Re: Personality

January 16, 1999

Cherie,

I think it is wonderful how much you can write about EACH individual child.

You have a hreat memory!

January 16, 1999

,

Those sweet quiet babies are such a blessing. When Cheyanne was born (my

8th), she was so quiet and sweet. As long as she was with me she was happy.

She did not utter a single cry until she was 3 months old! When she wanted

to nurse she would give little pants like a puppy who has run too much in

the sun. Cheyanne was 11 pounds at birth. My nursing books all mentioned

that some babies utilize the milk so throughly that they sometimes don't

even poop. After the meconium was passed that is exactly what happened with

Cheyanne. This angel...the same weight as my premie Ben at 1 year of

age...didn't have a poopy diaper until around 3 months of age. Instead she

would give this huge explosion and we would look...nothing...only slightly

colored wetness. One day I was changing her diaper when this explosion

happened and I saw a very foamy substance come out and melt away into that

wetness. Hmmm. Strange. But Cheyanne was healthy and happy and nursing

beautifully. When she was 3 weeks old I picked her up to nurse and noticed

that she was slightly warm on the nipple. Not enough for anybody else to

notice but 13 years of daily nursing had taught me something! I called my

midwife and told her that I felt something was wrong. I knew at that moment

that she was about to be hospitalized. My midwife sent me to my

pediatrician. My doctor said that the baby was showing barely over normal

on temperature. I insisted that something wasn't right and so the doctor

put us in the hospital for a few tests. As long as I cuddle near my baby's

head...right down nose to nose, she didn't whimper when they did the

procedures on her. Sure enough, it came back that she had a urinary tract

infection..from that bubbly type of stool bubbling up into the urinary

tract! The nurses kept coming in and asking me " How did you know? Mothers

never come in before it is serious and this is just barely starting...how

did you know???? " I didn't tell them that it was inspiration..which of

course, it was. Instead I just said it was my experience in nursing, after

all, she was my 8th baby. Later that night an intern came in and told me he

was transfering Cheyanne up to intensive care. Why? " Because she is

unresponsive. She didn't cry when the nurses took the blood,

urine...tests. " I said, " She has been like this since birth. She is acting

perfectly normal. She didn't respond because her mommy was right with her. "

He said, " I am sending her upstairs because up there she had constant one on

one care of skilled nursed and be on machines that can monitor her better. "

I said, " She is my eighth baby and I am with her, not leaving her. I know

exactly what to look for, what is normal, what is dangerous. There is no

need to go upstairs..really, she is ok. " He said, " Mrs. Logan, you have a

very sick baby. " I said, " I KNOW she is sick..I am the one who insisted she

come in when everybody else thought she was fine! " " He said, " Mrs. Logan, I

don't care for your observations, your experience, your feelings. Your baby

could die on the way up the elevator. " Unspoken was...if you don't allow

her up there we will take custody of her based on neglect. So....We moved

upstairs. The machine they tried to put her on didn't work. The nurse

said, " Since you are going to be here with her, we'll just leave it off. "

The nurse smiled, left, closed the door, and I never saw another nurse all

night. The next morning my doctor peaked into my room. " Why are you here? "

" Because.... " and I told her everything...I was pretty upset. We are cash

paying patients and this six hour stint in Intensive care just cost us

$2,000 more than staying downstairs. My doctor frowned. She said, " They

never called me. I would never have ordered it...not you. " So...she moved

us downstairs again and we finished out the stay in the cheaper room. When

it came time to leave the hospital, my husband told me to not sign anything.

Well..that sure didn't work! They sent me down to accounting and I was told

that if I didn't sign then the baby could just stay there until it was

worked out. Hmmmm...I was challenging the Intensive care...not the whole

bill! Acccounting finally told me to just sign and then I could take it up

with billing after the bill was sent. Neil had told me that if I had to

sign anything to do it Without Prejudice and the code (don't remember the

code offhand). I did. We went home. Then came the problem with billing.

They refused...outright refused to alter the bill! We refused to pay until

it was worked out. Finally, billing telephoned Neil at work. " Mr. Logan.

