Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
12 month check-up
Ruby had her 12-month check-up with the pediatrician a couple of weeks ago (a little bit late due to scheduling conflicts). She weighed 20 lbs 4 oz and was 31 in long, placing her in the 36th percentile for weight, the 95th percentile for height, and the 80th percentile for head circumference (tall, thin, big head).
This was only Ruby's second visit with her new pediatrician at Getzwell Pediatrics. Although we had had a very thorough and long visit at her 9 month appointment, and I had been in contact with the doctor via email since then, I hadn't quite realized just how hippy, alternative, and somewhat unorthodox this practice really was.
One of the main complaints that other parents have about their own pediatricians is how they tend to be overly laid-back at times and often brush off their concerns. (Of course there is some merit to this in that parents, particularly first-timers, are in general excessively concerned about everything related to their baby.) At Getzwell, it is quite the contrary. It feels like they are even more concerned than I am about many issues, such as vaccine schedules, motor skills, and using completely natural/organic products.
Most other pediatricians, even in San Francisco, do not even consider vaccinating on the alternative Sears Vaccination Schedule. Oftentimes parents who inquire about it are scoffed at and turned away. However, our pediatrician not only allowed it, but strongly recommended it! At Getzwell, they discourage admnistering more than one live virus or aluminum-containing vaccine at one time. Although extensive research has shown no harm in either of these types of vaccines, they feel it is safer to give the body more time to process a vaccine before another one is given. Our pediatrician even made the point that there is not enough evidence to refute the possibility that aluminum salts are linked to developmental delays. This seems to me like a very unorthodox philosophy that's not supported by most doctors I know. However, I certainly don't see any HARM from spacing out Ruby's vaccinations (less shots at one time for the baby!), so we've decided to adhere to the alternative vaccine schedule. We've become hippies!!
Our pediatrician is also VERY into prescribing natural/homeopathic remedies for various ailments. Ruby has some baby eczema on her arms and legs which I have been treating with Aquafor and Cerave creams as well as by eliminating all possible irritants (soaps, detergents, etc.). Our pediatrician recommended that we put her on probiotics and fish oil, as these have been shown to regulate the immune response. She also sent us to this little apothecary-like herb store in the Mission to purchase a natural, almond oil-based cream, which has natural anti-inflammatory properties. So far these remedies have not made a very noticeable difference, but I appreciate being aware of these more unconventional options.
Another recommendation that surprised me a bit was regarding Ruby's (lack of) mobility. Although Ruby has made some significant progress in this area, she has still never crawled and cannot transition from lying to sitting to standing. Although unusual for someone her age, it's certainly not unheard of, and I feel like most pediatricians would tell us it's nothing to worry about. However, when we mentioned this to our pediatrician, she actually referred us to a physical therapist who specializes in increasing "body confidence." I haven't yet decided whether or not I will contact this physical therapist. On the one hand, I realize that Ruby is extremely cautious in her personality and that this contributes to her decreased mobility. I think that it could definitely be beneficial for her to be more confident and less cautious physically, not just as a baby, but also as a kid and later an adult. On the other hand, I'm not sure I want to be the kind of overly-anxious parent that sends their one year old to therapy.
Furthermore, I don't think Ruby's delayed motor development is necessarily due to being under-confident as much as it is due to being overly-thoughtful. It seems to me that Ruby THINKS about things way more than is normal for someone of her age. For instance, she has always been way more physically adventurous (rolling, flopping around) while on our bed than on her playmat. From a very early age, she seemed to consider how much a particular surface would hurt if she were to fall on it. Also, sometimes Ruby will purposely drop a toy from her changer or her crib, but before she does, she always squints or shuts her eyes in anticipation of the noise it will make when it hits the ground. This seems to me like an unusual amount of forethought for a baby, especially when most babies are notorious for their lack of inhibition and disregard for consequences. No wonder Ruby is cautious when she has such a heightened awareness of the potential dangers of the world!
