Where the Deer and the Antelope Play - Living in the USA (visitors welcome)

[SuperBunny]

East Coast
MaNanny - Boston
Twinmommytobe - Boston
MuminCT - CT
Greatgooglymoogly - NY State
Yesthereare4ofthem - NY State
Brooklynmom - NYC
alarkaspree - NYC
MKG - New Jersey
Mummimamma - PA
Poetmum - PA
Twirl - MD

South
Earlybird - TN
jabberwocky - AR
Sunchowder - Florida
Marls001 - Bentonville, AR
Tinpot - NC
MadameDeathStare- AL

Midwest
SuperBunny- Chicago
Dodgykeeper - Dayton, OH
Chocchipcookie - Ohio
MonkeyLover
KickAssAngel - Ann Arbor, MI

Rockies
Alipiggie - Boulder, CO
Ribena

Northwest
AnnieLaurie - Seattle, WA
Dooneygirl - Oregon City, OR

California
SittingBull - nr San Francisco
Califrau - Milpitas
loopsngeorge - Brentwood, LA
Syd - Manhattan Beach, LA
SofiaAmes - LA
LATyke - Redondo Beach

Texas
Texan - Dallas
Tiggyhop - Houston
Vixie78 - Houston
BananaPudding - Austin
Cosmicdust - East Texas

Canada
Hellish - Ottawa
Shouldlistenedtomymum - Hamilton
Nooka - BC
Jacksmama - Langley

Exotic Islands
Anorak - Bermuda
cp - Trinidad
Barefeete - BVI

Brazil
Albert

I've never watched Lost either. Apparently it's quite addicting.

Bunkup - where are you in US? We will have to compare notes on UK v US pre and post natal care..

We have got into Lost big time, currently on season 2. It is v weird and a bit scary.

How about Greys Anatomy? It is set in Seattle, so we watched seasons 1-4 back to back when moved over, and it is GREAT. ANyone else watch it?

I don't like scary things so maybe Lost isn't for me. Grey's Anatomy is often on at work so I see that. It's quite good.

AL am in Des Moines Iowa. Are you in Seattle then? I met an OB last week from Seattle who was telling me how different things are on West coast - apparently much lower c-section rate and much higher proportion of breast fed babies than here in the midwest.

Am going for 2nd VBAC and although I get the feeling another c-section is more likely here than it would have been back in UK the doctors are supportive.

I gather if progress is slow or looks like baby is quite big etc c-section is inevitable.

one good thing about c-sections is the extra days in the hospital. I actually enjoyed the additional window of time before having to go home to a toddler and a newborn

I know what you mean! The hospital is positively hotel-like. Especially as will be going home to 2 toddlers and a newborn!

Was really taken aback at just how different the hospitals are here. Had a prolonged stay with both the others as they were ill (dd) and premature (ds) and was stuck on a noisy open ward both times where other patients had hundreds of visitors traipsing through so no privay and no rest.

Yes, I finally had to have someone on MN explain to me just what it was like as I didn't understand Brit Hospitals, lol. I did enjoy the first days snuggling with ds2, watching TV and reading magazines

anyone else had problems about immunisations for school? dd hasn't had the one for chickenpox, but she had chickenpox at 15 months, but i don't have her medical records here. also, she hasn't had hepb jabs, but going for her first one tomorrow (oh dear, we have m&m's ready to relieve post-traumatic stress)

we got a letter saying she'd be excluded from school if we didn't produce original docs for everything. then we relaised the nurse had got mixed up over dates & thought they'd been given at the wrong time. hopefully they won't send dd home next week!

In some states you can get an exemption. I do delayed vaxes for my boys. In AR you get a form from the state that you have to fill out and get notarized. Every state is different. Can't they test her blood titer for immunity since she had the chicken pox? Much more preferable than an unneccessary jab.

you can sign a waiver, but the main prob the nurse has got some (but not all) dates the wrong way round, ie mixed up day & month, although i explained it to her & wrote a note to show her.

so now i've done another letter, with a chart to show her the correct dates. the office staff have seen the origianl stuff, but she wasn't there that day.

hopefully we're sorted now

Oh, I can see how that would happen. It took me a bit to get used to how the dates are on MN.

lol @ letter with a chart to explain. Poor you. I'm glad DS has had his immunizations here and has acceptable records to prove it. must be a big hassle to sort out otherwise. Good luck though.

