Cute pics and other things happening in our life...

I haven't posted pictures for a while so I thought I should do that.
Briggs swinging. We hung a swing from the tree in our front yard when Elli was a baby and it has come in very handy! Elli and Briggs LOVE being outside!!

My sleeping beauty! I love this picture of her and you'll notice her baby all snuggled up right close to her. I just kept kissing her cheeks. I'm surprised she didn't wake up.

Nick's hat is his pride and joy. Those who know him know that he wears only one hat (for everything) until it's disgusting and falling apart. Well his NY Yankees hat finally bit the dust last fall and this is his new one. Briggs and Nick play the hat game.

Briggs standing in his crib. He's just starting to pull himself to standing and Nick just lowered his crib but it looks like he'll need to lower again.

What's new with us... well we're patiently awaiting for surgery scheduling to call us with a surgery date for Briggs. They said possibly toady we'd get the call but with how everything has been going... on not getting my hopes up. Of course as soon as I hear I'll post!

Nick and I moved into our neighborhood 4 1/2 years ago (which doesn't seem possible) and on the day we moved in, our neighbors who lived directly across the street brought us a plate of cookies and welcomed us to the neighborhood. Elli was 3 months old when we moved in and Jennifer was due any day to have their 4th child. We knew from another neighbor that it was going to be a little girl and we were very excited that Elli would have someone to play with. Over the last 4 years Jennifer and I spent many days visiting when the weather was nice, watching the kids play and getting to know each other. Elli literally asked every day since she learned how to talk if she could go play at Sierra's or if Sierra could come to our house to play. It's been a challenging week for Elli and I because this past Monday they left for Wyoming. Kyle got a great job working at a camp that connects fathers and sons on a spiritual level while doing outdoor activities. As we are SO, SO happy for them and wish them nothing but the best we are really missing them. Every night Elli asks why they had to move, and why won't they be coming home, and she really misses them. She asks about every hour if she can call Sierra and thank her for playing with her. Her eyes fill up with tears and it's heartbreaking to see that. They are an amazing family with great values. Unfortunately this day in age it is difficult to find good role models for your kids. Good role models are definitely out there but it's harder to find them. These kids always respected their parents, never complained or wined, and most importantly, appreciate the little things in life and accepted everyone for who they are. I LOVED their influence on Elli. They handled this move with strength and excitement. Of course each day will get easier and we plan to go visit them and write letters and keep in touch, but right now it is hard.

Approved!!!!

I just received an email from Boys Town and they received the approval letter from Blue Cross Blue Shield today!! Actually come to find out through this whole process... BCBS doesn't require a pre-auth for cochlear implant surgery (which is very odd and GREAT - every insurance company should cover these) and so we could have skipped this whole process. But we're here and we have the letter to prove the insurance coverage! The gal at Boys Town said we should hear from surgery scheduling within 24 hours. I am very excited but then I got this huge pit in my stomach. I know Briggs will be just fine and he'll bounce right back but the vision of them taking him away from me is enough to make me barf! We have waited 10 months for this and we are SO close!!! YAY!! As soon as a date has been set I'll be sure to post! Thank you for your prayers!!

Pre-Auth Update #4

I just received an email from Boys Town stating all documentation was in medical records as of this afternoon and would be faxed to BCBS this afternoon. It is such a relief to know this has been done and I pray when I call BCBS on Monday they say they do have it. I REALLY hope this is not how scheduling surgery is going to go! YIKES! Anyway, it just feels great to know that everything is off to insurance and now we await approval. Please pray they approve the first time so that we can get surgery scheduled!! We are getting closer to Briggs hearing our voices!!! Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it!

Pre-Auth Update #3

Well, still no word on whether the pre-auth has been sent in. I called BCBS yesterday and they had nothing on file and I was going to wait until tomorrow to email the gal at Boys Town but I couldn't stand it any longer so I sent her one this morning and I haven't heard back yet. I'm sure she is SO tired of me but come on... his scans were 3 WEEKS AGO!!! How long does it take??? Maybe this is normal, and I need to remember to trust God because it's all in His hands and His plan and there is nothing I can do about it. I guess I feel that by emailing her I refresh her memory and I know she is one of many who make the process complete but it's driving me crazy!! I just want it sent!! So anyway, today is my birthday and the best present would be an email from her telling me his pre-auth has been faxed to BCBS!! Please pray that this happens very soon so that we can move on to the next step! As soon as I hear it's been sent I'll be sure to post!

Briggs is 9 months!

It's mind boggling to think Briggs is already 9 months old. The time has gone by WAY to fast! At his 9 month check up he weighed in at 20lbs. 9ozs. - 50th percentile (keep in mind that Elli was 19lbs. at her 18 month check up so he's passed her up in half that time), he was 29 inches long - 75th percentile and I forget his head size but it was in the 50th percentile as well. Briggs is crawling EVERYWHERE and putting EVERYTHING in his mouth. We have to be so careful now! Briggs completely skipped over baby food. He'd gag when we put it in his mouth. So he's been eating table food since 7 months old. He's starting to throw little fits if something is taken away from him - you give it back and he stops his fit - little stinker! He's still OBSESSED with balls! Loves them... balls, balls, balls - every size and texture. He'll play for hours with the same ball. He's an amazing little fella and we are SO blessed to have our kids! Elli is amazing and SO good with Briggs and Briggs is just a sweet little man! Life is SO good!!

Pre-Auth Update #2

So the pre-auth still has not gone to the insurance company. Dr. Lusk was out all last week so we knew nothing would happen last week. I called BCBS this morning and they indicated nothing had been received so I emailed Boys Town. The lady at Boys Town who coordinates everything for insurance is in the process of retrieving the CT report from the nurse at Children's Hospital so Dr. Lusk can sign off on that. Once he's signed off on the CT report then everything will go to medical records and the letter of necessity, his CT findings, and all medical records will be sent to insurance. I've been assured that I will be notified as soon as everything is sent off - she was VERY nice but I'm sure deep down she's getting a little irritated with me. I explained to her that we know we're ahead of the game but we've waited 9 months for Briggs to hear and now that we've completed all the necessary steps we're even more eager for the surgery! I know it'll all happen when it's meant to be but we are SO anxious and getting impatient!!
At Briggs last teaching visit they taught us how to read to him (using verbal words and signing) and Briggs just sat there and looked at the page and then looked up at our Speech Pathologist to watch her lips and her sign and then he looked back down at the page and then back up at her face. They were so impressed with how eager he was to learn and to be read to and how attentive he was with the activity. They were talking there SP and Teacher of the Deaf language to each other and kept saying how impressed they were. They said he is so ready to hear! They are SO excited! I'm sure it's such a rewarding position for them. Briggs is doing so awesome with everything. He puts his basketball in his basketball hoop, gives fives, claps, gives kisses, waves, he's vocalizing a lot more. He's exactly where he should be in every way except verbal. He's a very healthy, happy little guy!

Pre-Auth Update

I emailed the gal at Boys Town who handles all the insurance pre-auths to ask her if the pre-auth was sent to our insurance company and she replied back and said Dr. Lusk was out all this week so he won't be able to sign it until this coming Monday (Feb.9th). It should have dawned on me that he wasn't in this week because Briggs original MRI/CT date was today and it had to be rescheduled b/c Dr. Lusk wasn't going to be in. Anyway, in the whole scheme of things one week doesn't make a difference and we're still on track for his first surgery to occur in March when he's 10 months old. As I've posted in previous blogs... patience is something I need to work on. Just an update!