So, Zoe has some pretty awesome musical tastes....Just like her Mom and Dad. Lil Miss Thang was not playing well with others in the car the other day. So I tried a little music to soothe the savage beast. I thought, classical, it'll be mellow and calming so out came Pachelbel and Chopin, but DENIED. Still cried, still not happy. Rob Base and DJ Easy Rock or Salt N Pepa. YUP! She cooled right out, not a peep! I guess it really does take two to make a thing go right, cause Zoe likes the Old Skewl Hip Hop. My goal is to teach her all the words to Rappers Delight before she enters kindergarten, my wonder kid can do it, I'm sure.
The family is working together as a team much better these days and I think Zoe has gotten on board. She's still not a happy camper if she's hungry or stayed up too long and needs a nap, but once again, neither am I. Other than that, if we get some fussy time, I may try to calm her for a bit, if it works, great. If not, handoff and Mom gets a turn. So far that's worked, but we still have Jack Bauer, D.O.G., and Sam on the bench if we need em. We're currently working on our back to school plans for Brooke, seeing what things we'll need to change and what things we'll need to do to make it work, but it's all part of the planning for what's going to happen, not just reacting. It's a skill we are both learning to master. Although we both have great skills, like nunchuku skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills... Zoe only wants parents who have great skills.
We are loving Sunday, just found out my parents are coming in for Mother's Day, which is also Baby Dedication at Church, so my Dad will finally get to see his Mini-Me and Zoe will get to meet her other set of Grandparents. YAY! It's a beautiful day, think I'll go enjoy it. Bye for now!
Cheers.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
What's in a name?
First off, my sweet little angel slept almost 2hrs tonight on my chest, and I wasn't moving for anything. LOVED IT!!! Zoe had an appointment at the Pediatrician today, nothing big, just her shots and general check. Our lil fatty is up to 10lbs 6oz and doing very well.
Now the fun part of the night was when Zoe had just finished eating dinner in our bed, the whole family was there. As she was being burped, she was looking around at Jack and D.O.G., then she looked at me. Mom was pointing everyone out, "There's Jack Bauer, there's D.O.G., and Daddy." As she turns her back to look at her, she says, "And Mommy, can you say Mommy?" So Zoe lets out a, "Buuuuurp." It was perfectly on cue and I almost fell out of the bed laughing.
Okay that's it, Good night!
Now the fun part of the night was when Zoe had just finished eating dinner in our bed, the whole family was there. As she was being burped, she was looking around at Jack and D.O.G., then she looked at me. Mom was pointing everyone out, "There's Jack Bauer, there's D.O.G., and Daddy." As she turns her back to look at her, she says, "And Mommy, can you say Mommy?" So Zoe lets out a, "Buuuuurp." It was perfectly on cue and I almost fell out of the bed laughing.
Okay that's it, Good night!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Earmuff It, Stumbles, and Mini-Me's...
So just a little update on what's been going on with Zoe. Monday morning, dark and early, we headed down to Childrens Hospital in Dallas for Zoe's first MRI. Cause every 2 month old who's anybody is having MRI's! It was a long, early morning, as for some reason we had to check in at admitting at 0630, didn't have the MRI until almost 0800 and then had our appointment with Dr Swift, Super-Neurosurgeon, at 1030. The MRI went great, I drew the lucky straw to go in with Zoe, so me and the radiology tech who looked like he had just walked in from a Dropkick Murphy concert went and strapped Zoe in, literally. They had an air-sac with straps and we put her in her blanket then wrapped the sac around her and strapped her in, stuck some little earmuffs over her ears(she didn't like that) and then the strap came over to immobilize her head(REALLY didn't like that). Then we slid her in the MRI, I was still able to play with her feet to try and calm her, but no, once the loud, odd(if you've ever had an MRI you know the noises are strangely odd) noises started, there was nothing to do, cause she fell asleep! What a punk, I had to sit there with big ole ear protection on while she slept. Are you kidding me that was awesome, she slept through it and was so sweet and cuddly in my arms afterward. After our wait, we saw Dr Swift, and I must say, the appointment was a bit over my head. Mostly because he and Brooke talked about a performance he had been to recently that was put on my her Orpheus director, they talked about the music, the composers, the talent of the people, blah blah blah.... Ummmm how's the kid? Oh, almost as an afterthought, she's doing great, the shunt is doing exactly what is should and he is very pleased with the scarring on her back, so all in all, good visit to the hospital, shouldn't have to see Dr Swift for another 6mos.
