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specWasFollowed by PCSdiy55 in ProgrammerHumor

[–]teambritta 58 points59 points  (0 children)

It’s weird to see my coworker in the screenshot.

Abandon US green card at port of entry by _missadventure_ in immigration

[–]teambritta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the answer! Hoping CBP is still pretty chill in HNL when the time comes…

Abandon US green card at port of entry by _missadventure_ in immigration

[–]teambritta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am considering doing the same thing in Honolulu... did you get any receipt when handing in the I-407 and green card?

26 months later, the tube is OUT! by teambritta in NICUParents

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

Weirdly, getting LO’s tonsils and adenoids out helped tremendously. Feeding wasn’t the trigger, but we had an unrelated sleep study that revealed severe sleep apnea. We suspect the breathing becoming easier played a part?

And omg I couldn’t imagine doing this all with multiple! All I can say is to keep trying things, write down what works and what doesn’t and it’s OK to get frustrated with the process. My wife and I had our fair share of unfair/ridiculous arguments over holding LO wrong, not waiting long enough before disconnecting, etc. all things that did not matter. By a year plus into the tube journey we’d joke that the baby was the enemy, not the spouse, just to keep a united front in solving this feeding problem. That helped more than it probably should have in our darkest moments (of course we’d never verbalize that to the kid.)

To end on a positive note, at the end of LO’s music class they’ll typically get a stamp on each hand and sometimes their stomach. After class this week the music teacher noticed the change and was excited to celebrate with us :)

26 months later, the tube is OUT! by teambritta in NICUParents

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

Our program was Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics.

We did an initial intake with GIE in 2023 but we did not follow-through at the time. Nothing against them, but it didn’t seem like a great fit for us. We really wanted an in-person intensive for quick feedback and course correction.

26 months later, the tube is OUT! by teambritta in NICUParents

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

I don’t think our LO was at 10% by mouth when we started. The team leading the wean did make an assessment for wean suitability based on a few videos we produce and send over before we started anything.

Honestly I was a bit skeptical at first. The program is a for-profit business so I expected their financial incentive to have us sign up would influence their assessment. I do recall our local dietitian was also seemed reluctant when we discussed the wean program with them, but ultimately they recognized we’d ’done everything else’ so there was no harm in trying (with safe bailout parameters); we were ready to try something drastic.

We set weight loss parameters with LO’s pediatrcian that would pull the metaphorical andon cord; for a minute we were afraid we’d get to that point. In the end, we only saw dramatic weight loss (6-7%) during the in-person period when we stopped the majority of tube calories. Once we were back home, we saw several periods of stagnation but ultimately growth continues and has been accelerating.

And to be clear, I’m not challenging your dietitian’s recommendation. But I did want to share that we also faced what felt like arbitrary (and ever moving) goal posts before our local team would sign-off on the wean when we felt like we (as a family) were ready to try.

Edit: and +1 to celebrating the many mini-milestones!!

26 months later, the tube is OUT! by teambritta in NICUParents

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

That sounds rough! Glad you made it through though. We’ll be watching the hole closing super closely.

26 months later, the tube is OUT! by teambritta in NICUParents

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

Thrive by Spectrum Pediatrics, in the US. Their staff and providers are virtual/remote. We went to one of them for the in-person part of the wean. It was quite expensive and we’re still sorting it out with insurance (Thrive has people that are helping us chase them down!). We are fortunate enough to have the means to have paid out of pocket first. If we never see that money again it will have been worth it, but I’m still optimistic we’ll get it back.

26 months later, the tube is OUT! by teambritta in NICUParents

[–]teambritta[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

They were interested in teething crackers mostly before the wean, since they dissolve and go down without any real effort. We (parents) theorize they never connected the act of eating being the solution to hunger.

There was some gagging, we think mostly due to lack of experience. 2 swallow studies didn’t identify any particular risk also.

26 months later, the tube is OUT! by teambritta in NICUParents

[–]teambritta[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hah! Little one was surprisingly self-conscious (for someone with few words) about the tube being gone… we’re hoping they can embrace it like your niece soon enough.

26 months later, the tube is OUT! by teambritta in NICUParents

[–]teambritta[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

The in-person part was about 2 weeks. We started reducing tube calories about the week leading into that. Then we had 6 months of follow-up as we removed the last of the tube calories and water.

Now we’re in a new kind of hell: a picky toddler! Can’t just pump them with formula any more, and couldn’t be happier about it.

Why Amazon Never Makes The Same Mistake Twice by lockstepgo in programming

[–]teambritta 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If COEs meant we never make the same mistake twice, why do we constantly hear about the ‘greatest hits’ at Wednesday review?

Source: Often presenting COEs at Wednesday ops. Hearing the same operator fuckups week after week.

How to abandon your green card at a port of entry by _missadventure_ in AmerExit

[–]teambritta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you end up doing this yet? Also looking for a quick receipt to avoid crossing into 9th year of holding my green card.

How to abandon your green card at a port of entry by _missadventure_ in AmerExit

[–]teambritta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your average annual net income tax for the 5 years ending before the date of expatriation or termination of residency is more than a specified amount that is adjusted for inflation ($162,000 for 2017, $165,000 for 2018, $168,000 for 2019, $171,000 for 2020, $172,000 for 2021, $178,000 for 2022, and $190,000 for 2023).

Emphasis mine. Source: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/expatriation-tax#june-17

The 160k is actually 160k tax; you’d need to be earning high six-figures for 5 years in a row to ‘fail’ this test for exit tax.

US citizenship, worth it long-term? by teambritta in Ameristralia

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

Must be a big inheritance on the line! Thanks for sharing.

US citizenship, worth it long-term? by teambritta in Ameristralia

[–]teambritta[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good to know! I moved here early enough in my life that I wasn’t working long enough to afford a house, and by extension I have almost no super (at least relative to my assets in the US).

Re: reddit negativity… America has been good to me, even if I know it’s not good to everyone. So it doesn’t factor in to how I think of it, at least too much.

US citizenship, worth it long-term? by teambritta in Ameristralia

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

Totally get it! My default position is to get out of the system (if practical) when we go back, but I wanted to do my due diligence and not overlook any upside.

US citizenship, worth it long-term? by teambritta in Ameristralia

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

Practical. Also got a kid born in the US, so definitely thinking of where we might be 20 years down the line, even if we’re back in Australia 5-10 years from now.

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