My Take on Obamacare

Sorry I don't want this to turn into a debate or anything. I usually wouldn't be talking about politics but health care is a sensitive issue for me so I have to get this off my chest.

First off let me say that I never thought I'd be backing Obama. As far as I was concerned in the last election Obama was scum of the earth and was surely going to destroy America. When he was elected into office I was pregnant with Jayda and I remember hearing a bunch of people were even naming their babies after him. Barf.

Then...I took an American Government class and it changed my entire perspective on politics. Now keep in mind I grew up listening to Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levine, The Savage Nation, you name it. Hard core conservatives and I thought they knew their shiz...

In political classes during my education it was easy to detect a liberal and my ears were turned off the entire time. But this one teacher was different. He presented current issues in a way that was neutral and showed both sides so that WE could decide what we believed and not be fed bull or a slanted angle on one side. In fact, he didn't tell us who he voted for or how his views were until the end of the class. So refreshing.

It changed my entire perspective. I learned how the law actually works. How even the founding fathers disagreed in fundamental issues that mimics what we are still fighting today. That Obama isn't the sole power. He's just one branch of the government. As far as I'm concerned the most corrupt branch of government is Congress, but do they take the wrap half the time? NO! They have a president for that. Obama is ONE person. ONE branch of government. Which is exactly how the founding fathers wanted it. So when people used the argument that the founding fathers would be "rolling in their graves" if they knew Obama was in office was crap. They would probably be rolling in their graves knowing the corrupt system that is congress and how they act like little school children. They waste far more of our tax dollars on their crazy high salaries and their fighting back and forth taking up time and not working together to come to a consensus. They are more worried about their careers than they are the American people and that is a fact!

Now as far as Obamacare, I think the one main thing that Obama has failed in is education. Educating and informing what Obamacare even is. For the longest time many people didn't understand it. And I think a lot of people STILL don't understand. They just fight against it because 1. Their parents say they should 2. It originates from Obama and of course he's ruining America one issue at a time 3. They didn't know enough about it

The affordable health care act has been our saving grace. Last June Chase was laid off. He worked at a bank and his entire branch got closed down. Everyone lost their jobs. No job=no health insurance. Luckily, with the affordable health care act I was able to get on my parents insurance and we were saved. Had that been overturned today I would have lost my primary insurance.

The fact is when Obama presented Obamacare he did NOT want it to be a tax. He specifically wanted a mandate, but the Supreme Court said that the only way for it to pass would to use it as a tax. This is not anything new. If you live in a place where you need flood insurance and you don't have flood insurance you get taxed differently than if you do have flood insurance. So this is not a new idea, but yes it is NOT what Obama wanted. It just kind of ended up that way.

Also, even if it was a mandate I wouldn't have a problem with it. Because it DOES effect other people. If you have kids and you don't have health insurance then you are effecting poor innocent kids that don't have that option.

What Obamacare does:

1. Makes it so that women don't pay more for health insurance than men.
2. Makes it possible for those under 26 to be on their parents insurance.
3. Makes it impossible to be denied because of a pre-existing condition.

Why are these bad things again?

1. If we provided preventative care especially for women then we would actually save money. If you provide $30 a month of birth control instead of having to pay $2000-$3000 for delivering a baby...after baby after baby....why wouldn't that make sense? If you pay for a routine pap/mammogram to ALL women instead of waiting til they have cervical or breast cancer then how would that not save money in the end?

2. Being on my parents health insurance effects them in no way. They don't pay more and I don't pay anything. Their insurance is my primary insurance. My secondary insurance is medicaid. If I did not have primary insurance guess who would be footing my delivery bill? Medicaid. My primary insurance (thanks to Obama) covers everything but $150 for my whole pregnancy. Saving money to struggling families and the economy. My husband could not help that he got laid off.

