about Austin's doctor, I really do like him. I am just upset I can never get into him!!! It's like we don't even have a family doctor!

And I am still looking for a gyno for myself. I really want to stay in town, I hate driving out of town when it's not necessary (which maybe it will have to become). Does anyone recommend anyone here in town for me?

Again I hope I have not offended anyone. I just needed to vent a little.

Miranda's Baptism

Saturday was a wonderful day! Aaron had the opportunity to baptise Miranda. It was such a neat experience for Aaron, he was very happy Miranda asked him to baptise her. We have watched Randee grow up and she is growing into a beautiful young lady. I can't believe she is baptised now! We are so glad the the Gillins family let us be a part of Randee's special day.

(I stoled these photos from Jenny's blog....hope you don't mind Jenny :)

We love ya Randee and are very proud of you!

Happy New Year I guess....Im half way to 50!!!

Well Happy New Years Everyone!

And Happy Birthday to Me...
I am officially halfway to 50 now!
I can't believe I am 25 years old....I feel so old!!!

We've been so busy lately I haven't even had a chance to think about any goals for the year 2009......

I wish I could say one was: don't grow old...but I hate breaking goals so I can't really say that.

Well here's to the New Year and my 25 years!

yippy.......