As we hustled to get Emmy out the door this morning (and Zoe ready for Papa's house), I made sure to get a few pictures of Emmy on her first day of school. This year, Emmy is attending a Montessori school that focuses heavily on science - Black Mountain Science Academy - where much of the focus is on microbiology. With Emmy's love of Doc McStuffins and her fascination with Zoe's constant doctor visits, perhaps this'll prime her well for medical school.
Who knows, maybe both Emmy and Zoe will go to medical school. Don't think it's possible for Zoe? Think again - check out this amazing story of Tom Glenn, shared by his mom, Terri, who lives in Chandler, Arizona!
Of course, as soon as I picked up Emmy today after work, I asked her to tell me three things about her day. I figured I wasn't going to get much when she stared at me blankly and said, "Uuummm..."
So, with much prodding (and Papa's help), here is what I got:
1. Emmy played with her new friends Abigail and Maddie.
2. Emmy went to the playground.
3. Emmy did puzzles.
4. Emmy did not eat all of her goldfish at lunch.
5. Emmy learned "criss-cross applesauce" but is unsure why.
6. Emmy lost her sandwich container.
7. Emmy did not "pee on the potty" because her teacher didn't tell her to.
8. She did not see Arik.
and last but not least . . .
They do "flag" during "circle time." (What flag you ask, "the Obama flag!" I said, Emmy, you didn't say that in class did you? Her response, "no, I was quiet.")
So yes, she may be in preschool, but she's also apparently doubling as an Obama campaign staffer.
We'll see how tomorrow goes - so far, so good!
Very cute!! Glad she liked it!
ReplyDeleteI bet you are about to get a bunch more comments on this blog, mama. Your story and speech at the DNC brought tears to my eyes tonight. My son was born with two congenital heart defects which were corrected through open heart surgery in April 2012. Today we returned to that hospital to visit a newborn baby and I walked through the wards where my son was cared for. I appreciate you telling the story of parents and children who face catastrophic medical care and the impact the Affordable Care Act has had on our families. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYou were amazing at the DNC! I don't think enough people understand the implications of the Affordable Care Act. My daughter was born with pulmonary atresia. She's had 3 caths (also at CHOP), already and will also need some other intervention at some point. She will be a lifelong cardiac patient. She is 1 in 100. She is my joy, my heart and my life. Your story resonated with me and I'm certain will resonate with voters. Good Luck to you and your family! And thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your story!
ReplyDelete--Christine
http://www.nosepickerchronicles.com/
Congrats on your beautiful speech at the DNC. My family and I are doing everything we can to help re-elect President Obama so that you can keep your insurance for Zoe. Best of luck to your wonderful family!
ReplyDeleteAs said above, you will no doubt, and deservedly, soon be inundated by appreciative words. You have brought to all of us who listened to you, a few moments of genuine warmth and sincerity not often woven into politics. One of my oldest and dearest friends, Dr. Goldberg, is a pediatric cardiologist at CHOP and I've always been proud to call him friend... but not nearly as proud as you and your family should be for your fortitude and courage. Thank you... for living, and sharing, your story filled with honesty... and heart.
ReplyDeleteNice job at the DNC, Stacey!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your DNC speech. Our daughter Mirabel will have her third surgery this year.
ReplyDeleteYour family is in our prayers.
Just watched your speech at the DNC. I knew the moment you started describing your little girls heart defect that it was probably hypoplastic left heart syndrome. 31 years ago last month I lost my first baby to HLHS. When I see your little girl, and other children who now can live to be normal children, I am so in awe and admiration of what medicine can do now. God bless you, your family, your doctors and our new, reformed healthcare policies !!! YAY!!
ReplyDeleteglad Mr. Obama has helped you and your family. He has also caused my health insurance to go up by roughly $20,000 a year. I make about 40,000 W2 income and work for a non profit. So I don't really know how I am going to pay for health insurance for my 4 year old and 2 year old.
ReplyDeleteI am glad for you, but please know that "Obamacare" might just bankrupt my family and I.
Also, know that I have a pre existent condition, and without treatment I would be in a wheel chair. My insurance pays for that treatment. What will happen to me when I lose that health care?
