If I haven't posted in a week there is likely something that prevented me from doing so. Starting a new job, for example, would prevent me from having any spare time for, well, anything else. Practically speaking, the hours of 5 a.m. to about 8 p.m. are now spoken for during the week. I frequently used to make posts in the past while at work, but since I didn't have internet access for most of last week it didn't happen.
The week began with a nice drive up Powers to Voyager. I was pleasantly surprised at the shortness of the commute and the scenery. The drive took less time then expected - only about 20 minutes from door to door. I don't know if it's because we've gotten so much rain, but the drive is beautiful. The fields are green and are blanketed by wild sunflowers all along the way. Additionally, Black Forest and the mountains are on either side, reminding me that I live in a pretty place.
The first three days were spent in orientation. If at this point in the post you're trying to remember where I'm now working, it's at Compassion International. We met at the front desk and were escorted to the conference room in HR where we would spend the next three days. Our name tags were already in place, so we sat down in our assigned seats. Everyone in our class had to introduce themselves and we quickly realized that two of our twelve classmates were not from the United States. One, named Wesly, was from Haiti. The other, Innocent, was from Uganda. Before arriving I didn't know everything about Compassion, so although they introduced themselves, I wasn't sure about their purpose and background. After a few minutes it dawned on me that our two international classmates were former Compassion children. Later we found out that was indeed the case, and not only had they been Compassion children but they had also been part of Compassion's Leadership Development Program (LDP) and had been sent to university. Now one was sitting right next to me about to begin a year-long internship in the United States.
Wesly and Innocent's presence was a unique and very fortunate (for the rest of us) introduction to Compassion. It couldn't have been more real then that - having a child of Compassion sitting right next to me. These two young men had once been poor children in villages a world away, without money, food, hope, and even shoes (literally). Through the sponsorship and LDP programs Compassion offer, these two will return to their home countries healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually in addition to being educated and trained. This example is well summed up in Compassion's statement, "Releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name". It made us all fortunate to be part of something that is making a difference in the world, let alone these two lives.
What also made us feel fortunate to be accepted into the organization is that we found out only about 1% of applicants make the cut and get hired. I don't say this to boast, but to point to the fact that the organization has a reputation as a great place to work. I think they get a lot of applicants because the mission, environment, benefits, and pay all make it desirable. I'm sure probably only 10% of applications received are actually from qualified candidates. I know I haven't been there very long, but I can already tell that the people working there are a step above past coworkers (generally speaking). With all due respect to previous employers, this place seems like the real deal. Of course, that's only part of the equation - God has blessed this group with continued positive revenue growth each and every year for at least the past 10 years despite what's going on in the global economy.
On Thursday morning I was able to get settled at my desk. My title is Managerial Accountant or Business Partner Support. The easiest way to think about what I and the team will be doing is that we are the Customer Service arm of the Finance Department, at least in terms of providing other areas with useful financial information so that they can be the best stewards of the resources provided to their area(s). If you're not familiar with how most Finance and Accounting shops are set up, typically you have a few groups: the bean counters, the budget group, accounts receivable, accounts payable and payroll. They each have their own areas that they need to focus on, and at least at Compassion, responding to additional customer requests have proven difficult. Our team is partnered with other areas in the ministry outside of Finance and work cross-functionally with all areas within Finance to provide them with what they need. Mine is a support role, so I'll probably be doing a lot of data gathering and analysis.
For the next few weeks I'll be meeting with others in the department to find out what they do. I'm sure I'll gradually be pulled more and more into fray as I get more familiar with everything. I've already decided that I'm going to stay with the organization for a long time. There is no reason not to - or to put it more appropriately at this point, many reasons to. Even if my specific position turns out not to be an ideal arrangement, Compassion is big enough and good enough to make a move internally. Here's hoping for some great moments over the coming years.
27 August 2011
20 August 2011
Flavor Flav
We think we've figured out what has been causing Jonathan to vomit some of his feedings. Would you believe me if I said it was as simple as the flavor of the formula?
I had been saying for a long time that it just seemed like the formula was too "thick" for him. I couldn't quite explain the reason for my hunch, except that something along those lines wasn't agreeing with his system. I kept saying it was like we were giving him a milkshake when he wanted something less thick. I couldn't put it into more words then that.
