It's Official!

So a lot has happened the last few weeks... the most exciting one happened today, so I knew I had to update. I'm going to go chronologically backwards, hope you don't mind!

This morning I had an interview with one of the managers of the unit I've been working on for the last 6 months. The interview was for a RN new graduate position. I was nervous about the interview and if they'd offer me the position, even though I had heard nothing but positive feedback from the nurses I worked with and some of the other staff. I was worried the pregnancy might cause a strain on their decision to keep me, even though I hadn't told anyone at work yet, it is getting pretty obvious. I walked in today and felt very relieved and the manager I interviewed with asked a bunch of questions and explained the process of new grad orientation and what they expected. She seemed to be trying to drive home a point that if I knew of anything like a vacation or otherwise (I wish!) that would conflict with completing the orientation in it's entirety, that they would like to know and may adjust my start date. (I thought to myself holy guilt trip, man!) I let her know that I was a very responsible person in regards to attendance and in the 2 years of nursing school, I only missed one day (due to Bruno breaking his leg), and that I had nothing planned or that I know of that would conflict with the orientation process. And then I added that I am pregnant and I'm due towards the end of April, but that a 12-16 week orientation would hopefully be complete before I needed time off. The manager acted very excited and said congratulations. It felt good to get it off my chest and let them know, but then I felt like I might have just shot myself in the foot too! Long story short... they called this evening to officially offer me a position! Woo Hoo! I'm officially and Extern II, and I start with orientation on December 29th. Once I test and get my license, I will officially be an RN and my pay will increase! Can you hear the cha-ching sounds in Tom's ears?? I can! LOL!!!

Soon, I'm gonna know a whole lot more about stuff to do with the brain!

I graduated from Phoenix College on Friday, December 12th. It was a great night with family and friends. Aunt Sue and Aunt Carol were able to make the long trek to be there. Monique along with her mom and dad came by as well. Some of Tom's family even showed up to show their support, Nancy, Tom and Myra. After Graduation was the after-party at Graham's Central Station where all of my girlies got together and celebrated with friends. I, of course, was a designated driver so the girls, and Tom, were able to have a little more fun (read: drinks) than they normally would! We closed the bar/club and then headed over to Filiberto's for some late night sustenance. After driving the girls home, I think I crawled into bed around 4:15 am. Crazy, but we had a great time!

Just before Graduation... Gina, Jacki, Me, Sarah, and Anna (not pictured - Sara)

The whole fam damily showed up, I felt so loved!

Me and Monique, isn't she pretty!

Me and Tom, he's so proud of his soon to be money-maker! LOL!
He'd still love me if I wasn't making any money, right? =)

At Graham's they have a karaoke section... here we were trying to sing I Will Survive, we were horrible, not to mention I only knew the chorus!

Congratulations Graduates and soon to be future RN's!!!
We don't scare you too much do we? Oh, wait, did you hear us trying to sing?

Jacki and Anna giving "Hank" some lovin'! I think I actually look pregnant here!

Jacki has a friend, Ty, who is INCREDIBLE at country dancing. He dragged me out onto the dance floor and spun me around... it was fun, but I am no where near ready to try it on my own!

Sarah even convinced Tom to dance with her, aren't they cute?

We had our "big" ultrasound on Friday, December 5th. Most people call this the big ultra sound because it's normally where they find out the gender of the baby. Well, we're being difficult I guess and don't want to find out, so we just got to see the baby and get some measurements. Heart rate was 149, and baby was estimated to weigh 11 oz. We got to see a long femur bone, the four chambers of its pumping heart, a cute set of hips, a little wave of the hand and the cutest button nose ever. Unfortunately, this imaging place wasn't as hip as the last place, so we didn't get a CD or any 3-D images. Frankly, I was only slightly impressed with one of the images, and I had to scan that to get it on the computer. So... here's "Hank"...

I can't believe Christmas is Thursday, of this week! I'm not ready for it, but guess, I'll have to get ready pretty quickly. So Merry Christmas to all, and if you are travelling, I hope you travel safely. I hope you get to enjoy the holiday with your loved ones!

A few things...

Just a quick update, so I don't forget about stuff!

Sunday, November 30, 2008 - Felt the baby move for the first time. Tom had been awake for a little while and I was dozing off and on still. He came in to check on me and got back in bed for a little snuggle. While laying there talking, I felt a little poke on my left side, but wasn't sure what it was. About a minute later, I felt the same thing and said something to Tom. He got excited and asked if it was something he might be able to feel, I said I don't know. So he put his hand where I said I felt it and left it there for a while, but I couldn't tell if I was feeling anything else with his hand there. Later in the afternoon, I laid down for a nap (I'm working a night shift schedule right now... more on that later) and felt the movement again in the same area. So... we have a mover and a shaker! I'm so glad I finally was able to feel the baby, I was worried we'd go into our ultrasound on Friday and hear bad news, but I'm reassured now that all is well in baby land!