Even though some of our pediatrician's methods and philosophies may be hippy-dippy and unorthodox, I find that I have never had more faith in a medical professional. The amount of thought, research, and time put into each patient is plain to see and exceeds that of any other doctor I have known. When I have a baby-related question or concern, even if I have heard the advice of several other parents and their pediatricians, I always find myself thinking that I better ask Ruby's pediatrician to be sure I am getting the most up-to-date information and the most complete range of options. Sadly this quality of care has the caveat of not accepting insurance and is therefore not accessible to everyone. However, I feel like it is still taking medicine one step in the right direction.
This was only Ruby's second visit with her new pediatrician at Getzwell Pediatrics. Although we had had a very thorough and long visit at her 9 month appointment, and I had been in contact with the doctor via email since then, I hadn't quite realized just how hippy, alternative, and somewhat unorthodox this practice really was.
One of the main complaints that other parents have about their own pediatricians is how they tend to be overly laid-back at times and often brush off their concerns. (Of course there is some merit to this in that parents, particularly first-timers, are in general excessively concerned about everything related to their baby.) At Getzwell, it is quite the contrary. It feels like they are even more concerned than I am about many issues, such as vaccine schedules, motor skills, and using completely natural/organic products.
Most other pediatricians, even in San Francisco, do not even consider vaccinating on the alternative Sears Vaccination Schedule. Oftentimes parents who inquire about it are scoffed at and turned away. However, our pediatrician not only allowed it, but strongly recommended it! At Getzwell, they discourage admnistering more than one live virus or aluminum-containing vaccine at one time. Although extensive research has shown no harm in either of these types of vaccines, they feel it is safer to give the body more time to process a vaccine before another one is given. Our pediatrician even made the point that there is not enough evidence to refute the possibility that aluminum salts are linked to developmental delays. This seems to me like a very unorthodox philosophy that's not supported by most doctors I know. However, I certainly don't see any HARM from spacing out Ruby's vaccinations (less shots at one time for the baby!), so we've decided to adhere to the alternative vaccine schedule. We've become hippies!!
Our pediatrician is also VERY into prescribing natural/homeopathic remedies for various ailments. Ruby has some baby eczema on her arms and legs which I have been treating with Aquafor and Cerave creams as well as by eliminating all possible irritants (soaps, detergents, etc.). Our pediatrician recommended that we put her on probiotics and fish oil, as these have been shown to regulate the immune response. She also sent us to this little apothecary-like herb store in the Mission to purchase a natural, almond oil-based cream, which has natural anti-inflammatory properties. So far these remedies have not made a very noticeable difference, but I appreciate being aware of these more unconventional options.
Another recommendation that surprised me a bit was regarding Ruby's (lack of) mobility. Although Ruby has made some significant progress in this area, she has still never crawled and cannot transition from lying to sitting to standing. Although unusual for someone her age, it's certainly not unheard of, and I feel like most pediatricians would tell us it's nothing to worry about. However, when we mentioned this to our pediatrician, she actually referred us to a physical therapist who specializes in increasing "body confidence." I haven't yet decided whether or not I will contact this physical therapist. On the one hand, I realize that Ruby is extremely cautious in her personality and that this contributes to her decreased mobility. I think that it could definitely be beneficial for her to be more confident and less cautious physically, not just as a baby, but also as a kid and later an adult. On the other hand, I'm not sure I want to be the kind of overly-anxious parent that sends their one year old to therapy.
Furthermore, I don't think Ruby's delayed motor development is necessarily due to being under-confident as much as it is due to being overly-thoughtful. It seems to me that Ruby THINKS about things way more than is normal for someone of her age. For instance, she has always been way more physically adventurous (rolling, flopping around) while on our bed than on her playmat. From a very early age, she seemed to consider how much a particular surface would hurt if she were to fall on it. Also, sometimes Ruby will purposely drop a toy from her changer or her crib, but before she does, she always squints or shuts her eyes in anticipation of the noise it will make when it hits the ground. This seems to me like an unusual amount of forethought for a baby, especially when most babies are notorious for their lack of inhibition and disregard for consequences. No wonder Ruby is cautious when she has such a heightened awareness of the potential dangers of the world!
