Lips, dimples and more...

Little peanut has been home for three days now, so I thought I would highlight some of the happenings.

A Peanut Personality: Cara is a very happy & content little baby. She loves to be swaddled and cuddled, stare into everyone's eyes and grab onto fingers. She has discovered the pacifying joys of her vibrating bouncy seat and loves to snooze there between feedings.

First Doctor's Appointment: Yesterday was the first of many well baby check ups for Cara. She is seeing the same husband/wife family practice that Caitlin does and we just adore both Doctor Dena and Doctor Quinn. We expect to have a positive relationship with them for years to come. Doctor Quinn got the pleasure of examining Cara. He reported that she must be eating well because she only lost 4 ounces since her birth, which was very good. We are a little concerned about jaundice but are not going to panic until the test results come back. Cara could get her first exposure to bright lights...blue lights, that is. Mommy also noticed, during this visit, that Cara, who looks very much like her big sister Caitlin, shares something more than adorable facial features. The girls also both have sachral dimples...Cara's being more of a sunburst in shape. Mommy was comforted to learn that the Doctors' daughter has one too--we are not alone. We have decided to do an ultrasound to rule out any foreseeable problems. Once again, our small baby will be on a stretcher. Overall though, our little Peanut was given two thumbs up and cleared until her next appointment on August 3rd.

Fascination with Daddy's lip: Babies have a very strong sucking reflex and Cara certainly proved that yesterday. Her daddy went to pick her up from her crib and was holding her level with his face and they were gazing into each other's eyes...a very precious scene. What did Cara do next, you wonder? Well, we all thought it was an innocent kiss but...she grapped Daddy's lower lip and began sucking. She wouldn't let go! Daddy said he had a hickey after she was done! We all got a wonderful laugh out of that.

On a side note: Mommy's feet are so swollen and she thought it was bad before Peanut came into the world. Darn midwife was right, it got worse before it got better. Poor Mommy could barely stuff her gigantic feet into her Crocs yesterday. Oh, the agony!

We imagine that life with two girls is going to be a riot and the adventure of a lifetime. Stay tuned for more.

This is the story of a baby called Peanut...

This is the story...of how our little Peanut came into the world...enjoy!

I started off the day feeling a bit "odd" but decided to go to work because I had a lot to finish up and wanted to talk to with my co-worker about our plans for Tuesday. We were both going to call in and have some fun, just the girls. So, I went to work with some mild discomfort but didn't think anything of it. Around 12:30-1, things started to pick up a little, so that I was a tad uncomfortable but still, I blew it off as Braxton-Hicks since I was still about two weeks away from my due date. Just for kicks, I decided to get on the Department of Corrections' instant messenger and see if one of my other co-workers, Jeanne, was on. She was and I asked her to help me time these "contractions". She did and asked me what I was feeling. She was determined that I was in real labor and spent an hour trying to convince me to either go home or to the hospital. I was determined to finish up the paperwork that was on my desk before I went. After all, it was nothing and I would just sit on my butt at home.

Well, around 2:30, I finally decided that I'd better go 'cause I was getting more and more uncomfortable. I had Ben call my midwife as I got the heck out of the facility. I had a contraction while waiting to get out of the prison. Other staff on their way in were concerned about me, asking me if I'd be okay driving . Thankfully, UCH-Fitzsimons is all of about 5 minutes from my work, so I knew I'd be fine. I walked out to my car and called Ben. He said that my midwife wanted me to go to the hospital to get checked out.

I walked into the labor & delivery unit all calm and said, "I think I might be in labor, maybe not, but..." and then ushered me into the triage area. I was talkative and joking the whole time...contractions not disrupting anything at this point. They hooked me up to the fetal monitor and watched the heartbeat and contractions. At this point, they were coming every 3 minutes. Then, my midwife, Jessica, came in and did a vag exam. I was so shocked to hear that I was 5-6 centimeters and would be having my baby that day.

I called my mom and she & my dad began the journey from Montrose. I had to stay in triage until they got a reactive strip on the baby and then got moved into a labor and delivery suite. Wow, was that room nice! I had a wonderful view of the on-going construction.

My contractions were picking up but still nothing major...this was about 4 o'clock. Ben & Caitlin (we decided to bring her to the hospital) arrived around 5pm and things were steadily starting to pick up...I couldn't talk between contractions, etc.

