So, What exactly does Homeowner's Insurance cover now?

As a special treat to my many democrat blog friends, I'm gonna act like one today.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS GOT TO PUT SOME REGULATIONS ON INSURANCE COMPANIES!!

L has informed me that our insurance agent has to meet with every client individually or they will be cancelled! Well, since the lovely Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit,take a wild guess of what our homeowner's insurance(or no other homeowner's insurance companies in the state)will NOT cover??

Are you ready for it. . . .

We already know it doesn't cover flood, and that several Katrina victims are still waiting on checks because they homeowners' companies are saying it's water damage and the flood insurance is saying it's wind damage.

Anyway, our lovely insurance companies in Louisiana will no longer cover . . . .


WIND AND HAIL DAMAGE!!

Excuse my language, but what the F*ck do I need coverage for if they don't cover flood, wind or hail.

Here's the deal, you have to buy a separate policy for wind and hail damage. That makes THREE polocies we have to buy that SHOULD be all covered under "homeowner's insurance."
1. Flood Insurance
2. Wind and Hail Insurance, also called the FAIR plan. We all know who the FAIR plan is fair to right?
3. Homeowner's insurance



So, I guess the only thing homeowner's insurance covers now is fire and theft, however, I fear I will soon have to buy the following additional polocies if some laws are not passed QUICK:

1. fire insurance
2. Firefighter insurance(to cover the damage caused by the firefighter's hose)
3. Firefighter medical (if they are hospitalized for smoke inhalation).
4. Burgularly insurance
5. Liability insurance in case the robber gets hurt while taking your stuff.
6. Accidental death insurance, in the unfortunate case the robber has a heart attack and dies when he encounters my watch dog.
7. Accident insurance, if you cut your finger chopping vegetables.
8. Earthquake insurance, even though we have no earthquakes here.
9. Terrorist insurance, in case some psycho decides to crash a plane into your house.

Anyway, you see where I'm going. Please feel free to add any more stupid coverages you think we will soon have to pay. This will be interesting to hear!

Relief

Well, I was able to schedule my fingerprints late enough Friday afternoon to have my TB test read, so that's two things out of the way in a Friday afternoon off. Of course, I do have to take an extended lunch next Wednesday. Hopefully my job won't get too fed up with me since I cover for everyone else's childhood emergencies.

I had a phone conversation with my mom this morning. I was telling her about all the stuff I had to do and she thought it was a little much. She is still in denial I think. I may get pregnant, but since it's unlikely, this may be my only way to have children. L's mom warns us about drug exposed kids that they could have problems. I hope the family will get more comfortable with the adoption. I guess it just takes time.

Homestudy, Fingerprints, Scrapbooks & Cat Poop

Ok, I'll go in order of the title. Our home development worker scheduled the first part of our homestudy for March 8. I think I kind of irritated her when I scheduled a time she said she had free but another couple already had that day. When she "re-scheduled" us for another day, she talked only to L, like she was only gonna make one for him because "I wasn't available." I am extremely busy 7-10 days a month and am flexble the other times. Well, all her free time fell in my busy time. I guess I will have to try and take a really long lunch to be there.

If they need families that bad, can't they be a little flexible. I understand we will need to take time off but I didn't realize how much time we'd have to take off together. I had plan on alternating appointments with L. Now if you want to know why I couldn't be available at the time she needed. It was because I had to get my TB test read that day also. So, my time conflict was caused by them anyway. It's irritating.

Fingerprinting. I've had this done 3-4 times in the last few years. Can they call someone and get copies from another agency. No! I have to schedule an appointment to be finger-printed, which takes 30 minutes to 1 hour and is an hour and a half from my work each way! So there's another 3 hours I am gonna have to try to get away from work, during my busy time. Of course, I'm gonna try to schedule it for Friday afternoon when I'm off and see if they can read my TB test Thursday during my lunch hour. Hopefully that will work out.

Scrapbooks. I've discovered a new hobby working on our family album. I enjoy it, but it's very time consuming. I want our book to make a good impression though.

Cat Poop. It was cold last night so we let the cat in and L didn't bring in his litter box, so buddy left me a "present" under the pillow on the bed that our child will be sleeping in! L is taking it to the cleaners, but the poop had blood in it. Now L has to call the vet.

