Medical Mystery + Corona = Happy Wednesday

First an update on my ear infection.  It was no ear infection at all.  Hahaha.  I am apparently horrible at pinpointing what is actually the problem.  I should just stick to saying what hurts.  So last time my glands really hurt, which made my throat hurt, but it was actually caused by an ear infection.  This time my throat hurt again and it was... my throat.  Imagine that.  I have an infection, white pockets of puss to be exact, on the right side of my upper throat and on my tongue.  You can see it with the naked eye and a flash light.  Just ask Dave.  It is totally gross.

Frustrated with my family doctor and the reoccurring nature of these infections, I called around and got in to an official Ear, Nose and Throat office.  The PA there was wonderful, and assured me that getting infections every other week all summer is not "typical" and is in fact no way to live.  I nearly burst into tears in his office.  He suspected a bigger underlying problem and did blood work for strep and mono, both of which came back negative.  When I was in his office, I asked him what we'd do if they both came back negative and he said, "they won't.  But if they do then you need to come back in 10 days when the antibiotic is done and we will go from there."  So that's the plan I guess.  I'm trying to stay positive.  I'm thankful that I do get almost immediate relief with antibiotics, even if temporary.  And that it "goes away" with medicine apparently rules out bigger problems like cancer.

My friend and personal physician assistant Suzanne just texted me... "I bet your allergies are causing congestion which increases infection risk."  Then she advised me to get a new toothbrush.  I love her.  I do a daily nose spray but am considering, with the ENT, a once daily like Zyrtec.  Lots of people find a lot of relief from them.  I personally never have-- and I have struggled with allergies since 1990 including several once dailies, two surgeries and three rounds of shots-- but I have never tried Zyrtec.  There has to be more preventative things I can do rather than feel awful, take an antibiotic for 10 days and get sick a week later.  I'm also considering more regular chiropractic care.

In other news, I dressed Dekker today in his birthday present from his Aunt Beth.  She went to Mexico on a mission trip in March and brought back this little beauty.  It's a Mexican soccer uniform.  I love it, especially in the spirit of the World Cup.

Only problem was that Aunt Beth never checked out the back of it when she bought it.  At least that's what she says!  So enjoy the beer logo on the back side!!

And ignore the fact that my son is about to fall of the counter while I take pictures with my phone to email to myself for this blog.

I am ending with a rather lengthy note that I copied off facebook.  Please check it out and pray for this family today.  (click on the "more" link next to my name)

On the journey,

Stef

Sunday Funday

We had a FANTASTIC day with the Sallinger Smoochers on Sunday.  I called it our Sunday Funday... and it was.  We think "bonding" with our nieces and nephews is a total joy, and we loved watching Dekker interact with them.

Our day started out about 8:15 when Becky and Mitch dropped off the four kids as well as lunch and dinner.  Yes, you read that right.  As if getting everything together wasn't enough, Becky left two delish meals-- tater tot casserole for lunch and spaghetti casserole for dinner.

We loaded up the van, because we borrowed Mitch and Becky's mini-van you know.  Dave looked like a total hottie behind the wheel if you ask me.  I think he had a moment where he thought, "this isn't so bad..." hahaha.  Anyway, we headed to Hy-Vee for a donut.  Not because they love donuts, but because I do.  And I am willing to take every excuse to get one, even if that includes parading five small children through Hy-Vee.  Everyone loved their treat, and at one point during this, while sitting in the Hy-Vee cafe, Rugger stood up and started yelling, "Look, look.  Darth Vader!  He's here!  Darth Vader!  Darth Vader!"  I didn't look to see who he was pointing at and gave my first stern Aunt Stefanie look and asked Rugger to sit down and be quiet, which he immediately did.

Church was fantastic.  I just want to say how impressed I am with the Stonebridge Children's Ministry.  They were incredibly organized.  We got all the kids dropped off and had a great church service.

