Cold Season already?!

So, we all survived my first week back at work.  I'm exhausted.  Been getting up at 5:15am, to get myself ready, both the boys ready, drive them 25 minutes away to school, then drive another hour to work...all by 9am!  Its insane, but has to be done. Austin has adjusted well.  Kevin and I joke all the time at what a complete opposite Austin's personality is than Jake's.  Austin goes with the flow, is always happy and just hangs out.  Jake is a nightmare in the morning, tends to be rather bossy, and does not like change in his routine.  Its rather amusing.

Austin got sick within 3 days of being at daycare.  And he's sick....had the fever, running nose, coughing, irritabililty.  Feel so bad for him, but I know it is gonna be around for a few months now.   Otherwise he seems to be doing pretty well in daycare.  Still hate the fact that I'm not home with him and I only get to spend about two hours a day when I get home with the boys.  Has to be done though.

We had a few doctor's appointments this week.  Monday started off with a trip to NYC for our new neurosurgeon.  We switched due to insurance issues and the fact that our original neurosurgeon doesn't participate in any insurance plans and we have to pay out of network rates everytime we saw her.  So, we made an appointment with a new surgeon, one we have seen before for consults, so we knew we liked him.  He took one look at Austin and said "wonderful".  He continued to tell us how he is more of the "hands off" philosophy and doesn't really believe in a lot of MRI's. He also doesn't like using programmable shunts because he explained that statistics show that its not usually the value that leads to shunt malfuctions.  He said that he doesn't need to see Austin again until his first birthday, at which time he will do another MRI.  (We have been going much more frequently to the other surgeon, so this was a pleasant surprise).   On the way out, as I attempted to pay my copay, we were informed that this surgeon has just decided to stop participating in my insurance plan and that the hospital also no longer takes my insurance!  Nice...love hearing that doctor's don't take your insurance after you switch to them for that very reason!  So, what next?  Well I think eventually we'll switch the family over to Kevin's insurance, who the surgeon does still participate with.  Just creates an issue as to Jake's doctor's, but we'll work something out.

Today we went to the opthamologist.  Austin is still pretty farsighted.  He is at a +5.5, and normal is +2.  But a few months ago, he was a +6.5, so his eyes have gotten better.  I really have no idea what the numbers mean, but at least I know they are going down.  We have to watch for crossing, and we are going back in another six months just to keep an eye on them.  So today was good.

Been trying to get a good picture of the boys together, but it proves impossible these days.  When one is smiling the other is not.  And Austin tends to blink at every flash now.  These were from yesterday.  Boys wore their matching outfits to school for "picture day".