Speaking of Poop, Abbey likes to hide hers everywhere. I am thinking about selling Abbey to someone who is home more. She is staying in the extra room and I don't know where else to put her. I know a baby is gonna be a lot of work too, so don' t say I can't handle a baby just because I'm tired of cleaning dog pee and poop everywhere I step. There's a difference, the baby is human.

I know, I'm terrible. I thought a puppy would fill the hole for a baby while I was waiting. Stupid, stupid me.

That's about the extent of my weekend except the parade, which we waited for 2 1/2 hours for a 20 minute parade. Such fun!

Mardi Gras Parades

L's parade is rolling at 7pm tonight, followed by a dance. We should get home around midnight, then have to be at class for 9am tomorrow morning!!

I don't feel like going. I want to stay home and work on my scrapbook.

Oh well, L doesn't want to go to class but is doing it for me.

Oh well, "Throw me something mister!"

Oh yeah, received a birth announcement yesterday. Our youth minister welcomed his second miracle into the world. Hmm. How do I not burst into tears when he brings the baby to a meeting, or worse, when our group meets at his house to plan our lesson.

God is Good

Before I get started today, please send your prayers, congrats and thoughts to Arwen! God has answered her prayers after being so faithful and she is pregnant! I've only known her about six months in blogland, but she has helped me out so much spiritually and helped me become a better Catholic. Congratulations Arwen! You will be in my prayers. I hope I didn't embarrass you.

I apologize to my other readers if pregnancy announcements make you sad, but when one of my infertile blog friends gets pregnant, I think I should celebrate. I rejoice in the fact that God heard her prayers, and it gives me faith that God is listening to ours also. It brings my tears of joy to hear that someone has made it out of the suffering we have all been through. It gives me faith. I know God did not forget about me and that He has the power to make miracles happen in our lives. And there is no greater miracle than the gift of life!!

Ok, back to fostering. I felt so at peace after my first meeting. I can almost see the child and hear the baby crying that will be in our future. I'm wondering if I'm finally somewhat grasping a part of God's plan for me. Maybe there's a baby or child who needs my love that is already alive! Maybe God wants to spare me labor pains and create a family for me in another way.

I have not stopped working since Saturday. Filling out papers, setting up physicals, which by the way, is not covered by So Young's insurance and the doctor is going to charge me $100 to fill out a health questionaire on her(although all they will have to do is copy the one from her doctor back home). L is bitching, but I think of every step as a step closer to having a child or baby in our arms. The questionaires are so personal and you really have to think, but the picture of the baby in my head makes me smile.

I pray that everything goes smoothly. I worry about the homestudy, that I say the wrong thing, that they don't agree with my beliefs. I'm afraid they will not think I will be a good parent. I feel like I'm being tested to determine if I'm worthy enough to be a parent. It should work out fine. They need homes. They can't turn down two perfectly good parents over something small right?

Hurricane Katrina Embryos

Well yesterday was my consult with Dr. New Orleans. One of his major offices was completely destroyed during hurricane Katrina, so when the nurse walks in we have the following conversation:

Nurse: I'm getting everything laid out for Dr. New Orleans. Since the hurricane, all our doctors are having to share this consult office.

L: So the other office was completely destroyed?

Nurse: yes

Lisa: You lost everything! What about the frozen sperm? Embryos? and the people cycling.

Nurse: We lost everything. The embryos survived! We were police escorted their and allowed to pick them up and bring them to another hospital because the embryos were considered human!

YES!! An RE with a respect for life! Even if it was only because of financial loss from losing the embryos. It's comforting to know that at least some of his staff have some moral values about life in this early stage.

Anyway, Dr. New Orleans is now Dr. Wonderful! He actually did a work up on ME! We did bloodwork, ultrasound, another semen analysis, everything!

Unfortunately, my estrogen level was still only around 25 which was menopause level. The good news: lupron is working. The bad news: it's not out of my system yet. The ultrasound showed uterine lining of 4, so Dr. wonderful decided my body is now ready to have a period forced on it yet.

So now we wait.