3. Honestly, I understand that insurance is a business so my argument is more on an ethical standpoint. I just think its wrong that these big insurance companies who pump loads of money in can't cover people who have illnesses and pretty much screw them over. In fact, after my husband got laid off and lost his benefits I made him immediately go get his own insurance. Man it was TOUGH. He was denied because I took clomid and they said if I was to get pregnant there would be a chance that that new baby (who would be high risk) could be on his insurance. I wasn't the one trying to get insurance HE was, yet he was denied based on a medication I took. They were denying him for someone who may possibly be on his insurance down the road. Bizarro.

We had a friend that has Chrones disease. They live without health insurance because no one will cover him. When his wife had knee surgery they had to pay for it out of pocket. Just not right. And don't even get me started when talking about kids. How kids dying of heart failure can be denied over a technicality. Not very Christlike Mr. Romney.

Overall, I think people just need to be informed on the issue at hand instead of joining the bandwagon. I think a lot of people just follow what their parents beliefs are without even investigating it themselves....I used to. The main thing that bothers me is that people refuse to get educated on an issue and hear both sides of the issue first. That was one thing I learned in my AG class. Don't just watch CNN watch Fox too. Get both sides of the issue and THEN comment. You may actually find yourself on the opposite end of what you thought you'd feel. And as far as talk radio. FEAR MONGERS. Thats how they make their money by casting fear in people. They are a business too, ya know. :)

Endocrinologist and Gastroenterologist

We took Jayda in for her three year appointment last week and it wasn't good news. Jayda hasn't even gained a pound since December which was suprising for us considering she looks SO much bigger to us and has been eating great (well great for her, that girl has incredible self control and only eats til she is full).

According to his charts she "shrunk" in height. Obviously thats not possible and I know for a fact that she has grown taller because she always grows out of her clothes in height WAY before she grows girth wise. In fact it is so hard to find clothes that fit her right because things that fit her in width don't fit her in height. She could probably still fit into 12 month girth wise but they are way too short for her. Instead of a big and tall shop for kids we need a very small and kinda tall store.

Overall, I'm not really concerned since her development is right on track. She speaks in sentences, is potty trained, knows her shapes, colors, can count to 13, knows some of her letters, and socially seems right on track. So obviously she is just petite and its not effecting her overall development.

Still. Why isn't she gaining at least on her growth curve?

So both her dr and I want to get a second opinion with an endocrinologist up at Primarys just to make sure theres no hormonal or other external issues. I tried calling last week to set up an appointment with the endocrinologist and didn't hear anything. Tried calling in the beginning of the week and couldn't get anyone live. Story of my life. Finally, I got someone on thursday, but the guy informed me that they needed Jayda's labs faxed up so that the endo could look at it and see if she needs to see her or if she needs to see a gastroenterologist. They said I should hear back by at least Monday.

To my understanding a pediatric endocrinologist sees kids that have height issues, not weight issues (although a lot of times they go hand in hand). A gastroenterologist sees kiddos that have weight issues. Which is what I am more concerned about. But the endocrinologist works closely with the gastroenterologist and since we're making a special trip to Primarys (which is 3 1/2 hours away) we just want to schedule both of them so they aren't like oh well you need to see the other one and then waste a trip for us.

Also, for now we are keeping a food journal for her since I'm absolutely sure that is one of the first things they are going to ask us to do. It's kind of a pain, but in the end I want to show them that she does eat, just smaller portions. Also show when she complains about her tummy hurting and how it effects how she eats. She seems to always have issues with her tummy.

Its just so odd why she isn't gaining weight. I mean I was always the smallest on the playground and didn't start to catch up until high school. Chase was also the smallest of all of his moms babies. His brother who is 3 years younger practically outgrew him as a kid. So who knows if its a combination of genetics, being a micropreemie, having surgery on her tummy, and having reflux til she was 2 (who knows if she still has it).

I'm looking forward to getting a second opinion since I want the best for the little girl and I don't want people to push her around because she looks like a baby to other kids. She's pretty fiesty and doesn't let other kids push her around but I just don't want her size to effect her when she realizes how little she is compared to other kids her age.

Luckily she is a girl.

Dear Second Trimester,

Why hello. I love bidding the first trimester adieu because that means it's one more step closer to my end goal, but I will admit I am scared shizless of you. Last time we were not friends. We were at a battle of wills. How about we set aside our differences, work together, and leave poor innocent baby alone?