Preceptorship - UGH! Night. shift. Need I say more??? Oh, yeah, it's floor status patients, when I like my sicker ICU patients. Blah! I was worried it would be horrible. It's not. The patients are pretty nice for the most part, we take 5 patients at a time and that gets pretty busy, especially when we don't have a nurses aid. They are yucky patients too... at least I think they are kinda yucky. Kidney and liver problems and/or transplants, so they have a lot going on and their baseline is to be sick for the most part. I visited my floor(Neuro ICU) where I was working the last 6 months. I missed those patients and the staff I worked with. Neuro patients are for the most part healthy, but have a bleed in their head. Not as complicated and yucky as some of the other patients out there. DISCLAIMER: I'm generalizing here, not *all* patients are a as I've described. Maybe I've idealized the situation, hmmm, I dunno. But I like the Neuro ICU better. The night shift hasn't been that bad to transition to, it's coming off of it, I'm not so sure about yet. I hope to work weekend nights once I have the baby, so I guess I better get used to it.

House - Tom's been remodeling the master bathroom, he's doing a great job between all the holiday festivities and my needing time to sleep during the day. It's a little slow going at times, but I think he's about ready to rock and roll on it and we may be buying tile this week. Next project is to scrape the popcorn/acoustic ceiling in the master bedroom, fix a few spots and then paint. After that's all done, we can move back into the master bedroom, get our guestroom in order and start working on the nursery!

I don't have time to post pictures, but I wanted to give an update. Hopefully on Friday I'll be able to update with pictures from the ultrasound, we are going to a different office for this ultrasound and I don't know if they will give us the images like the last time. I hope they do, then it will be easy to share with you!

Can you believe it's already December?? Holy Cow! or should it be Holy Reindeer? LOL!

I WILL be graduating!!!

Woo Hoo!!! Classes are over, I took my final nursing school exam yesterday, and I'm proud to announce that I will be graduating with my Associates Degree in Nursing in about a month!!! I'm about 8-10 years behind the ball on this, but I'm still proud that I actually went back to school and completed a degree. On top of it all I will have a career out of this and one that will work well with having babies!

I still have a preceptorship/internship to complete, which involves 8 twelve hour night shifts with the same nurse in a specific unit. But the class and regular clinical time is complete. I'm so excited, but still in a little bit of shock I think. It's hard to imagine not going to class or having care plans and random busy work assignments to do. Not seeing my girlies on a weekly basis, but we will definitely keep in touch.

Two years ago, it felt like this day would never come. But it seems like it has flown by, and I've learned so much. There have been many experiences, changes, struggles and learning opportunities along the way. All of which have lead me to be the person I am today. There is no way someone could go through all of this and not come out a better person (hopefully).

This is the last day of clinicals from Block I, first semester of Nursing School. April '07

This is this morning after our formal class picture was taken.

You may not be able to tell much of a difference between these 2 photos, but I sure can. I love these girls and I hope we will be life long friends!

Graduation Details:

December 12th @ 7:00pm,

Phoenix College Main Campus, Bull Pitt Auditorium

I'm making formal announcements and hopefully you will receive those sometime next week!

Happy Anniversary! 2 years married & 5 years together!

Two years ago today, I married my best friend! All the words in the world couldn't describe the love I have for my husband. I'm so happy that he chose me, and he still smiles through all that I put him through. He is so patient, kind and understanding. He's the love of my life and I can't imagine loving anyone else as much as I love him. He knows I'm crazy, but I think it intrigues him. He has made me a better person. We make each other laugh. He understands me and the crazy way my thoughts come out... most of the time. He works so hard to provide for both of us, and I know he's going to be a great father. I know that the best decision in my life was to marry my Tom! I love you babe, thanks for everything!

Here is my little tribute to us... You may have seen some of these photos before in other blog posts, but I wanted to compile the pictures of us together here...

Our Wedding Day!

First kiss as Husband and Wife!

It was a hot day, and it was a hot kiss!

After we signed the marriage license.

The day after we were married on top of one of the ruins at Lamani.

Diving in Belize, the week after our wedding.

Our at home reception the week after we got back from Belize.

