The Beginning of the End

24 Weeks

2012-02-11T14:30:00.003-06:00

I know it has been a few weeks since my last post, but let me tell you. We have been busy! Preparing for a baby is time consuming and, at times, stressful. So many things to think about. I must say, however, that preparing for a baby is a lot more fun than wedding planning, in my opinion. Here are a few things we've been working on:
We started our Bradley class a few weeks ago. We got in a little late and were behind by about 3 classes, but our instructor openly welcomed us and got us caught us up over a few week night sessions. So far we are LOVING the class and learning so much. Alex has been absolutely by far the best, most wonderful coach and supporter thus far. He is learning so much and has been a great encourager for me! I love my husband ; )
We finally found a dresser/changing table on Craigslist. It is the perfect color. Now it's time to buy the crib to match it!
I found a nursery design on Pinterest awhile back and have since been hunting down what all I'll need to make it happen. Here's what we're going for:
The paint has been bought, and I just found a vinyl wall decal from Etsy that we will use for the letters on the wall. The dresser we got is a very dark brown, like the one here. Left on our furniture purchase list is: rocker/recliner, crib, rug and small storage cabinet (which we've already picked out from Target.) (Just waiting for it to go back on sale.) Unfortunately, the bedding pictured was discontinued in 2008, so I am currently searching for something similar. I just LOVE this room. I can't wait til it's finished!
You know how some people say they loved being pregnant? Well, I've decided that I am NOT one of those people. Yeah, yeah, I know, it's all worth it in the end...yada yada yada. Yes, I am super thrilled to be able to hold my little boy once this is all over. But I tell you what. I AM ready to feel like I have my own body back. No one can ever really prepare you for the changes that take place during pregnancy. Here are some recent changes/annoyances:
-Weight gain. As most of you know, I am a pretty healthy person. I like to exercise and I like to eat things that me feel good and strong. My doctor had originally told me that I could resume all exercise that I was doing pre-pregnancy, but couldn't get my heart rate about 140 bpm. Let's just say that ALL of my work outs involved my heart rate being WAYYYY over 140, so I had to cut down SIGNIFICANTLY. Well, to date I've gained 25 pounds. And when I told my dr that I was concerned about this, she proceeds to ask me "Have you been eating a lot of sweets?" I wanted to gauge her eyeballs out and cry. Then she tells me that gaining 35 pounds total (with four months left to go, mind you) would probably be ok. Are you kidding me?
However, after much research, I have found out that the heart rate recommendation is decades old. No guideline nowadays states that your heart rate needs to stay under 140 due to the fact that everyone mom is so different. So needless to say, I am working my way back up towards my previous activity level. Rest assured, I don't feel like I'm overdoing it, nor do I feel like I'm going to keel over throughout my workouts. But I DO feel happier and healthier by continuing my normal routine. It makes me more sane : )
-Lots and lots of baby kicks! Karate chops, hiccups, punches, you name it. Baby K is on the move!
-Achy feet at the end of the day
-Back aches. My muscles are feelin the burn back there.
-Tiredness is setting back in. I think it mostly has to do with the fact that it takes me an hour to get comfortable in bed at night, then I have to go pee and start the whole process over again. Last night Alex took me to Target to buy a body pillow. Last night I finally felt like I got to sleep. Night and day difference...why didn't I purchase this before?!
-Cravings: Lots of fruits and veggies. We just got a new juicer and I am loving it! Other staples: eggplant, blueberries, milk, cheese.
Anyway, I think I'll wrap it up for now. We'll keep you updated as Baby Koehn continues to bake!

Week 18

2011-12-31T17:17:00.003-06:00

I cannot believe I am 18 weeks, almost 19! The holidays have come and now here we are [almost] in the New Year. The year that Baby Koehn will be born! Ahhh!

