Oops!!

dylan 113, originally uploaded by beautiful brat.

MY KIDS

IMAG0005_edited, originally uploaded by beautiful brat.

Left to right.

Nick (19)
Mandy (13)
Mike (23)
Dylan (7 months)

Dylan's Bath-time

IMAG0022, originally uploaded by beautiful brat.

Mandy and Dylan

IMAG0060, originally uploaded by beautiful brat.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Mandy had another day off from school, which she was glad for since 5 games of basketball this week-end made her tired. The day actually for a while was nice, the temperture crept towards 50 degrees but it was the early morning ice that we had that cancelled school. It was okay with me too, because I worked both Friday night and Saturday night and when I got home Sunday morning at 8am I never slept until 7pm Sunday night!! Mandy had 3 basketball games and I wanted to see them all. WOW did I sleep hard that night and luckily Dylan let me sleep until 9 on Monday!

Dylan update: He now weighs 14.6 pounds and is 26 inches long. He loves to eat! Especially banana's, and for some reason orange vegatables. He scoots around on his belly in circles and tries to get up on his knees. Today for his nap I had him at one end of the crib on his back but he was at the other end and on his belly when I checked in on him. He hasn't gotten anymore teeth yet, but his top ones are close to breaking through. He's still just the happiest little guy though every once in a while he gets fussy, if you want to call it that. He's at the stage where he doesn't want us out of his sight or he'll whine until you come back into the room. He keeps me busy to the point of me wondering where my day went, it goes so fast. He will be 7 months Feb. 26th!!

Work is going good, I'm close to being done with orientation. Yippee, then I'll be down to just 2 days a week. Though I already picked up an extra day in March for another nurse. I'll do that every once in awhile but it won't be a habit that's for sure. I have to work 3 in a row this week, that's a tough one. I hardly get to spend any time with Mandy and Dylan when that happens. Though I do get to see Nick alot since he helps me with his baby brother. (I'd be lost without him)

You're probably wondering why I'm posting on Valentine's night, and why am I not with my husband? Well he spent just enough time with me to eat and off to bed he went! So this has been the worst Valentine's ever! About as bad as our first anniversary! :(

I hope the rest of you who read my blog are having a better night than me!!

talk soon, Deb

SNOW DAY!!

Well, we'll call it a snow day, but it's really all the freezing rain we had during the night. It started as a two hour delay but at the end of the two hours they called it a day! Needless to say Mandy is still sleeping and it's 9:50am.

I, in the meantime, have made James' favorite dish for his birthday dinner tonight and baked a cake! Yes I would rather be asleep still too but...

So far I'm enjoying work, it is a challenge getting use to working nights but out of the month of January I have only had a couple of nights where I had to walk the hallways to snap out of the tired spell. Hopefully I'll be done with orientation at the end of this month. We have a check-off book that we have our preceptor sign each time a new skill is observed or done, the funniest one is "death". I told Nick that I feel like I have to hope one patient dies soon so I can check off this skill!! I was told that the book had to be complete before they could put me on the schedule! Isn't a hospital a place of healing? where we hope to send you home close to your original health? hmmmm....I usually am praying "don't die on my shift" but I guess I'll have to change my prayer.

Last week there was a couple in the hospital together. She came in first and she is 77 years young. Suffering from extreme jaundice, her husband came in the next day suffering from dehydration and anemia. He's 78 years young. She is his nurse when they are home. Hospital usually prevents man and a women from being in the same room but they made an exception...they have been married for 61 years!!! and you know they will recover better together. One night I was helping her to the bath room, with all her hook-ups, IV pole, O2 tubing, Foley...it wasn't easy but we made it. As we came out of the bath room her husband looked up and said "you look beautiful today, my dear"...I fought tears because after 61 years it was beautiful to see a love still strong. She thanked him (he's hard of hearing...) but said she didn't feel very beautiful. We had just stood in the mirror together where I had to show her how yellow her skin was and to trust her doctor to perform the surgery to make her better. As I left their room I turned to see him rise from his bed and with his cane and O2 tubing shuffle his way over to her bed and sit down beside her and put his arm around her. There was no talking between the two of them but WOW could you feel the love. I brushed a tear away and said a little prayer...

He's home now awaiting his wife. She had her surgery and looks fantastic...

I've seen some interesting things in just the short time I've been employed but that "Kodak moment" of two people still in love after 61 years will forever be etched in my memory.

Well I have to cut this short, I hear Dylan crying... I'll be back on later and post some new pictures.
Take care, Deb