Well, Ben & Caitlin didn't have long to wait because within 30 minutes, I was deep in labor--panting and all. At one point, I was told I could not push due to my cervix not being completely ready, and I was about to get drugs...then...three or four pushes later and whoosh--out came Cara Louise!

It all happened so fast that we didn't get any "arrival" pictures of Cara and didn't have anyone there to take pictures of Ben cutting the cord, etc. My labor was 5 hours from start to finish with only about 30 minutes of
"hard labor".

My parents arrived around 8pm and got to meet and snuggle with their 2nd grandchild. My mom was right, she didn't make it having to come all the way from Montrose. I just can't believe that Ben & I did it all by ourselves and with Caitlin witnessing the whole thing ("the baby was all bloody and came out of my momma's butt!"). We are so proud of her for being so good and so brave. Everyone was saying what a good job I did, but I'm no hero, just a happy mom! :)

We were moved pretty quickly to post partum where we all relaxed, ate and slept. I was discharged around 6pm on Tuesday. I was actually ready to come home and be a mom to both of my girls. Caitlin has been a wonderful big sister, being very loving to Cara and helping Mommy.

There ya have it, the whole story...hope you wanted to hear it.

Our newest arrival!

I'd like to introduce the newest member of our family---*drumroll*--Cara Louise Adowa Ogoe! Our second daughter was born on July 17, 2006 at 6:07pm. After a very fast and uneventful labor, our little peanut entered the world weighing 6 lbs, 6 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. Mom & baby were released from the hospital last night and are recuperating and bonding at home with Dad and big sister Caitlin.

More details on Baby Cara's arrival will come soon!

Could she be?!

***For the record, Cara was not posterior at all. The ultrasound showed that she was in a favorable position. This obviously helped her "fast decent" when she was born! :)***

I don't know how to start this because I rarely post about worrisome things but, this is pulling down my soul, so I felt that I'd better get it out in the open.

I had my 37 week midwife appointment on Wednesday and everything was going hunky-dory until my midwife and student (it's a teaching hospital) decided to measure the baby. Well, they were applying some pressure up top and down below and were looking at each other. My midwife had the student do the same. The conclusion, neither could be totally sure that little Cara was head down, ready for delivery. My midwife said that is almost felt like TWO HEADS?! I'm sure the look on my face was priceless as I grabbed Anne, the midwife's, arm. She assured me that the odds were very slim since I'd had two ultrasounds already and they only saw one baby...but still, I think my heart skipped a few beats. Then, she went on to say that they want to schedule another ultrasound ASAP to make sure that Cara is head down. I think that she's posterior, like her big sister was, and that's throwing them off...a sunny-side up baby. So, I'm sitting here waiting for a call from the ultrasound clinic to schedule my appointment. What will they do, you ask, if she's breech? Well, turns out that they will admit me as outpatient to the hospital and send me up to see the OB doctors. They will attempt to turn her in utero and see if that doesn't work, a c-section will be scheduled for Cara's delivery.
This is not how I wanted things to be...not to say that there's anything "wrong"--yet , but still, I don't need this stress and worry so close to my due date. I was hoping that all of this excitement would be a signal to Cara to surprise everyone and make her appearance. So far nothing, just a lot of movement and fierce kicks.
I suppose a c-section isn't the end of the world but it sure would complicate my recovery and totally violate my expectations. Instead of a nice, calm birth, I will be in a sterile environment with doctors that I don't know (midwives cannot do c-sections) having my belly cut open. The thought sends chills down my spine, so I'm trying not to think worse case scenerio.
Actually, in light of what a few of my friends have gone thru lately, I feel incredibly blessed, even if I do have a breech baby.
Right now, we're just taking everything one step at a time starting with the appointment for the ultrasound.

Could you all cross fingers, pray, think good thoughts or whatever it is you to for luck for me? We are all kind of sitting on pins & needles right now...

Thanks!

Be happy & safe!