I have been feeling pretty great the last few weeks. I actually have some energy now to get back to an almost-normal schedule. I thought this would never happen. I am able to eat normally again (sans red meat in any proportion) and am back to a pretty good exercise regimen. One complaint I do have is that I can't do the workouts I was doing before. My dr said I could continue whatever I was doing pre-pregnancy, however I am not allowed to get my heart rate above 140. What??? My heart rate gets to 140 while walking at 3.4 mph with a 1% incline! Ughh. So I have kept my workouts to minimum of walking/elipitcal/yoga with some very mild resistance exercises. I can't wait to resume my running and Fusion Fitness workouts post-baby. Staying thin and exercising intensely truly makes me a happier person. I know, I'm weird. I have to reassure myself on a daily basis that I will eventually get my body back...at least most of it : )

We had a wonderful Christmas at home with our families and got some really great stuff. I was glad that baby stuff was kept to a minimum, only because it reminds me that we are still just two people. Alex and I are determined to welcome this baby with open arms, but try and not be those parents who get too obsessed with their children. We very much value our marriage and the time we spend together. I will love this baby unconditionally without forgetting my dear husband and the life we have together.

Here are my latest cravings/feelings:
- Feelings that this pregnancy is REAL. There really is a little Koehn in there.
-Small, fluttery feelings in my upper belly. It's still hard to tell if it's the baby or just little gas bubbles. They tell me it's probably baby : )
-An increase in appetite. I didn't think I could eat more than I was before! My stomach is a bottomless pit. Scary.
-A lot of anxiety about weight gain and not looking like my old, skinny, self. It's getting better, I just have to keep reassuring myself that it's ok.
-A lot of thoughts about the day to day responsibilities of having a baby. I am surprisingly not as nervous as I thought I would be about it.

I think that's all I've got for now. Happy New Year, everyone!

Week 16

2011-12-15T19:15:00.008-06:00

This post has been a draft in progress for about a week now....guess I need to post it and move on : ) Just in time for the 17 week post!

Hmmm....well apparently I missed a week...or so. Time seems to flying by recently! We had our 4 month appointment this week and things seem to going well. We find out in a few short weeks if we are having a boy or a girl! Can you believe that? It's amazing to me that that baby just keeps on growing! Things to note for this week:

-Baby's heart rate is 150. Girl or boy? Guess away.
-I've gained 10 pounds since the beginning of this pregnancy. O.M.G. Does this freak me out a little? Yes. Maybe more than a little.
-My belly is now showing through even my baggiest scrubs. It's no secret anymore!
-Favorite foods: Pita chips and roasted red pepper hummus, cheese, Wheat Thins and dried fruit (cherries, bananas, and fruit leather seem to sound most appealing). I'll eat anything salty. Pickles, chips, cheese dip, bologna.....yes, you heard me. I went through a couple days where I HAD to have a bologna sandwich for lunch. Yuck, I know. I'm especially hungry right after work. I'm starving right when I get home! Also, the last few days I've been craving Chai Latte's and lots of lemon slices in my water.
-Least favorite foods: Steak or any slab of red meat as well as sweet potatoes in any form (this has been since the beginning of my pregnancy.)

Alex and I have been having lots of discussions about what we want our "parenting style" to be like, as well as our discipline strategies, support for each other, etc etc etc. So far he has been really great about being open to this new addition to the family, with only one big disagreement so far. I think our ongoing struggle will always be about how much Alex works. He IS a workaholic. So this is still in debate as to how we will attack this.

I've talked to Alex for several weeks now about starting to take pictures of my belly and we never can seem to remember. So tonight after my quick yoga workout, I finally snapped a really terrible picture with my phone, but at least that's a start. Here it is:

Hmm, what else. I think that's good for this week. More to come next week!

Week 13...and a half

2011-11-23T23:20:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone! This week has been a grueling one, as Alex started off with a cold and has successfully passed it on to me. Ugh. Thankfully, it has stayed pretty contained in my head and sinuses. I have been taking lots of supplements and fighting this virus with tooth and nail! My Thanksgiving will NOT be ruined! Speaking of Thanksgiving, I cannot wait to get home to the family. Unfortunately, we will spend Thanksgiving day here in KC and then as soon as Alex can get off on Friday we will head to McPherson. Needless to say, I am so ready to spend some Quality Time with the family. We are so lucky to have [almost] all of our family in the same town. If we could just get the extended Fast family and Alex's brother Aaron closer to McPherson, we'd be in business : )

In other news, I am almost through Week 13. Nothing real exciting this week, but I am still constantly seeing changes. Here are the things I've noticed:

My belly getting bigger and bigger, by the minute it seems. No twins though, as this was a question I had for Dr. Carter this week. Whew! (Alex and I both come from a lineage of twins...ugh, can you imagine?)