Kickass, my dcs both had chickenpox in Scotland when they were much younger and we never went to the drs (why would you?) so no record of it. I went and spoke to our new doctor here and explained. She simply added the info to their files. With the HepB we were told that they would be sent home if there was no evidence of them beginning the course which was fine as we had had the first two at that stage. The school registrar for our area told me that the school has no legal right to refuse a child school education, however other parents can petition the local board to have your child removed. I don't know how other parents would find out but it didn't sound like a good way to make friends!

I had titre tests done for both children, we did have some very spotty pictures of ds on his birthday, but none of dd, who got them a week or so later. It seemed unfair to only have dd done. I suspect though that the doctor would have signed off that they had had CP on our say so, she was so busy being pleased that they weren't overweight (ds in particular is all skin and bones ). It was a bit stressful though, as the letter confirming their results never arrived, so we had to get the GP o fax over a copy of their medical summaries, which they couldn't do to the US, so I had to get it faxed to my old work, where one of my lovely team scanned it and sent it on. It was a palaver!

I didn't find Lost very appealing, so never watched. I did enjoy the first series of Heros, and then lost interest a bit. US series just go on too long I think. I've not found anything to watch over here yet. We liked MSNBC election coverage in the US, and the Daily Show/Cobert Report. Oh, and dh liked Mike and Mike in the morning

I'm on the 3rd episode of Lost tonight

Only another 90 or so to go til I have caught up!

Superbunny, we are not that far ahead of you!

After we have watched Lost I want to get out the entire series of Northern Exposure, think would be good one to watch now we are living near Canada...or was it Alaska?? (ponders)

AL, I did that - watched all of Northern Exposure but I haven't quite made it to the end yet. I loved it. It is set in Alaska but was apparently filmed in WA.

Yes, I seem to remember it is quite quirky. A particular episode springs to mind where they built a giant catapult for a dead body (or am I imagining that?!). Curious to see if it looks a bit dated now..think was early 90s wasn't it

You know, I didn't remember that but the more I think about it, the more I have a vague memory of a body being catapulted. NE is funny and does look quite dated but not in a bad way. It was very entertaining. Definitely worth watching again

I have been wondering about Due South - I never watched it but I think it might be quite apt with our weather atm.

took dd to the docs today - she had to have a 'prickle' they also managed to sort out all the immunisation dates and are entereing on their system, together with the fact that dd had chickenpos, and will then send a copy to us so the nurse can see it with the correct dates on.

dd was sooooo upset about having an injection - she used to be fine, but just freaked out today. the doc did a general checkup as well & kept asking her Qs like - 'how much tv do you watch' & dd woud answer 'are yougoing to do my prickle now??' (amidst tears). so i had to give answers & of course, gave all the right ones! was surprised by how much they ask - they obviously want to check on lifestyle, e.g. car seats, how do you cross a road, what you eat, tv, how often you play out etc. in the uk, would be a school that's expected to check that & the doc just asks what the current illness is.

dh is now wathing simpsons film - he seems to think that homer should be a role model

Oh Kickass, sounds very stressful. My pediatrician is always very thorough but DS is only 3 so doesn't get quite as many questions. Hope DD is ok now.

I had to take DS to my dermatology appointment the week after his 3 yr checkup (where he had an injection) and he spent the whole time sitting on my knee saying, "Mummy doesn't want a shot. She doesn't need a shot, ok? Don't give my mummy a shot"

Am adding Due South to my list of things to watch.

You ok Cali? You've been quiet. And I'm a bit worried about Dooney.

Oh Cali Please stay round here - we miss you.

Poor DS1 - must have been terrified.