Here's hoping that you all have a safe and wonderful 4th of July!
Not sure what we're going to do this year since the holiday falls on a Tuesday (who's bright idea was that?) and I have to work today (Monday). In years past, we've gone up to Ouray, CO for the whole day. They have a wonderful small town celebration with a parade, water fight and all of the tourist-y stores are open late. We would go up in mid-afternoon and hang out in town (sometimes soaking in the hot springs) and then curl up in blankets and watch the fireworks shoot off from the mountains overhead. It was the coolest thing because the fireworks would echo off of the mountains, making a huge BOOM! sound. Trust me, not much compares.
We are thinking about hitching the Light Rail downtown and strolling around LoDo (if anything is open) and then watching the show from Invesco Field @ Mile High. We'll see what ends up happening...all that I can say is that I'm thankful to have the day off.

(And yes, that's the Denver skyline!)

Cars anyone?

No, we're not in the market for a new car--I wish. I'm actually talking about Disney Pixar Animations newest full-length animated movie---CARS!
Caitlin had been anticipating Cars' arrival to the big screen since seeing a preview on her Toy Story 2 DVD. She kept saying, "Pixar Animations presents Cars" and stating that it was coming out pretty soon. Well, we decided to treat Caitlin to her first movie at the theatre where she could see Cars on the big screen. On opening night, the Ogoe-McLean clan piled into the trusty Trail Blazer to catch the 7:00 show at the Chinese theatre in Aurora. Having a genius moment, I decided to purchase our tickets online so that we were promised seats. It was probably a good thing that I did because there were only a few empty seats in the stadium style theatre.
Anyway, Caitlin ran inside and made a bee line for the concession stand. Once there, she decided to get some candy and a Sierra Mist. Mommy had pretzel bites and Daddy got popcorn. Armed with our goodies, we entered the theatre to claim our seats. Caitlin was afraid to go into the dark theatre at first, but when Daddy picked her up and she saw other kids go in, she got over her fear.
We were concerned that she wouldn't sit still or would be really loud during the movie. We had to remind her to use her quiet voice a few times and she got restless towards the end (a 90+ minute movie) but, I for one, was so impressed with how good she did...she was totally into the movie! Everyone was telling me that I was nuts to take a not even 3 year old to the movie theatre well...poo on them! We had a blast and plan to do it again soon, when another cool kid movie comes to town. I think we're also going to try the circus and Disney on Ice. Having a big girl is so much fun!

A new identity

I've seen this posted on a lot of blogs and it is hilarious. I decided that I needed a laugh today so here goes...

1. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your father's side, your favorite candy): Florence Reeses

2. YOUR "FLY GIRL/GUY" NAME: (first initial of first name followed by izzle", first two or three letters of your last name follwowed by "dizzle"): Lizzle McDizzle

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal): Blue Horse

4. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (first 3 letters of your name- last 3 letters of mother's maiden name, first 3 letters of your pet's name repeated twice): Launds Win Win


5. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favorite color, the automobile you drive): The Blue Trailblazer (I cheated and used my husband's car; blue GrandAm just didn't sound good)

For those Kodak (or Canon) moments

I took Caitlin to Barnes & Noble today (on the way, we had to play in the water fountain out front) to look for a baby book. Books stores are one of her favorite places to go and she makes a bee line for the children's section. Watching her brings back memories of going to the library and book store with my mom as a child.
Anyway...getting the point of my post...as we were in the store, Caitlin did some of the cutest things like read a Toy Story 2 book to me, play with a Thomas the Tank train set and dance on the little story time stage they had. Each time, I found myself thinking...gee, it would be way cool to have a little portable digital camera that I could just throw in my purse and have handy when one of the girls (thinking ahead) does something cute. We have a digital camera already but it is a bit bulky. Granted, it takes crystal clear photos, but it's not something that you'd just casually lug around. So, when we got home, after missing several post-worthy photo ops, I went onto trusty amazon.com and came across this. It only weighs 2.6 pounds but has 5MP and a 3x optical zoom. Perfect for stashing in the purse or diaper bag and pulling out at a moment's notice. So, months ahead of time, I know what I want for Christmas!

So proud...