I come back next month and re-do all the tests. I think then he will start me on hormones regardless. Semen Analysis came back borderline, so we're going to try another IUI. We're doing 5 days of clomid, then 3 days of follstim. If that doesn't work, we'll do a full injectible cycle.

For now, I wait, and work on my homestudy packet. This was a bad month to cycle anyway. What if IUI fell on one of my class dates?

So I wait. . .

On the Road to Parenthood

This may just turn into an adoption blog, although I will be having my consult with Dr. New Orleans tomorrow.

We had our first class yesterday and I left hopeful, very hopeful. The social worker said they didn't really get babies in the past but now they have been getting some in. She didn't condemn us, or make us feel guilty about wanting babies or toddlers. She just gave us the following warning.

"You all want babies, and that's fine, but I'm warning you, these babies cry!" They cry, and cry and cry for hours sometimes. So, when you call me and tell me the baby won't stop crying, you were warned"

I still want a baby though. A crying baby is better than no baby. We were also told to think before accepting a placement. They would rather us turn down a placement than send the kid back. I am going to wait on a call for a kid 3 and under and just hope for the best.

Some of the stories about these children are so sad. You could tell a lot of the couples in the class couldn't have children because most(including me) got teary eyed during some of the stories.

These moms have babies, get them taken away and have more babies, thinking eventually the state won't take them away.

Well, I will have to update more later. I have homework to do, the homestudy packet to work on,work around the house,and gotta be at a meeting for church at 4:30. Will I ever get this all done.

The teacher says she'd rather have the packet filled out well than quickly, so we need to put a lot of effort into it. Wish us luck!

Support Infertility Coverage

Lori and Jenny are doing their part in rallying support for infertility coverage. Jenny has several good arguments on her blog of why infertility should be covered.

My tax dollars pay for drug and alcohol treatment, but I can't get covered for infertility because having babies is a choice!! So is doing drugs.

By the way, I'm sure my tax dollars pay for abortions for crack whores and young teenagers who don't want to tell their parents they had sex! If insurance covers the killing of babies, why can it not cover the creation of babies. Pro-life or Pro-choice doesn't matter here. I'm looking at fairness. For every abortion an insurance company or welfare program funds they should have to perform an IVF cycle also.

Having babies is a choice, so is not having babies, so if you're going to pay for people who CHOOSE to not get pregnant, or terminate their pregnancies, shouldn't you also have to pay medical treatment for those who CHOOSE to want to get pregnant?

I say the government/insurance companies should pay all or none of it. No favoristism.

Those of you standing up for treatment coverage, Thank You and please let me know how I can help.

Report Cards

I got to play parent again and sign grade reports! 3 A's and 1 D. D is in Biology, which is hard enough in your own language, so I told her she did great and just try to bring it up (or at least keep a passing grade). I told her she didn't have to tell her father yet, but not to lie if he asked. Her biology grade had parent conference checked (but so did another class she did excellent in). Should I call the school? Maybe they can do something by phone.

Ok, Just Curious

Let's imagine we're all going to get pregnant...If you could have just one baby in your whole life, what would you want? A boy or a girl? I know everyone just wants a happy, healthy baby, but pretend you can choose. What do you pick? Why? Let's do this just for fun (kinda like imagining how you're going spend the lottery money when you win it).

I'll go first. I want twins (boy and girl), but that's cheating. If I could only pick one, I'd take a girl. I want to be able to dress it in pretty dresses and bows, and L will have it so spoiled. L and I are already fighting over girls' names, but we agree on a boy's name, funny huh? Of course, I would be thrilled with any healthy baby, of course. God will probably humor me and give me a bad ass little boy! That's ok though. I'm sure God will use him for another trial of patience later.

My parents wanted boys, and thought both me and my sister were boys during pregnancy. They wanted boys to be future LSU football players, lol. When they had girls, they thought, ok, they can be LSU cheerleaders, and I was, sort of, I played in the LSU marching band!

Childproofing a Childless Home

Well, when we signed up the foster/adopt, they needed 3 references. We gave them 5, 2 of them worked for the church. This week, we get another letter, with more questions to answer and asked again for 5 references, not related that you've known at least 3 to 5 years. We gave them six, after a lot of digging (we don't have many "close" friends, and we had to pick ones we knew wouldn't procrasinate filling out the info). I hope they didn't mean 5 for each of us!