We came home to play in the backyard.  When I say play I mean help Dave identify dog poop for him to pick up.  Hmmm.... I see them begging to come back soon!  Dekker played in the swing.  Then we enjoyed lunch around the table and put the three little ones down for a nap.

While the kiddos napped we got to do some big kid activities.  Like video games and computer games.  I like to think that this redeemed us for the dog poop outing.  Check out Ryleigh sitting in the TV chair.  She's a natural.

We also enjoyed the low fat no-bake Strawberry Cheescake.  We ate it without Rowen, who was over 3 hours into his nap at this time.  We reasoned that we needed to eat before the spray park, and that Rowen could have a banana in the car, and then we could get out the door quicker.  Poor thing.  He did have a banana later and hopefully never knows what he missed out on.  The kids loved it, they asked for seconds several times and each time I suggested they eat more fruit.  Their mama would be proud of me.  And I ate the leftover pieces the minute they left, and for breakfast today.

We owned the spray park!  It was a total blast.  We did have a rather heavy conversation on the way to the park about infant death and cremation-- for the life of us we don't know how they got on the topic, but my volunteering experience at the Ted E Bear Hollow prepared me to answer their questions simply and honestly and eventually they were satisfied and moved on to another topic.  We just had a great time at the park-- We have pictures to prove it!

Mean Mommy

Because I have  been somewhat of a blog slacker lately.... I'm hoping for a multiple post week and just wanted to get started by giving proof that I am, in fact, a mean Mom.

This is sweet, sweet Dekker crying for his mom.  I stopped to take a picture before picking him up.  Mean Mom Exhibit #1.

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I hope this link works.  Mean Mom Exhibit #2.  We thoroughly enjoyed the sprinkler park off 120th and Center with our nieces and nephews Sunday.  Sweet Dekker got stuck under the sprinkler-- took him by surprise.  I kept the camera rolling.  Pardon my arm and laughter at the end of the clip!

Couldn't possibly love that little boy more!

More tomorrow.

On the journey,

Stef

Not Skinny on the Taste

Well, I wanted to let you all know about some of the great recipes I have been eating and serving up at our home courtesy of the Skinny Taste website (thanks again, Nicole, for sharing this!) ...

1.  Southwestern Black Bean Salad.  This is just fantastic and the ingredients are pretty easy to keep on hand.  I always question how to eat it.  So this week I bought some baked tortilla chips and romaine lettuce.  I really like to use it as a "salad dressing" of sorts, and it gives a lunch salad a little more staying power-- meaning I'm not hungry 30 minutes later, in the middle of session, with no break in sight for the next 4 hours.  I add the avocado daily so it doesn't get brown.  I use lemon juice.  And I sometimes skip the tomato because I don't love tomato and I think they are hard and a MESS to get cut up.  I also like to eat it as a "dip" and I like to eat it with a spoon (like my friend Cari would suggest-- check out her fab foodie blog).

2.  Macaroni and Cheese.  I loved this too.  I really loved that this made a TON of food.  My oval casserole dish wasn't big enough and I ended up making it in a 9X13 pan.  Needless to say the three of us did not get it all eaten.  My tips on this: Plan ahead.  Read the recipe all the way through a few times so you can clean and reuse pans, etc.  It made a mess out of my kitchen and was a little more involved than I first anticipated.  And use the Sargento cheese.  I couldn't find it, so I used Kraft, and it melted like crap which almost ruined the near hour I had put into this.  I added broccoli and I didn't do the breadcrumbs.  I think this is a great recipe for a family and I will do it again.

3.  Italian Turkey Meatballs. Love, love, love.  Spaghetti is such a great, low point meal and you get to eat a lot for not a lot of points.  I used whole wheat penne pasta (it's easier for Dekker to grab and eat) and made these up before I headed out to volunteer and just left them in the fridge for Dave to "brown" before serving (abt 5 min).  It was super easy to make and make ahead and made several little meatballs.  A great way to dress up spaghetti.  Dekker loved them, too.  Fab leftovers.  I did not make my own marinara sauce (are you kidding me?).  I left a can of Hunts for Dave and it was perfect for us.