Your wife signed this form and that is legal and binding. You must pay the

full bill as stated regardless of your sentiment. " My husband said, " If you

look closely at that bill you will see that she signed it, Without

Prejudice. That means that it is not a legally binding signature as is

because we were under durress and were challenging the content. It is a

legal matter. " They said, " We'll get back to you. " and hung up. Several

weeks later we got a letter. It said, " your baby needed the care the

hospital offered, including the intensive care. BUT because the intern

forgot to notify your doctor of the transfer we are waiving all charges for

that service. " We paid for what we asked for. Anyway...she was like that

for a very long time...she is still quiet and tender.

Cherie

Re: Personality

>

>WOW!!!! You have put a lot of thought into their personalities, and know

>each one so well!! I also have four very different children! I will not try

>to describe each one though, because I have never totally thought it out! I

>will say that Kiva(7mo) is the quietest, most non-reactive baby I have ever

>seen!! There are days that go by when she actually never cries, the whole

>day!! She is very sweet though!!

>

>Jen

>

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

January 16, 1999

Cherie,

Do you have a web page?

If not you should, please.

I'm loving reading about your wonderful family, but I'm going to forget some

of this. I'd love to be able to go to your webpage to refresh my memory.

Also you have a great style to your writing, passion for your family!?

I understand my kids are everything to me. My webpage is

www.angelfire.com/co/gscottffamily/index.html

S. Mom to 5.

Personality

>

>Reading about the baby who was hungry and cried and wouldn't latch on

brings

>to mind the many personalities of nursing babies. I have children who

would

>nurse anytime, anywhere. I also have had a few who would only nurse when

>hungry. Really hungry. I have some, most, who are totally into Mommy.

Dad

>is an after-thought until the baby is about 12-18 months old and then Dad

is

>the whole world. I have had a few who center around dad from the

beginning.

>Then there are the ones who get mad. Yes, quite mad if I don't nurse them

>RIGHT NOW...forget that I have to unbutton, go potty, sit down. If I am a

>moment past their 'that's it " point then they would refuse to nurse, all

the

>while crying their hearts out because they are hungry and frustrated.

These

>babies need to be given to dad...or any other available person...calmed

down

>and then given back to me. Now...if they try to give them back to me

before

>the baby is forgiving then the crying will start all over again! Chalae

>(almost 4) was like this...and following her...Chrystal (10 months) is

like

>that as well.

>

>Here is the breakdown on baby personality in our family:

>Chani: Wanted only mom, naps lasted 5-10 minutes once or twice a day,

nursed

>any time, any where, easy...after the first three days. She had to be

>taught how to nurse. Slept with us 5 months. Started eating food at 6

>months...didn't eat three meals until 9 months. Walked at 12 months.

Nursed

>35 months. Attachment: A doll. I would teach Chani something once..then a

>few days later she would show that she had learned it. Totally balanced

>personality, very social and enjoys quiet time.

>

>Ben: Wanted mom just for nursing. After that, wanted his dad. Wanted Mom

>when he was hurt, after that, wanted Dad. He was 4#9 oz when he came home

>nursing 100% and wasn't really easy to nurse but his personality was easy.

>Slept with us about 1 year. Started eating food at 12 months..before that

>he was allergic to everything...it was a nightmare. Walked at 14 1/2

>months. Nursed 30 months. Attachment: His Pillow. We never knew what Ben

>knew and what he didn't. He is quiet, shy, and loud and popular. Take

your

>pick.

>

>Chamrie: Wanted Mom, Happy with Dad. Nursed perfectly from the first

>moment. LOVED naps! Slept with us about 1 year. Started eating food at 6

>months and went right into 3 meals a day. Walked at 8 1/2 months. Nursed

>30 months. Chamrie was a thumb-sucker. We have never used any pacifiers

>but after Chamrie and discovering how EASY a thumbsucking child is...I

>encouraged it. Still..none of the babies took it up except

>Cheyanne...sigh...personality! Attachment: thumb and her lambskin. (yes,

>we use lambskin but I have always been big on clean air so always had the

>area where the head slept covered with flat cotton something.) Very

verbal,

>very physical, very social, very, very, very...wonderful. I used to say

>about baby/child Chamrie that she was BORN knowing..nothing was ever really

>taught her.