What happens to those who lose their care because of Mr. Obama?
Also, what about those babies that will aborted? What about the over 1,000,000 babies in the US, over half of which are girls, that are literally torn limb from limb and have their brains sucked out? That is not a policy I condone.
I am sorry, I am very excited for your and for your daughter.. Please don't get me wrong... but what about the rest of us?
When Obamacare is fully implemented, you will qualify for a community rated policy from the state exchange and a subsidy to help pay for your insurance. You will not have to be what you describe as 50% of your income for health insurance. I fear someone is either misleading or overcharging you, or both.
DeleteThank you. Our son has Tetralogy of Fallot and every day I thank God for sending the Affordable Health Care Act.
DeleteI wish those that say they are "pro-life" would protest when a child can NOT get health care and is sentenced to die.
As someone who works in the insurance field, as health economists, your health insurance costs have not gone up because of the Affordable HealthCare Act. Please do not spread these lies and instead use your energy in a positive way to protect the lives of all children - born and unborn.
This is about a beautiful little girl that is alive and well. You bring comments to this page that are political and for that matter, not correct. The Affordable Care Act is very good policy...whether you want to believe it or not. You end your comment with "what about the rest of us?" So obviously you believe that Willard Romney would help you better by taxing your $40,000 at a higher rate....is that what you want. I agree with the person above who has stated as an expert in the field, that your premiums did not increase because of the Affordable Care Act.
DeleteMiss Zoe: Little Angel, Combat Veteran, and a grown man who was brought to tears last evening watching your struggle in this world. My family and myself prayed for your health and happiness to be just fruitful. You have also changed me, as my family has never really seen me cry, and you gave them a whole new perspective on me last night.
YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!!
The above should have read that "I am a Combat Veteran..."
DeleteI lost a son to HLHS in 1998. He was on the transplant list before birth. In order to place him there I was required to prove my insurance would cover it. In spite of the fact that we were not without assets, I was told that no family can just pay for this. Thank-you for telling your story, and also mine. Let us go out and vote for the policies that will give every child like ours an equal chance at life. With love, Chris from Rixeyville VA.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your speech tonight! As a mother to a child born with special needs (Angelman Syndrome-developmental and cognitive delays) Obamacare is close to my heart for the same reasons it is for you. I hope you get lots of love on this blog for your courage to stand up in front of the nation and tell your story, which is my story, and so many others.
ReplyDeleteGreat speech...personally telling America why this Affordable Care Act needs to stay, and why anyone that wants it repealed needs to understand the real people it may harm if they do so.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Our son has Tetralogy of Fallot and every day I thank God for sending the Affordable Health Care Act.
ReplyDeleteI wish those that say they are "pro-life" would protest when a child can NOT get health care and is sentenced to die.
As someone who works in the insurance field, as health economists, your health insurance costs have not gone up because of the Affordable HealthCare Act. Please do not spread these lies and instead use your energy in a positive way to protect the lives of all children - born and unborn.
Thank you for speaking out at the convention.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, repeal and replace is not an option. How do you replace a child.
Keep going.
Dear Stacy,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your story. What courage. I am sure you are about to get so much nastiness from opponents of ObamaCare but know we are praying for you and your family. Thank you for speaking out.
- A grateful nation
Stacy, If you think that your costs aren't going to rise and Obamacare is going to be a free ride, I hate to break it to you, but someones got to pay for it. FYI
ReplyDeleteThank you Stacy for sharing your story on a national stage like you did last night. I have a heart baby myself, that they feared may have been HLHS, and by a 10% chance miracle, they treated the PAPVC to save her left side of her heart, but not without some extremely expensive, painful, and heartbreaking surgeries. Additionally, my child has left sided Heterotaxy, polysplenia, and a list of other conditions that she will need to battle for her entire life, and may likely need a pace maker by the age of 7. By the age of 3 she already hit half of what her lifetime limit would have been, so we feared everyday that she may not have had the insurance to cover her expenses should she need another major surgery, or the pacemaker by 7. We no longer need to sit and worry about this, and concentrate our thoughts and prayers on her health, not how we would afford her health.
