Blankets abound

Thanks Aunt Margaret and Uncle Ben for the new blanket!

What we got in the mail yesterday

From BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois

Patient Name: Oliver Self
Treatment Date: 9/13/08
Provider: Children's Memorial Hospital

Dear Valued Member:

We have enclosed a Reimbursement/Subrogation questionnaire to help us determine if benefits provided for the treatment for the above-referenced patient may be the responsibility of another party. You can help us administer your health care coverage better by answering "Yes" or "No" to the following questions.

A. Was your injury or illness work related?
B. Have you submitted or do you anticipate submitting a claim for the medical expenses to workers' compensation insurance?
C. Have you submitted or do you anticipate submitting a claim for the medical expenses to your own or another's automobile, homeowner, or any other liability insurance?
D. Do you expect another party, due to a lawsuit or any other recover, to cover your injury or illness related medical expense?

Does anyone one day old answer yes to any of the above questions? Does no one read any of the patient's information before sending out these letters?

Daddy's turn with the wrap

Ollie's first vac job

Another plus of the sling -- I can put away dishes, clean the counters, fold laundry, and vaccum all while soothing a fussy baby. Thank goodness he likes to vac!

Ollie's Journal, Week 3

Things I did:

1. Went to the pediatrician's office twice, the second time to have my newborn screening tests redone. My poor heel!
2. Shopped with mom for some warmer weather outfits that fit me. It's definitely fall in Chicago.
3. Visited with some of mom's colleagues who came over to see me and talk with her about work. Unfortunately, I was in a bad mood and pretty much sat with Grandma the whole time.
4. Made faces at Grandma. She thinks they're funny.
5. Took my first El ride to the zoo.

Right now: Snuggling with daddy in the wrap. I'm a bit out of sorts.

At the zoo

Oliver took his first trip to Lincoln Park Zoo today. We wanted a special family outing with my mom before she returned to Georgia, and we've just been waiting for the right day and right weather to hit up the zoo. It's a bit of a trip now, since we live so much further south than before, but between the stroller and two El lines, we made it there. We only stayed for an hour -- reasonable, what with a three week old -- but we did see a lot of animals. The highlight, I think, was the polar bear swimming around his tank. He would swim right by the underwater observatory where a crowd of visitors had gathered and swat hit paws or even bare his mouth at people watching him, right up next to the pane of glass. Our first stop, though, thanks to Wes's deviance, was the reptile house, a favorite of his. There Ollie posed with an oversized model of a lizard and a huge boa constrictor. Wes likes to say that Ollie is a lizard because he shoots his tongue in and out like a lizard and, plus, his skin has been peeling. We saw some dwarf crocs, a gecko (he tried to sell me insurance, wouldn't you know), but skipped the tortoises that were mating. Back outside we saw the giraffes, some ostriches, a rhino, two lions, and another of Wes's favorites, the warthogs.

The big thing we didn't see was the apes and monkeys. Maybe we'll save that for four weeks.

The Mad Hatter

My mom, who visited this week, has been making a winter hat for Ollie (see, Marmee, there is not such thing as too many winter hats). This one is extra special because it a) has ear flaps, and b) matches a blanket my mother crocheted for him. Unfortunately, as my mom suspected, the hat is considerably too large right now. It might have to be an end-of-winter hat or next fall/winter hat right now. Ollie was none too pleased with having to try it on.