random thoughts

We went to the park today and met up with our friends K and her sons J (almost 3) and W (6 months). It was great so we stayed a long time and I could tell L was getting hungry, so I asked if he was hungry and patted my belly (our sign for hunger) and he patted his belly and then lay himself down on the sand!!! (Right next to the slide!) What's a mom to do? I got out his bottle and put it in his mouth. And I sort of laughed to my friend that I've had to get over my embarrassment in these moments. I can be embarrassed or I can feed my son! If someone wants to inquire as to why my looks-like-a-3-year-old is drinking a bottle, lying down, in the middle of the sand, do I have a story to tell?! In my head I'm almost daring them to ask so I can justify this crazy scene.

Unrelated, props to ABC News for shining a light on EE last night! They did a story on a child with EE whose insurance doesn't cover her prescription formula (she drinks Elecare, a different brand but same thing as L's Neocate) that costs $1200/month. They are in NY, where we'd heard the state had a law forcing insurance to cover it. Turns out, insurance only has to cover $2500/year, which doesn't help this family much. Since Jan. 1, 2007, Arizona requires insurance to cover at least 75%. Yea, AZ Legislature and Gov. Napolitano, we thank you! But it's a real problem and needs national attention. Thanks ABC!

I totally related to the video. The girl is 3 years old and has very few approved foods (they didn't specify what or how many) and so gets all her nutrition from the formula--same as L. (In other words, she can't live without it, but her insurance calls it a food supplement rather than a medication and therefore does not cover it!) And they showed her with her Avent bottle (same as L) and lying down to drink it (same as L!, though she was on the sofa, L drinks on the floor on his changing pad, not sure I'd want the whole world to see that LOL). So while I wouldn't call it enjoyable to watch, it was a unique opportunity to see that others live like we do. Tearjerker.

At the moment, you can go to abcnews.com and search "formula" and the video is listed on the right--I don't know how long that will be the case.