Perhaps it really is a combination of the type of formula (hypoallergenic or not), the dilution, and the flavoring. At a minimum, it's a flavor issue. We've been giving him unflavored Elecare formula and he's been keeping it down. When we've tried to switch to Elecare Vanilla, he doesn't tolerate it. This is surprising since Elecare is the most expensive, hypoallergenic formula out there. The only difference between the two is the flavor.
My hunch was confirmed by a link my Mom sent me a few weeks ago from UW. Excessive flavorings can cause vomiting in some infants, among many other items on the list. We're experimenting with some cheaper, less hypoallergenic formulas with no flavor to see if we really need to use the most hypoallergenic kind or if it's just a flavor issue.
Next time we visit the doctor we're going to ask him about this. His office seems to think it shouldn't matter what the flavor is, since it's bypassing everything and going straight to the stomach. Logically that makes sense, but we're finding it not to be the case for Jonathan. My thought is that this suggests he does have some sort of reflux issue that is affected by a stronger flavored formula. If the formula doesn't taste and therefore doesn't "burn", he's able to keep it down. If it's too strong or too flavored, it comes back up.
Between this and the night feedings, we're well on our way to figuring everything out. If it's just a reflux issue in the end, children tend to grow out of it as they get older. Jonathan is also showing a lot more interest in our food now too, which should help with the transition. Here's hoping we cracked the case.
I had been saying for a long time that it just seemed like the formula was too "thick" for him. I couldn't quite explain the reason for my hunch, except that something along those lines wasn't agreeing with his system. I kept saying it was like we were giving him a milkshake when he wanted something less thick. I couldn't put it into more words then that.
Perhaps it really is a combination of the type of formula (hypoallergenic or not), the dilution, and the flavoring. At a minimum, it's a flavor issue. We've been giving him unflavored Elecare formula and he's been keeping it down. When we've tried to switch to Elecare Vanilla, he doesn't tolerate it. This is surprising since Elecare is the most expensive, hypoallergenic formula out there. The only difference between the two is the flavor.
My hunch was confirmed by a link my Mom sent me a few weeks ago from UW. Excessive flavorings can cause vomiting in some infants, among many other items on the list. We're experimenting with some cheaper, less hypoallergenic formulas with no flavor to see if we really need to use the most hypoallergenic kind or if it's just a flavor issue.
Next time we visit the doctor we're going to ask him about this. His office seems to think it shouldn't matter what the flavor is, since it's bypassing everything and going straight to the stomach. Logically that makes sense, but we're finding it not to be the case for Jonathan. My thought is that this suggests he does have some sort of reflux issue that is affected by a stronger flavored formula. If the formula doesn't taste and therefore doesn't "burn", he's able to keep it down. If it's too strong or too flavored, it comes back up.
Between this and the night feedings, we're well on our way to figuring everything out. If it's just a reflux issue in the end, children tend to grow out of it as they get older. Jonathan is also showing a lot more interest in our food now too, which should help with the transition. Here's hoping we cracked the case.
18 August 2011
Caught On Camera: Google Maps
Has anyone else noticed the Google Maps Street View Car in town? We did, because it drove right down our street and past our house while we were standing in the front yard. We're going to be famous!
The entire family was standing in the driveway while Julia painted the brick on the far left column with a brush and water. Stacey actually saw the car drive by since my back was towards the street. I had Jonathan in the backpack and was feeding him at the time. I hope they captured a funny look on Stacey's face when she pointed at the car as it drove by, or perhaps my face as I turned to look.
It's been four years since the first time our house was captured. We know it was late summer to autumn 2007 because my over-fertilization the first summer in our house was documented for all the world to see. I've had to live with this mistake for four years. If you think about us while on Google Maps in the coming months, check to see if the below photo from 2007 has been updated.
As if this weren't enough, it is also possible we got caught waiting at the intersection of Powers and Dublin with Michelle in the car. I'm going to keep an eye out for that one too and will let everyone know when it is finally posted. I was tempted to dart across traffic and follow the car, just to make sure I got on their site.
I must lead a boring life if the highlight of my day was getting on Google Maps Street View.