And uterus, if you tick me off this time around you run the risk of being evacuated out of my body at the first given chance. We still have so many precious years to spend together, although I'm not sure if I'll ever fully trust you or even like you, so I'd hate to cut that short. You don't have to like me either, I really don't give a crap, but would you just keep quiet that way no one gets hurt?

Now I don't mean to sound harsh because so far you really have been a saint. For that I am appreciative. But after the last three years of stubbornness you have to understand my frustrations with you. And my fear. Mostly, I fear that I'll give in and trust you, getting excited at the thought that maybe this time around its for real. Then at the last moment it would all be taken away. How crushed I would be.

But overall I'm an optimistic person so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt with some trepidation of course. Maybe you just had a rough time getting the hang of being pregnant for the first time. Then wanted to take a much needed vacation after the trauma you were put through. I can understand that. I hope you got whatever you needed to out of your system and that your head is in the game.

Just know we'll have a talk with third trimester when we get to her, but for now my eye is on you. I'm watching you.

Be Gentle

There is this girl who is mutual friends with my sister. She posted back in March on her blog about her 7 year struggle with infertility. She had one child from and IVF but was still yearing for another one. She was just about to begin another IVF for #2 when she posted this very inspirational post. It summed up everything I was feeling even though I feel like I had nothing to compare to her journey. I can happily say she has a little Jack growing inside her now (well don't know if its a boy or a girl)! Anyways just wanted to share. It still makes me cry.

http://www.greenapplephotographyonline.com/2012/06/be-gentle.html

Happy 3rd birthday Little Jader Bum!!

Ok so this is a few days late but I've been one tired mama so I've been putting this off.

June 6th my little bug turned 3. She's the sweetest, most stubborn independent girl ever. We love her so much! Except when she tells me to stop singing. Or when I'm getting after her for something she points her finger at me and says, "Be HAPPY!" Which of course just makes me laugh.

For her party we had a Mickey Mouse AND Princess theme since those are her two most favorite themes right now. We had the party at the local carousel and splash pad. It turned out to be a great spot in the shade. We had a pinata, pizza, a princess cake, mickey mouse cupcakes that my mom made, and lots of friends.

Jayda and her Aunt Kiki

All the kiddos minus Acacia and Koto

Jayda and her former NICU roommate Brynlyn. They were both 26 weekers who were just a couple weeks apart. Little Miracles! And Brynlyn smacked the CRAP out of that pinata! That girl had quite the arm on her!!

This was on her at Mukahs house. She made her a mickey mouse shaped birthday cake since we forgot candles and matches for her b-day cake at her party.  It was so funny when we were singing to her before she blew out the candles she noticed my SIL Cait was on her phone and not singing she pointed at her and said SING! Then I started to laugh and she pointed at me and said SING! Miss sassy pants!

In other good Jayda bug news.....drum roll please...shes FINALLY potty trained!!! Yippee! I know Ive said this is it a few times...but this is really it! Shes been in her panties for a over a week and doing great. Now she has to do it herself and will poop and pee on the potty and then wipe and flush and then wash her hands all by herself.

We had to bribe her with candy and soda at first but she did it (and probably gained some much needed poundage so win win!). She still wears a diaper at nap time and bed time but shes been waking up from nap time the last couple days with a dry diaper so I think she may be ready to wear just panties to bed for her nap. She's usually soaked at night so I dont see that changing for awhile...but no biggie! Shes getting so freaking big!!

We go in for her 3 year appt on tuesday and will update with what the dr says about her weight then. Hopefully shes at least 22lbs! She's just SUPER petite. This new baby will probably outgrow her! :)

Now we need to shop around for preschools since I told her once she was peeing and pooping on the potty she could go to preschool. So crazy she is big enough to go to preschool! Makes me kind of sad!

11 weeks!