>

>Chiya. Mom was everything. Nobody else existed. She was easy, perfectly

>easy. She slept with us for about a year, started eating food at 9

months,

>walked at 8 months, nursed 31 months. She did have a tendency to nursing

>strikes. If I yelled at the children while she was nursing she thought I

>was yelling at her and would refuse to nurse. The first time it happened

>she didn't nurse for 12 hours! I was desperate. Neil finally took her and

>did some healing on her that we learned from one of his chiropractic

>patience. He brought her back to me asleep and said next time she wakes

she

>should nurse. She did. This happened a few other times but we got on it

>right away. Attachment: her blanket. Chiya was a quiet daughter who

needed

>time to herself periodically. The other three would be playing together

and

>she would be out walking in the garden looking at the insects. She is

still

>quieter, introspective, noticing of others and their needs but has also

>blossomed socially and thinks she was strange as a child. She was easy to

>teach and rarely resisted doing the things she needed to do.

>

>. Balanced between Mom and dad. Slept with us about a year, started

>eating food about 10 months old but wouldn't eat anything at all that

wasn't

>100% smooth until he was 14 months old. slept with us for a year,

>walked at 10 months and again at 14 months...another story, another day.

> nursed 35 months. Attachment: first it was ping pong balls. He

>wanted one in each hand. Then it was his bear. is balanced in much

>the same way as Chani. He is quiet and very comfortable in social

settings.

>He is artistic and logical. He tends to worry and balances that with

loving

>to have fun. He was easy to start teaching but needs to be carefully

>watched or he starts playing instead of working.

>

>: Totally his dad. He nursed and then wanted his dad to put him to

>sleep. He would cry and cry after nursing if his dad wasn't available. I

>would have to call Neil at his office (3 minutes away by car) and he would

>come home, take in his arms, and in 15 seconds would be asleep.

>Then Neil would return to work. This went on until was about 6 months

>old and would allow his sister to take him from me after nursing.

>slept with us about a year, ate food at 10 months, walked at 8 months,

>nursed 27 months. Attachments: His Dad. When he ate food, he only wanted

>what his dad was eating. is totally physical..totally verbal. He

>doesn't have the temper that Chamrie has, he doesn't plan on doing

>mischievous things but does things without thinking. He is so skilled

>physically and never walks when he can jump, roll, climb. He is able to

>stay focused on jobs and learning without too much interference from me.

>The three boys are inseparable even with the age gaps: 5 1/2 years between

>Ben and and 3 years between and .

>

>Cheyanne: Totally Mom. She also only wanted to nurse when she was hungry.

>After fed, she wanted to be held and sung to. Chani also like singing.

Ben

>hated singing. The other children didn't seem to care one way or another.

>Cheyanne loved it. She never nursed to sleep. She nursed and then had to

>be held and rocked to sleep. She was my other thumb sucker and was so

>funny. I would hold her in my arms to nurse her and she would put her

thumb

>into her mouth. She would then give a few sucks and I would take the thumb

>out and put her to the breast. When we changed sides she would do the

same.

>If I tried to nurse her without her first giving at least one suck then she

>would refuse to nurse. She slept with us over a year, ate food about 12

>months, walked at 8 months. No matter what we fed her, she wanted dinner

>all over again once her dad got home. She much preferred eating from his

>plate than anything else. She weaned herself at 17 months. One day we

were

>sitting together and I said, " Want to nurse? " and she said, " uhuh. " I said

>again, " Nurse? " She said, " Uhuh! " I said, heart breaking, " Want to nurse

>with mommy? " She leaned way over away from me and said, " UhUh! " and that

>was that. She still wanted all the cuddling and singing...but nursing was

>over. Attachments: thumb and silky. She is like Ben in being shy and

quiet

>and in being liked by everybody. She doesn't like to focus on anything

very

>long but learns quick so it works. Cheyanne chose a different sibling

>every day to help her and for that day nobody else would do. Eventually

>she settled on preferring Chamrie. Her greatest enemy in life: Chalae.