4.  Beef Stroganoff. Again, super easy and fantastic.  I used a super high fiber spiral noodle and skipped out on the mushrooms.  I also used onion and garlic seasoning.  I love the Tastefully Simple Onion/Onion and Garlic/Garlic for times like this.  It is just much easier for me and it still tastes great.  I did use a bay leaf, and I was very proud of myself for having them in my cupboard.  I used lite sour cream.  Dave says next time he thinks it needs some hot sauce or pepper added when served.  Noted.

Life, Life, and an Update on Life

Well... to the three of you who check this regularly and have texted me wondering where my post was yesterday, I have no good excuse-- but I love that you check my blog!  Last week was basically the week from hell, with Dave out of town and Dekker and I both coming down with ear infections.  I'm just going to back up to our anniversary weekend and give a little update on life.

* Friday Night June 11: We dropped Dekker off with my folks at the gas station on N. 27th street in Lincoln.  We used a three year old gift certificate to Misty's Restaurant and went to the downtown location.  A delicious steak was a great way to celebrate 5 years of wedded bliss (ish). ha.

* Saturday/Sunday: Staycation Continues.  Saturday we slept wwaayy in, probably more than we have slept in since having Dekker and I am not exaggerating.  It was fantastic.  We were comfortable in our bed, there wasn't any major noise and we didn't have the feeling of "we should get up" for any reason.  We had brunch at Wheatfields and sat on the patio and talked for over an hour after we were done eating.  What did we talk about?  Anything.  Saturday we also went to the midtown theatre for an early movie and went to Taste of Omaha where we made a few new, funny friends on a park bench and sat there for over an hour waiting for the fairly pathetic firework show.  Sunday we had donuts and coffee and took a good old fashioned drive and ran a few errands.   Then we went to Lincoln and picked up Dekker, where my mom and dad thought he was getting a cold.  I worked the nursery that night for night church and Dave and Dekker had a fun night at home together, which included an early bedtime.  Then we had Fazoli's.  It was the perfect end to a no-cooking, no-cleaning staycation.

Note: Well, I honestly debated and debated the Necessity of having my folks keep Dekker.  I mean, he's a good kid.  He sleeps ALL night, 12 hours a night, and naps a good 2-3 hours everyday.  He is a lot, but it's not like we don't have any time to one another, especially at night.  But within 30 minutes of dropping him off with my folks, I was glad I did.  We missed him all weekend.  But I don't think we realize how much mental and physical energy it takes to keep up with kids.  Without Dekker at home for the weekend, Dave and I were able to focus on one another and just free our mind of naptimes, bedtimes, diapers, discipline, etc.  We sat and visited for hours at several restaurants.  We stayed out late, ate whenever we wanted, and even sat on the couch for a few hours.  It was a great time to reconnect and I'm telling you ladies out there-- it was completely worth it.  Our marriage is better because of it and I hope we never start thinking it's "no big deal" to spend quality 1:1 time together.  It is SUPER important.

Monday/Friday: Dave traveled to Michigan.  I had a busy work week and when I woke up Tuesday and couldn't swallow again I went straight to the doctor, well, PA actually.  Another ear infection.  So weird.  My allergies are out of control and I don't know what to do.  I have allergies just like millions of other people, but for some reason my sinus and throat won't drain the mucus (TMI, I know).  So it settles and I get infections, typically a sinus infection but for whatever reason this year-- ear infections.  I think living with allergies and accepting this as "normal" totally sucks.  Dekker really struggled at daycare Tuesday and by Wednesday I was going out of my skin with him (calling and texting various family members and friends in my misery-- you girls are too good to me-- their replies made me cry, which made Dekker cry...) so I called and got him into the same PA ("It's me again!") and he had an ear infection, too.  And no, they are not contagious.  So glad I took him in.  Thurs I worked again.

