So we (more Tim) talked with Dominic about not saying "I hate you" but use better words like "I'm sad because..." or "I'm mad because..." To which Dominic told me "I don't like you when you sigh when your frustrated" (which I do when I'm frustrated with Dominic, like when he's supposed to be doing homework or cleaning his toys). He also told Tim "I don't like you when you tickle Mommy so much." It's like a switch flipped and Dominic is more cognitive and vocal and trying to be more independent. Add that to this "new baby in the house" purgatory that he's going through it has been... interesting. I am actually quite impressed about the conversation Tim and Dominic had about all this.
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| Kaylee playing with her gym. |
Kaylee has become more and more vocal... Below is a video (It's sideways... my apologies! I couldn't figure out how to turn it.. just kindly tilt your head :) ) of Kaylee "talking" to Tim... Very cute! Tim and I also swear we've heard Kaylee say "Mama" on a couple of occasions .. mind you it was while she was starting to cry... but I'll take it nonetheless. :) We've also started using sign language with Kaylee like we did with Dominic. We've started using signs "all done," "milk" (or "nai nai" in Cantonese)", and "more." Dominic still remembers the sign for more and he also has been signing with Kaylee. We also think Kaylee was trying to do the sign for nai nai last night. Another FABULOUS development: for the last two nights Kaylee slept for 7 hours straight! Hopefully this is not a fluke! I have also scheduled Kaylee to get her ears pierced for Feb 2nd... and I'm nervous but the lady had good reviews and seems professional.
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| Kaylee smiling and talking to her lion. |
On to some sad news... I got my FMLA paperwork back and it seems my last day of maternity leave is 3/8/13 :'( *sniff* It feels like this maternity leave is going by SUPER fast. I am NOT looking forward to going back to work.
The logistics of this maternity leave have been brutal. First, about 2 months before Kaylee's scheduled c-section on 10/22/12 I was notified by my OB's office staff that at the end of October 2012 (about 9 days after the c-section) they would no longer take my insurance. So, my options were either 2 months before the c-section find another doctor willing to take me as a new patient and do the c-section or continue with my OB and then find a new OB to do my 2 week and 6 week postpartum exams. I opted for the later since I wanted someone I had known longer than 2 months performing major surgery on me. I loved my OB but the office staff were horrible. They also on a couple of occasions put me down for the wrong appointment day. While I was pregnant and still working, I had every other Monday off so one day I scheduled ALL of my remaining prenatal appointments and scheduled them for Mondays. So, when I showed up on a Monday and they said I was scheduled for Wednesday I know they goofed.. and they have continued to goof, more on that later.
Another issue has been my Disability checks... When I asked my HR folks what forms I needed to complete for my maternity leave they gave me several forms which asked about disability and my OB was required to fill out and sign. I completed this and submitted it to my HR. No one mentioned separately applying for disability with the State and since the forms my HR gave me had my OB complete a section about disability I thought I had done all I needed... except I never received any disability checks. A friend, who is also works for the county and was on maternity leave, informed me that I needed to apply separately with the CA Disability office. So the week of Thanksgiving I applied with the state. I called the OB's office and they agreed to sign the form. So I drove it to them, they said they would sign it and fax it to the Disability office the first week of December since the OB was on vacation the week of Thanksgiving. I check online with the Disability office two weeks later and it says "pending medical provider form." I call the OB's office and they reassure me they faxed the completed form. Two weeks go by and it still says "pending medical provider form." That was on 1/3/2013.
I attempt to call the State Disability office and keep getting this maddening message that says "We have reached the maximum number of callers on hold. Please call again later." CLICK. Every time I call I get the same maddening message. Meanwhile, my paycheck goes down to $600. I called my HR Disability folks to ask if they have gotten confirmation that my disability claim has been approved since they are reducing my pay. I'm told they are simply notified a disability claim has been filed but they are not notified about whether a disability claim is approved. They just assume the disability claim is approved and reduce pay based on an estimation. Geez Louise that's ass backwards but whatever.
I call my OB's office to (again) check that they have completed their part and forwarded the form to the Disability office. The receptionist says that recently when they were faxing the medical provider forms patients were saying the weren't getting disability checks so it seems the Disability office was not getting the faxed forms. So, they started doing them online and that seems to work. I ask "If you noticed a problem with the forms being faxed but it working online did you do my form online?" Answer: Nope. Me: Seriously?! SERIOUSLY!?! She says she will submit the form online that afternoon and mail me a confirmation. I just checked and the Disability office website now says "pending processing" so I see this as a positive sign toward progress. Yet, here it is three months later and no disability checks. GROWL.
With that I will end on this beautiful note... :)