Later that day, Dad-of-the-Year had to give back his title as I fell figuratively flat on my face. Zoe was getting a bit fussy, pretty sure Mom was in the shower at the time, so Daddy tried everything he could to calm our sweetness down, sang to her, bounced her in my arms, showed her the lights and fan(she loves them), changed positions with her....nothing. But I wasn't going to be denied, ah ha, bath time always works right?!? Not for me, not on this day. Then Daddy got a bit cranky and wasn't in the mood for advice, if you know what I mean. So long story short and lesson learned, sometimes tis better to drop back and punt and let the defense win you the game. Mom would be the role of defense in this game. There really is something to this Mother-Daughter bonding, I think I will call it "Bonding Through Boobs" look for it on shelves soon. Bottom line, Daddy learned that sometimes, Dad-of-the-Year can't do it all, and just like Superbowls, World Series, and Championships, no one wins them alone. Good thing I'm on a good team!
So, Zoe, as it turns out, looks just like my Dad, with more hair, but you get the idea. Somehow, my father has successfully made a "Mini-Me" and it's Zoe. She not only looks like him, but has some of his expressions too. I cannot wait for them to come out and see her, for nothing else, to get the pictures to prove it, Hill-Ar-Ious. Until then, for all of you who see Zoe soon, when she makes a funny face or an expression just know, even if I didn't see it, I've probably seen it before.
Cheers!
Later that day, Dad-of-the-Year had to give back his title as I fell figuratively flat on my face. Zoe was getting a bit fussy, pretty sure Mom was in the shower at the time, so Daddy tried everything he could to calm our sweetness down, sang to her, bounced her in my arms, showed her the lights and fan(she loves them), changed positions with her....nothing. But I wasn't going to be denied, ah ha, bath time always works right?!? Not for me, not on this day. Then Daddy got a bit cranky and wasn't in the mood for advice, if you know what I mean. So long story short and lesson learned, sometimes tis better to drop back and punt and let the defense win you the game. Mom would be the role of defense in this game. There really is something to this Mother-Daughter bonding, I think I will call it "Bonding Through Boobs" look for it on shelves soon. Bottom line, Daddy learned that sometimes, Dad-of-the-Year can't do it all, and just like Superbowls, World Series, and Championships, no one wins them alone. Good thing I'm on a good team!
So, Zoe, as it turns out, looks just like my Dad, with more hair, but you get the idea. Somehow, my father has successfully made a "Mini-Me" and it's Zoe. She not only looks like him, but has some of his expressions too. I cannot wait for them to come out and see her, for nothing else, to get the pictures to prove it, Hill-Ar-Ious. Until then, for all of you who see Zoe soon, when she makes a funny face or an expression just know, even if I didn't see it, I've probably seen it before.
Cheers!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Insurance Companies, stupid on purpose?
Okay, I hate to indulge in conspiracy theory, but in this case I think I have it knocked out. There is no way insurance companies are really this stupid, their inability to process a claim correctly the first time has to be part of a larger, sinister plan. Of the over 84 claims made by my family in the last 5 months, roughly 90% have been done wrong in some form or another and I have had to call the company, taking 2 complete days off of work and numerous hours throughout subsequent weeks dealing with what, on the surface, appears to be ineptitude. That is until you realize the genius of their plan. If they misprocess claims, and when they do they are always in their favor monetarily, and I pay them, they win. See they don't apply the correct deductibles, they put doctors that are in network as out of network, simply decide they are only going to pay some random small amount, and it's up to us to catch em.