Friday: Spontaneous trip to Des Moines with Beth.  Dekker slept in the car, the only place he would sleep, and we hauled him around the mall.  He is a TROOPER!  I think getting lots of daytime sleep was fantastic for him, and I loved the windshield time with Beth.  Beth, you are a fabulous friend.

Sat/Sun: Busy weekend, including a birthday party in Lincoln and a trip to Aurora to celebrate Fathers Day.

That brings us to the present.  We are all feeling better and doing good.  Dekker is napping much better and not waking up at night.  His ear infection, and its drainage, triggered for him an awful cough, which has stopped.  In the mean time, I am obsessed with the oil spill and have never watched so much CNN in my life.

I hope to get some pictures up to add to this post real soon but for now I am going to go rest a little more while Dekker sleeps.  And come back this week for an update on several of the Skinny Taste recipes I have tried.  Loving them!

On the journey,

Stef

Josie Girl

Dave and I love to celebrate our anniversary...
Year 5: "Staycation" in Omaha-- details to come
Year 4: Red Lobster & the then "new" pedestrian bridge
Year 3: We can't remember-- somewhere inbetween a miscarriage and getting pregnant with Dekker the next month
Year 1: Overnight stay at the Arbor Day Lodge in Nebraska City

But Year #2 changed everything.   That was the year we got our dog, sweet Josie.  Please understand that I did not want a dog.  I have said before on this blog that I was super against the extra expenses, the time, etc.  I really only saw the work that a dog would be.  But I am a smart enough woman to know that a happy husband is a happy home.  So I decided we could go look.  And we found Josie and we loved her.  Dave was ready to get her but I was not, and turns out it was too late to start the paperwork.  Then, the unthinkable-- another family approached her kennel (we're at the humane society here) and started talking to her real nice.  Suddenly, my heart jumped and I had this feeling like, "We have to get this dog!"  So we went home and called the next morning to put a "hold" on her.  We could only do that by filling out the paperwork.  So Dave took off work at noon to go stand in line and fill out the paperwork and put a "hold" on her.  After work, we went and had our "formal" meeting with her and brought her home.  This is a picture from her actual first night at home.

I can not say enough how much I learned to love Josie.  Suddenly, I was a "dog" person.  I wanted to talk to everyone who had an ear about my dog.  I kept pictures of her on my phone.  Here are just a few reasons that I love her:

* She protects me.  She is a great guard dog.  I am home alone from time to time, and it reassures me that she barks the minute a car door is shut when we are all in bed.
* She loves me no matter what.  I can want to kick her and throw her outside and yell at her and she has no hesitation to love me the minute I let her back in.  I've learned a lot from her.
* She trusts me.  I love when she rolls over and I rub her tummy.
* She is a great co worker for Dave.

* She gets my behind moving-- she has become a great walking partner.
* She keeps me company.  I talk to her during the day.  When I'm under the weather she cuddles with me.  She is just so sweet.

Having a dog has not always been easy.  We went through an awful phase with her not wanting to kennel up.  So we started leaving her out of her kennel during the day and then coming home to a DISASTER including urine in the corner and my rug chewed up.  One time she ate a bunch of bubble gum and I was afraid she was going to die.  We did lots of reading about kennel training and eventually, over time mostly, she started going in much easier and now she is in her kennel with a simple verbal command.  We also went through a several year phase where she caused more troubles on a walk than anything else.  She used to lunge at bunnies so fiercely that on separate occasions both Dave and I tripped and fell.  We went through SEVERAL collars (and money) until we found the one we have which makes her a moderately good walker.  She could still improve, if you ask me.  But I rarely want to shoot her or give her away by the end of my walk.

When I was about 8 months pregnant with Dekker I started to have a real fear that I wouldn't love my baby (sounds crazy now).  I remember one day saying to my mom, "I love Josie.  And she's a lot of work.  So I'll love this baby, too.  Right?"  My mom laughed, but I was dead serious.  Josie has taught me so much about love.  She softened my heart that a lot of work can be so warm and rewarding.  She reminded me that "bad days" are followed by "good days."  In a way, she was our first child.  I will always love her for that.  She gave us confidence that we could love a baby-- that we could put ourselves second and that sacrifice, even though tiring sometimes, is worth it when you love what you're sacrificing for.

