oh hai...it's me again

This is what being a full time working and part time schooling mama and wife looks like: not much blogging. Surprisingly, I have only felt the urge a few times and that is largely due to how exhausted I am by the time I finish working, studying, taking quizes, and showering before I have to go to bed. The house is a royal mess. I told B that I cannot be left to do everything, not that I was, but that he has to help me out more, especially with the things he hates doing (laundry). He is an incredible husband and has been so encouraging and supportive with me going back to school. So here's the break down:

Medical terminology: I assumed that it would be hard. Lucky for me, mostly because I work in a hospital and I have a background in English, the class has been great and I've got a perfect grade so far. The reading is not too heavy and the terms are mostly familiar.

Pregnancy nutrition: A class I assumed would be easy is SO NOT. No joke. I took the first quiz last week and bombed it. I kicked myself over and over for not reading enough and then found out the entire class averaged a 61% and I didn't feel as bad. I took the second quiz last night and did much better.

Human growth and development: I love this in person class. The professor is awesome. She is easy to relate to and for some reason, I have more to say now than I ever did back in my younger college days. Must be all the life experience.  I've noticed that the women in our class who are younger, not married or mothers are really uneducated about women's health and pregnancy. It makes me so sad. Whether she is planning on becoming a mother someday or not, she NEEDS to know how her body works! Some of the questions had me gaping. I could not believe it. I have felt a stir inside of me to specifically focus on young women (teen moms) to ensure that they are properly educated about their pregnancy, nutrition, development and choices surrounding their situation.

In general I am loving it. The first two weeks of my 5 week classes are already done, which is crazy to think that I will be done with them in 3 weeks time.

the count down is on!

A week from today I start my classes! I cannot believe it is hear already. I have been out of school for over five years...I hope that in the last five years I'm wiser and a better student! lol But really, I just want to have fun and enjoy learning. I have always loved school, despite the struggles I've had over the years. Now that I am actually going with a purpose and end goal in sight, I feel a lot more confident about how I will do.

I have started to refinish and paint an awesome secretary desk I scored at a local antique shop. Should take me about a week to finish with all the priming, painting and coating I need to do. Did all the sanding of it last night. Thank goodness for power sanders! There is no way I could stand there hand-sanding such a large piece of furniture.

I'm hoping to finish Harry Potter Book 1 this week sometime. I've loved listening to it. The reader does an incredible job of depicting each character and changing the inflections in each character's voice. He really brings the story to life, one which I have not been the biggest fan of over the years but am really enjoying now.

This weekend was great! Spent most of our time just relaxing, playing outside in the pool, and we checked out a local music fest Friday night. Last night, Logan woke up for the first time in MONTHS because he was hungry. This kid must be going through some kind of growth spurt because he is constantly eating! So we sat at the kitchen table in the soft light of the kitchen, he on my lap, as he ate turkey and cheese. Despite the wake up call, it was so nice to share those moments with my little man.

Update on my health! Things are going great! I have gained almost 10 solid pounds since last December. I feel so much better and have my diet under control. So much so that I don't even take medication for the GERD unless it's really bad, which is rare now. The most common symptom I have is nausea. I've just learned to deal with and ignore it. I feel nauseous nearly four out of seven days of the week. Almost like a pregnant person, but I'm not. I've also been able to reintroduce foods that once irritated me. Like coffee! I can have a cup in the morning and it's all good! I try not to have one every day, but when I do my body does fine.

Cheers and a happy Monday to you!

Finding My Passion...At the Hospital

Working in a hospital has been wonderful. I'd like to point out that 5 years ago I never thought such a thing would even enter my mind. I hated hospitals. Anyone I'd ever known who'd been in the hospital was sick and/or died. I was just coming to the age where friends were starting to have babies. When I received news of a friend going into labor I could not wait to visit her. But wait. She was in the hospital. I instantly felt sick to my stomach. I called up a friend and begged him to go with me. We waited for the call that the little one had arrived and dashed over for a visit. Now that I have had a baby, I realize how crazy that is now! I'd never want that many people coming to see me after just having had a baby. Thankfully, my friend was way too excited, or so it seemed, to show of her new bundle and did not think twice about kicking any of us out.

The fear of being in a hospital quickly started to phase and I even went back the next day when things were less chaotic and I was able to hold her new daughter.

Since then, I have had a ride in the ambulance after fainting in the food hall in college, I've had a baby and spent several nights walking back and forth from the NICU to my mama room. I guess you could say I've become used to it. So when I started looking for a new job back in December, the hospital was the only place I was looking. Of all the places to work in town, this is by far the BEST place to work. Here or the school district or a brewery.

When I found out I had an interview I was shocked. This was not the first time I had applied for jobs with the hospital. I'd probably applied 50 times before over the last few years for random positions and all of a sudden within a month of sending my application in I had an interview. And then a 2nd interview. And then an offer. I was in the system! excitement flowed through me. B was so happy. It was just the kind of change our little family needed.

Now that I have been here 2 months as of yesterday I can honestly say I love it here. I never want to leave. In fact, rather than going back to school to be a teacher, something which I have always felt I have even had to convince myself was the right thing when really, I knew teaching was not what I wanted to do, I will be going back to become a Certified Nurse Midwife. Yeah. Can you believe it?! When I go back is still up in the air. B wants to get his teaching certification first and then I will start with some pre-recs for nursing school, get my RN and then begin my midwifery fellowships. Yes, this is going to take YEARS for me to accomplish but I could not be more excited. I know that if I don't do this now that 10 years from now I will be wishing I had. Whereas once I finish school 10 years from now I will be delivering babies.

After lots of prayer and finally getting a great feel for the hospital lifestyle, meeting and talking to labor and delivery nurses, whom I see multiple times a day to admit laboring mamas, I am certain that this is exactly when God intended for me to find my passion. Sure, it would have been nice to have known when I was in college. I think I was supposed to have a child and really know what it was like to go through pregnancy, labor and delivery, and even experience what the NICU is like for me to truly feel led to join the women's health field. I'm almost 27. I don't think it's too late. Really, it's never too late.

A Higher Education

>I am going back to school in 10 months and I can.not.wait. It is amazing how I have been out for over 3 years now and how much I truly miss education. It's ironic, because I have always been a fairly average student. School has always been something I have had to work hard for. I averaged Bs most of the time, but there were always the one or two classes I really struggled in and one or two I really excelled in. I believe that I will do even better, no matter how hard the classes, because I am so focused on something I am truly passionate about. I cannot wait to learn how to teach, how to make lesson plans, how to manage a class room, and to have my own classroom.

My trek back into school began a month ago. It hit me that Logan has a mother who works at a front desk, who is not using her degree (specifically), and who does not particularly find it challenging or rewarding (job wise, not people wise). I wanted right then and there to figure out what it was I am so passionate about and get on with it. Teaching has always been on my radar, it has just been a matter of time and I'm sure, several anxious thoughts, that have kept me from doing it right away. But now my heart and head are so ready to get my career started for the next 30+ years. I love children, teaching, learning, and will be so proud once I am doing all that.

So join me in prayer and joy as I begin my journey into the teaching world and start making a difference in little peoples' lives. I know that there is nothing and on one stopping me now, not even the anxiety, thankyouverymuch.