The entire family was standing in the driveway while Julia painted the brick on the far left column with a brush and water. Stacey actually saw the car drive by since my back was towards the street. I had Jonathan in the backpack and was feeding him at the time. I hope they captured a funny look on Stacey's face when she pointed at the car as it drove by, or perhaps my face as I turned to look.
It's been four years since the first time our house was captured. We know it was late summer to autumn 2007 because my over-fertilization the first summer in our house was documented for all the world to see. I've had to live with this mistake for four years. If you think about us while on Google Maps in the coming months, check to see if the below photo from 2007 has been updated.
As if this weren't enough, it is also possible we got caught waiting at the intersection of Powers and Dublin with Michelle in the car. I'm going to keep an eye out for that one too and will let everyone know when it is finally posted. I was tempted to dart across traffic and follow the car, just to make sure I got on their site.
I must lead a boring life if the highlight of my day was getting on Google Maps Street View.
16 August 2011
First Day Of School
Well, preschool and only two half days a week. Still, it's a big step considering Julia will now be in school of some sort for probably the next 20 years of her life. In a way we were a bit sad, but it wasn't too bad because she really wanted and was ready to start. She kept joking with us that she was going to "work" as B's "mommy".
Because the neighborhood preschool system is a lottery, we decided to enroll her in the nearby program at Pikes Pikes Christian School. Our neighbors and her friend "baby Julia" next door recommended the school after their experience last year. We figured the cost, proximity, type of school and advantages of starting with a friend and neighbor were a good decision.
She really liked her first day. We had visited her classroom and teacher yesterday at the open house, so we knew where to go. There was a name tag outside the classroom where we hung her backpack. Mrs Graham is her teacher's name. The first day they colored a picture of a raccoon, played on the playground, had a snack, and went to Spanish class. She learned the Spanish word for red (rojo). They also had chapel, sang songs, and marched around to music. I think that this will be a great experience for her, especially socially.
When we picked Julia up from class I ran into another guy who was also wearing a Spurs hat. His daughter is one of the about 10 children in Julia's class. We both wondered what the chances of that were, considering I've probably seen one other guy in town the last four years wearing a Spurs jersey. They live nearby, so we may catch a game or two together.
Julia kept saying how much she liked preschool, so this should be a good experience for her.
Because the neighborhood preschool system is a lottery, we decided to enroll her in the nearby program at Pikes Pikes Christian School. Our neighbors and her friend "baby Julia" next door recommended the school after their experience last year. We figured the cost, proximity, type of school and advantages of starting with a friend and neighbor were a good decision.
She really liked her first day. We had visited her classroom and teacher yesterday at the open house, so we knew where to go. There was a name tag outside the classroom where we hung her backpack. Mrs Graham is her teacher's name. The first day they colored a picture of a raccoon, played on the playground, had a snack, and went to Spanish class. She learned the Spanish word for red (rojo). They also had chapel, sang songs, and marched around to music. I think that this will be a great experience for her, especially socially.
When we picked Julia up from class I ran into another guy who was also wearing a Spurs hat. His daughter is one of the about 10 children in Julia's class. We both wondered what the chances of that were, considering I've probably seen one other guy in town the last four years wearing a Spurs jersey. They live nearby, so we may catch a game or two together.
Julia kept saying how much she liked preschool, so this should be a good experience for her.
15 August 2011
Important Work Stuff
Michelle gave Jonathan his first tool belt. He wasted no time checking out the mop for structural integrity.
13 August 2011
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
With Michelle in town, we all decided to take the kids to the highest zoo (elevation) in the United States. I hadn't been since we returned to Colorado and this was Jonathan's first time. The first thing we did was take the chair lift to the very top for a picnic lunch. You can always count on Grandma to feed everyone.
The highlights for the kids were feeding the giraffes, the carousel, and the kiddie water spray area. I think Julia enjoyed seeing the other animals too, but you just can't compete with playing and feeding a giraffe crackers. I was able to get some great pictures of Jonathan's first trip to a zoo and him feeding the giraffes.