I made a commitment that I wouldn't turn on my dog when we had a baby.  I have seen a lot of families start to hate their dog after they had kids.  And believe me, I understand why and how this happens all too easy.  Taking care of a child is nothing compared to taking care of a dog.  And suddenly we realize how "spoiled" our dogs were- and they seem high maintenance now-- needing walks, fed, let out in the AM-- even when I have been up all night.  There is so little left of me some days, that my patience wears thin when she jumps on the counter for the 4 millionth time or barks at the back door during nap time.  Personally, our dog has become much more of a dog and less of a kid.  For me, Josie is still a part of our family.  She is our family dog.  She honestly guards Dekker's door when he sleeps-- day or night.  She walks right beside his stroller through the neighborhood-- so close that he can reach out and touch her.  It will be interesting to see how their relationship changes as Dekker starts to walk, pull and tug.  But I pray that they will work things out and that these two loves of mine will keep loving one another.  Because as much as I love Josie, she does not want me to chose between the two of them :)

On the journey,

Stef

Parking Wars

Just wanted to say "thanks" to whoever this is, who takes up two parking stalls every Monday night.  Seriously every time I see this (which is every week) I laugh out loud and cuss at myself for not taking my camera along.  Hahaha.  I knew you guys would appreciate this.  And would also appreciate that I took this picture with my phone, then emailed it to myself.  And that I was trying to discretely take the picture, while balancing my crock-pot full of ground turkey and taco seasoning on my hip while my car siren went off b/c I tried to lock it when the passenger door was unlocked.... oh anyway, the double stall isn't that big of a deal, there is plenty of parking all around.  But just too funny not to share!

On the Journey,

Stef

Five For Five

In honor of Dave and my 5 year anniversary (today) I am making a list of 5 things I love about him.  So here they are, in no particular order.

1.  Your faith.  I have quiet assurance that I can trust you to lead our home.  You are a good leader.  You make wise choices.  You seek wise counsel, including the wisest counsel available.  You hold my hand when you pray.  You look at me out of the corner of your eye when you sing in church to see if I'm singing, too.  I am.  I am off key.  But I am listening to your voice because hearing my man declare his love for our God is one of the most incredible experiences in my life.  Week after week.

2.  Your dimples.  They were one of the first things I noticed about you when you strolled into the CSF Mexico Team Meeting, where I gave a demo on packing and you wore a leather jacket.  Now, our son has your dimples.  Sigh.  My cup runs over.

3.  Your level head.  I love to talk about things with you.  I love that we don't agree on everything, but we still listen to one another.  Sometimes you say, "I see that point... but" and that makes me feel awesome.  I look forward to long drives with you because we talk about the weirdest stuff.  I am glad that you don't want to fly to camp this year.  Being stuck in a car for 13 hours with you (one way) sounds awesome.  When do we leave?

4.  Your sense of humor.  There is absolutely no one else that I would have rather gone through the last five-plus years with.  No one else that I would want to see me balloon up with a baby, have the baby, and then go through those first several months with.  I cried, oh Dave, I was depressed!  You stood by me.   You made me laugh when there was nothing to laugh about.  You still do.  I can not think of one day since I have known you that you have not made me laugh.  Even when you are traveling, you send me funny texts or I think of a funny memory or you call me with something funny to say.  Your funny-ness is even funnier because you know when and how to be serious.  You are the best.

5.  Your dreams.  And that they include me.

On the journey,

Stef

PS. I maintained my WW weight this week-- bravo!  I have 2.6 lbs to go before I reach my lifetime weight and get fake nails and that will happen this month.  Mark my words (or nails)!

A Little Gem... ...