My energy is slowly coming back, but still not back to what I felt pre-pregnancy. I have been walking a tad more and getting a little bit more done at home, but not much.

More people asking me about my belly and asking about names, gender, due date, etc etc. I must say, it's a lot more fun when you can talk to friends about what you're going through. Plus, it makes it a little more "real."

I cannot stop craving junk food. It is all I can do to "do the right thing" and eat my fruits and veggies. All I want are Ched'r Peppers from Sonic! Ahhhh!!!

I went maternity clothes shopping this past weekend with my friend Danielle, who is now 19 weeks pregnant. She is barely showing and is just now deciding to buy some stretchy outfits for the future. I, on the other hand, can no longer wear normal shirts/pants without it looking like my clothes are entirely too small. I was also given a whole box full of clothes from my boss' wife, who is about the same size as me. I hit the jackpot! And just in time for Thanksgiving, too : )

Alex has been so wonderful through this whole process so far. I feel so terrible for him sometimes because I am just SO tired all the time and he picks up so much of the slack. Our house has been a mess and without his help, we would probably live in a pigsty and have nothing clean to wear. He made a trip to Trader Joes earlier this week and came home with a bottle of sparkling italian soda and a beautiful red rose, just for me : ) (However, I think he was partially trying to make up for the fact that he had come home with a month's stash of Two Buck Chuck. ha)

Well it is wayyy past my bedtime. I think I better hit the hay so I have enough energy to cook our mini-Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! Cheers!

Week 12

2011-11-14T17:35:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone, I know it's been AGES since I've written. But I figure maybe this way would be a good way to keep everyone up to date on how our Small Fry, aka, Baby Koehn, is a-cookin'. So, without further adieu, here, in bullet-point format, is how my pregnancy has been going. In a nutshell.

Leading up to this week, here are a few of the symptoms I have been experiencing:

Starting in week 7, I had severe dizziness/fainting. Yes, I said fainting. Nothing a little hydration through an IV couldn't fix!

A HUGE increase in appetite. Those books that say you should only eat an extra 300 calories/day (approx 1 bagel, without cream cheese) has clearly never been pregnant.

Nausea off and on, but has mostly subsided

Constantly needing to pee.

Constipation. Severe. Eww.

Occasional migraines-oh the agony! So miserable when you can't take a single thing. Sometimes a few sips of coffee seem to do the trick.

Decrease in motivation/ability to work out. I am SO unbelievably tired that taking myself for a walk around the block is nearly impossible. Pretty crazy for me, considering I was working out pretty intensely, 5 days a week, before this "alien" has taken over my body. Hopefully in the second trimester I will gain some energy back to start up a workout regimen again.

That pretty sums up the first trimester. Here, again in bullet-point format, is a list of my most recent symptoms:

A growing belly. NO JOKE. My belly seems as though it's growing by the minute. No pictures yet, because I'm frankly not quite ready to accept that it's ok to get "fat." (This is a whole issue in itself, one to be discussed in another post.) I never realized that this would be such an issue for me! (Well, maybe I did.)

No cravings, per se, just a beastly appetite for LOTS of food. One thing that I have NOT wanted since the minute I found outI was pregnant is beef. Not steak, not barbecue, no slab of beef in any form. I can barely choke down beef tacos. However-chicken is a whole different story! Give me chicken in any form-baked, fried, in quesadillas, enchiladas, on pizza. Wherever I can get it! Weird, because I've NEVER been a huge fan of chicken. Hmm.

Foods that I have wanted in my diet recently: yellow squash, eggplant, apples (granny smith or honey crisp) with grandma's caramel apple dip, lots of CHEESE! (hmm, constipation cause???) and wheat thins. And to be real honest, I would eat hamburgers and pizza every night if I could. I have never in my life allowed myself to do that, but this pregnancy has really opened up my abilities to eat junk food whenever offered! (Let's just say Halloween was areally difficult holiday to get through.) Next up: THANKSGIVING! Yessss. A pregnant woman's dream!