Great picture of Michelle and Jonathan; On the way down from our picnic, Downtown
Aerial view of the Broadmoor and giraffe area; Family photo with the giraffes
Jonathan feeding the giraffe crackers
Julia feeding a giraffe; Family carousel fun; Jonathan being a wild man while riding
Spray area; Jonathan climbing the fence on his own
The highlights for the kids were feeding the giraffes, the carousel, and the kiddie water spray area. I think Julia enjoyed seeing the other animals too, but you just can't compete with playing and feeding a giraffe crackers. I was able to get some great pictures of Jonathan's first trip to a zoo and him feeding the giraffes.
Great picture of Michelle and Jonathan; On the way down from our picnic, Downtown
Aerial view of the Broadmoor and giraffe area; Family photo with the giraffes
Jonathan feeding the giraffe crackers
Julia feeding a giraffe; Family carousel fun; Jonathan being a wild man while riding
Spray area; Jonathan climbing the fence on his own
11 August 2011
Premier Disappointment
The "football" season starts on Saturday, and boy WAS I excited. That is, until a bunch of idiots started rioting in the streets of London (and beyond). Spurs were scheduled to kick off the entire league season with the only early game at home against Everton. For those in the United States, it was scheduled to be on ESPN 2 in HD.
A week ago the UK riots started in the borough of Tottenham. The incidents happened pretty close to the stadium - in fact, the Tottenham Hotspur ticket windows were entirely smashed to bits. As a precaution, the Premier League announced today that the match on Saturday was canceled. I could accept that if not for the fact that it was the only match that has been postponed. I guess I'll have to wait another week.
One of the things I like to do each season is predict where I think the teams will finish in the league. I've stopped assigning places to every team since it's too tedious. Plus, I think it's more fun to place the teams together in similar groups. So, without further ado, here are my predictions, in alphabetical order:
Title Contenders
Chelsea, Manchester United
Third Place
Manchester City
Fourth Through Sixth
Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham
Rounding Out The Top Half
Everton, Fulham, Stoke, Sunderland
Mid-Table Mediocrity
Bolton, Newcastle, Villa, West Brom, Wolves
Fighting For Survival
Blackburn, Norwich City, QPR, Swansea, Wigan
A week ago the UK riots started in the borough of Tottenham. The incidents happened pretty close to the stadium - in fact, the Tottenham Hotspur ticket windows were entirely smashed to bits. As a precaution, the Premier League announced today that the match on Saturday was canceled. I could accept that if not for the fact that it was the only match that has been postponed. I guess I'll have to wait another week.
One of the things I like to do each season is predict where I think the teams will finish in the league. I've stopped assigning places to every team since it's too tedious. Plus, I think it's more fun to place the teams together in similar groups. So, without further ado, here are my predictions, in alphabetical order:
Title Contenders
Chelsea, Manchester United
Third Place
Manchester City
Fourth Through Sixth
Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham
Rounding Out The Top Half
Everton, Fulham, Stoke, Sunderland
Mid-Table Mediocrity
Bolton, Newcastle, Villa, West Brom, Wolves
Fighting For Survival
Blackburn, Norwich City, QPR, Swansea, Wigan
10 August 2011
Feeding Success
I was thinking the other day that I haven't posted much about Jonathan and the things he does. Granted, we've been really busy with feeding and chasing him around. He continues to develop normally and just like his sister did, knows everything that's going on around him.
Right now he's into clothes, especially socks and shoes. He likes to take his off almost as much as he likes to take mine off. It's a game of repetition. Shoes and socks off then immediately socks and shoes back on. He can play that game for a long time. He grabbed a onesie one morning and wanted to put it on.
He grabbed my water bottle and tried to reach for the water dispenser in the fridge. He likes to bite me because he thinks it's funny. The dining room is his playground. He likes to be chased and startled around the dining room table. He still has a little temper, throwing things or rolling on the floor when he doesn't get his way. He really likes to wave at cars and airplanes in the sky. As soon as he hears a car, he looks for it. As soon as he hears an airplane, he looks up at the sky. Watching him dance to music is hilarious.