ReplyDeleteFor the person that stated that he has already paid for it, it is a bold lie. I am also fortunate enough to be in the insurance indutry as a business and systems analyst for both commercial and delegated plans such as Medicare and Medicaid, so I have a deep understanding of the laws, and regulations both personally, and professionally. I can tell you this much, that as far as small businesses, the inurance requirements are not applicable to small businesses of 50 employees or less, and for large, this does not apply until 2014. Fact is, costs have not risen because of this plan, and I am sorry that some people need to come to Stacy's blog just to push a political agenda, and spread misinformation to make a point. I am fortunate enough to earn a good income, but unfortunate at the same time as I know that my daughter would not qualify for coverage because of my income should her insurance have been dropped because she reached a limit. I unfortunately fall into that middle class hole. I know of others that were in this same situation, and faced bankruptcy, and in some cases, far worse endings.
After my daughter's heart surgery, there were medications that were special blends that needed specialty pharmacies, and I would get a call every month asking if I can afford my 20% of the 3500-4500K per month expense for the medication up front, or they would not fill her medication. Imagine receiving that phone call, and needing to say your insurance has been maxed, and you cannot afford the 20% or the full 100% of that cost.
As to the response from Anonymous regarding "but someones got to pay for it.FYI". If you have insurance already, you already do. It is called risk pooling, and as a responsible person, you should be paying for your insurance already. The difference is, once everybody is contributing to the pool, this will actually lower the amount needed from each person to contribute to a plan since the risk pool is larger. Simple insurance economics 101.
Thank you again Stacy. I have been to your blog in the past, and it has always given hope for me and my family to see other stories of miracles like your daughter. She, as well as your entire family are an inspiration for all of us.
Your speech last night brought tears to our eyes. Our fifth child, Grayson, was diagnosed with HLHS a day and a half after birth. By the time we knew the cause, he was in kidney and liver failure...literally hours from death. I still remember the sweet billing lady at our children's hospital asking me if our policy had a lifetime max. I had no idea. I was devastated at what my baby was going to have to endure with no guarantee of success, and overwhelmed at helping my other children understand and cope. At a time like that, no parent should have to worry about whether their insurance will last through an admission...or a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteGray is now 8, post-Fontan, and doing well. We never know what tomorrow will bring, but continue to treasure every moment with our amazing little man.
Thank you for helping to spread the word about the Affordable Care Act and CHD's. Your family will be in our prayers.
~Carrie
www.grayson.CHDfamilies.org
I actually put the wrong link to Gray's site :( It should have been www.chdfamilies.org/grayson
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful little boy Carrie! I will pray for his continued health and he does great things with the life he has been given. I do believe as heart baby parents, we have been specially chosen to make the hard decisions, and give the best possible chance for our babies! I am honored to be given that chance. I wish my daughter did not have to go through this, but she has changed my life profoundly, and I am forever thankful for having her in my life!!
ReplyDeletewe have a CHD heart baby also. our 17-mo old had surgery at Stanford to repair Tetralogy of Fallot. your concerns so authentically expressed last night were the same many thousands of families have every day front and back of mind. it is the essence of humanity that we are able to care for those we love. Insurance=socialism. Socialism is insurance. Insurance risk pooling=socialism writ large.
ReplyDeleteI applaud you SO much for speaking about your family and your fight with CHDs. You are so brave and so wonderful. This was a very rare occasion to finally put a spotlight on CHDs and I know I'm not the only parents out there who screamed in delight at the tv while we all watched you bravely speak about your journey. Thank you thank you thank you!
ReplyDeleteWow! Looks like Emmy did a lot of things on her first day! What a great start it was! I’m sure there will be more exciting days to come for her. How is she doing in school nowadays? I hope she’s still as excited to go to school as she was on her first day. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's good that you ask your daughter how her day was at school. This gives her the chance to tell you freely whatever her good and bad had happened to her, and this gives you the chance to pinpoint the areas where she might need your help. Open communication is important. Developing her learning abilities and right conduct at this point or at her age is critical. Speak with her teachers as well.
ReplyDeleteDaniele Ickes