(I really miss lunch meat. I used to eat it all the time for a quick piece of protein.)

Horrible constipation. This is an ongoing issue. We'll leave it that.

Indigestion. This is an issue that my NAET dr and I are working on. Gotta get that liver motivated again!

I've been super super tired, but just the last few days have seemed to pep up *ever so slightly.* I'm hoping that this is a good sign!

Well, I think that is really as much as you probably want to hear for now. I must say that when people ask me "How are you feeling? Do you feel different?" I think to myself, "YES! I feel nothing like myself!" All these symptoms are SO foreign to me, along with getting "fat," I'm just hoping that the second trimester will bring me some more energy in hopes of feeling like a real person again. But as they all say, it's all worth it in the end! Cheers to our little Small Fry!

Update

2010-03-03T09:42:00.002-06:00

Oh my, how time has flown since my last post! And I seem to remember promising to post more often ; )

Since Christmas, our (i.e. my) main focus has been wedding, wedding, wedding. I feel like there is so much to do and time keeps going faster and faster. Alex reminds me every so often that majority of the wedding is planned, which it really is. But at this point it's all about the details. Wedding/reception/rehearsal dinner decorations, wedding favors, centerpieces, flower bouquets and corsages, jewelry, hair...and the list goes on! I am trying to cherish these wedding planning days while they last, but I'm also very much looking forward to our honeymoon. We booked a week-long vacation at the Dreams Riviera Cancun, which is located just south of Cancun, Mexico. It is an all-inclusive resort with lots of day activities and most importantly, a great beach. We are also looking into getting certified to Scuba Dive before we go, that way we can go out for a day and dive somewhere nearby. So exciting! Sadly, I think this will be our only big trip for awhile, so I say milk it for all it's worth!

Our latest endeavor with the house has been the second bedroom. Alex's parents came up this past weekend and helped with scraping the first layer of wallpaper/paint off the wall. It's turning out to be just as tough as the last room, so we were extremely thankful to have an extra set of hands scraping! I will post pictures sometime of our progress, but let's just say it looks an awful lot like the other bedroom-1940's wallpaper and all! I'm really hoping we can buckle down and finish this project so that we can move on to our next one, which will hopefully be the kitchen. The kitchen will be a HUGE project, but so worth it. Such a bittersweet excitement.

As for Alex and I, we are doing fine. Alex is still trucking along (pun intended) at his job at MHC Kenworth, which I will remind you is a heavy trucking dealership. Again, he is an Inventory Control Manager and keeps track of every single part that comes into the company, and every part that goes out. He absolutely loves the people he works with, but is a trade off because he works extremely long hours with minimal vacation time. He is, though, getting to the point of being a pretty well respected member of team because of his knowledge and experience, so we're hoping that someday that pays off for him :D So at this point I think he'll stick with what he's doing and hope someday its gets better in one way or another.

I, on the other hand, have made a change, and for the better I might add! I am working in a different unit of the hospital called Post Anesthesia Care Unit, or PACU. It is the place where people go immediately after surgery to "recover," as we in the biz like to call it. Basically, my job is to make sure the patient's pain is at a quote unquote tolerable level, and to make sure they are stable enough to move to another area, whether it be the med-surg floor (such as East 7, my old unit) or go home. This area is considered critical care since we deal with fresh wounds, heavy anesthesia, and complicated illnesses. I have always had an interest in critical care and think that this area is a perfect mix of an ICU and surgery. So far, the people I work with are incredibly supportive and have been helpful whenever I have had questions, which makes ANYONE's job much funner : ) And actually, I just finished my orientation this last week, so I am on my own, again, feeling like a brand new nurse! Oh, and the hours. I went from working 6:45am to 7:15pm (or much later, as on most days) 3 days a week, including weekends and holidays, to now working 4 days a week Monday thru Friday, 10:00-7:30. I do take a decent amount of call, (which I experienced for the first time this past Saturday night) but get paid graciously for it if I do come in, which makes a little more tolerable ; ) So all in all, it has so far been a great move for me. I am learning so much every day and am loving being able to have more regular personal life.