In front of our favorite dive shop - Belize, July 2007
Waiting at the airport for the plane to take us to Belize for our Wedding!
Rocky Pointe - Summer 2005
Phoenix Zoo, Zoo Lights - December 2006
Sedona January 1st, 2007.
Easter 2008
Amelia Island, Florida - November 2007
Beach in LA - September 2007

Different Beach in LA - September 2007

California Adventure -September 2007
Autopia - Disneyland - September 2007 Disneyland - September 2007

Birthday Party - July 2006
A friends wedding - January 2008
New Years Eve - December 2007
Christmas 2006

I love you babe! I can't wait to live the rest of my life, happily with you!

September 2008

Hmmm, I searched and searched, and it seems that I don't have any pictures from September. Well, other than the pregnancy ones I've already shown you.

What did we do in September... Let's see.

For me work, school, and being exhausted consumed a lot of the time. We told a few family and friends that we were pregnant. I was pretty tired in the first tri-mester. I took a lot of naps. I think the shock of actually being pregnant was slowly wearing off at that time too. As prepared for pregnancy as I thought I was, the idea took a little getting used to. It almost felt like it wasn't really true, but why did I have the + pregnancy tests, and symptoms too? I don't think it really, really, felt real until we heard the heart beat, and what a sweet sound that was. The ultrasound made it even more real, now that I could actually see the baby. But even still I see very pregnant women walking around and think, holy cow is that gonna be me in a few months? No way!?! And then the practical momma in my brain says YES WAY!!! I think it will really hit home once I feel the baby moving and I start to look more pregnant rather than just extra chubby!

Tom started working four 10 hour shifts and now has Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. He's rockin' and rollin' on projects around the house. We have some rearranging of the house to do, and he is taking the opportunity to scrape the popcorn ceilings in the bedrooms. I feel bad not being able to help very much, but asbestos, dry wall dust and paint fumes don't mix well with pregnancy I guess.

I'll try to do better this month (November) with the pictures.

August 2008

August meant an end to the summer for me... School started the last week of August and I tried to do anything I could to not think about it. I think Jacki and I floated the Salt River a total of 4 or 5 times this summer. Each time with various other friends tagging along.

Christopher and Jacki

Me and Jacki, we had a great time this summer!

Tom's mom Nancy has a birthday in August and this year we all went over to Tom's sister's house for a carne asada bbq and some fun in their pool! Kayla

Estefan

Victor and Estefan

Brian

Rubber Ducky, you're the one... isn't he cool?

Nanette playing with Abbey, their lab. Nanette would count down and then jump in the pool and Abbey would be a second behind her, such a water dog. They provided some good entertainment!

Since it was Nancy's Birthday, I wanted to see if I could get a good picture of her with Nanette's kids. I think this is the only picture where everyone is looking at me. Oh well, maybe I need to think up some good jokes next time!?!?

Next I tried to get some pictures of just the kids all together, the following are the best of the bunch. These kids are such hams!

This is the only one of this 'pose'... I don't think they liked standing that close together. I love Victor's crazy face and Brian's cute dimples right under his eyes!

Cute Kids! Love the snaggle teeth!

I think I was losing their patience, shortly after I snapped this Estefan slid off into the pool!

I think everyone had fun, and the food was yummy, including this yummy Cookie Dough Ice Cream cake from Coldstone Creamery. BTW- we forgot candles, so we had to improvise with what Nanette had... it should be 60 minus 1 = 59, shhhh, don't tell anyone!

Over Labor Day weekend Nanette, Teke and family rented a cove at Bartlet Lake and had a big camp out over the weekend. We just went up for a few hours one day, as I had to work every other day of the weekend. Teke took Nanette, Kayla, Estefan, Tom and I out for a tour of the lake.

Kayla suited up with her cute life preserver! Why didn't they have cute ones like that when I was a kid??

Estefan quickly passed out sitting in the back of the boat so Nanette had him get up and lay down in the front bow (?) of the boat. He slept there for a long time surrounded by all the toys!

Tom and Nanette decided to take a ride on the tube. They had so much fun. I think Teke was a little cautious to go too fast, but these two are dare devils! See them dragging their feet on the sides? They just kept asking for more. I think they even caught air a few times!

We went back to shore and picked up some of the kids that were camping with them and Kayla and this little boy had a great time on the tube. The little boy had never been on a boat, let alone a tube before!

We had a good time the short amount of time we were there. Unfortunately there were quite a few monsoons blowing through town on that weekend, and where Bartlett Lake is situated, they seemed to get the brunt of every storm. Their camp trailer got slightly damaged and they accidentally left the windows down in the truck, so the seats got soaked. But all in all I think everyone had a great time.