Today (Monday) I went to Lincoln to shop with my Mom.  We went to South Pointe and I have decided that I really do heart that mall.  I love outdoor malls and I like South Pointe (yes, it is suppose to have the "e" on the end of Point"e") because it doesn't have any streets running through it.  Okay anyway, it rained on me all the way there-- can you say white knuckle driving??  I sprinted into Bed Bath and Beyond where I could fill up a cart in 15 minutes or less if you let me.  I had NOTHING on my list, but found a few great, must have things including...

1. A pineapple corer.  My friend Suzanne brought hers over earlier this spring and I LOVED it.  It ended up in my dishwasher and then my cupboard and a few times she was over and I honestly remembered that we had it but "forgot" to return it.  So... last Friday night after a great "make your own whole wheat pizza" night, I buckled down and gave it back.  So I found my own for $9.99 today and had a 20% of coupon.  If you don't have one of these slick (calorie-friendly) things, you should consider it.

2.  A new bathmat because I hate mine so much.  It has approximately 10 suctions on it and it's always sliding around.  This wouldn't be an issue if my tub weren't fiberglass and slicker than a whistle and (I think-- but Dave will refute) slightly tilted downward.  If I put Dekker in there without the mat he honestly slides right down to the drain.  (And yes, I clean it regularly, gross-0's).  So my new mat will take 30 minutes to "install" every time I clean, but it has a lot of suctions-- like 200 and I'm not over exaggerating.  Does anyone have a bathmat that they love?

3.  And finally, I found a little gem for the low low price of $4.99.  And because I was with my mom and every 20% off coupon she's ever gotten since 2004, I had a coupon that saved me $1.00.  So... ...

God Love Fridays

* God love the .6 lb I lost on WW this week.  God love the author of Skinny Taste and all the new recipes I now have. I am getting closer and closer to those fake nails when I reach my WW "Lifetime Weight."

*God love my friend Nicole from good old MHS.  It was great to reconnect with her this week AND she turned me on to Skinny Taste.  I suppose it's one thing to have the website and another to USE the recipes on it.  So you know...

* God love that Starbucks drive through.  You give me material every week, Starbucks.  In the drive through this week the man says to me: "That's a nice scarf you have on there."  I reply, "Thanks."  Then he says, "That's a nice million dollar purse you have there."  I say, "The purse is worth more than what's in it (and that is very true my friends)" and he says "Well.... I'm sure they are nice purses."  Okay, the latte, Sir.

* God love Dekker, who eats anything inbetween two pieces of bread, including this week avocado and sloppy joe.

* God love my husband, who writes a blog that I am pretty sure most people don't understand.

* God love Mulhalls, who after our little episode, sent me a follow up letter and $20 gift card this week.  Whoa, they have now officially gone above and beyond.  But I have been wanting a new little planting pot... ...

* And finally, God love Fridays!

On the Journey,

Stef

Memorial Day Weekend...

We had a fantastic memorial day weekend.

Saturday morning we got up and went to the Farmers Market at Village Pointe.  And, after having gone downtown a few times this season, here is my opinion: I loved the shorter drive.  Much less time in the car.  And I thought what was available was the same, but less selection.  Instead of several "meat guys" there was only one, instead of several veggie vendors, there was only a few.  And much less "non-food" items.  You get the picture.  It's also a different atmosphere.  And honestly, I didn't think it was less fantastic, just different.  In a way, I enjoyed not being elbow to elbow with half the town and having a little more room for the stroller.  I also enjoyed having the shopping nearby.  We browsed through the new Old Navy.  So in all I give it a "Different, but Good."  Of course, we missed stopping by Bliss Bakery.  Dekker fell asleep on the way home.  Go figure.  Screws up nap time, sweet thing.  We got him a little floppy hat that is to DIE for.

Saturday afternoon we went to a nearby park and we swang.  Love that floppy hat!  Then we had sushi (of course we did).  I am counting points and I hadn't eaten much all day-- Big Mistake.  I felt awful and basically ate and then crashed in bed with a huge migraine.  I absolutely will not do that again (save all my points for a 10PM snack).

