Happy New Year and Our 2012 Christmas Card

Happy 2013!! Can you believe it's already New Year again?!? Why is it that the older you get, the faster the time seems to go? I hope everyone had a very nice New Year's Eve and Day and was able to take some time off to spend with family and friends.  We had a very quiet New Year's Eve this year at home. It was basically spent like every regular Monday night in our house with tubby time, bedtime, dinner at 9PM and then laundry and TV until we fall asleep around midnight.  Pretty typical Monday night.  On New Year's Day, we had some friends over for a little party to watch football (more importantly for Bill the South Carolina Gamecocks...thank goodness they won!) in Bill's new "man cave."  We've officially got it all set-up with a big screen TV, comfy couch, toys for the tots, and booze for the grown ups.  So it was fun to finally be able to have friends over.

And of course the New Year had to mean that Stephen's insurance would get all screwed up.  So I (honest-to-God) spent over 3 hours on the phone this morning with Medicare trying to get everything all straightened out.  WARNING:  If you are a Medicare Plan D recipient, call your provider and make sure your Plan hasn't changed!!!  Apparently, Stephen's plan, HealthNet, was bought out by Silver Script, so he was supposed to just roll over into Silver Script.  But for some reason, he dropped into the Medicare Black Hole and didn't get rolled over.  Not only that, but I never received any notice of this happening.  So when I went to refill one his scripts today, it was rejected.  It took them 2 hours and 32 minutes to figure it out.  And then the drug isn't even covered by the Plan.  So...now I need a prior authorization to get it covered.  Ugh.  It's exhausting!!  Thank goodness Stephen was a champ this morning and just played in his playroom and ate lots of ice while I struggled on the phone.  But seriously, check this out if you are in a Medicare Plan D because this apparently has happened with other people as well.

I also wanted to share with everyone (sorry it's a little late) this year's Christmas card.  Last year I posted are card here and had written a note on the back to everyone about Stephen and how he was truly our special miracle.  This year, we kept it really simple and let the card speak for itself.

Especially with Stephen's 2nd birthday coming up at the end of this week, I'm feeling truly blessed to have Stephen in my life and that Bill and I have survived this roller coaster ride together.  The Holidays seem to make people more sentimental and thankful for what they have and I especially feel that way.  Too many of my friends are struggling with their special babies right now or have lost their angels this past year, so I'm especially thankful and blessed right now.  Not a day goes by that I don't hug Stephen a little bit tighter when we sit down in his rocking chair before bedtime and I think about those friends.  There is no rhyme or reason why God chooses one baby over another, so I'm incredibly thankful and lucky to have mine here to hold and that he's thriving.

I think for 2013, our biggest wish and dream is just to keep Stephen healthy. We of course hope that this will  be our year for a new kidney, but honestly, as long as he continues to grow and thrive and stay healthy, I'll be happy.  Health and happiness for our family would be the best New Year's resolution!!