Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Our House

is a very very very fine house!

Haha, anyway! Our first floor is almost complete! And I'm THRILLED! Nick has taken two weeks of vacation and we are busy getting everything ready for baptism. We basically only have tomorrow to finish getting things ready.

Friday we are going with Nick's sister Kate and her kids to Six Flags. It's the kids school trip and we decided to tag along. We have season passes and haven't been to Six Flags in forever. I actually haven't been on a ride in over 2 years since I was pregnant last summer, so I'm really excited! We have both kids going to daycare so it's a fun Mommy and Daddy day for us!

Then Saturday, we have our best friend's Jim and Leslie's couple's shower to go to. I'm a bridesmaid so I want to get there early and help get things set up. It's pretty far away and we have to have a sitter so we'll probably leave pretty early for that.

Then Sunday is Annabelle's baptism and everything has to be done and ready!

So we're working like busy little bees!

Today we had a funeral to go to in the morning and then we ran a few errands, so we didn't get started until late. THEN we had the tornadoes and golf ball sized hail come and we took a break to hide out in the basement. But we still got some stuff done. The built in bookcases are stained and poly-ed. Some pictures are hung. Some areas of the house are clean...some.

But we can do more tomorrow!

I'm taking random pictures so I'll post those soon...along with all the other pictures I keep promising you!!! They're coming. Soon. I swear...

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Work, or lack there of...

A lot has been going on in the work front for me and I'd like to blog about it.

First off, since December of 2006, I've worked at a company that my best friend is the VP of and his dad is the President of. It's been great. I've worked in a very casual environment and gained a lot of experience since I was the main person in the office. It was a stressful but good job for me. I loved working there.

I had Annabelle 3 weeks early and kind of threw them for a loop. They had to figure out where I was with all my work and take over. Luckily, just that week I had been writing everything out and tell them things to do. But still, I'm sure it was an adjustment for them. Just as it was an adjustment for me to have a baby early; before anything was really done at home for her.

Anyway, we came home and got into our routine and I sent an email to my boss asking if it was still ok that I start when Annabelle was 2 months old.

I requested started on May 11th.

They asked that I start back on a Monday. So they proposed May 16th. I said ok.

A few days before I was due back, they pushed my start date back to May 23rd. I was upset by this. I had already been off for over 2 months and was eager to get back to work.

I said ok, but if I didn't have a job by May 23rd, I had to look elsewhere.

In the meantime, I started really considering nursing school again. I had been taking classes at night and had already applied to start nursing school. But I was using that as a back up plan. In case the economy hit hard and my company didn't survive or something. I wasn't planning on HAVING to use that back up plan.

On May 20th, I got an email saying that my start date was pushed back again to June 1st and that there were going to be changes made around the office.

I also got a phone call from Barnes College of Nursing that I could start nursing school in January 2012 instead of May 2012.

Nick and I talked. We decided that nursing was the best way to go. I didn't want to come back to work for 7 months and then leave them hanging, just like I did when I had my baby 3 weeks early. So I made the ultimate decision. To leave my former job.

I tried to do it in a professional manner. I sent my letter of resignation along with my thanks to the VP and President. And I am thankful. For everything that they have done. But this is what is best for me and my family right now.

I've been applying to jobs at all the hospitals around town. I've been applying to colleges too. I went on an interview at Wash U but haven't heard anything back yet.

Today I got an email from Barnes hospital that they think they have an opening for me. I'm ecstatic. I hope they do. I'm calling tomorrow to discuss it with them.

This is hard. I didn't want to leave my last job, but I think I'm doing the right thing. I didn't want to leave them in January and right now they've been handling everything on their own without me for almost 3 months. Hopefully this is as smooth a transition as it could be for them.

I'm really nervous about nursing school now. It was an idea, a dream, a back up plan and now it's my reality. I'm going to nursing school. I'm going to be a nurse. The idea both thrills me and terrifies me at the same time. I know school will be tough. Especially with two young children. But I'm very excited. I think I'll be an excellent nurse. And I can't wait for the opportunity.

Wish me luck on my call tomorrow. Hopefully this is a job and it gets my foot in the door at a great hospital!

Again, a thanks to Mike, my BFF, for everything he's done for me since late 2006. He's been an amazing friend and boss and I hope he is still my BFF forever. Love ya Mike!

Friday, May 20, 2011

2 month check up

Even though this was awhile ago now, I wanted to post Annabelle's stats. :)

At her two month appointment on May 9th, 2011 she was:

24" long

12 lbs. 6 oz.

That's my big girl!!

Wow...

I've been getting SO bad at blogging! I just feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. And that's weird because I'm still not working! So where does the time go?? Taking care of a beautiful daughter and resting. :)

I've been taking more pictures so I'll have an interesting blog post one of these days. I promise!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

A funny

I just saw this as someone's status on Facebook and it made me laugh. Hope it gives you a chuckle!