We then went through the home checklist and tried to get all the necessary child-proofing supplies, smoke alarms, fire extinguisher, cabinet locks, socket covers and plastic mattress covers. The booze has been placed high out of reach and the cleaning supplies are locked in the cabinet. L and I searched EVERYWHERE in the store for cabinet locks. Guess where they were? In the BABY section? Must everyone torture me? Now L just needs to lock his hunting rifles in the shed and hopefully, all will look good.

Let me tell you how wierd it is child-proofing a childless house!

More Pics from Ball weekend

Here are some more pictures from the ball weekend when our California friends came to visit:



So Young is dressing me in her "Traditional Korean Clothes."




All Finished! Of course, these are So Young's clothes. My clothes would have different designs and colors because I'm married.




Us at dinner Friday before the ball.

37 Pound Woman Delivers Baby

What a miracle! Maybe there is hope for all of us.

37 Pound Woman Delivers Baby

Disagreements on Paths to Parenthood

Do you and your husbands have a lot of disagreement on where to go next on the path to parenthood?

How do ya'll come to a compromise? How long do you let him proceed with his plans before insisting on what you wanna do? Do you just let the RE decide and go with his professional opinion?

This is stressing me out not knowing what step to take next. I guess I'll wait for the consult and get a "professional" opinion.

Confession

I have a confession to make. . . I DREAD going see another RE again. I want to get pregnant, but I'm running out of hope. I get to go give $200 to a new RE for him to come with a treatment plan (which I already know what I want), and here how bad our chances are with endometriosis and sperm issues.

L and I have different plans for treatment:

He wants 3 more IUIs before considering anything else.

I want 1 IUI, then IVF, then find an adoption agency, because, you know you will get pregnant after you adopt right???

L doesn't think the first IUI will work just coming off lupron and it will be a test run. I'm not crazy about doing more IUI's for so much money and such a small chance of working. I just want a baby. I want to go a route where I actually get to take the baby home.

Back to Treatment Land

Well, I see Dr. New Orleans in less than two weeks. Oh yeah, I have actually heard that he got some people pregnant! Isn't that great? lol. I can't believe it's been a whole year since my last IUI or any treatment beyond clomid.

L wants a few more IUI's, but I'm ready for either IVF or to find an adoption agency and get on the waiting list. This weekend is our last free weekend. The next five Saturdays will be spent in class to get certified to foster/adopt. They are supposed to make us do a bunch of corny role-playing stuff, so that should be fun.

Update on Jack and Jill, their dad is trying to get custody of them both (and probably will). He is in the better position to take care of them but will need lots of support(not financial, but babysitting), from friends and family. He is one of L's best friends, but he had been working his fingers to the bone since he met her when she was already pg with Jack. He is the kind of person that will help you with anything you need, just to be a friend. I would like to help him get his GED when things get settled. I've already told him several times I would tutor him. There is an extremely high high-school drop out rate, because when the oil field is booming, many people quit school for decent paying jobs.

I told L to let me know when I could find an adoption agency. Infertility treatments are too uncertain. At least if we adopt, we would eventually be parents, right?

Computer Issue Resolved

So Young and I agreed to 1 hour a day internet time and I would leave her desktop unlocked to type reports or homework. I'm going to let my kids have everything huh? I was going to cut her computer to every other day for 1-2 hours, but she asked for an hour day. I told her that was fine as long as her father was being supportive instead of controlling, not in those words though. That will free up her schedule to make some American friends.

Work has been yucky lately, but good news is that the CPA auditor likes my work, so he will probably be able to sign off that I worked under his supervision (indirectly though, but still supervised), and sometime this summer I should be able to apply for my certificate, only 2 short years after passing the exam I may get licensed. Yay!

What are some fun things to do with teenagers? We played cards last weekend with friends here and she had a blast. Maybe we can take her to the movies?

