Ember is almost one! I can't believe it. She's such a sweet, peaceful little thing that the time has just flown by. I'm kinda sad 'cause I'm not sure if we'll be having any more. I may have only 2 days left in my life to enjoy having an infant. Not that I expect her to instantly transform on her birthday, but the birthday is symbolic of her growing up & it makes me sad. Anyway, she's a happy, healthy, helmet-free, little girl (and quite beautiful if I may say so). She still has a sizable hole on the right side of her forehead. I expect she'll need another surgery in a few years, but only time will tell. Yesterday I tackled what I believe is the beginning of the end of the medical bill mess. The billing office basically wasn't doing their job. Both insurance companies were willing to pay but the clinic just wasn't following through with the filing. I guess the girl thought her job would be easier if I just payed the $3400. But I spoke with both insurances & they gave me a detailed description of what the clinic billing office needed to do, and then I called the clinic & relayed the information. She still wanted me to pay, with the promise that the money would be refunded to me when the insurance payments came in. Yeah right! If you can't file a straightforward claim I'm certainly not loaning you $3400 & trusting you to give it back. But anyway, I think that's the last of the bills from the surgery itself. Medical costs are amazing. The value of Ember's medical care is almost equal to the value of our home.