Snow

So, it is Christmas Day and we have lots of snow on the ground with more coming down. I worked last night and am waiting for the day shift nurses to get here so I can give report and go home. The precipitation started yesterday afternoon around three, when the rain turned to sleet and then to snow. I don't normally have to leave my house before 6:15pm to get to work by 6:45pm. However, last night I made sure I was in the shower at 5pm and out of my house by 5:45pm to get to work with plenty of time to navigate the weather.

I would like to think that I am a tolerant and kind person, however this morning has tested my patience. Several nurses have called and said they were stuck in ditches on their way and I feel bad for them - they attempted to come to work. They got up early to get out of their driveways and come to work. Then there are the people who called at 6:15-6:20am to say they were stuck in their driveways. What I want to know is why they are just now getting out of their houses and into their driveways. We had a blizzard advisory before people went to bed last night, so why didn't people get up early to check conditions, get themselves out of their driveways, and get their butts to work. I am trying to be kind and understanding, but really i'm just annoyed that I have to be here until others get here. I want to go home and go to bed. I don't want to get stuck in the snow on the way home. I want to get paid my time and a half for work last night, but since I'm on orientation, I don't get the holiday pay. Sometimes life doesn't work the way you want.

New Stuff is Always Exciting

New Stuff is Always Exciting...

For example, getting a new toy/movie/gadget is always a cause for celebration in my house. We get the "new stuff" and play with it right away - maybe all day. When I first got my iPhone I spent lots of time on it fooling around. We usually get a new movie home and open it up right away and watch it. If it's something I have really been waiting for, like the new Star Trek, I will watch the movie, then all the special features, then maybe the movie with commentary. However, after a while new things get less exciting. My iPhone is still way cool but it has lost some of it's inital excitement (however, new apps always make me happy).

A new job is like that in lots of ways. I was soooo excited when I was offered the new job. Boy was I excited. It was the job I wanted and I was so glad that they wanted me too. Then it took two whole weeks to start orientation so I was anxious to start. Once I got to the orientation, I was super excited again because I got my badge that says Emily, RN (Woot) and I could use it to clock in, etc. I even used payroll deduction in the cafeteria and that was exciting (although that is super dangerous).

Today is my first day on the actual floor where I will be working. I was excited to get up and come to work today, even though I had to get up at 0530. I was excited to clock in and start my day. Everyone here is super nice and I feel very welcomed. However, I feel like some of the initial excitement has worn off. I know that sounds bad, but let me explain. My preceptor feels like she doesn't need to show me some things because I will be working nights and everything is so different from days to nights. That is a bit frustrating. I know it's true for some things, but it feels like a cop out so she doesn't have to slow down and show me things. Maybe it's because I am just so tired and our patients are so good today - who knows. I am still excited about my new job, but now I am waiting to go to nights to start my "real" orientation. Maybe the "new stuff" excitement will return my first night. Then again, maybe not. I may be lucky to stay awake the whole night :)

Back To The Land of the Living

I have decided that since my life issues have seemed to be resolved right now that I can start to blog again. I took and passed my state boards in October (on Will's birthday) and have started orientation for my new job at a local hospital. I shall be working on the cardiac/pulmonary/telemetry floor. Basically we get patients who are moved from ICU but are still very critical. It is going to be AWESOME! I get to go to heart monitoring class, stroke class, and do advanced cardiac life support, where I learn how to run a code and push medications during a code. I'm super excited. I got my badge a couple of days ago and it said RN and I showed it to anyone who would listen.

Blake is now almost 4 months and weighs about 20lbs. He's HUGE and super cute. Will is three and terrible, but he's cute too. Matt is in school right now and is pursuing a degree in education. GO MATT! Life is good and all is well. I'm going to take this time to enjoy the relative calm that is my life before something bad happens, as it inevitably will.

My Trip To The Hospital

So, I went to the hospital about three weeks ago to have a baby. All went well and we have a new baby boy - Blake Matthew Ware. He was born August 27th at 0755 and was 10 pounds 2.6 ounces and 21.5 inches long. The whole experience was fine - the baby is great but being tired and trying to feed the baby is very stressful. Anyway, I had been there for three days when Matt went to the cafeteria to get a soda and something to eat. When he came back, he had trouble getting the door open. We had been having trouble with the door the whole time I had been there and the nurses said they had lots of trouble with that door but the whole wing was getting redone in October, so they just had to tough it out. Matt couldn't open the door on the outside, even when banging on the door, so I got out of bed to open the door. Well, I couldn't get it open either. The outside handle was a flat plate that you had to push to get it open and the inside had a big hook like handle to pull open the door. For some reason the handle of the door was not attached on the inside anymore and would not pull back on the bolt. I was stuck in the room for about 15 minutes while the maintenance man tried to get me out and then had to call for back up. He actually had to crawl through the server that connected the inside of the room with the outside to store supplies for the nurses. It was very interesting.

I thought it was funny and actually took some pictures that were way too dark to see anything. Blake was sleeping in the room with me and we were just fine. Matt was outside and he was VERY MAD. My mom was outside too - I think she was fine. After they got me out I did get to move rooms, which I requested while stuck in my room. Matt was mad about the whole thing because it is a serious safety issue that they could have addressed when the handle was having problems but choose to ignore. Matt's point was that if I had gone into cardiac arrest or started hemorrhaging, they couldn't have gotten to me in time to save me. The crash cart would not have fit through the space that the maintenance guy had to crawl through. I see Matt's point, but I still think it was funny.

Good Days With Toddlers DO NOT Come in Threes

You know how they say good or bad things come in threes. Well, that does not apply if you have a toddler. Yesterday Will and I had a great day. After I got up and went to the OB doctor, came home and had a nap, Will and I went to both Sam's Club and Wal-Mart for groceries and he was an almost perfect angel. He ran away once, but it was easily taken care of and he didn't run far. I was hoping for another great day today. What I ended up with is frustration, water and cat food all over my kitchen, a disaster in the bathroom, and an uneaten grilled cheese sandwich. I took my nap today around 11:30 and got up in time for Will's movie Tarzan to be over and for him to take a nap. I played on the computer while he napped. When he got up he took a bath and splashed water everywhere, but that is ok. Then I took a shower, but first I fixed him a grilled cheese because he was soooo hungry. He was supposed to eat while I took a quick shower and then we were going to play. The grilled cheese didn't get eaten, I heard a crash from the kitchen, and Will showed up with a wet butt and wet feet. For some reason he wanted to feed the cat but the cat already had clean water and food. Instead, Will ended up dumping the cat's water all over the floor and he put the food in the now empty but still wet water dish. I don't understand. He also decided he wanted to go potty so sat on the big toilet without his diaper (which had to be removed because he sat in the cat's water and he was wet) and proceeded to put his whole hand in the toilet water with some toilet paper and then drip it everywhere.

I'm so frustrated and angry, but at the same time I realize it's kind of funny. I can't really punish him because I want him to want to use the potty and he was just trying to feed the cat because he was hungry. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Staying Home

I never wanted to be a stay at home mom. As a matter of fact, I never really thought about being a Mom other than the fact that I knew I wanted more than one kid. I actually have a desire to have four kids - 2 boys and 2 girls. I have my boys now I need my girls. On a side note, why are boys names so much harder to pick than girls names? We have two girls names ready to go and we have had to scramble and reject lots of names to come up with boys names we both like. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, staying home. All through college I thought I would be a teacher, then I got to be a teacher and that didn't work out so I started over with nursing. It took me a while to get ready for nursing school and then get accepted and go to nursing school. I graduated and had high hopes for working hard and making lots of money. Obviously that one didn't work out like I had planned. A "no thank you" denial letter from the state board of nursing has forced me to stay home with my child for a while. We are in the process of appealing the state board's decision, but if they don't reverse what they have said, I will never be a nurse and will be looking for yet a third career path.

I have mixed feelings about staying at home. My mom tried it very unsuccessfully and I just assumed that I would hate it also. I don't hate it but some days it isn't my favorite. I love my two year old headache with all my heart, but I have learned that sometimes you have to give the child away and just sit in your home and do nothing to gain some sanity back. I have also learned that just because there are 24 hours in a day and all of mine are spent at home does not make me a good housekeeper, nor does it make my home cleaner or more organized. One more thing I have learned is that a 2 year old does not self-entertain for 10-12 hours at a time. The child must be stimulated. However, on the positive side, I have learned to better clean up after myself and I LOVE spending time with Will and watching him learn and grow daily. We go to the park or the mall to play almost every day because he needs the social interaction and I need a break. I only wish I had more energy. In 6 weeks and 1 day I will have another child to add to our family and I am excited about that, but being 7.5 months pregnant makes me tired all the time and it is difficult to keep up with Will and the house chores.

All in all I am surprised at how much I enjoy staying home, and even if I am able to get my nursing license, I will probably stay home much more than I had intended. I think I would like to work 1-2 shifts a week rather than 3 so that I can spend time with my kids and not miss anything. I love our family and am blessed to have the opportunity to stay home and learn how wonderful it is.

The Kindle vs. The Book

There is a product out there that is not new but has interested me since Matt told me about it. It is The Kindle. This is what it looks like:

I was helping some friends move out of their apartment a week ago or so, and the husband was complaining about moving all the books. He promised his wife if she never bought another book that she could have a Kindle. They start at $350.00, which to me is a lot of money. I scoffed at the idea of never buying another book and proclaimed that I just can't read on one of those things. I also happen to LOVE the smell of books. I love to hold books, I love the way the pages rustle, I love everything about them (except that if you store them someplace damp they will mold).

Matt got real excited about the Kindle when he first learned about it and decided he wanted one. Well, we can't afford one right now, so he did the next best thing which is download the free Kindle application for the iPhone. I HATE the Kindle app for the iPhone. I hate reading books on it because it's too small. You can only fit so many words on the screen and I feel like i'm always turning pages and it drives me crazy! Plus, reading on the phone runs down the battery quickly. I swore I would never get a Kindle because I don't like reading on the phone. As a matter of fact, Matt bought a brand new book on the phone and I refused to read it so we had to buy it in hardback for me. We bought the book twice (which is what we were trying to avoid) because I refused to read on the phone.

Helping my friends move all of their stuff made me think about all of the books we have and how I so don't want to move them when the time comes for us to move again. It was pointed out to me that a real Kindle has a much larger screen than the iPhone, and you can have all the books you want in one small, easy to carry, easy to pack device. While I still love books and almost everything about them, I am contemplating the Kindle one day when I have $350.00 burning a hole in my pocket. The allure of not having to move all the books is tempting. Plus, if I find a book that I really love and love to read over and over again (like Harry Potter or Twilight) I can always get the books in hard back just so I can have them. We will see.

So, what do you think? Kindle or Books?

Will's First Sentence

William has been talking for quite a while. He recently started stringing two words together but when he first started he would say one word and take a two or three second pause then add the second word. It was funny and there were many miscommunications because he hadn't finished asking for what he wanted or saying what he was trying to say. Then one day, two Saturday's ago - June 6th to be precise - Will said his first sentence. His Nana came over to get him at 0830 because Matt and I were leaving at noon to go to St. Louis to see Rent (which was the most wonderful show I have ever seen) and Will was staying with Nana. I had to wake Will up and he was NOT happy about it. He was very angry and was crying lots. When Nana showed up he got more angry. He said "Nana, you go away now!" It was funny but I tried not to smile and told him that what he said was mean and he needed to say sorry. Matt was laughing and said "Will, you go away now" and Will cracked up. It really was funny, and ever since then, Will has been talking in sentences. The experts say that once the kid starts talking it just explodes, and they weren't kidding. It just amazes me. It's so cute, because he still takes pauses between words sometimes and you never know what is going to come out of his mouth. I'll try to get a video of him talking and post it because it is way cute (at least I think so).

The Weekend

Matt planned a lovely weekend in Omaha several months ago for us. On Friday we drove to Omaha after I had worked all night. I slept in the car for a little bit, but didn't sleep much. When we got to Omaha, Matt wanted to eat lunch, but I wasn't hungry yet, so we were going to go to a used book store in the Old Market area. We got out of the car, paid the meter, and were crossing the street when I stepped down wrong and twisted my right ankle. What a lovely beginning to what was supposed to be a special weekend. I'm such a dork.

Matt got me back in the car and headed to Walgreens, where we spent too much money on a pair of crutches for me. We got to the hotel only to find that the room we had booked a month in advance, was not available until 5pm due to the fact that they allowed late check out. Matt had booked the room with the jacuzzi bathtub, and since we don't have a bathtub, I was really looking forward to it. Stupid, crappy people. That night we saw the new Star Trek movie and it was AMAZING!!! I laughed so hard, and at some points I was the only one laughing. It was a great re-boot to the movies and it was hilarious.

Saturday morning we went to the temple where I was fussed over by all the female workers due to the fact I was on crutches. It was nice, but a bit embarrassing. I didn't want so much attention. Oh well. We had a great session. Matt then took me to the zoo where he proceeded to push me around in a wheelchair. It was fun but a bit humiliating. I felt dumb, but I couldn't have gotten around the zoo without him pushing me in the chair. He did run over a few people in all the crowds, but as it was super crowded, there wasn't any way to avoid hitting a couple of people, especially when people kept darting in front of the wheelchair.

Sunday we went to a random ward that we chose because it started at 10:50 and I didn't want to go to church at 8am on vacation. They handed out huge Hershey's Symphony milk chocolate candy bars for Mother's Day. It was great. I love chocolate. We then went to Wicked for the third time. Our whole trip was planned around the fact that we were going to see Wicked again. It was great for the third time. We went to the Sunday Matinee, so the main characters were played by the understudies to give the leading people a break. I have learned that you often get understudies when you go to matinees. This was by far my favorite wizard, but neither of the main characters of Glinda or Elphaba were the best we have seen. That's the problem with seeing a show several times, you compare actors and find some are better and some are not as good as you expect. Oh well. It was still wonderful and well worth it.

We got home late and Will was not excited to leave his Nana's house nor was he very excited to see us. Today he is very enthralled with my cane (I have traded the crutches for a cane) and he likes to carry it around. I called work today and asked if there was something I could do while using a crutch and having my foot in a brace. I was told that if I cannot fulfil my job description, I cannot come in to work. I figured that would be there answer, but it seems silly that they can't find anything for me to do. I am healing quickly and hope to be able to work tomorrow night because I need the money. I realize that this post is not very exciting, but I will post some zoo pictures later.

The End Is In Sight

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the end of my troubles and woes is close. I talked to my contact at the state board of nursing today. All of my paperwork has arrived and they have a meeting scheduled for May 4th to review my application. They will make a decision about my ability to be an RN at this meeting and I will know the results within a week. I'm so relieved that there is an end to this mess.

Over a month ago, when I thought things were hopeless and there was no end in sight, Matt gave me a blessing. The Lord blessed me that my schooling wouldn't be in vain and that I would get the desires of my heart. To me that translated to the fact that I will become an RN. What else can I do with a bachelors in nursing but be a nurse? Not much. Now I have to really prepare myself to take the state boards so I can pass the first time and put this crap behind me. So hopefully, in about a month, I will be a licensed RN.

I'm so relieved that it's almost over. Knowing the date the state board will review my application and brings me great release. I think the worst part about waiting is not knowing how long you are going to have to wait. It kills you. Now that I have a deadline I feel much better. Then I can bore you on my blog with nursing stories instead of my almost nursing woes. Wish me good luck.

Becoming Like Little Children

I am reading in Mosiah 3 about how we are supposed to become as little children to be saved (v.18). I was thinking about that this morning ad I went to church. Matt and I both got up late for church - it starts at 10:30am but I was just getting into the shower at 10am and Matt was just stumbling out of bed. We had a fight about going to church. It ended up that Matt stayed home and I went to sacrament meeting without a shower (yes, I put on clean underwear). I have Will the choice to stay home with Daddy or go to church with Mommy. He wanted to go to church. He was excited. He even stood still so I could put his shoes on, which is usually a HUGE fight because he hates putting shoes on.

When we got to church he was very excited. Sacrament meeting was exceptionally good, with a new senior missionary couple talking about the Atonement. It was a random thought, but as I was listening, the thought came to me about being like a little child. I thought about how excited Will was to come to church and how, given the choice of church or home, he chose to come to church. He LOVES to sing the hymns too. Sometimes I get annoyed at the organist and hymn leader in our ward because if the hymn has several verses that are underneath the music, we will sing those too. So, instead of singing the 3-4 verses we all know, we have to sing the 2-3 more, weird and obscure verses as well. That can really make the Sacrament hymn (which is already too slow because of the nature of the hymn) seem to last FOREVER. I love to sing but I get so annoyed when we sing more verses than I had planned, that I often don't sing the extra verses. I was thinking about the joy that William got out of singing they hymns and how I should be more like him. He takes a book, it doesn't have to be a hymnal, and opens it up and sings. It's off key and usually not real words, but I know the Lord loves and appreciates his joyful noise.

I was also thinking about how Will is so good a bowing his head and folding his arms to pray. If you tell him we are going to pray, he does those things automatically and with great joy. I love praying with him because he gets excited. He also gets easily distracted, but he's 2, so it's ok.

Another way that we can be like the little children is a few nights ago Will and I were watching TV and out of the blue he brought me his Illustrated Book of Mormon stories book and wanted to read. We read quite a bit and he was just fascinated. I struggle to read my Book of Mormon, even though I enjoy reading it once I get into it. Children are amazing. Will is already so knowledgeable about the Gospel. He loves to go to church, especially nursery. He loves to sing and read his Book of Mormon. He also recognizes pictures of Jesus in church and in his Book of Mormon. I worry about not teaching him well or not being a good enough example. I am learning that the Lord won't let Will suffer for my imperfections as long as I am striving to teach him.

I thought kids were just to help us learn patience. Boy was I wrong. Studying the behavior of children - our own or someone else's- teaches us what Christ meant when he told us to be like the little children. I am so lucky to have the gospel and to have such a beautiful family.

Introducing Blake Matthew Ware (we think)

These are the 20 week sonogram pictures of our new son, Blake Matthew Ware. We think that is what we are going to name him, and it's growing on me, so it will probably stick. Also, I got Will to say "ake" today.These are his legs.

Side view of head and tummy.

Side view with tummy and hand at head.

Creepy view of top of his head. He looks like an alien in this picture.

That is his arm. Way cute. He'll probably look like Matt. Maybe one day I will have a kid that looks like me.

Patience Is A Virtue

I realize that patience is a virtue. It's even my favorite line from The Mummy. Rachel Weis says "Patience is a virtue" in a sing song voice, and Brendan Frazier says "Not right now it isn't". I love that for reasons totally beyond me. I am learning that patience is a virtue that takes lots of practice to acquire, and I am not there yet.

I am STILL waiting for my authorization to test from the state board of nursing. I drove down to Washburn, MO three weeks ago and pick up the stupid court letter from the court. I had a big fight with the lady that was supposed to be writing me a letter saying that there are no court documents relating to me. She said she wrote a letter in Feb and mailed it but I never got it. She conveniently didn't save the letter and then was too busy to write me another one. I finally asked if I could come pick it up. She said she was too busy to write the letter and a phone fight followed, with me crying and yelling and she throwing accusations at me. Finally she agreed to let me come pick up the letter the next day. The next day, I called to get directions on exactly where the courthouse was and the woman who wrote the letter had called in sick. I guess she was too busy to write my one sentence letter (because that is all it was) but not too busy to call in sick. I picked up the letter and overnighted it to the state. I thought that was the end of it, but NO. They are waiting on paperwork from the state board of education which will say the same thing as the court letter, which is basically we have no record of any disciplinary action being taken. I'm so annoyed. After they get the stuff from the education board then the board of nursing gets to decide if I get to take my RN test or not.

Meanwhile, at work you only have 90 days from your graduation date to take and pass your test or you cannot work as a nurse until you pass the test. My 90 days is almost up. They were going to put me on a leave of absence, which would have required me to get a different job because we cannot live without money. However, HR reviewed my case and decided to be benevolent and allow me to work. I am back to working as a tech and i'm making $10.00 less than I was as a nurse and I have had to explain to everyone why i'm not working as a nurse. It has been a humbling experience.

It has only been two weeks since I have been working as a tech, but I remember why I went to nursing school. Tech's are invaluable, and I don't want to be one anymore. I went to school to be a nurse and I WANT TO BE A NURSE!! I'm trying to be patient, but it is not one of my virtues. The Lord is teaching me to be patient. Maybe He's trying to teach me this now so that when our next child comes, we will have more patience. Who knows. All I know is that i'm not very good at it, but I am grateful to have a job and for the lessons I am learning.

What I Have Learned the Last Few Weeks

1. It's ok to die at 94 years old. Your family will miss you but you have lived a good life and your family will understand.

2. Maybe my view of death is different from other people's because I have the fullness of the gospel and better understand what is waiting for us.

3. ALWAYS wait for your hairdresser and don't settle for substitutes.

4. Purple highlights may not be appropriate if I am following the gospel standards of modest dress and apperance, but they sure do grow on you. I like my hair (except for the cut).

5. Sometimes the doctor cannot fix you back the way you want. My aunt, about 1.5 weeks after her mother died, had her leg amputated above the knee because it was the only option.

6. Bad stuff really does come in threes. Gar died, Aunt Carol lost her leg, I cannot work as a nurse until I get my test taken. (Oh, and I got a bad haircut, but i'm not sure that counts).

7. The Lord gives us trials for a reason. Faith and Patience were only part of the lesson to be learned. I am learning that you cannot just have faith. You must act upon that faith. You must know that the Lord will bless you but that isn't enough. You still have to ask for those blessings. You have to act like the Lord doesn't know what you want. (Sorry if that doesn't make sense).

8. Humility is a great lesson, but it's better when you are not the one learning it. It stinks to be forced to learn humility. I used to think I was humble, but the Lord showed me otherwise.

9. The Lord's time is not my time. "Speedily" to the Lord does not mean today or tomorrow, like it does in my perfect world.

10. No matter what, My family and I are very, very, very blessed. We are blessed for the trials we are experiencing and we will be stronger as a family when this is over.

11. I married an exceptionally wonderful man. He has been so supportive during this whole thing. He had faith when I didn't and has allowed me (within limits) to sob and cry. I'm very lucky (although his 5 year rolling plan for what to do if I die is still in effect - I said he's wonderful, not perfect).

Haircut Fiasco

I have wanted pink or purple highlights for a while. I decided to get
purple highlights after I graduated from nursing school. I also
convinced Matt to quit going to Great Clips and get a good haircut. I
made an appointment for today for both of us. I was to get my
highlights and a trim and Matt needed a cut. We showed up 5 minutes
early, but my hair lady wasn't there. She actually never showed up.

I was a bit annoyed, but not too much so. This other lady volunteered
to take care of us. We agreed, butit was a bad idea. She cut someone
else hair before she got to us. This guy was a walk in and she said it
would take 15 minutes. 45 minutes later she was ready for me. She did
a good job on me as well as Matt but she wasn't very nice. I have been
going to that salon since it first opened and I have always brought
Will. She made it clear that Will wasn't welcome. She also acted like
we were an inconvienience to her, me especially. I was very offended
at her attitude. She also charged me twice as much as Sarai, the owner
of the salon, would have charged me. I was pissed off by the time I
left.

Matts hair looks great. My hair is shorter than I would like but
whatever. I wanted a more shocking purple than I got. She bleached
some of it, making it bright, but not all of it. I wanted it all
bleached. Oh well. In six weeks I will go to Sarai and get her to fix
it. The lady today said that a purple touch up was included in the
outrageous price, but I had to come back to see her. Fat chance. Ain't
gonna happen. Next time Sarai isn't there, I will reschedule rather
than go back to her. I promise I have learned my lesson.

Tired

I cannot believe how tired I have been. I know this isn't a very exciting subject, but it's what i've got. I started working night shift last week and I worked Mon-Wed and then had 7 days off. I go back to work tomorrow night. Thursday last week I slept about 4 hours during the day and I have been sleeping ever since. My friend Suzzanne says it's because I have a parasite growing inside of me, and that may be some of it, but it can't be the whole reason. I don't remember being this tired when I was pregnant with Will. Last night I went to bed at 1am after sleeping until noon and taking two naps. Today I slept til 1pm and then had two naps. Maybe that is my real problem, staying up late. I am getting older, you know. When I was younger I could stay up late and still get up and function the next day. Maybe pregnancy and age are conspiring against me, making me tired. Whatever it is, it sucks and I am sick and tired of being tired.

Happy Graduation To Me

So, as everyone knows, I graduated from nursing school. My mom wanted to get me something really nice for graduation. Below is a picture of my new graduation present.
Yes, feast your eyes on my new 2005 (ok, new to me) Honda Pilot 4WD SUV. It has leather seats and a sunroof. We are getting it from CarMax (a great place to buy a used car). I am SOOOOOOOOOOO excited. It seats 8! Am I the luckiest person ever or what? I'm just really spoiled. It's not my fault my parents only had one child. However, this will be the last thing my mom ever buys me.

Fun WIth Google

I saw this on some other people's blogs and thought it was a good time waster/ thing to keep me awake at 4:44am (I'm at work).

1. Google "[Your Name] needs to"
Emily needs to give Tim food in Social Studies today.

2. Google "[your name] looks like"
Emily looks like a man.

3. Google "[your name] likes"
Emily likes Fall Out Boy's Q&A profile.

4. Google "[your name] says"
Emily says hello.

5. Google "[your name] wants"
Emily wants to know who enjoyed her cuteness.

6. Google "[your name] does"
Emily does the Salmon dance.

7. Google "[your name] hates"
Emily hates you 2.0.

8. Google "[your name] can"
Emily can be lyrics.

9. Google "[your name] goes"
Emily goes wild.

10. Google "[your name] is"
Emily is good and Greek.

11. Google "[your name] loves"
Emily loves Banana custard.

I Get Paid For Nursing!

Now that school is over I don't seem to have anything to blog about. I guess I'll blog about work. I still can't believe they pay me to come here every day and chat with people. It's not as simple as that, but I have been having a good time. And the best part is I GET PAID. I got my first paycheck last Friday and boy was I excited. It was the biggest paycheck I have ever recieved, and I didn't work the full 72 hours and it didn't include my night shift differential because I hadn't started night shift yet. I paid off some medical bills that had been piling up and still have running around money left over. The crazy thing is that now that I have money, I can't think of anything I want or need.

The strangest thing about graduating from nursing school is that now I don't have to go to class several days a week. I get to go to the hospital to work (did I mention I get paid?) and then I get to go home. I don't have care plans to turn in or post-clinical conference to sit through. I don't have papers to write or exams to study for. Well, I still have to take my state boards, so technically I still have a test to study for.

I love my job and cannot believe that I get paid for it. It's sooooooo cool. That is all.

Random Thoughts/ Questions

1. Why, when people are talking about doing cool stuff with Emily, are
they never talking about me? People at work today were talking about
there cool plans with Emily, but they weren't talking about me. Maybe
I'm just not that cool. Like that new movie I haven't seen because I'm
a loser, "He's just not that in to you".

2. Did you know you can make your upper lip look like you got collagin
injections? I have a very stuffy nose and have been blowing my nose
for two days straight and am halfway through my second box of Puffs.
The "snot channel" under my nose is so red and swollen that my upper
lip looks like I got collagin injections. Crazy! Why pay for bigger
lips when you can get sick with the same results.

On Top Of The World

This week has been an AWESOME week for me.
- Will and I went to Kentucky to visit my mom and we had a great time and got home safely.
- I spent lots of time with my wonderful husband.
- I graduated from nursing school. I even got my diploma in the mail today which said I graduated with honors! Go Me.
- I now officially own my car. I made the last car payment on February 5th.
- I filled out my new hire paperwork at North Kansas City Hospital today. I start work Monday.
- I got to spend most of the day with my family by accident. I was leaving the hospital and saw my cousin Kelly. My Aunt Carol had knee replacement surgery today, so I sat with my family for several hours and chatted. I got to see my Aunt Carol after her surgery and she looked great.
- I got to have a vaginal ultrasound on the 5th and was able to see my new baby. He/she looks great and is very healthy the doctor said. HOORAY!

I must say, I am a very blessed individual and am happy to be me. I have been so wrapped up in school that I have forgotten to enjoy things, and I am enjoying things now and am super greatful for all my life has to offer.

Our Adventure To Kentucky

William and I boarded a plane for Kentucky to visit my mom on Wednesday at about 8:30am. We knew there was bad weather in Louisville, where Mom lives, and our flight from Chicago to Louisville was cancelled, but we went anyway. It was such a big ordeal to get Will up and to the airport and through the security check point that we decided to get to Chicago and hopefully catch a later flight to Louisville. Will and I sat at the back of the plane and he was WONDERFUL. He only cried once when I wouldn't take off his seat belt. I brought the portable DVD player so we could watch a movie only to turn it on and find out it didn't work anymore. It doesn't recognize the disk and so it won't spin the disk. Oh well. Will handled dissapointment well and we got to Chicago fine. We stood in a long line with other people trying to get to Louisville, including people who had spent the night in a hotel because they couldn't get to Louisville the day before. Will and I were on standby for a flight that left at 7:10pm. It was 11am. We got lunch and then I decided to try to fly into a different airport, like Indianapolis, Cincinati, or even Nashville. Everyone else was trying to do the same thing, so I got us booked on a flight to Louisville leaving the next morning at 7am and went to look for a rental car. I decided that I would drive if I could, rather than sit at the airport all day with a 2 year old. I got the 7am flight as a backup.

I got to the car rental area and found that Hertz was all out of one way vehicles. I went to National or something like it and asked for a car to Louisville. The people standing at the counter that were almost finished with the rental process offered to let Will and I ride with them. I pondered the offer for a few moments and felt good about the decision, and agreed to ride with them. They live in Louisville and were trying to get home to their three children. Will and I had a lovely trip and they were wonderful to us. We bought them a tank of gas when we arrived in Louisville, and that was all the payment they would take. It was a great blessing to have found them and to have been able to ride with them. The Lord watched out for us since I didn't make the best choice while still in Kansas City. I should have stayed at home and flown to Louisville the next day, but I didn't.

Will and I have had a wonderful visit but are excited to get back home to see Matt. I don't think I will ever go on vacation again without my spouse. It was a great trip, but I missed him very much.

Almost There

I'm sure everyone is tired of hearing me talk about how i'm almost done with school, but I am almost done. I finish up my practicum, which is an internship, today. I have to finish my paper, do an evaluation or two, and get my portfolio updated. I get to turn all that stuff in Monday January 26th right before the luncheon for the accelerated nursing students (me). The actual graduation date is January 30th, but on the 26th I will be DONE!! I will be in Kentucky on the actual graduation day.

I think that all the necessary paperwork has been submitted to the state board of nursing, or will be submitted shortly. A court document was needed, but I got that taken care of last week. After graduation, the school will send my transcripts to the state board of nursing. Once they get all the paperwork, they will send me a notice that I can schedule my state board's test (NCLEX). Once I get the ok to test I get to schedule the NCLEX at my leisure and take the boards. HOORAY! I actually get to start working as an RN February 9th. If I don't pass boards (which I will) I don't get to work as an RN anymore until I can pass. That won't happen though, because I will pass and it will be GREAT!

I am doing my practicum on the floor that I will work on when I graduate. I really like the people on the floor and and am having a good time learning. I am excited to start working so I can get a paycheck. It's going to be awesome to get paid for nursing rather than paying out the nose to go to school. I think graduate school is on the horizon, but not next decade. Maybe in 10 years or so.

I've Got Plenty of Nothing

I have not much interesting to say. As I'm sure everyone knows by now, Matt and I are having another baby. We are due September 3rd. Maybe the baby will come early and be born in August. That would be cool! September is good too. Lot's of great people were born in September, like me. When I told my mom that I was pregnant she groaned. She was totally not excited about me having another baby until I reminded her that me having another baby meant she gets another grandchild. Then she got excited. I think my mom thinks we are too busy to have another kid, but i'm not getting any younger here. If we want more than two we need to have another one soon. I don't want to be 40 and having babies.

I am halfway through my Senior Clinical Practicum, which is an internship for nursing. I worked Thursday - Sunday last week. I was not ready for four 12 hour shifts in a row. My legs were swollen and nasty. However, this means I am truly almost done with nursing school! It's very exciting. I am doing my practicum on the floor that I will be working on, so I am getting to know people and finding my way around. It's like orientation before orientation starts. It's cool. The un-cool part about the practicum is the paper I am writing. I didn't realize until Friday that my rough draft was due yesterday. I threw something together at the last minute and am glad that we are not getting a grade for the rough draft because mine was super rough. Oh well, at least I have most of my paper written now.

Sometimes A Book Can Surprise You

I don't normally blog about books I have read, but the one I just
finished inspired me to blog. It's called The Last Templar and is by
Raymond Khoury. I have seen this book several times and thought it
sounded interesting. It is in the same vein as The Davinci Code by Dan
Brown. I finally bought it in Dallas at Half Price Books. As a side
note, I highly recommend Half Price Books. I LOVE it!

Anyway, I started this book and it was really good. About half way
through it made me mad. The book centers around searching for a lost
Templar treasure that may prove Jesus Christ was not divine. That
stuff doesn't bother me. I know He was divine and I can suspend
reality like you wouldn't believe when I want to. What really made me
mad was that one of the main characters is a devout Catholic and he
starts to doubt his faith. At one point I almost didn't finish the
book I was so disgusted. However, I love to read and couldn't help
myself. I had to finish the book. As a matter of fact, the ending made
me think I would like to read more of this guys books. If you enjoyed
Dan Brown, I recommend The Last Templar. It was never boring and the
ending was surprising and good.

Inappropriate and A Bit Creepy

So, Matt and I went to Dallas for a few days. We left on the 27th and got home on the 1st of January. As we were driving home, Matt got tired and I had to go to the bathroom. He pulled over at an Exxon in a Podunk town in Oklahoma. I went in, went to the bathroom, and got a Coke and some pretzels (which William ate). I stood in line behind an old, fat lady that shopped there all the time because she was chatting with the not very cute, kind of short and chubby male cashier. He was probably my age, and commented on me being cold. I was kind of shivering. He made fun of me and as the old lady in front of me left, he started laughing. Then he said "I can tell you are cold because your nipples are showing". OH MY GOSH! First of all, why the crap was he looking at my nipples? Nasty. Second of all, why would you say something like that? Did he think he was funny and was going to get my phone number? Yuck. I kind of chuckled and covered myself with my arms. I should have sent Matt in to tell him off. Matt may not be mean, but he is tall and is probably menacing looking to a short, chubby, ugly guy.