Train Tracks// Trilhos do Trem

Towards the end of last year we decided to get a bike with a trailer to carry the kiddos. I guess you can say we were inspired by the nice fall/winter weather in South Texas. We are blessed to have a nice bike trail that starts close to our house and leads to a playground on one side and a park on the other. The kids get some fresh air, I get some exercise, what's not to love?! =D On a late November morning we took a trail to the train tracks nearby and decided to take some pictures. It was a very windy day and pulling the trailer against the wind was grueling, even in the lowest gears. Thankfully, the hubby was following me and was happy to switch bikes when I couldn't pedal another inch. When we finally made it there, we had fun taking pictures, walking the tracks, exploring a parked train cart, and just throwing pebbles around. Just some good ol' family time =D

No final do ano passado, decidimos comprar uma bicicleta com um carrinho para levar os pequenos. Podemos dizer que estavamos inspirados pelo agradável clima de outono/inverno no sul do Texas. Somos abençoados por ter uma trilha para bicicletas que começa perto de nossa casa e leva a um parquinho de um lado e um parque do outro. As crianças tomam um pouco de ar fresco, eu faco um pouco de exercício, nao da pra reclamar ne?! =D Em uma manhã no final de novembro, pegamos a trilha em direcao aos trilhos do trem que fica perto do parque e decidimos tirar algumas fotos. Foi um dia de muito vento e puxar o carrinho contra o vento foi bem cansativo, mesmo nas marchas mais leves. Felizmente, o maridinho estava me seguindo e ficou feliz em trocar de bicicletas quando eu não conseguia pedalar mais nenhum centímetro. Quando finalmente chegamos lá, nós nos divertimos tirando fotos, andando pelas trilhas, explorando um carro de trem estacionado, e jogando pedrinhas para o ar.  =D

 

Of Glasses and Good Pediatricians

I am finally getting a chance to write about the latest development in our household... glasses.

Before I go any further with this story though, I have to tell you a little bit about our pediatrician, Doctor Argenal (from Argenal Pediatrics). He was recommended to us before Z1 was born by a close friend of ours who worked in the pediatric floor of one of the local hospitals. Our friend was very impressed with Dr. Argenal's work ethic, how well he managed his patients, and how kindly he dealt with the nursing staff. Hearing this from a pediatric nurse meant a lot to us. So, before Z1 was born, we scheduled a FREE prenatal consultation at his office and we have been going there ever since. I have yet to meet another pediatrician who cares so much about his patients. Just so you have an idea, the first day we had Z1 in his office, he was probably 5 days old at the time, we had some concerns and Dr. Argenal gave us a cell phone number and urged us to text him in the evening with an update. In my disbelief, I neglected to do so only to get a text from him later that night asking how things were going. I was so impressed! Not only did he give us that number, he urged us to contact him with ANY concern and made sure we did. As a new mommy, I can't begin to describe how reassuring that was. Over the years, we have reached out to him with many questions and he (or another member of his staff) has never failed to answer them. If I am concerned about a rash, I know that I can just send a picture of it and he will reply with an idea. If he thinks the issue needs further examination, he will tell us to come to his office. The ability to communicate in this fashion has saved us many needless trips to his office or even to the emergency room. After Z2 was born and the complications that followed, Dr. Argenal was on top of things, acting as a link between us and all the other consulting physicians. He made sure to keep us informed to the best of his knowledge every step of the way. Besides the awesome service I have already described, Dr. Argenal and his staff strive to keep his patients well informed of current pertinent trends in the medical field, office news, and even local disease patterns through their facebook page. Even the set up of their waiting area shows a higher level of thought and care with sections designated for sick patients and well patients at opposite ends. If you have a newborn or young baby there is also a special area for you. The truth is that, even though we had to move 1.25 hr away last year, we never even considered changing pediatricians. We absolutely do not mind making the drive when we know our kids are so well cared for.

So why am I writing all of this? Well, I guess I am just grateful. I feel that our family has been truly blessed with someone who cares and does his job well. I hope more medical professionals can learn from his efforts and be inspired to provide a higher level of care. I am also writing it so you will have a better understanding of how the glasses came about...

So...back to the glasses. About a month ago, we took Z2 to her 15-month appointment. It so happens that Dr. Argenal's office recently acquired a neat little machine to do vision screenings on his patients during their well-child appointments (awesome right?!!).  She was screened and, long story short, we left the office with a referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist who, after thorough examination concluded that indeed she needed glasses. Had she not been screened, we probably wouldn't catch this until much later in her life and she would have been missing out on better vision.

Although I can't say she is a big fan of wearing glasses, she doesn't complain about them much. One time she even asked me to put them on for her, which leads me to believe they are making a difference. I also noticed that on our last trip to the zoo she was a lot more interested in observing the animals that were further away. I hope things are a lot less fuzzy for her now. Personally, I just think she looks even more adorable =D