A request for my sisters

[HyphenatedLady]

The babies are growing fast so I thought I would share.

http://www.pregnancyweekly.com/album...lady@yahoo.com

They are six and a half weeks old right now. Most of the time they are angels but at the moment they are both screaming inconsolably. I finally gave up and put them in their swings. I hope it doesn't last too long!

Keep us in your thoughts, Christian has to start physical therapy next week for a shortened muscle in his neck. It keeps him from being able to straighten his head up...it is always sideways. Patience is doing well though and so far no real problems.

[HyphenatedLady]

Christian was born with a shortened muscle in his neck because of the way he was positioned in utero. We have been doing physical therapy and the muscle is much better but the positioning in utero and the way he has held his head because of the muscle has caused him to have a misshapen head...mostly in back. Some of this will correct itself with the stretching of the muscle but not all of it. He will probably have to wear a helmet to correct the problem and insurance doesn't cover the cost because it is considered cosmetic. It costs about $2000 for the helmet so we are trying to figure out where the money is coming from since I am staying home. Our little legacy Patience is really doing well. Here is a link to their website...not just a bunch of pictures:

http://www.babyhomepages.net/sexton-...wins/index.php

Please keep us in your prayers while we face this new struggle!

Thanks!

[agzg]

How is Christian doing?

[HyphenatedLady]

Christian is doing pretty well. He now has full range of motion with his neck. We go to the consultation for his orthotic helmet at the end of next month. We found out that instead of the $2000 we were told by the physical therapist it will be $3200 that the insurance won't pay for. We are scraping the bottom of the barrel just paying for formula and diapers. Both babies are growing so fast. Patience is rolling over, Christian is trying to sit up and both babies are getting their first tooth. Christian is almost 17 pounds and Patience is 14 1/2. Check out their website from the link I posted before.

I have a weird request for you all. If anyone would be willing to go to www.verybestbaby.com and register using 1/27/05 as a birthdate and your own name and address and be willing to mail me coupons for formula when you get them I would really appreciate it. If you are willing to do that please email me at hyphenatedlady@yahoo.com and I will send you my address. It will take about 6 weeks for the coupons to come and they come in a little booklet and with a calendar. Don't need the calendar but do need the coupons. Every dollar we save on formula will go to Christian's helmet.

Thank you all so much!

Tina

[GtownGirl98]

Hey Tina, is there anything else we can do... like diaper coupons from the newspaper or other things? I will do this for you (the formual) and whatever else you need!

What about clothes? I work for a national retail chain and get GREAT discounts on everything... if you tell me sizes to be on the look out for, I can help you out there. If you want to even think ahead to next winter and don't care if they are at the top of the fashion charts, I can get the red tag clearance stuff for dirt cheap prices! Just let me know.

Also I guess I did the right thing and registered for something on there... don't know if it was the right option or not.

[winnieb]

since you didn't answer your phone when i called you last night (i guess you weren't home-- babies were at your mom's when i called her instead!)
i finally got coupons for you--- i will drop them off!!!!!

(oh sad, i am posting you a message and you live a mile from me)

[HyphenatedLady]

I would love to get diaper coupons...we are using Huggies and Pampers (getting ready to move to the cruisers and some coupons are specific). As for clothes, I am all about red tag clearance. We bought lots of summer outfits at the end of last year for 99 cents each. I would be happy to pay anyone back for clothes up to $10 with no notice and more than that if you let me know ahead of time. Guessing sizes ahead of time season wise isn't the easiest. At four months Christian is in 6-9 month clothes already although Patience is pretty on target. I would guess that we can use winter clothes in 12 months and 18 month sizes. If they are a little big on her oh well, for next summer 18 to 24 months I would guess.

Thanks! Email me at hyphenatedlady@yahoo.com and I will send you my address!

Tina

[HyphenatedLady]

Well, the babies are growing so fast...check out their website. Christian has his consult with the Pediatric Plastic Surgeon next week for his helmet. They will set a time for the fitting and at that point we have to start paying. Keep your fingers crossed that the surgeon can get it written up so the insurance company will pay at least part of it. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers everyone.

Both babies are doing really well. They are so big. Christian started rolling from tummy to back a couple of weeks ago and Patience can roll both directions from tummy to back and back to tummy. I can't believe how fast they are growing.

[HyphenatedLady]

Well, we had the casting done Wednesday...my little man was not happy about having plaster all over his head but we got through it. Poor little man. The Dr. was so spectacular. I loved her. We go in on August 4th for his first fitting. DH already has great ideas for decorating the helmet (he is an artist). I think my poor baby will be wearing a helmet that looks like it is from Star Wars at least for a while. We are planning to redecorate it regularly.

Also, the Dr. encouraged us to appeal the insurance again because he was a multiple birth and born this way and it wasn't a result of positioning after birth. I am going to start the process this weekend while DH is home to entertain babies.






Here is Patience:

[HyphenatedLady]

Today is his first day in the helmet.

[tunatartare]

Tina, I just sent you a pm. I'm not an Alpha Gam but I'm offering to help in any way I can. I don't know if you still need formula or diaper samples, but I work in a hospital in pediatrics and I may be able to help out. I spoke with a man at my work who said that he can definitely get me formula coupons and he's going to see if he can get me samples. There are two main companies that make formula- Mead Johnson and Ross. You just need to look on the back of one of the bottles of your formula and see what kind it is and if it's anything special (like extra iron, calcium, etc.). If you let me know I will pass the information on to him and hopefully can get you some things. Congratulations on your children, they're beautiful!

[WCUgirl]

One of the attorneys here at work had to have the same thing done for his daughter. Their insurance company wouldn't pay for it either, and I remember they had a long, drawn-out battle before they finally won. So, it can be done! Good luck!

[HyphenatedLady]

Hey everyone. So far Christian is adapting to his helmet well. I also wanted to tell everyone who has PMed me in the last year that I am STUPID and didn't realize we had PMs so I hadn't checked them.

Lots of you suggested an SIS grant to help pay for the helmet. I received a grant from the Fraternity in November when I had to go on bedrest and quit work 8 weeks early. It was a wonderful blessing to our family and helped relieve a lot of stress. I think it was a major contributing factor in my being able to carry the babies to 37 1/2 weeks. I feel that since I was blessed by the giving hearts of the board already I should leave the SIS money for someone who is desperate. We are really tight and things are hard but I don't want to take money from someone who needs it more.

[HyphenatedLady]

six month pictures:

[agdbirmingham]

HI!
Oh, they are so beautiful!!!! What cute pictures too! If there's anything we can do now to help you, please let us know!