Her

>best friend in life: Chalae.

>

>Chalae: Totally mommy. Always mommy. She had the temper. She wanted to

>nurse right now! Many time Neil had to take her and calm her down and give

>her back to me. She was born talking. She nursed 35 months and saddly

>agreed to wean. She ate food at 10 months and again wanted to eat with her

>dad. She slept with us for 2 1/2 years....another story. She walked at 8

>months. Attached to Mommy and occasionally attached to her blanket.

Chalae

>is much like Chamrie but even more so. The same instant temper, the same

>out-of-this-world verbal skills. The same incredible ability to do

>anything. The same total natural confidence. The same trouble getting

>along with others because of hmmm..bossiness. Cheyanne never got into

>trouble until her sister started leading the way. Chalae is my first child

>that I would suspect jealousy. I don't really believe the toddlers are

ever

>jealous of the babies...but Chalae makes me almost rethink my position.

She

>is a delight in every sense of the word and a challenge at every turn. My

>mother calls her 'my angel with horns. " Like Chamrie I don't teach

her..she

>just knows.

>

>Chrystal. She is attached to mommy and to daddy. She needs us to switch

>back and forth often. If she gets overly tired she needs her dad to help

>her calm down and nurse. Sometimes she nursed to sleep, sometimes she

needs

>to go from my arms to dad. She gets angry and needs calming before nursing

>when we wait just a little too long. She is normally easy and happy. Like

>all of my children she hates being in the car...we have always insisted

100%

>on carseats so is the only time my children have to 'cry' without relief.

>She started eating food at 9 months and walked at 10 months. (she is 10

>months now.) She still sleeps with us. She is attached to her blanket.

>

>I love the challenge of discovering my children personalities. What makes

>life work for them. How they learn, interact, their strengths and

>weaknesses. This is an awesome challenge and I thrive on helping their

>individual personalities unfold. We just spent two weeks at a friend's

>home. Her 17 year old daughter said of my children, " You all have such

>vibrant personalities. "

>

>They are all in the same family, same parents, same nursings, same rules,

>same structure, same, same, same. The personalities came from God. No

>doubt about it.

>

>Cherie

>

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

January 16, 1999

Sorry, that's wrong. My web page is

www.angelfire.com/co/gscottfamily/index.html

S.

Re: Personality

>

>Cherie,

>Do you have a web page?

>If not you should, please.

>I'm loving reading about your wonderful family, but I'm going to forget

some

>of this. I'd love to be able to go to your webpage to refresh my memory.

>Also you have a great style to your writing, passion for your family!?

>I understand my kids are everything to me. My webpage is

>www.angelfire.com/co/gscottffamily/index.html

> S. Mom to 5.

January 18, 1999

<< We never challenged any of the charges we had with our

#3 baby, who was in NICU for 13 days!! Even though there were things that

were rediculous!! Our insurance payed a huge portion of the $65,000 >>

was in the NICU for 28 days, 7 on a vent. Our bill w/neonatologist,

cardiologists, pulmonologists was $300,000.

~~~~US

January 18, 1999

> this six hour stint in Intensive care just cost us

>$2,000 more than staying downstairs.

> Hmmmm...I was challenging the Intensive care...not the whole

>bill!

You have got guts!! We never challenged any of the charges we had with our

#3 baby, who was in NICU for 13 days!! Even though there were things that

were rediculous!! Our insurance payed a huge portion of the $65,000 bill!

We did not argue about the $2,300 we had to pay. We were just so glad to

get her home!!! She had severe meconium aspiration and we almost lost her.

She is a real challenge for me now. She is sometimes uncontrollable!! LOL

She is the one who makes me wonder how many I can really handle! Kiva we

brought home less than 24 hours after she was born! She has hit a growth

spurt now and is beginning to fuss a bit more, and she woke up at 3 am to

nurse!! She almost never does that!! I do not mind nursing in the night

though...she just never wakes up!

Jen

January 18, 1999