Even though some of our pediatrician's methods and philosophies may be hippy-dippy and unorthodox, I find that I have never had more faith in a medical professional. The amount of thought, research, and time put into each patient is plain to see and exceeds that of any other doctor I have known. When I have a baby-related question or concern, even if I have heard the advice of several other parents and their pediatricians, I always find myself thinking that I better ask Ruby's pediatrician to be sure I am getting the most up-to-date information and the most complete range of options. Sadly this quality of care has the caveat of not accepting insurance and is therefore not accessible to everyone. However, I feel like it is still taking medicine one step in the right direction.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Close of Escrow
Today we closed escrow on our very first home! In addition, it also represents my first successful transaction as a real estate broker. All in all the process was extremely fast and smooth, undoubtedly due to my real estate brokering prowess :).
We first saw the listing for our house while our parents were in town for Ruby's birthday. Since we were quite busy preparing for Ruby's big day, we didn't have time to go see it in person until the following Friday, June 11th. After maybe 10 minutes of looking around, Shuyi and I decided that we wanted it. A mere 26 days later, the house is officially ours!
While both of us felt that the asking price was fair, it was at the very top of our range, a range that had already been increased many times since we first started looking at places back in 2007. Given that the house had just been put on the market a week before, we knew there was little chance the sellers would accept an less than asking offer at that time. While the national housing market is quite weak, the market for single family homes in good neighborhoods in SF has always been quite robust. In fact, we were quite concerned that the house would receive multiple offers and end up going for more than asking, which would have definitely put it out of reach.
Since we wouldn't be able to outbid anyone, we decided that our strategy would be to try to be the first to make an offer. While the listing agent was definitely steering us towards not making an offer until the following Monday or Tuesday, we sent the offer to the listing agent on Sunday morning. We would have sent it even sooner, but the seller was out of town until Sunday. There was another open house scheduled for that Sunday afternoon and the listing agent presented our offer to the sellers just a couple of hours before that. We had been planning to go shopping for some baby stuff in the Marina when we got the email saying that the sellers accepted our offer subject to a reduction in the amount of closing credit we had asked for. We were quite excited and decided to go to the open house and take a last look around before formally accepting the counteroffer.
The next day, Monday, was quite hectic. Not only was I opening escrow and coordinating with my loan officer to get loan approval, I was also handling various paperwork for my parent's purchase of a house in Vallejo, which had just entered into escrow the previous Friday. After more than 30 phone calls and emails in the span of a few hours, I really felt like a broker :). All that was missing was a bluetooth earpiece so that people would think I was talking to them when I was really talking on the phone!
After that initial rush of paperwork, things settled down fairly quickly. I scheduled a general property inspection for the next morning, which went quite smoothly. Only a few minor things needed repair, and the sellers quickly agreed to fix them before close of escrow. After that, all that was really left was to get our loans approved. Thanks to the down economy, government intervention, and the resultant low interest rates, we were able to get a 30 yr fixed jumbo-conforming (up to 729k in SF) loan at only 4.875%. Only a few years ago, even 6% was considered quite low historically (it was in the high teens in the 80s). Despite getting such a good rate, our total monthly payment (Principal, Interest, Taxes, Insurance) is going to be more than three times our current monthly rent! In fact, just the property taxes alone are almost as much as our rent. Like many first time buyers in San Francisco, we will be house poor indeed.
While our loan was approved about two weeks ago, it still takes some time for the loan documents to be finalized and prepared for escrow. That process is entirely up to the lender so buyers usually just have to sit by and quietly wait. After a few overly optimistic predictions from our loan officer came and went, our loan paperwork was finally in place last Thursday. We quickly set up an appointment with the escrow officer for the next day to sign all of the escrow documents (and there was a ton of documents, enough to make my wrists sore from signing them). Typically, loan funds are transferred into escrow the next business day after the signing (yesterday) and escrow can officially close the day after that.
Note how all this is quite contrary to what you see on TV shows like HGTV's "My First Place" or "House Hunters". In those shows, closing escrow just entails going to some office, handing them a check, signing some paperwork, and then you immediately get the keys to your new house. (What, reality tv isn't realistic? That just couldn't be ...) In reality, that process must take at least a few business days because money transfers into escrow must completely clear. (Also, checks can bounce so transfers are usually made by wire transfer.)
