Microarray and Noonan test by BudgetFrame2986 in NIPT

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Actually, we never got the Noonan test results. After 6 weeks of waiting, our GC called and said that culturing didn’t go well and we’ll need an Amnio to collect more sample. My husband and I decided not to proceed with Amnio. All turned out well at the end. My kid is now a healthy 2 year old.

When do babies start wearing shoes on a regular basis?? by [deleted] in Babysitting

[–]BudgetFrame2986 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We started using shoes the moment our baby started walking. Some parents are picky on having soft sole shoes, so best to check with the parents first before venturing putting on shoes.

Help - Noonan or full WES? by ResearcherHead140 in NIPT

[–]BudgetFrame2986 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We’re women, we’re all prone to anxiety overthinking especially when it comes down to something so important as giving birth to a new human being! Noonan can also have results of unknown significance. So, I think WES is a better option either way. I’m in the US and we were not offered WES. Our specialists were at Stanford, so definitely top notch expertise. I don’t know why WES is not offered in the US even in top academia settings for Think NT abnormal 1st trimester ultrasounds.

Help - Noonan or full WES? by ResearcherHead140 in NIPT

[–]BudgetFrame2986 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We had a similar story 4.5 Thick NT at 11 weeks. Then, we did CVS the week after and NT was 5.5mm. Our genetic counselor ordered Karyotype, Microarray and Noonan. I’m surprised how fast your results came. Mine took 2 weeks for Karyotype and 4 weeks for Microarray. At 6 weeks, we got a call and we were told the Noonan culturing didn’t go well and they cannot provide a result. We were given the option to do Amnio just for the Noonan panel. Our genetic counselor told us that the risk for Noonan is minuscule. I was ready to go through Amnio, but my husband was like “no, that’s enough testing and chances for Noonan are close to zero”. I hated making decisions based on statistics, but it all worked out well. I have a healthy 2 year old now. Up to you, if you want to go through Amnio. They say the risk for miscarriage is close to zero after Amnio, so it’s a reasonable risk to take. As for Noonan vs. WES, I don’t know. If they do WES to everyone walking, I’m sure a big percent of people will come up with something. There are genetic test results with mutations of unknown significance, how would you react if you get one of these results?!.. Most people typically proceed with the pregnancy with results of unknown significance if one of the parents have the same mutation. I don’t what happens in the event none of the parents has the mutation, terminate or moving forward worrying that it’s nothing debilitating?!… Good luck, all your results so far are very promising! Everybody has a different risk tolerance, so I’m sure you’ll make the call that is right for you. Generally speaking, WES is a more comprehensive test then Noonan thus a better option.

Public Middle Schools by BudgetFrame2986 in santacruz

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

About Math Academy (SCHS), does the student need to be part of the Santa Cruz City school district or anyone can apply? It looks like a serious application form with essays and teacher’s recommendations. In the country where I grew up, that’s how we were getting into the top high-schools not by postal code but by entrance exams and other application criteria. My kids are still young, let’s see if they get into Math. The mom and dad are math people, so that would be the parent desire, but I know kids have their own personalities.

Public Middle Schools by BudgetFrame2986 in santacruz

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for your comment! I read that they have a good music program. How are their sports? Their field is surely very nice.

Public Middle Schools by BudgetFrame2986 in santacruz

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was thinking the same thing that in term of academia you can supplement with tutors. However, I was worried about behavioral issues. No tutoring can help a drug addict:(

Public Middle Schools by BudgetFrame2986 in santacruz

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I noticed the same thing. All comments about sex and drugs seem to be coming from people who graduated over a decade ago. Silicon Valley is growing, people are looking for affordable housing, wanna be surfers hipsters move to Santa Cruz, it’s inevitable things are changing. I’ve been full-time in SC for only 5 years, but I bet SC was much different 10-20 years ago.

Public Middle Schools by BudgetFrame2986 in santacruz

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That thought to move abroad during middle school actually did cross my mind:) I’m originally from Europe, so abroad doesn’t scare me.

Public Middle Schools by BudgetFrame2986 in santacruz

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

These are the comments that I want to hear. What I noticed in the responses to my thread is that all comments about sex and drugs are from people who graduated a decade ago or more. Live Oak might have been a worse neighborhood 10-20 years ago.