Okay, get ready for a proud mommy post...yes, I'm going to brag about my preschooler...I'm allowed to once in awhile, right?
I'm a little late in posting this, but as the saying goes, better late than never--
Caitlin's learning center hosted parent-teacher conferences last week. Since we just started in May, this was our first opportunity to attend. We booked our appointment for Thursday morning with Ms. Maryls, Caitlin's teacher.
We must be doing something right as parents because Ms. Maryls sang Caitlin's praises. She told us how Cait is the "little mommy" of her class, making sure that the other kids are okay, urging them along and things like that. Apparently, she is also a natural born leader and her enthusiasm is contagious with the other kids. My child, a social butterfuly? Could we have a future world leader on our hands?
We also talked about how advanced Cait is for her age, especially in her oral communications skills. I continue to be amazed by some of the words that I hear her say and the way that she constructs sentences and tells stories. Ms. Maryls told us that Caitlin has the cutest imagination and that she gets a kick out of watching her play pretend with the other children or "read" a book. Caitlin will make up a story to go along with the pictures that she sees. She also has an incredible memory. Like at home, Ms. Maryls will read a book a few times and if they read it again, even weeks later, she will notice that Caitlin is mouthing the words to the book. Here at home, we have a bedtime ritual where we read the same books just about every night. Currently on her reading list are: Knuffle Bunny, an adorable story about a little girl who leaves her favorite bunny at the laundry mat; What Do You Do With A Kangaroo?, this book, my mom used to read to me when I was little, and Why The Banana Split. What simply amazes me is that if you ask her questions from these books, she can answer them. For example, if you ask her what the basketball players did in Why the Banana Split, without missing a beat, that "They went traveling". I can barely remember where I put my keys most days, much less the storyline of a book I just read.
About 6 months ago, I took Caitlin to the school district to have her evaluated because, I'd though that she was "advanced" for her age but wanted to see if it was true of if I was just another proud mom bragging about her child. Well, it turned out that our suspicions were correct. Caitlin tested at just shy of a 4 year old intellect level. They wanted us to place her in preschool then, but we didn't feel that she was developmentally ready. Now however, she is, at least for junior preschool. Ms. Maryls assured us that she was blossoming and that she was going to recommend that Caitlin to promoted to full-blown preschool in the fall! My 3 year old, in preschool! I'm so proud of her.
There are days when I wonder how I'm doing as a parent...those days when I loose my cool or I just want to be left alone. It takes a few days like this parent-teacher conference to reassure me that I'm doing a good job. Now, if only we could nail the potty-training!
Thanks for letting me brag...I truly am so proud of the smart and whitty little girl that my daughter has become. She is a firecracker and it has been a joy & a challenge raising her so far.

A Very Wise Decision

I'm sure everyone knows how hard it is to find a really good doctor--or in this case, a midwife--and we are so appreciative when we do find one. Today, I had my first appointment with the University of Colorado Nurse Midwivery practice. Yes, I have been getting continous care since finding out about Baby #2 in early February.
Anyway, I digress...I decided to make a switch from a Family Practioner to a midwife. I've been seeing my family practioner since the beginning and love her to death but, the hospital that she practices at is a little bit too sterile and tradional for my liking. Some of you might remember my birth experience with Caitlin--almost totally natural except for some mild IV drugs towards the end. I spent most of my transition labor in a jacuzzi tub, which saved my life. So, I was seeking this type of atmosphere for Cara's birth as well.
I did some investigating, took a couple of tours and decided that University Hospital best matched my needs. Oh my god, the birthing center is incredible! The rooms are huge and so comforting. You hardly feel that you're at a hospital. Plus, since this campus of the hospital is brand new, you get that bonus. Here, see for yourself--the online tour. Ben & I were drooling when we toured the center.
Okay, so we fell in love with the hospital, so the next step was to find a midwife. I set up a consultation with the Center for Midwivery and was equally impressed. All of my questions got answered and I was pleased with what I heard. I booked an appointment and anxiously awaited the day.
My appointment was at 10:20 this morning and by 10:30, I was in with one of the nurses doing medical history and such. Then, one of midwives comes in. Her name is Jessica and she was just wonderful. She had such of a sunny disposition that it was contagious. She let Caitlin "help" measure me and listen to the baby. No doctor I've ever had has been that involved with Caitlin. She kept looking at me with the biggest smile on her face--priceless. The best things that I heard today...not having to have an IV at all, no pee tests every single visit and the option to have a water birth (I think it would totally freak Ben out) or give birth in any position I choose
I left there feeling so at home and comfortable with the practice and cannot wait to meet the other 3 midwives. Now that I'm 30 weeks, I will be going every 2 weeks until I deliever, so I'm sure to develop friendships with all of them.
I don't know how it is with regular OBs, but I've been lucky to have wonderful experiences with midwives to date. I guess that's the whole philosophy...a more well rounded experience or "beyond the ordinary" as is the moto of this practice.
Oh, I'm so glad I decided to find something that suited my wants and needs, I couldn't be happier about my decision!