In the end, this purchase not only secured us a house for Ruby to grow up in, but it also provided me a lot of additional insight into and knowledge of the home buying process from the point of view of a buyer as well as that of an real estate agent. Maybe I will be needing that bluetooth earpiece one of these days. ;)
We first saw the listing for our house while our parents were in town for Ruby's birthday. Since we were quite busy preparing for Ruby's big day, we didn't have time to go see it in person until the following Friday, June 11th. After maybe 10 minutes of looking around, Shuyi and I decided that we wanted it. A mere 26 days later, the house is officially ours!
While both of us felt that the asking price was fair, it was at the very top of our range, a range that had already been increased many times since we first started looking at places back in 2007. Given that the house had just been put on the market a week before, we knew there was little chance the sellers would accept an less than asking offer at that time. While the national housing market is quite weak, the market for single family homes in good neighborhoods in SF has always been quite robust. In fact, we were quite concerned that the house would receive multiple offers and end up going for more than asking, which would have definitely put it out of reach.
Since we wouldn't be able to outbid anyone, we decided that our strategy would be to try to be the first to make an offer. While the listing agent was definitely steering us towards not making an offer until the following Monday or Tuesday, we sent the offer to the listing agent on Sunday morning. We would have sent it even sooner, but the seller was out of town until Sunday. There was another open house scheduled for that Sunday afternoon and the listing agent presented our offer to the sellers just a couple of hours before that. We had been planning to go shopping for some baby stuff in the Marina when we got the email saying that the sellers accepted our offer subject to a reduction in the amount of closing credit we had asked for. We were quite excited and decided to go to the open house and take a last look around before formally accepting the counteroffer.
The next day, Monday, was quite hectic. Not only was I opening escrow and coordinating with my loan officer to get loan approval, I was also handling various paperwork for my parent's purchase of a house in Vallejo, which had just entered into escrow the previous Friday. After more than 30 phone calls and emails in the span of a few hours, I really felt like a broker :). All that was missing was a bluetooth earpiece so that people would think I was talking to them when I was really talking on the phone!
After that initial rush of paperwork, things settled down fairly quickly. I scheduled a general property inspection for the next morning, which went quite smoothly. Only a few minor things needed repair, and the sellers quickly agreed to fix them before close of escrow. After that, all that was really left was to get our loans approved. Thanks to the down economy, government intervention, and the resultant low interest rates, we were able to get a 30 yr fixed jumbo-conforming (up to 729k in SF) loan at only 4.875%. Only a few years ago, even 6% was considered quite low historically (it was in the high teens in the 80s). Despite getting such a good rate, our total monthly payment (Principal, Interest, Taxes, Insurance) is going to be more than three times our current monthly rent! In fact, just the property taxes alone are almost as much as our rent. Like many first time buyers in San Francisco, we will be house poor indeed.
While our loan was approved about two weeks ago, it still takes some time for the loan documents to be finalized and prepared for escrow. That process is entirely up to the lender so buyers usually just have to sit by and quietly wait. After a few overly optimistic predictions from our loan officer came and went, our loan paperwork was finally in place last Thursday. We quickly set up an appointment with the escrow officer for the next day to sign all of the escrow documents (and there was a ton of documents, enough to make my wrists sore from signing them). Typically, loan funds are transferred into escrow the next business day after the signing (yesterday) and escrow can officially close the day after that.
Note how all this is quite contrary to what you see on TV shows like HGTV's "My First Place" or "House Hunters". In those shows, closing escrow just entails going to some office, handing them a check, signing some paperwork, and then you immediately get the keys to your new house. (What, reality tv isn't realistic? That just couldn't be ...) In reality, that process must take at least a few business days because money transfers into escrow must completely clear. (Also, checks can bounce so transfers are usually made by wire transfer.)
In the end, this purchase not only secured us a house for Ruby to grow up in, but it also provided me a lot of additional insight into and knowledge of the home buying process from the point of view of a buyer as well as that of an real estate agent. Maybe I will be needing that bluetooth earpiece one of these days. ;)
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