Computer Lock Down and an Additional Place to Vent

I'm such a mean host mom. After So Young was on the internet for nearly 7 hours (and I am NOT exaggerating), I password locked the computer! She doesn't know, but will find out when she gets home. I'm cutting her back to 1 hour on internet every other day at the most. I think she is telling her father EVERY SINGLE THING she does over here. That's fine, but he's not the type to say "Have a good time" and send her on her way. He's the type to tell her to tell us how to run our household!! That is not allowed in the program. She recently told us that her father said the two vacations we were taking her on was not enough!! Excuse me!! I gave up a KICK ASS cruise with L to take her to Disney World and New York.

I told her to inform her father that in America, we have these things called jobs!! (not in those words obviously). I suggested her family take her around the country at the end of the program and make a family vacation out of it. How selfish huh? She is a great girl, but her father needs to let go, or take her back home if he wants to control her that much.

I started an additional blog: http://standupforlife.blogspot.com
I will be keeping this one and doing most of my posting at "Praying for a Baby", but will reserve the more controversial topics (political), I want to discuss or bitch about for my other blog "Stand Up For Life." I don't want to start a warzone on my infertility blog, because everyone's support is very important.

Before you decide if reading my new blog is right for you, I'm very conservative and pro-life. If you're not easily offended, and will not quit reading my current blog, feel free to join in debates at my new blog. I don't mind hearing differing opinions, but keep them civil. I won't be devoting as much time to that blog though, because I usually need to vent about infertility more.

If you think discussing politics will ruin our blog friendship, please don't read my new one, I need you more at this blog.

Anyway, sorry for rambling.

Two weeks until Dr. New Orleans and starting my adoption/foster certification.

DAMN THE STORK!!!!!!!!!!!

The stork shit on my windshield today. Bastard! Here's the conversation I had with a coworker today:

Coworker: Lisa, Come see. I have to tell you something.

Lisa: Walks out the office... w-what?

Coworker: Ex-co-worker is pregnant? Isn't that great? I'm so excited.

Lisa: (holding back sobs): Cool. . . that's great. . .

Coworker: I'm going to throw her a baby shower at my house, I can't wait.

Lisa: (when will it be so I can have other plans) uh...ok, sniff.

Ok, I will be fair. This girl lost one of her 2-year old twins tragically(drowned at babysitter's), so I'm glad she has some joy coming to her.

I just don't know her that well. I don't think I can go to the shower. I don't think I can handle any showers except close family that I'm "obligated" to attend, and then I doubt I will be able to do it without balling my eyes out.

I'm so upset I feel sick. When will it be my turn? WHEN?

Btw, this co-worker knew I was going through infertility for almost 2 years. I guess people just don't understand how a small thing such as a pregnancy announcement could send us over the edge.

I guess congratulations are in order next time she visits the office. . . I thought baby showers were only for your FIRST BABY? Even if I don't go, I will have to hear about it.

DAMN THE STORK!! Why does he always stick his tongue out at me.

Sorry, dear stork, I was only kidding....please, please come by my house. I'll even get rid of the cat.

Fine then, I'll be sure to have L's hunting rifle out next time you fly over to make a delivery to one of my teenage neighbor's again!

Which way do I go?

L and I have a lot on our plates now with infertility options. The question is, which option should we choose? When do we start? How long do we pursue one option before moving on to the next one? Of course these are all issues we will have to decide for ourselves, although comments are always welcome.

Here are the options that we currently BOTH agree to:

1. Continue infertility treatments
2. Adopt from the state.

And what do I REALLY want to do?

F*ck fertility treatments, find an adoption agency, save the money, and get on the list and wait (and wait and wait and wait) for a baby.

My Fears with adopting from the state (warning, some are selfish fears):

-they will convince me to take on more than I can handle, thus it will be harder to adopt an infant later.

-We will take home an extremely troubled child and L will say, "no more kids"

-we will take in a child, then miss the opportunity if an infant becomes available because we won't have space.

-I have a gut feeling the state is going to have strange procedures dealing with an exchange student living in my house, they already mentioned sending her on a physical. We sent her physical from before she came here and I hope that is enough.

-I'm afraid the animals are going to cause a problem since two of them are inside and one is not potty trained.

-I REALLY REALLY want an infant, at least one.