Bad Mommy Moment

I know that all moms lose their cool, yell sometimes, give ice cream for dinner (What's that you say?! You've never done that?) and minor things like that but trust me, this one ranks up there.
A week ago tomorrow, Caitlin & I were at Target to pick up a few things. She asked me if she could walk thru the store versus having sit in the cart (a new big girl thing) and I reluctantly agreed, as long as she held my hand and stayed with me.

Everything was peachy keen until I took a detour thru the food section (this is a Super Target) to get to the pharmacy. Caitlin spotted something that she had to have down an aisle. I asked her to come back to me but she turned a deaf ear and kept on walking. I followed, telling her that I was sure we didn't need what she was clamoring after. Still, she proceeded to pick up the item off of the shelf and whine, "Mommy, we need this, please!" I put my foot down, not about to buy another thing that we didn't need, and started to drag her away from the item (by the armpit hold). Caitlin's putting on quite a show that has gathered a few on-lookers like an accident on the freeway, making me look like I just won the "Worst & Stingy Mom of the Year Award". Still, I held my ground as she went boneless and screamed.

The next thing I know, big alligator tears (enough to start a flash flood in our bone dry state) started rolling down Caitlin's cheeks and she said, "OW Mommy, my arm hurts!" Immediately, I let go and scoop her up. Thinking that she's exaggerating, I go put her in a cart, hug her and continue on with my shopping list. Minutes later, Cait is still complaining and I start to panic. "Oh no, what have I done to my baby?!" So, speed dial #3 it is to trusty nurse Grandma. The advice, try to get Caitlin to use the arm and give her some Tylenol. Caitlin refused to move her arm no matter how much pleading I did and was still crying.

Finally, I made a decision, I was going to take her to urgent care and prepare for the worse. Having had 3 broken arms in my lifetime, that is what I was fearing...my precious 2 1/2 year old with her arm in a bright pink (Disney Princess if it could be managed) cast.

With my heart racing, we drove the few short miles to the urgent care center where I tried to fill out paperwork while consoling a screaming preschooler. It wasn't 10 minutes after our arrival that we were called into an examining room. Mind you, this is no average room, it is kid hospital heaven. The Children's Hospital of Denver claims the territory of this peds urgent care and has gone all out to make kids comfortable. There are colorful murals on the walls, coloring books & crayons and, the best thing, a TV with a VCR. After triage, we are ushered into one of these rooms and the nurse immediately puts Bambi on the TV, which calms the screaming to whimpers.

We wait about 10 more minutes before a doctor comes in. She is young and very nice. Caitlin likes her off of the bat and engages her in a conversation about how she hurt her arm and how her mommy is mean. Yes, my daughter said that! The doctor touches her arm in a couple of places, diagnosing the problem and then calls me out into the hall.

Okay folks, this is where I totally start to freak out. "Oh gosh", I'm thinking, "is she going to call the cops on me for child abuse?" Actually, all she wanted to do was tell me that Caitlin had Nursemaid's Elbow, a common accident with children up to 3 years old, and show me how she was going to reset the elbow and ligament. I could've blown a house down with my sigh of relief, honestly! So, back into the room we go where the doctor grabs Cait's arm does a push & pull move and viola, everyting is back to normal. She wants us to stick around for a few just to be sure that Cait will use the arm. She asks Cait what color of popsicle she'd like and disappears. A few minutes later, when she returns, Cait is her old self, moving her arm and chatting up a storm. We walk out with an orange twin popsicle, a Chicken Little sticker and the promise of a bill. Before we leave though, the doctor is nice enough to assure me that this is a rite of passage for preschoolers and she is willing to bet that I might have to do it again, when Caitlin runs out into traffic. Oh, heaven help me!

New inhabitants

It looks like a new family has taken up residence on our balcony. A pidgeon family has made a nest out of pine needles (we have a ton of pine needles in the complex, so collecting was pretty easy) between our A/C unit and the exterior wall of our apartment.

It seems like everyone (or everything) is pregnant this spring, humans and birds alike.

I know that Caitlin & I will have fun watching the eggs and waiting for them to hatch. I just hope that she doesn't think that her baby sister with hatch out of an egg too...

