Birthdays Birthdays Birthdays!

August is filled with birthdays for my family! Including Dakota's and Mine.
This month has been hard for us financially, LJ hasn't had much work recently. But we aren't sinking... YET! So we opted for Dakota's birthday to just have dinner at Mom's, where we combined my brother, Zach and Dakota's birthday parties together! My brother is now 19 ( OMG) and Dakota is now 5 ( Are you kidding me?).

This is crazy to me, because I remember Zach being born like it was yesterday! Lets relive it, shall we.

Mom and I were moving from an apartment to a house. Mom grabbed a way too heavy box to put in the back of the car. Mom screams a blood curdling scream, I thought she saw a cockroach so I jump in to the back of the car saying, "WHAT?!?!?!" She says, " My water broke." OMG. What do we do, what do we do! We drive to the nearest hospital, Suncoast. She gets checked in, my Aunt Cathy comes racing down to be with us. Me and my Aunt pace back and forth in the room trying to remain calm, I am only 13. Mom asks me to check under the sheet, she feels like the baby is coming out. I obey. I lift sheet, I see a head, I freak out! I bolt! I run up and down the hallway looking for a doctor, nurse, janitor, whoever! Run back in room, I saw no one. Aunt Cathy pulls it together and helps deliver baby, I run back into hallway freaked out, found doc and he finished it up. What the heck just happened here!! Zachary Taylor was born on August 15th 1991. I was so excited to be a big sister! He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life! Even if he did look like a raccoon! He had blackened eyes from being stuck 'down there' for so long. But he was precious! And I love him! He will always be my biggest little brother!

Fast forward a few years to 2005. Dakota Lee Merritt was born August 14th, shall we relive it? Sure!

Went to Zachs birthday party at Holiday Inn Sunspree, In St Petersburg. Swam around for a while and complained of Braxton Hicks for hours. Decided to go home, wasn't feeling well. I drove. All the way home. With what I thought was Braxton Hicks. Yeah. So we get home get Sky in bed, Everyone was sleeping. 3am. I sit straight up in bed, its time. I am in intense pain. Went to bathroom. Water hadn't broke yet. So I called the doc. He says I am not ready yet, I say I am. He says if I go to the hospital they will just send me home. I didn't listen. LJ and I packed up and headed out. Dusty was staying with us so he stayed home with Sky. Got to the hospital went to put on my gown, and give a PP sample. It was clear. My water broke on the way. Do I know my body or what?!?! Anyways, I get in the room, everyone is called and comes out to the hospital. I wanted my mom and MIL to be in the room with us, and they allowed it. The anesthesiologist had a heck of a time getting the Epidural in, but finally got it. But I was pumped up with something else too, cuz I saw things, crazy things LOL. Anywho, I kept telling the nurses he was coming, they kept telling me no. I told them, yes. they check me and say no again, he is too high. I feel like he is falling out. Finally my doc shows up and said I am not ready, I say yes I am. He crosses his arms leans against the wall, and says well push then. I say okee dokee. I push. He jumps off wall and says Oh My Gosh, get my scrubs. Dakota was on his way. TOLD YA SO! Dakota was born at 8:04am. He was beautiful, and I knew instantly he had Down Syndrome. I was crying out of pure happiness. Everyone else cried out of fear. I never saw so many tears. They took him out of the room, to check and make sure everything was physically okay with him. People streamed in asking if I was okay. I started to panic, whats wrong with him I kept asking. Finally my mom said, honey he has down syndrome. I said, I know, but whats WRONG with him?? That's it, she said. Relief. They brought him back in and I held him and loved him. The doctor came in, while it was just me and Dakota to fill out his paper work. He asked if I was okay. I said, I am in heaven. He says, you are gonna be a great mom. I smile, look at Dakota and say, thanks!

Then back in 1978, I was born. August 22nd at 10:43am. I have no idea what happened that day, you would have to ask my mom. I do know that I had a head full of jet black hair. And I do know, my mom and dad were very excited. I do know that I was very very loved. And still am.

Ironically enough, I share a birthday with my Aunt Karen, and Dakota shares a birthday with my Aunt Doreen. Both on my Dads side. All these August birthdays had me thinking, what month were we conceived was it a holiday or something. It goes to December, the cold month, Christmas. We were Santa babies! Too funny!

Well that was enough reminiscing for one day! Hope you enjoyed!
Happy Birthday to all you August born out there!

Doctors Visit Number 2ish

Is it just me or do I have THEE worst doctors office ever?

So I went to my OBGYN on the 3rd. The same OBGYN I have seen for like 16 years. Yeah. Well I was so excited because I knew I was getting my first ultrasound. I even switched nights so that I could have Skylar there for this momentous event. Lj took the day off. We were all so over the top thrilled to see this little tic tac on the screen.

So we are in the waiting room bright and early at 8:30am. I packed the kids some food while they waited, a banana and yogurt with a juice box. Skylar spilled her yogurt all over the chair. Thrilling.

• They call me up to the desk for the first time to get my insurance info and the 12 page forms I printed out at home and prefilled out.
• They call me up to the desk for a second time cuz the doc ( see previous post) failed to fax over the referral they said they faxed.
• They called me up to the desk a third time to tell me that my insurance was out of network and I would have to reschedule. That they would call and see if my doctor ( see previous post) would over ride it.

SO I reschedule, get kids in car and start out of the parking lot all disappointed. We were all very disappointed.
I turn on to Central Ave and my phone rings, its my OBGYN, yay I thought they gave the okay I might be able to just turn around!

NOT!

They did not give the okay. I have to go somewhere else. Some where else? But, but, but, no one knows me like they know me...
Tears. While driving.

Get home, contact doctor ( see previous post) to get new referral. Get hung up on. Call back, again ask for referral. Moron receptionist tells me she already faxed it. I explain to her that, that was my regular OB, I need the OB they work with. Moron receptionist tells me like I am two years old: We. Already. Faxed. It. To. The. Doctors. My face gets red. I am angry. I tell her, I understand what you are saying. But you don't understand what I am saying. I cant be seen there. I need an OB you guys work with that will take my insurance. Again she tells me she faxed it. So I say loudly, GREAT, where did you fax it? Cuz I don have a fax machine. So it surely wasn't to me. She gives me a number. It was my regular OB. ::sigh:: So I explain AGAIN! I need a new OB. One that takes my insurance. Moron receptionist says something about Gulfcoast OBGYN, SUPER I shouted, progress! SO I ask for their number and location. I got a number and was told Seminole Blvd. I ask her if she can send a referral there. She says she already did. ::sigh:: I was done with this conversation. SO I kindly said thanks, and let her go.
I call Gulfcoast. Busy. For an hour. Finally get someone on the line and its an answering service. Make an appt. Two more weeks away. August 17th. My first visit. Doubt there will be an ultrasound. Bummed. But I am going to stress, that I feel like I am high risk, so I can go somewhere else. I lay it in the Lords hands. He obviously didn't want me going to my regular place, so here I am. Leaving up to Him once again. Wish that got easier. Still worried. Such is life.

Well that's it for now. Will keep ya posted!