Yesterday we went to the doctor. I wasn't expecting to get another ultrasound but they said that at 11-12 weeks they can't always find the heartbeat with the doppler so they just like to go straight to the ultrasound to avoid unneeded stress. We decided to bring Jayda because she's starting to understand it more and I want her to be as involved as she can. The ultrasound tech said it was a good thing we did an ultrasound because there was no way we would have been able to find the heartbeat since my uterus is retroverted and the baby was hiding all the way in the back.

But it was there, 170bpm. The most beautiful sound in the world. There were legs and arms and we could see a little nose. I love it already.

Then we went in and talked to the doctor which was nice considering he was gone last time and I didn't get to ask all the questions I wanted to. He said we were going to do the p17 shots around 16 weeks. So I have to give myself a shot in the butt every week from 16 weeks til 36. Luckily needles don't bother me so I'll just be taught how to do it and give it to myself to avoid coming in every week. P17 shots are thought to help women who had a preterm birth. Mostly they are useful for preterm labor but since we're not sure whether my water broke from contracting or my water broke and then I started to contract. Either way we're just going to error on the side of caution and take the shots. There's nothing to lose really.

Then I asked him whether he would let me get past 36 weeks. He said as long as I wasn't contracting then I could go as long as I wanted, but the minute I started contracting we would need to do a section. I also asked him if VBAC was totally out of the question. He said ultimately its up to me but the rupture rate can be up to 8% with the type of scar I have and although thats not an awful % if it does happen it can be catostrophic.

And really is it worth it to risk my life, my baby's life and also the risk of losing my ability to have any more children because I want to birth a certain way? It seems a bit selfish to me. If I had the horizontal cut I would do it in a heartbeat since the rupture rate is less than 1% and c-sections even carry their own risk of complications. But  because of my specific situation we made the decision to just do a c-section. Sucks but in the end all that matters is that baby is here safely.

But I mean really...if I made it to 36 weeks I would just be estatic. Even if that meant a short NICU stay which we want to avoid at all costs, but really after a 90 day hospital stay with Jayda a few days is so small compared to that. Hopefully my uterus behaves this time around. So far its been very quiet and drama free.

He also said we get to find out the gender next time. I originally wanted to keep it a suprise but Chase wants to know so bad. I think he really wants to know if its a boy because he is dying to get a boy. But he just says he wants to know everytime. I would like to keep it a secret next time and I'm 99% sure I'll win that battle.

It seems as if I'll be getting A LOT of ultrasounds this pregnancy. I've already gotten 3. I'll be getting one next time at 15 weeks, then my 20 week ultrasound, then starting at 24 weeks we are going to be checking my cervical length. So lots of ultrasounds in my future. Not complaining. :)

I can't believe we're almost in the 2nd trimester. Please be gentle 2nd trimester. I'm begging you.

Suprise Las Vegas Trip

Mothers day this year sucked. I woke up puking my guts up...to a whole new level. Thinking my morning sickness was just cray cray I then heard Chase puking in the other room. Ok. So its something else. Luckily it was just a 24 hour bug but it was ruthless. Luckily it seemed to bypass Jayder bug, but the whole mothers day was just down the drain.

So I guess Chase wanted to make it up to me so one day we decided to go have a date night. We were going to see the avengers because he hasnt seen it. As we were heading down the road he was in the far lane away from where he had to turn and I told him he better get over. Suddenly he heads on the freeway and said, "Nah, change of plans. We're going to Vegas." I was shocked. Then I kept thinking, but what about my stuff? Did you pack x,y,x? He packed EVERYTHING! I still have no idea how I didn't put two and two together.

Right before we went I took a shower which my hubby wasn't expecting since I usually take my showers at night before I go to bed. He had already packed my makeup and so he came in and said Jayda was playing with my make-up. I've told her not to many times before and so I was getting after her and she was SMILING so big. I was like STOP smiling your in trouble. She just knew that she didn't do it. Chase stooped to that level. Yes he did.

We spent the weekend with my friend Pam and her new husband Kenny. We did a little shopping, went to the Pawn Stars shop (no none of the guys from the show were there), and just watched movies. I love my hubby, he's so thoughtful!

We went to this really cute restaraunt called Serendipity 3. It was SO yummy!