Jack Kaden

Yo, I don’t mean to talk trash, but can your baby do this?

WE HAVE WRITTEN THE PROVIDER OF SERVICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. YOUR CLAIM WILL BE PROCESSED AS SOON AS THIS INFORMATION IS RECEIVED.

Our health care insurance providers? Evil motherfuckers (*I edited this, I sounded much angrier than I actually am…well, maybe just a little angrier than I actually am).

Not everyone who works for them of course. There was that one time, with Becky, that I didn’t feel like I was being LIED to. Other than that, I am pretty comfortable making a sweeping generalization.

Oh. Also? I received a bill for 8/27/2006. The day Jack was born. Dating to the nanosecond before our annual deductible for 2006 was reached.

So I learned 2 things today:

1) Calling the supervisor for customer service at said health care insurance provider, “criminally stupid” doesn’t necessarily get you what you’re looking for.

2) Referencing the Attorney General for the State of New York does indeed work wonders…

Jack had his 6 month check up with his pediatric ophthalmologist today. The night before I was distracted and slightly weepy. I had gotten used to all of those doctor’s visits and there was something comforting in having “professionals” follow him so closely. Then when all of his doctors said he was fine, “we don’t need to see him once a week anymore”… that was great and all, but still I worried. What if we, “non-expert parents” that we are, missed something between check-ups?

Jack is being followed for complications related to ROP. He had laser surgery in the NICU and we have been watching his eyes, and his behavior, very closely for any deterioration in his eyesight ever since. Complications from ROP include severe nearsightedness (myopia), strabismus (lazy eye), lack of visual acuity, retinal detachment and blindness.

While Jack is at high risk for all of these things he is doing quite well. In fact, Jack has the eyesight of a normal 8 month old (20/40), with a 10% loss in his peripheral vision. He’s farsighted but that’s a totally normal baby thing.

Arch came with me to this appointment because I was worried that the other shoe was going to drop. Not for any specific reason, but because I worry, you know?

So today, instead of a shoe dropping, we got a “lookin’ good, see you in 6 months…” from the optho. And we got assurances. Assurances that when our little boy smiles at us from across the room, it’s because he can SEE us.

It’s amazing what I used to take for granted.

Lets face it, Sarah’s first year or so of motherhood hasn’t been the easiest. But, despite that, she’s come through it like a champ. In fact, better than a champ, a super-megastar-nija-supermom-champ times infinity. And while I’m hoping that the next 12 months will be less eventful than the past 9, I feel like with Sarah by my side, we can handle whatever life brings us.

I mean she’s part ninja after all.

Happy mothers day, babe. I love you.

PS — to celebrate, heres what Jack and I did this morning.

Jack really likes his bouncy ball. No, really.