But here is where they are even smarter. Much like in chess, they hire "pawns," they call them "customer service reps" and they are the people sitting in the call centers waiting to ask you the same questions you just answered over the automated system in order to discourage you from asking any more questions. You know, you call up, you input or say your member ID, date of birth, maybe last 4 of your SSN, and then say what department you want 4 times because the automated speak and spell couldn't understand the word "claims" no matter how well you enunciate your words. THEN, when they actually get you to a human being, you have to repeat your member number and DOB. Why is that? Is it not on their screen? Finally, you get to ask your real question, knowing full well this person is not going to be able to answer your question. I've actually asked to skip right past them for the department I knew I would need, DENIED. I had to explain my issue in full, then wait for them to tell me they could not help me, they had to transfer me to.............wait for it..............THE DEPARTMENT I ASKED FOR WHEN I FIRST OPENED MY MOUTH!
Then, as in chess, once you move the pawns out of the way, you have access to the Rooks, Bishops, and Knights. Normally in chess, the Knight can jump the pawns, but in the insurance world, this is not permitted, see above statements. The Rooks, Knights, and Bishops are the people in the Resolution Departments. There is more than one btw.... You have the Rapid Resolution Department(an oxymoron if ever there was one, they are not "rapid" and rarely "resolve"), there is the Complex Adjustment Team, that's for the claims that require actual thought. And finally you have the Appeals Division. The Appeals Division is where you go, when the insurance company itself has screwed it up so bad, they can't fix it without a nice letter from you stating why they should. We've done 2 now, but it's early.
So now I know, it's a game to them, and I figured how they win it is to simply keep slow playing you, grinding you down until you either give up, or you've met your out of pocket max for the year, at which point it is in their benefit to process the claims correctly. If we really wanted health care reform in this country, this is where we'd start. Not adding IRS agents to go after people who don't buy health coverage, WTF is that about?
Okay, I am putting away my soapbox for now, rant over.
But here is where they are even smarter. Much like in chess, they hire "pawns," they call them "customer service reps" and they are the people sitting in the call centers waiting to ask you the same questions you just answered over the automated system in order to discourage you from asking any more questions. You know, you call up, you input or say your member ID, date of birth, maybe last 4 of your SSN, and then say what department you want 4 times because the automated speak and spell couldn't understand the word "claims" no matter how well you enunciate your words. THEN, when they actually get you to a human being, you have to repeat your member number and DOB. Why is that? Is it not on their screen? Finally, you get to ask your real question, knowing full well this person is not going to be able to answer your question. I've actually asked to skip right past them for the department I knew I would need, DENIED. I had to explain my issue in full, then wait for them to tell me they could not help me, they had to transfer me to.............wait for it..............THE DEPARTMENT I ASKED FOR WHEN I FIRST OPENED MY MOUTH!
Then, as in chess, once you move the pawns out of the way, you have access to the Rooks, Bishops, and Knights. Normally in chess, the Knight can jump the pawns, but in the insurance world, this is not permitted, see above statements. The Rooks, Knights, and Bishops are the people in the Resolution Departments. There is more than one btw.... You have the Rapid Resolution Department(an oxymoron if ever there was one, they are not "rapid" and rarely "resolve"), there is the Complex Adjustment Team, that's for the claims that require actual thought. And finally you have the Appeals Division. The Appeals Division is where you go, when the insurance company itself has screwed it up so bad, they can't fix it without a nice letter from you stating why they should. We've done 2 now, but it's early.
So now I know, it's a game to them, and I figured how they win it is to simply keep slow playing you, grinding you down until you either give up, or you've met your out of pocket max for the year, at which point it is in their benefit to process the claims correctly. If we really wanted health care reform in this country, this is where we'd start. Not adding IRS agents to go after people who don't buy health coverage, WTF is that about?
Okay, I am putting away my soapbox for now, rant over.
Recent Zoe Pics
Just some recent photos of Zoe. The first one is her just chillin, kickin back, watchin a lil TV. The next one is her Easter outfit, she was very comfy and not pastel, I was suprised by Mom's choice, but I liked it too. Next she looks like a fat old man out of the 70's in her polyester pants, flowered shirt, with a fat roll hanging over the pants. LOVE IT! Straight out of an episode of Good Times or All in the Family. It almost looks like she's sayin, "Hey Edith, get me a beer would ya." And then we get to see our precious angel sleeping, so sweet. Finally, well, ummm "Got Milk?"
This kid cracks me up!