"Women are Angels.
And when someone breaks our wings,
we simply continue to fly...
on a broomstick.
We are flexible like that."


LOVE IT! :)

A few Easter pics

Just a few pictures from my sister's camera. Mainly of Annabelle. Dominick wasn't digging the whole idea of pictures on Easter...we only got one HALFWAY decent picture with Dom in it...and then he blocked my Dad's head. Oh well!

Enjoy!





Wednesday, May 4, 2011

BOO!

I just went to check the mail...I'm eager to do that lately because I'm still waiting on the second half of my Aflac money. I get so hopeful and excited when I go to the mailbox.

Did I get my check?!?!

NO!

Did I get a Jury Summons?!?!

YES!

Boo...NOT a happy camper today...

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

8 Weeks Old?!?!

Tomorrow Annabelle will be EIGHT WEEKS OLD! Wow, time flies.

Things are going great. I don't have any pictures uploaded...SORRY! But she is just beautiful. Trust me. :)

Things are going really well. I'm still nursing (quit nursing Dom at 6 weeks, so I'm definitely happy with this!) and she is still thriving. She has some reflux and spits up fairly regularly, but I'm ok with that. Dominick spit up EVERY time he ate so she's definitely better than he was! However she is really starting to struggle with taking a bottle and I'm not too happy with that. I have to pump a lot for Nick to give her bottles when I go to school and lately she's basically refusing them and waiting until I get home. I'm hoping to be back to work in the next few weeks though so hopefully she gets over this pretty quickly.

I'll definitely take a picture of her tomorrow so I can have an 8 week shot of her, so stay tuned.

Happy 8 weeks Annabelle!

Class

Today I had a lab practical in my AP2 class. It was my last practical and then next week I have my final lecture exam and then I'm done. Whew.

I hadn't studied AT ALL. In fact I didn't even go to class last week (I know, bad me). I tried. I drove all the way out there. But after sitting in traffic and not getting to North County until 5:45 (when class started at 5:30) and being the same day I heard the horrible news about Baby Gwen, I just couldn't go to class. I was so emotionally unavailable, that I couldn't bring myself to sit in a lecture. So I was NOT prepared for this test...as of this morning.

I got Dominick to daycare by 9:30 and then headed home to gather my stuff. After getting everything together, I headed to Kay Bee where I locked myself in their conference room and got to work. I studied, literally, all day long. Only took one break, and that was to drive down the street to Bread Co and get a sandwich.

But the good news is, I think all that paid off because I feel like I ACED that test! Now if only I can study enough that I ace the final lecture exam...I'll try to work on that for next week. I don't want to START studying on the day of the test again.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Still Here

Hey blog world. Just a quick post to say (again) that I'm still alive and well. We've had a rough few days here.

Last Wednesday night, Dominick was doing his normal scream and cry temper tantrum before going to bed. We didn't think too much of it and let him cry for a bit. He usually cries for about 10 minutes and that's his bedtime routine. I'm not a fan of it. I'd rather he not cry. But he does and then he sleeps all night just fine. Well after screaming for about 15 minutes I realized something was up. I went in to see what was wrong and I gave him a hug and he felt CrAzY hot. So I ran upstairs to get the thermometer. I got it and came back down. It is a digital ear thermometer. I took his temp. 102.8

Yikes! So we gave him some children's ibuprofen and he came upstairs with me to sleep in our bed. Nick went to the basement to sleep and Dom slept with me all night. Anytime I got up, I took his temp. By morning it was down to 101, but that's still high. I kept him home from daycare and by noon his temp was down to 100. But by 2, it was back up to 104, the highest yet. I called the doc and brought him straight in.

He has nothing...well, they called it a fever virus. Said it has to run it's course but alternate tylenol and ibuprofen. So we did that Friday and kicked the temp for good.

But anyway, I had both kids home alone (with one of them sick) on Thursday and Friday. Then on Saturday, my little Bellie Belles decided to get sick. Fun! And today I decided to get sick. Yay!

And even MORE FUN. Nick is working like a mad man to get a job done. So Friday he worked from 6 am to 4:30 om. Saturday he worked from 6 am to 4 :30 pm. And today, Sunday, he worked from 6 am to 2 pm. Tomorrow and all week he's working 6-4:30.

So I've had a LOT on my plate. I'm still here, but barely. I'm hoping tomorrow is an easier day. Dom's fever is gone and he is on his road to becoming healthy. Annabelle has a humidifier in her room and I've been using little noses and the nasal aspirator to clean out her nose. I just started some Zicam to try and kick my cold.

I'm hoping by the middle of this week, we are all onto a routine and HEALTHY. That's my goal.

Anyway, not a great post, but there it is. I'm still here and I'll be back to blogging more regularly soon....I HOPE.