Well, I think that is enough for today. I'll try to keep ya posted on the progress of our other bedroom. Toodles!

Emily

Pictures!

2009-11-21T20:13:00.003-06:00

Pictures are now online folks! Just go to: http://www.pictage.com/760758

Feel free to make a folder of your favorites! I have yet to make mine, but I will! We are using one of these for our "Save the Dates" so let me know if you have any suggestions.

Mom and Dad left today; they were up here for a quick getaway. We had a great dinner at Cinzetti's Friday night, a tour of where I work today, and my friend Katie showed us around her beautiful mansion. I'm tired and have to work the next 3 days, but it's worth it to be home for Thanksgiving in a few days.

Enjoy the pics!

Update!

2009-11-05T16:10:00.002-06:00

We have been so busy for the month of October that although we've done so much, it feels like we haven't accomplished a thing around the house or for wedding planning.

I'll start with today, since I feel like I'm ready to drop dead with all my baking. Yes, I said baking. I started my day with an early morning (8:30am) Barre Intensity class. It was tiring, yet refreshing. I just love how those workouts make me feel-so extremely sore, but so empowering to know what your body can handle.

After my workout, I made a quick stop at the grocery store then went home. I ate a quick after-workout snack/breakfast, then into the kitchen I went! I made up, like, 4 dozen of Jana's famous Chocolate Chip Crunch cookies. About 2 hours later, I had finished baking/cooling/sampling all of the cookies and thought I should take them to Alex's work, mainly so I couldn't eat them all :) So then I showered and made the 30 minute trek up North, only to find Alex on the run and eating a HiBoy hamburger and some onion rings. Uggh. So basically I got to drop the cookies off, sit in a chair for about 20 minutes watching Alex scarf his lunch and return emails, and came home. Sweeet.

So now I'm home, have a sink full of dishes and not an ounce of energy to do them. Alex will be home late tonight so who really cares if I get them done in a timely manner, or if I even have a dinner tonight. Bahh.

One of our adventures over the last month was having our engagement pictures taken this last weekend by Dan and Brenda Kliewer. We went back to McPherson for this and had them taken out at "The Farm," just ?north? of McPherson. The farm is where Alex's dad, "Bags," grew up. It was old, rustic and the weather was absolutely perfect. There were tons of old cars and farm equipment, too, that we got to pose with. Brenda said she was maybe gonna have them ready for us on Sunday before we left, but no such luck. So she is planning on sending us a jump drive with all the pictures, copyrights and all. I am chomping at the bit to get them in the mail! I'm ready to see them and pick out our save the dates! I'll be sure and post some of them, but I think they will be also available to view online at some point. Keep an eye on Dan and Brenda's website for the pictures!

Ok, I'm exhausted. I think I'm gonna lay down for a bit. I really am gonna *try *to start keeping this thing more up to date! So check back more often!

Website!

2009-09-29T12:25:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to let you all know that the wedding website it up and running! It's not finished yet and more will be added as the planning continues, but if you're interested, here it is:
http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/EmilyFast&AlexKoehn

Please sign the guest book if you visit!

More posts to come soon. I know I know, I'm behind. :)

Laugh It Up

2009-08-31T13:56:00.003-05:00

So I was at work on Saturday and we were rather *slow.* (I say this with hesitancy because it is NEVER slow at work and we all are extremely superstitious, so we wouldn't want to ruin any good luck coming our way.) Michelle, one of the nurses who used to be full time on our floor but is now considered a "float" nurse, was saying how her ear was hurting. So we pulled out the otoscope to start examining each other's ear canals. It was discovered (and confirmed a previous "diagnosis") that I have a lot of wax buildup in my ears. I blame it on my sinuses, but that's another post. So we started talking about ear candles, and I piped in that I had bought some, but hadn't had a chance to use them yet-something I obviously need to do! And yes, I have used them before. A doctor-in-training just so happened to be standing there listening to our conversation, and looked at me and said "I suppose you use a neti-pot too." I said absolutely! So then our conversation evolved and everyone was poking fun at me for being the "homeopathic, naturopathic girl." It's fine, I'm really getting used to being "that girl" that they all poke fun at about *trying* to be healthy and as all-natural as possible. Hey, we'll just see who's laughing when they're the ones that are sickly and western medicine can't help them! Well actually I probably wouldn't be laughing, I be the one to offer the different alternative :) Then they will thank me for making their lives better, even if my practices were "weird." haha