Sunday was church, grocery shopping, naps for all and then a nice walk at Standing Bear Lake.  We met our friends Cari and Jake there.  The gals walked with the stroller and dog while the guys fished.  Can I just say that my left arm ached all night.  I was having nightmares about serious medical problems when I realized that that was the arm in which I carried the leash, constantly pulling on Josie so she didn't attack the numerous bunnies and other wildlife on the trail.  Dave warned me but I insisted on bringing her.  I will think twice next time!  Sunday night we watched Couples Retreat and this is my opinion on that: Totally worth the $1 Redbox rental.  It was a mindless night of cheap entertainment but that movie will not win any awards.

Monday was a lazy day around the house and a delish breakfast of cinnamon rolls and muffins.  For breakfast Dekker ate: A lemon muffin (like one in a four pack from the bakery-- huge), a banana, a bowl of oatmeal and half a cinnamon roll.  Am I over feeding him?  He is going to eat me out of house and home!  Then we enjoyed a fun night with some of the Rowe family at Don and Marcy's.  Loved the beautiful weather and eating on the deck.  A bunch of geese were flying overhead and we thought "boy, they are flying low."  Then, no kidding, one HIT the house next door, fell in the front yard, and DIED right there.  It was HUGE.  A few of the guys went running to see it and upon returning they said they needed grief counseling.  On the way home Dave said it was honestly pretty horrific.  The bird all but died as they watched it. *Shudder*  I took a peak on the way to the car-- the neighbor said he wasn't charging yet.  Ha.  I was sad for the bird, but glad it didn't suffer.

Finally, I remember that freedom isn't free on Memorial Day.  I am so thankful for the men and women and families who serve our country and I hope we all remember to pray for them often.  Here are some pictures of two of my heros-- buried in Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.  My Grandpa Soden, who served in WWII, and my Grandma, who passed just a year ago March.

On the journey,

Stef

Baby Insurance

Note: Make sure you read Cari's comment below!

Today I watched a documentary on "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room."  It was totally fascinating.  Anyway, the basic theme of the show was "If it seems too good to be true, it is."  This got me to thinking about our Aflac Insurance policy-- "Baby Insurance" as we called it, and I decided to use my Tuesday post to tell you all about it.  At first, it seemed "too good to be true."

Our good friends Tim and Mindy Boyd clued us in to the world of Aflac.   Tim and Mindy had heard about it while visiting family in Iowa (a short 15-20 min drive from Omaha) and had a referral in Iowa and signed the papers in Iowa.  So, when we decided that we wanted to "start trying" we talked to Tim and Mindy and took their referral.  So we called this lady and met her at the classy classy establishment of Mall of the Bluffs in Iowa.  We met with the agent, who confirmed what Tim and Mindy said-- that we pay for this insurance, approximately $100 a month, and when we have a baby it pays out on Mom and Baby-- about $6500.  Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?!?

We had some serious questions.  First, we were worried that we were doing something unethical by signing the papers in Iowa.  Seemed kinda sketchy.  We were super up-front that we live and work in Omaha, NEBRASKA.  We double checked that the agent made this very clear on our paperwork, which she did.  Plus, she reminded us that she is only licensed in Iowa.  Finally, we _think_ that Iowa had a shorter waiting period, but we can't remember.  Honestly, the reason we signed the papers in Iowa is because that is where we had a referral for an agent who our friends trusted.

I remember walking back to our car thinking... "are we throwing money down the drain.  It's too good to be true."  We did ask the agent, if this is all true, how in the world does Aflac make money.  She said that this policy is typically sold to commercial customers, like construction companies.  That made sense to us.  We kinda high-fived each other in the car and took a deep breath-- we had "baby insurance."  We were taking a very REAL step toward having a family.  I can't remember, but I'll bet we beamed all the way home :)

Here are a few things I want to note: