A Moment of Fame

28 Jun 2012 6 Comments

by Natalie in Uncategorized

Last week I drug my 9-month pregnant butt off of the couch and out of the house for a fancy night at a local news station. KSL Studio opened its doors to a group of Utah women bloggers last Wednesday to meet the new Eyewitness News team, tour the studio and eat cheesecake.


It was a great night. I was able to meet a bunch of amazing bloggers who are all much more creative than I.  We swarmed the station for a couple of hours before the nightly 10 p.m. news taping.

Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry let each of us introduce our blogs on the their KSL nighttime radio show The Nightside Project. It was a blast talking about Boogers On The Wall into a microphone nearly the size of my head.

We bloggers wandered around the studio rubbing shoulders with Kevin Eubank, Mike Headrick, Dave McCann, Brooke Walker and more. It was fun to shake hands with the local celebrities who I enjoy watching on a regular basis. (I always have to fight my husband to watch channel 5.)

I finally got to meet Deanie Wimmer — one of the reasons I went into journalism. You would have thought I would have run into her while reporting for the station’s partner newspaper, The Deseret News, but I only made it to the news station a couple of times during my Deseret News days and never saw her.

Deanie started at KSL right about the same time I was deciding what to major in at college. I really liked her style and thought I would like being a broadcast student.

Turns out I’d rather do the writing than camera face time and chose print instead, but I have still always liked her.

And as you can see below in the fake news segment I taped during the event, I am probably much better suited for print.

Boy was I terrible. My co-anchor Nike Peterson was awesome, but I couldn’t figure out where to look or what to say.

You would think with my communication degree I would have known a little about what to do, but somehow I skipped out of taking any broadcast classes during college. Here’s the rough taping. I had a great time. Enjoy!

Oh What Do You Do In the Summertime?

21 Jun 2012 4 Comments

by Natalie in Uncategorized, What We Do/Make for Fun, What's a mom to do?

ImageSummer. The time when we don’t eat breakfast ’til 9 a.m. and don’t get dressed until noon. The time when I get my 5 year-old back and he plays happily with his younger brother – most of the time.

The time when I have to find at least one thing to do each day to get us out of the house or I’ll go crazy!

I’ve heard other moms talking about how excited they are to have their kids home again during the summer. I’m dying to know what those moms do with them all day.

I love having my boys home together, but I am always interested in ways to entertain all of us – ways that don’t include Netflix or Wii Games.

We have done a bunch of fun things during the first month of summer, and have made a pretty good list of more activities we want to do, but I want to know what you guys are doing.  How are you spending your summer?

Check out all of the fun, inexpensive things we have done so far and let me know what other things appear on your list. That way I will know what else to add to our Summer Bucket List.

Here’s what we’ve done:

1.    Wild Wednesday at The Ogden Nature Center: This is one of my boys’ favorite activities. We went the last week in May and learned about Raptor birds. At Wild Wednesdays kids are taught about a specific topic in a classroom setting, then they get to go out on the grounds and learn about it hands-on. My boys are major nature geeks so they eat those type of activities right up. Here is a link to the center’s website: http://www.ogdennaturecenter.org/

2.    The Ogden Eccles Dinosaur Park: There are a handful of things to do at the Dinosaur Park. My boys like to dig for fossils and watch employees glue dinosaur bones together. I got an email this week saying that this summer they have story time in the education center Monday through Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and on Sundays at 2 p.m. They are also having a different summer project featured in the education center each week. Here is a link to their website: http://www.dinosaurpark.org/

3.    Treehouse Museum: We love the Treehouse Museum. The museum staff is always changing and improving the hands-on activities. Normally when we go, there is a craft the kids can do in the art garden and in the afternoon there is a partici-play going on where they can help act out a story on the stage. It’s a great place to go for a couple of hours. Click here for more information: http://www.treehousemuseum.org/

4.    Fishing at a community fishery: My boys like fishing whether we catch anything or not. But, I don’t like driving far and hauling a bunch of stuff with us. So, local community fisheries are perfect. We normally go to the Roy Pond – where we have actually caught some fish. Here is a link to a list of Utah’s fisheries: http://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/fishing/community-fisheries.html

5.    99 cent miniature golf at Fat Cats: Fat Cats has an amazing deal this summer. Bowling, shoes, miniature golf and bumper cars are all 99 cents each this summer – Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. I took the boys miniature golfing and it was a blast. We plan on going back for bowling and bumper cars. Find out more info. here: http://fatcatsfun.com/

6.    Splash Pad: I think I love the splash pad more than my boys do. We have been to a couple of splash pads, but I particularly like the Riverdale one with its mature trees that provide great shade. I get to sit and visit with other moms while keeping an eye on my boys. We don’t normally stay very long, but it is definitely a great place to cool off. And it’s free! Here is a link to info. about the Riverdale Splash Pad: http://www.riverdalecity.com/meetings_events/special_events/Splash_Pad.html

7.    Matinee Movie: There are so many theaters with summer movie deals for kids with shows as little as $1 each. We went and saw Madagascar 3 (which wasn’t part of a movie deal) but hope to go see more movies, particularly if they are only $1. Normally the movie deals are for older shows, but some of them we still haven’t seen. Here are links to information on the summer programs at a few local theaters:

Megaplex Theaters: http://www.megaplextheatres.com/KidsMovieMagic

Syracuse 6 Theater: http://www.syracuse6.com/index.cfm

Cinemark Theaters: http://www.cinemark.com/summer-movie-clubhouse-2012

8.    Discovery time at the local library: My boys LOVE to read. So they love discovery time. But I like it too because they get to sing, dance around, make a craft and more! Here is a link to the Weber County Library Website: http://www.weberpl.lib.ut.us/ and the Davis County Library Website: http://www.co.davis.ut.us/library/

9.    Neighborhood Treasure Hunt: My creative neighbor put together a pirate-style treasure hunt a couple of weeks ago. It was great! She hid clues at different spots around the neighborhood and we all went loose looking for them. The kids ran around the block getting out some of their excess energy and they loved finding a box full of bracelets, rings, temporary tattoos and chocolate.

10. Water Balloon Fights/running through the sprinklers:  Summer would not be complete without my boys chucking water balloons at their poor, innocent mother. They love both filling them up and throwing them down. This is the first year they have wanted to run through the sprinkler. I’m all for it – especially on a hot day.

Our Summer Bucket List – we hope to make it to the following places:

  1. Bingham Canyon Mine – http://www.kennecott.com/
  2. Old Springs Trout Farm – http://www.coldspringstroutfarm.com/
  3. Union Station Train Museums – http://theunionstation.org/
  4. Tracy Aviary – http://www.tracyaviary.org/
  5. Hogle Zoo – http://www.hoglezoo.org/

Baby?

13 Jun 2012 10 Comments

by Natalie in Dealing with Death, Pregnant After a Loss

I am less than a month from my due date and feeling a little overwhelmed.

At times anxiety threatens to take over my every though and action. Other times the thought of actually bringing home a little baby boy stresses me to the max.

I have only written a few times during the past 37 weeks about what it has been like to carry a life after the last one I carried died. It is terrifying, exciting, hope inspiring, and stressful to say the least.

There are times when I feel absolutely fine. Almost like I am not even pregnant. I think my mind has naturally slightly detached itself from the baby my body is carrying. It has kept a safe distance – in order to protect itself in case of another tragedy.

A lot of times when I think about bringing a baby to my house I don’t even know what to do.  I can’t wrap my mind around that. It has been a long time since I have nursed or diapered a little one. I have major feelings of inadequacy.

I don’t even know if I am ready to care for this baby.

There’s a small closet in my bathroom that is stocked chuck full of diapers, wipes, toiletries and other baby essentials. I am pretty sure I have everything you could possibly need or want for this baby. But that doesn’t mean I have it all out.

I bought a new dresser and filled it with clothes, but everything else is at bay. Until I bring my little bundle of joy home, I will not get out the car seat or stroller and you better believe I will not set up the bassinet or crib.

Those were the hardest things to take down after Luca died.

My mother-in-law bought me the cutest new diaper bag. I have halfway filled it. I know I should get it ready, in case there is a moment of panic, but I just can’t – yet.

There have been times during the past 8 months when I am sure my baby is going to die. The fact that I am the first one who will know if he stops moving has almost been too much to bear.