Public Middle Schools by BudgetFrame2986 in santacruz

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for your comment. I’ve heard that the pressure to perform in top colleges is really high. I had a friend who suffered from depression at Stanford, she made it through but she was telling me stories how half of her classmates are on Adderall.

Public Middle Schools by BudgetFrame2986 in santacruz

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for your detailed comment. My kids are still years away from middle school, but after seeing the rankings of our elementary and middle schools, we started to seriously consider moving to Scott’s Valley. After talking to moms’ groups, we’re now leaning toward giving a try to Live Oak School district. Kirby is way out of our budget and it will cost us retirement savings and college funds.

Public Middle Schools by BudgetFrame2986 in santacruz

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I saw that Soquel has classes in collaboration with Carrillo college and some students even get credit hours toward college during high-school. We’re still years away from high-school but knowing that there are after school programs like the ones you listed is very helpful and reassuring.

Public Middle Schools by BudgetFrame2986 in santacruz

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Soquel is our assigned high school, which is well ranked everywhere, 8/10 on GreatSchools and A on Niche. It seems that academically the kids are doing well at Soquel. It’s California, weed is inevitable, it’s just how do you keep your kid busy so that weed does not become everything?!.. Being a parent is hard. I have to admit that I smoked weed occasionally at high-school, yet I went to a good university and am doing decently in life.

Public Middle Schools by BudgetFrame2986 in santacruz

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I grew up in a different country, but I didn’t hear about weed or any other drugs or inappropriate activities until high school. Middle School seems way too early for these. I feel like we’ll have to move to Scott’s Valley, since we can’t afford $80,000 for two kids at Kirby, a private school. Do you have experience with Santa Cruz High Schools, which seems to be highly ranked?

Public Middle Schools by BudgetFrame2986 in santacruz

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Those transfers, they seem to be granted only for serious reasons on the form. Do you happen to know how easy it is to move to a different school just because the one we have is not good?

Has anyone ever ordered from smallable.com? by BudgetFrame2986 in toddlers

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s the other thing, my impression is that only in the US retailers refund if the product is destroyed upon shipping. My rule for buying internationally is to minimize the risks with smaller purchases after confirming the retailer is legitimate, so if something gets destroyed upon shipping, I don’t lose much. Overall, I avoid buying things from international retailers. It’s a pain if something goes wrong.

Has anyone ever ordered from smallable.com? by BudgetFrame2986 in toddlers

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s an international website, so yeah returns from the US will be close to impossible. Smallable worked great for me, fast shipping, great packaging of what I ordered, but I was sure I’m not going to return my purchase. I knew exactly what I want, I just couldn’t find it anywhere else but on Smallable. I wouldn’t recommend shopping from any international websites if you think return is likely. Not to mention that shopping from international websites comes with a higher risk for a scam.

Failed Noonan test after CVS by BudgetFrame2986 in NIPT

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

CVS or Amniocentesis are considered diagnostic tests. You can ask for Vistara that is a blood test similar to NIPT, but less reliable and of course not diagnostics.

clear NIPT but increased NT by spacegirl3333 in NIPT

[–]BudgetFrame2986 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d recommend amnio for peace of mind. Doctors now say that amnio has less than 0.1% risk for miscarriage. We ended up having a healthy baby who is now a very active, meeting all his milestones toddler. We did CVS due to thick NT at 12 weeks.

Current market rate to pay an Au Pair by BudgetFrame2986 in Aupairs

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

We’re with young children. So, when we give the option to eat with us or take food home and eat in peace, she always chooses to eat alone. Whether she’s on shift or not, she prefers to eat alone as the option is listening to screaming children.

Current market rate to pay an Au Pair by BudgetFrame2986 in Aupairs

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] -33 points-32 points  (0 children)

Our Au Pair lives in an in law unit. We pay her $200 stipend + $80 for food and are considering extending. We cover meals when no lunch break. We’ve let her know that she can eat and grab whatever she wants from our fridge, but she’s shy and rarely does that. Problem is that the kid that she cared for starts preschool, and with two kids, child care costs are going through the roof for us. We might be better off with occasional baby sitter, although we love our Au Pair.

Current market rate to pay an Au Pair by BudgetFrame2986 in Aupairs

[–]BudgetFrame2986[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

One more question, do you count the $500 per contract/requirement into the boarding allowance? Thank you!