1000 Pardons
Ok, for those of you (one so far) who felt the last title to the Carepages account, "So long, farewell, auf weidersein, goodbye" was a lead in to ominous news, I do apologize, you may all (one so far) put your hearts back in your chests and relax, as you have no doubt discovered, it was just a farewell to carepages and Zoe, Mommy, and Me are all doing just fine. LMAO, ROFL, and all the other silly abbreviations that mean, HA HA HA HA.
Love ya JB, betcha I'm really in trouble now!
Love ya JB, betcha I'm really in trouble now!
Monday, April 12, 2010
What is "Zoe is Good"
Welcome all of you who where following Zoe on Carepages. We are grateful that Carepages is available and was able to get the word on Zoe to so many, but I think you will all find this a bit easier to navigate in the future. It has been some time since I've posted anything, mostly due to the fact that I didn't want to bore anyone to sleep with stories of poop and routine. We've fallen into a really good routine with Zoe sleeping on average about 6hrs a night, sometimes even more! That, combined with only having to cathederize her twice a day has made for a great impovement in our ability to function with our eyes actually open. Zoe is getting very used to life and loves to be held by anyone and everyone, she really is such a sweet kid, she puts up with the dogs flapping their ears and clicking their nails along the hardwood floors as they walk much better than I do anyway.
Anyway, the title, "Zoe is Good" I somewhat borrowed from the company Life is Good. They make all sorts of products from T-shirts, hats, and even frisbees, all with a happy, Life is Good theme to them. Well since Zoe means "life," I took the play on words and ran with it. [Disclaimer] I do not work for, nor do I have any affiliation with the Life is Good company, and if you do work for them please don't sue me! Cheers.
Since I am new at this blog, we can all learn together, but please feel free to "follow" me as you have in the past and we will continue to update you on all things Zoe. For instance I'm thinking of starting a line of little girls clothes that look like adult women's clothes, much the way they do for little boys. NOT that much pink in the adult women's world, I think I have a hit on my hands. I'll call it the Pantaloni Line, people will think it came from Italy, when all of you will know it's by the notorious gangsta Zoe Pantaloni. So please keep checking in, this will be a real account of what we discover with Zoe, the good,the bad, and the stinky. Honest, probably humurous, and hopefully entertaining as well.
On that note, has anyone else noticed that the end product of the Diaper Genie II, if allowed to linger too long, resembles a large blue boa constrictor? I must have pulled out an 8ft long blue bag full of little diaper dandies and looked like I was holding a large snake. Or is it just me?
Next time, "Insurance Companies, stupid on purpose?" We'll look into that and see if we can figure out why I have to write another letter of appeal to get them to correct something they did wrong in the first place.
Cheers,
Jay, Brooke, and Zoe
Anyway, the title, "Zoe is Good" I somewhat borrowed from the company Life is Good. They make all sorts of products from T-shirts, hats, and even frisbees, all with a happy, Life is Good theme to them. Well since Zoe means "life," I took the play on words and ran with it. [Disclaimer] I do not work for, nor do I have any affiliation with the Life is Good company, and if you do work for them please don't sue me! Cheers.
Since I am new at this blog, we can all learn together, but please feel free to "follow" me as you have in the past and we will continue to update you on all things Zoe. For instance I'm thinking of starting a line of little girls clothes that look like adult women's clothes, much the way they do for little boys. NOT that much pink in the adult women's world, I think I have a hit on my hands. I'll call it the Pantaloni Line, people will think it came from Italy, when all of you will know it's by the notorious gangsta Zoe Pantaloni. So please keep checking in, this will be a real account of what we discover with Zoe, the good,the bad, and the stinky. Honest, probably humurous, and hopefully entertaining as well.
On that note, has anyone else noticed that the end product of the Diaper Genie II, if allowed to linger too long, resembles a large blue boa constrictor? I must have pulled out an 8ft long blue bag full of little diaper dandies and looked like I was holding a large snake. Or is it just me?
Next time, "Insurance Companies, stupid on purpose?" We'll look into that and see if we can figure out why I have to write another letter of appeal to get them to correct something they did wrong in the first place.
Cheers,
Jay, Brooke, and Zoe
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