He is particularly still in the morning. But no matter how many times I tell myself that is normal for him, I still end up lying in fear on my side in my bed waiting, worrying.

There are times throughout the day when I try to remember the last time he moved. Sometimes I’ll stop everything I am doing and sit still on my couch for a long while until I feel him kick or wiggle.

If only he could move and squirm all of the time. Although it may be unsettling, at least I would know he is alive.

I am anywhere between 36-38 weeks pregnant – depending how you count. That means I have anywhere between 2-4 weeks to wait. Yet another reason why this control freak is stressing. Add my weekly shots that I was taking to stop my body from going into premature labor, and I have no idea when the little one will arrive.

Thank heavens the natural nesting instinct has kicked in, keeping me busy cleaning every nook and cranny in my home. It might be driving my husband crazy, but it helps with my anxiety and allows me to feel in control of something.

But I am running out of nooks and crannies. Hopefully I deliver soon. The anticipation is killing me.

Sometimes I want to scream out loud, “Am I really going to have a baby?” It still hasn’t sunk in.

At this point I know I am going to HAVE to deliver, but will I get to HAVE my baby?

Code This!

07 Jun 2012 2 Comments

by Natalie in What's a mom to do?

I hate dealing with insurance companies and billing departments. I don’t know why I even bother.

OK, I lied. I know why I bother. Because there is no way I am going to pay for something that is, or might be, covered on my plan.

But recently I am starting to wonder if my insurance denies claims and billing departments bill me in multiples, just to try to get some stuff to sneak through the cracks in hopes that they can get me to pay more, more often.

I have had a heck of a time with a few bills lately.

I took my 5-year-old to a pediatric cardiologist at Primary Children’s Hospital last December. He had been complaining that his “heart hurt” and with my husband’s family history of strange heart mishaps I wanted to make sure everything was all right.

The doctor ordered a heart event monitor for him to wear to track what was going on. No big deal. He wore it for nearly two months and everything ended up being normal.

I was feeling really good about everything. Until I got two random bills from other doctors at a neighboring hospital (The University of Utah) who were claiming that my son had seen them.

I had never heard of them before and I am pretty sure my kindergartner didn’t take himself to Salt Lake for any appointments.

Turns out they read my son’s heart monitor results and were billing me for their services. Unfortunately, because of the way they coded their bill when sending it to my insurance, their claims were being denied and I had over $200 I needed to pay.

Excuse me? First of all I have never even met these two doctors. Second of all, I never gave consent for them to read my sons test results. Third of all, their claims to my insurance were being denied!

I was stuck with a bill from two people I didn’t know, for something I didn’t agree to.

Lame.

After checking with my insurance company I found out it was a simple coding difference. The original doctor from Primary Children’s coded my son’s diagnosis as “chest pains” (which makes sense because his heart was “hurting”). The two new doctors were coding the diagnosis as “heart palpitations.” Which, according to my insurance isn’t something that can be treated by a heart monitor. Therefore they denied the claims.

Good luck trying to call any billing department to tell them they made a coding mistake. According to the University of Utah billing department they can’t change codes. The “coders” have to do that. But when I asked to speak with the coders, no one knew how to get a hold of them. Apparently no one speaks to the coders…ever.

They must be holed up in the middle of the building in a dark, windowless room working without contact to the outside world.

Seriously? No one speaks to the coders? I doubt that.

All I needed to do was pass along the information to them to change the code from “heart palpitations” to “chest pains.”

That’s when the billing department told me that they have to go by the doctor’s notes when determining codes. They couldn’t change it if that’s what the doctor’s diagnosis was.

The doctor’s diagnosis? We didn’t even see either of the doctors who were billing it wrong. Why in the world would they code the diagnosis differently than the original doctor who saw my son in the flesh?

I don’t know what is going to happen with these claims, hopefully I will hear back next week, but I do know that I am going to do everything in my power to get them worked out before I write out a check.

This is not the first time I have had to call and check in on things. I feel like I have comb over every bill, claim and submission to make sure things are being covered correctly.

I am very grateful to have insurance, I just hate the run around I get and that sometimes I have to fight really hard to get things paid.