We're coming up on almost a week since he last vomited. I really think we've figured out how to feed him in a way that he'll tolerate. We're getting in him 30 ounces of food but not at the target of 30 calories per ounce. We know he can handle the volume now. Even though we're not hitting the target calories, we're well on our way. We've gone back to the completely hypo-allergenic/broken down formula Elecare. It's expensive, but it's really working well. We've been diluting down to the same concentration as breast milk (20 calories per ounce) and he's doing great. We don't know yet if the reason he's keeping it down is due to the dilution, Elecare, and/or increasing the Prevacid. It also could be as simple as a change in formula or that we stopped using Reglan. Maybe it's diluted enough not to cause a reflux issue. Maybe it's as simple as he's more hydrated and can thus handle it better. As you can see, there are so many variables that make it a long, difficult task to figure out what works best.
The next step is to slightly increase the concentration to see if he can tolerate it. My personal opinion is that we won't be able to get all the way back up to 30 calories per ounce. We'll get close but not all the way. Considering his family genes and that 900 calories (last we heard) is 125% of what he needs since we're playing catch up, we're hoping this is the light at the end of the tunnel. The scale never lies though - that will be the real test.
Right now he's into clothes, especially socks and shoes. He likes to take his off almost as much as he likes to take mine off. It's a game of repetition. Shoes and socks off then immediately socks and shoes back on. He can play that game for a long time. He grabbed a onesie one morning and wanted to put it on.
He grabbed my water bottle and tried to reach for the water dispenser in the fridge. He likes to bite me because he thinks it's funny. The dining room is his playground. He likes to be chased and startled around the dining room table. He still has a little temper, throwing things or rolling on the floor when he doesn't get his way. He really likes to wave at cars and airplanes in the sky. As soon as he hears a car, he looks for it. As soon as he hears an airplane, he looks up at the sky. Watching him dance to music is hilarious.
We're coming up on almost a week since he last vomited. I really think we've figured out how to feed him in a way that he'll tolerate. We're getting in him 30 ounces of food but not at the target of 30 calories per ounce. We know he can handle the volume now. Even though we're not hitting the target calories, we're well on our way. We've gone back to the completely hypo-allergenic/broken down formula Elecare. It's expensive, but it's really working well. We've been diluting down to the same concentration as breast milk (20 calories per ounce) and he's doing great. We don't know yet if the reason he's keeping it down is due to the dilution, Elecare, and/or increasing the Prevacid. It also could be as simple as a change in formula or that we stopped using Reglan. Maybe it's diluted enough not to cause a reflux issue. Maybe it's as simple as he's more hydrated and can thus handle it better. As you can see, there are so many variables that make it a long, difficult task to figure out what works best.
The next step is to slightly increase the concentration to see if he can tolerate it. My personal opinion is that we won't be able to get all the way back up to 30 calories per ounce. We'll get close but not all the way. Considering his family genes and that 900 calories (last we heard) is 125% of what he needs since we're playing catch up, we're hoping this is the light at the end of the tunnel. The scale never lies though - that will be the real test.
06 August 2011
I'll Say Hi
Last November, Julia wanted to call grandpa and grandma on the phone to say that she saw them and a fireman on the news. We had just finished watching the story of the car crashing into their animal hospital. Since no one answered the phone, I tried to keep her talking while the answering machine was recording. Obviously, she didn't know it was recording. One of the classic responses in her message, when I asked if she loved grandpa and grandma was simply, "I'll say hi".
05 August 2011
Officially Hired
This morning I was officially offered the job at Compassion. My first day will be Monday, August 22. I still have two more weeks of slacking off. In reality, I'm really looking forward to working again. It's been a long, tough grind here at home considering the circumstances.
Coincidentally, my salary will be the exact same as it was at Focus. It's almost like we're going to pick up right where we left off. Compassion has better benefits and less expensive premiums, so in the end it's really a bit more...just enough to cover new expenses: preschool and a cleaning lady.
As I mentioned in a previous post, the timing is great for many reasons. We're entering our favorite time of the year, autumn. The weather starts to cool off, soccer and football start, it's "back" to school, and I'm starting a new job. It's a new season.
Coincidentally, my salary will be the exact same as it was at Focus. It's almost like we're going to pick up right where we left off. Compassion has better benefits and less expensive premiums, so in the end it's really a bit more...just enough to cover new expenses: preschool and a cleaning lady.
As I mentioned in a previous post, the timing is great for many reasons. We're entering our favorite time of the year, autumn. The weather starts to cool off, soccer and football start, it's "back" to school, and I'm starting a new job. It's a new season.
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