Camera Status

Okay, this post is in answer to those of you who have been asking (aka bugging) me about new pictures of Caitlin. It's not that I've been slacking--okay, maybe a little bit--but that in our move to Aurora, we misplaced the battery charger for our digital camera. Therefore, with the battery being dead, I cannot take or upload any pictures. I know, I could just get a disposable, develop the pictures and then scan them but umm...that's just too much work! *wink*

Start of a new era

Caitlin has crossed over another threshold today, leaving the toddler world behind. Today marked her first day of junior preschool! She goes to a wonderful learning center called Three Bears and her group's name is the Pooh Bears--how cute is that?
She has been all excited for weeks about going to "her new school" and practically jumped out of her carseat this morning when she recognized where we were.
She ran right into her classroom and started to play as I was busy talking with her teacher and labeling her diapers. I thought it was smooth sailing from there on out. However, she did cry a little bit when I went to leave but her teacher assured me that it lasted only a minute or so before she had forgotten all about my departure and was engrossed in playing babies with the other children. I'm so proud of her, she's totally adapted to the "day care" scene and knows that she'll be okay and that Mommy will be back to get her "pretty soon".
Here's what her teacher had to say about her first day (from the "What I Did Today" info sheet): "Caitlin had a good day. She really enjoyed playing with the other children. She is a very bright little girl".
When I came to pick her up, she was totally oblivious to my presence in the room and was sitting on a big pillow deeply involved in a book. I had to call her name to get her attention, then she came running to me and began, at once, to tell me all about her day.
Where did the time go? Next thing I know, we'll be putting her on the bus to Kindergarten. I'm sure she'll be just as ready and excited to go as she is now.

Goodbye Slump?

I saw this on Yahoo News this morning: "Michigan pulling itself out of slump". It seems that my old home state has finally gotten smart and has followed the trend of several other big cities, Denver included. Detroit is being revitalized as an intellectual center with museums, high scale dining and lodging establishments and attracting medical schools and so on. This has happened to Denver more than once. The "downtown" section of Denver affectionatly called "LODO" has been revamped as the place to be. Coors Field--home of the Rockies and Invesco Field--home to the Broncos are both in LODO along with impressive flats, awesome eateries, museums...pretty much everything you could want for an unforgetable night on the town. Denver metro has also made changes to the old Stapleton (before DIA) airport which now has sprung up with high end homes and shopping centers; Lowry Air Force Base is now a huge housing development; and right in our backyard...the old Fitzsimons Army Hospital is the new University of Colorado Health Sciences campus. This is where my new midwife is, in a spanking new (still under construction in parts) hospital.
My point? Congratulations Detroit for getting on board with the latest trend in urban redevelopment! Prosperity to you. I can't wait to visit and see all of the changes a few years down the road. It might actually be safe to roam after dark without a massive body guard!

It's my party!

Well, it's that time of year again...I am officially one year older today but still, a refreshing 28. I'll start to weep (maybe) when I hit the big 3-0.
In usual birthday fashion, the weather outside is yucky...we actually got SNOW yesterday! As long as these SNOW showers bring flowers next week, it's all good.

Anyway, the party is in full swing here. Yesterday at work, I was surprised by my co-workers with a yummy dutch chocolate cake with cream cheese icing and two kinds of ice cream. I was so touched not to mention being in chocolate lovers heaven. I savored every bite of my cake and there are leftovers in the fridge--right on!

Today promises to be a lot of fun too. My parents are making the 6 hour trek over from Montrose to be here for my special day. I have dreamt that my mom is either bringing or is going to make my traditional birthday dessert--fresh strawberry pie. One year, she even brought the pies with her from Colorado to Missouri, just for my birthday. How's that for a dedicated mom?! I don't know what all everyone has planned but you know something's fishy when your husband calls your mother at least twice in the past week or so. All I have to say is, "Bring it on!" I'm ready for some fun!

Pay Day!

I thought a little update was in order as to the outcome of my attempt to get some restitution from our apartment complex’s management company for my fall in March.  After making numerous phone calls which resulted in zero call backs or messages, I finally emailed the national headquarters for Equity (in Washington D.C. no less) apartments and stated the facts.  I warned them that if I didn’t hear something soon that I would be forced to take the next step which was to bring an attorney into the situation.   Wouldn’t you know…48 hours later, I receive a call from a Mr. Miller down in Atlanta, GA.  Apparently, he is a senior claims adjuster on behalf of Equity’s liability company.  After taking my oral recollection of what happened, getting his notes together as to how much work I missed and the approximate cost of my medical bills, Mr. Miller offered a very comfy settlement offer in lieu of going to court.  He said that his party (very legal sounding) was prepared to offer a maximum cash settlement of $1,500 and would I be prepared to accept it.  Well, to me, $1,500 seemed like more than enough to cover the hospital bills that were beginning to fill up our mail sorter.  Still, I wanted to be sure that I wasn’t settling for too much.  I contacted my insurance company and got a grand total from them for my time in the hospital and found out, that worse case scenario, I’d be looking at $800-900 with my portion being about $500 (with the first admission to the L&D triage, I hadn’t met the deductible, by the time I was in the ER, I had).  So, knowing that I was going to end up pocketing some cash, I took the settlement offer.  I mean, who really has time to miss work and go to court which could drag on for days---in Atlanta, GA?  Not I!  So, as I write this, I’m hoping that Mr. Mailman is depositing a nice flat envelope into my mail box!   It will be so nice to pay those medical bills and maybe, just maybe, go on a little shopping spree.  Babies R Us anyone?  See, sometimes, it pays to pull out the big guns—or at least threaten to!

A Day with the directionally challenged

I don’t know if I’ve shared a little secret with you all but---I’m directionally challenged & have been for some time. Don’t tell me to go north, south, east or west because I’ll have absolutely no clue what that means. Most of my close friends and family know to give me directions that include right, left and as many obvious landmarks as possible…otherwise, it’s hopeless.
Well, yesterday truly proved my affliction. I decided to have a fun day with Caitlin by taking her to the Downtown Aquarium off of Water Street in Lower Downtown Denver (called LoDo). I was proud of myself though, I knew that Denver was north of us and even printed off a map from Rand McNally. Of course, a map only works when you bring it with you! Nevertheless, I was able to find the aquarium (which is conveniently located next to the Denver Children Museum) without having to turn around or ask for directions. We spent about two hours there, Caitlin enjoyed a bounce in an Octopus jump house and we had a blast looking at fish, turtles and sea otters. We saw “Dory” and “Nemo” fish as well as sharks and some fish that were bigger than Caitie. At one point we saw a huge fish swim overhead as we were walking thru a tunnel. Caitlin loved watching the aquarium’s special attraction, two Bengal tigers, eat their lunch and kept roaring at them.
We ended our visit with a trip to an expensive gift shop where Caitlin picked out a portable aquarium that had two fish in it that looked like Nemo and Dory (that’s another story).
So, I hoped on I-25 and begin the journey home, or so I thought. I’m driving along and realize, I’m hungry. Just my luck that I see an exit for one of my favorite childhood restaurants, Cracker Barrel so, we exit. I had a wonderful dinner of ham, hash brown casserole, cornbread biscuits and fried apples. Everything was hunky dory as I got back on the freeway, going north thinking that I'd gone south to get to Cracker Barrel. I’m just cruising along, amazed that there’s not much traffic during rush hour in “downtown” Denver. Caitlin’s in the back seat, sound asleep and I’m enjoying the scenery. That should’ve been my first clue, Sherlock, there’s not much scenery in Metro Denver. However, I was totally oblivious. The next thing I know, I see a mileage sign that reads, “57 miles to Cheyenne” as in WYOMING! Holy crud, I’d gone about 35 miles in the wrong direction! I was heading north when I needed to go south! Oops! I quickly find an exit and turn around…going south. Finally, I pass the exit for the aquarium which slows down my racing heart and assures me that I’m going in the right direction. Just when I’m about 15 minutes from home, I see that the traffic up ahead is at a dead standstill. Lovely! Worse yet, I’m in the right-most lane and everyone is exiting off the freeway. I try to get over but I’m stuck…so I exit. Right before, I am able to see that there is a massive accident up ahead so I’m thinking…maybe it’s a good thing I got off.
So, here I am, innocently following the rest of the cars thru the Cherry Creek section of Denver (reminds me of the Walled Lake area of Michigan) with streets that dead end to go around parks, rivers, etc. This is where I get lost. I have NO CLUE where I am! So, I pick up my cell and call Ben. Let’s just say that he wasn’t much help since he didn’t have a good map and I ended up way south of our house. Frustrated and crying (by that point, I’d been trying to get home for about 2 hours), I call my mom who whips out her detailed Denver Metro map and saves the day. She got me home and had a good laugh about me being almost to the Colorado-Wyoming border. Now that I know how “close” we are, I may go to Cheyenne on purpose some day! So, while I had run seeing the northern parts of the metro area, I’ll be sure to pack a map next time! I think Ben is scheming to get me GPS for my car or something!

Ragged Days

Okay, I'm going to try dual blogging--both on here and my new MySpace account.

Here's the rundown of the past few days. Gone are the days of doing nothing on my precious days off. Now, I'm running ragged all over Metro Denver. Yesterday, out of the house by 11am, to the DMV, told that I have to go to emissions to have my vehicle certified...drive 5 miles...wait 55 minutes for a 10 minute test...pay $25 to find out that my '01 Grand Am passed with flying colors (gee, you think, GM certified it like 2 months ago but alas)...return to DMV...see that line is very long...realize that toddler is not going to cooperate & we're running short on time for doctor's appointment...drive across town to doctor's office...pay $35 co-pay...get hilarious patches for the butt after fall...drive home & collapse.

Today wasn't nearly so bad. Caitlin & I toured a day care center about 10 minutes from our house. She is currently going to a private home care provider who is violating state child safety seat laws right & left. I reported her to the licensing board, so I'm thinking it's best that we cut our loses. The new place, Three Bears Learning Center totally rocks! The staff are professionally trained and certified in First Aid, CPR and Universal Precautions. The rooms are so bright & cheery and they have a HUGE outdoor play area with a pool. The best part, they will help Caitlin finally become fully potty-trained. For only $25/week more than the current sitter, I think this is a deal that we can't possible pass up...we'll see what the hubby has to say. After the tour, Caitlin & I headed to Utah Park down the road from our apartment. This place is so pretty. Huge play area, tennis/basketball courts, pond w/ gazebo and open space. Cait had a ball running around and playing in the sand. I sat back & watched her, snapping pictures here and there which I will post later.

A Tumble, Rumble, Land With a Thump

Mother Nature decided to bestow upon us the gracious gift of a blizzard for the first day of Spring. Nothing like waking up to inches of snow and a blistering wind. Every bone in my body wanted to crawl back under the covers, but the life of a working mom (with limited "sick time") must go on. So, I bundle myself & Caitlin up and out the door we go, face-to-face with the elements. I should've called it quits, when arriving at my car, I found it iced shut. However, being that I'm stubborn and determined, I got the trunk to open which produced a new scraping tool--a vacuum cleaner attachment. So, I diligently start to scrap away at the inch of ice on my car. After about 20 minutes, I give up and take Caitlin (who's having a blast playing in the snow despite the below freezing wind) back upstairs. I went back down, determined to get into my car, and was successful at getting 3 out of 4 doors open and began to scrap off the windshield and windows, with a AAA approved snow brush this time. I then warm up the car and trek back up 1 1/2 flights of steps to retreive Caitlin. We head back down and I get her strapped in her carseat when I realize that I left the door to our apartment unlocked. So, back up I go, one more time. Everything's going peachy (mind you, I have a firm grip on the hand rail) until I got down to the last 8 or so steps. Suddenly, my trusty "combat boots" gave out and down I went...with a tumble, rumble and landing with a thump right on my tailbone! Ouch! Somehow, I managed to pick myself up, call my doctor and drive myself on icy roads, to the hospital. Once there, I went right up to labor & delivery where they strapped a fetal monitor to my belly for 4 hours to hear our Olympian's heartbeat and hear her (*brump*) kick all over the place, assuring everyone that she was fine. After enjoying a yummy taco salad, on the house, I was taken downstairs to the ER where I sat on my aching tailbone for 90 minutes! I was finally triaged and taken down a hallway and onto a stretcher where a very nice doctor consulted me. We decided, that since my pregnancy limits what they can do for me, to send me home with a low-dose Vicoden Rx and a rice heat wrap. Well, a day later and the Vicoden hasn't worked it supposed miracle, so I'm relying on Tylenol and the heat pad. And that, my friends is the story of my tumble, rumble landing with a thump!