Anyway, I just thought I share that quick tidbit of work "fun." In other news, we are all fine and dandy. Alex just finished his inventory month at work and is very glad it's over. According to his documentation, he worked just under 100 hours last week. He amazes me with his work habits and the fact that he never complains about it. I don't know how he does it. We are hoping that his boss comes through with the bonus that he's been speaking of for a year now, and it's looking as though he should get a substantial raise, as well. I am so proud of him and am glad that I'm marrying someone with such a strong work ethic!

I have been well, also. I've been continuing my weekly NAET treatments and have seen incredible results. I feel my body is continuing to get stronger and stronger in so many ways. I have also started attending a few new workout classes at a place called Fusion Fitness. The studio itself is literally just down the road from me and the classes are unbelievable. They vary from class to class, but the "Fusion Lite" class that we (as in my friend Maura and I) have mostly frequented is a mix of pilates, yoga, ballet and calisthenics. It is essentially a non-stop one hour class of everything from push-ups to weight lifting to downward-facing-dogs to ballet moves on a bar to sit-ups with a ball. It is one of those classes that you leave wondering if you can make it down the stairs to the parking lot! Check out more info about the classes, etc at http://www.fusionfitnesskc.com I think I may have just found my newfound weekly (soon to be bi-weekly, once I get in better shape, that is) workouts! I'm also thinking that my 24 Hour Fitness membership may just go by the wayside. I don't think I can afford to do both! Any suggestions on what to do if I quit my gym? Any at-home-workout suggestions? Road workouts? DVD's? Tell me what you all do!

And of course wedding planning. Who can forget wedding planning! My best friend and maid of honor, Alyson Reimer, and I went dress shopping a few weeks ago, me fully expecting to browse around and have a day of relaxation. Turns out, I bought the dress of my dreams! It was completely unexpected and scary, but it is now one more thing checked off my list. And, I must say this it.is.gorgeous. The whole engagement and wedding planning is still so surreal to me, the fact that by this time next year, Alex and I will have already been newlyweds for almost 2 months! We also have our engagement pictures tentatively scheduled for October 31st, so we are pondering ideas as to where we may want those taken. Dan and Brenda Kliewer are doing our photography, so I know they will turn out beautiful! I can't wait!

Well, must go. I've got some packing to do for this upcoming weekend since I will be working the next few days. Thanks for visiting and don't forget to leave some comments! Have a great day!

Long Time, No Post!

2009-08-04T14:18:00.002-05:00

My life has been an absolute whirlwind these days, hence the drought of posting. In a nutshell, here is what I've been doing:
-got engaged June 28, 2009
-started planning almost immediately; date set for July 10, 2010
-went home with the new fiance for a wonderful 4th of July weekend
-went home, again, for a dentist appointment and wedding planning
-worked on a few mini-projects around the house while Alex vacationed in New Orleans
-just returned home from my own vacation in Phoenix, Arizona
-while completing all of the above projects, I have somehow maintained my full-time position as a nurse at St. Luke's

The month of August is already set to bring in lots of activity. Alex is already headed into MHC's yearly inventory count, and I have a full calendar. I'm hoping that once September gets here we'll be able to kick back a little.

That's all I got for now. Will update more when I have the energy!

We're Gettin' Hitched!

2009-07-10T12:12:00.004-05:00

On June 28, 2009 (it was a Sunday,) we had been finishing up putting on the last coat of paint in the spare bedroom. We had ran some errands, ate a dinner of 2-day old leftovers, and headed out for a walk with our two dogs, Jake and Jozie. It was a beautiful evening; no wind and not too hot. I had made a comment how it was a beautiful night, and Alex just smiled and kept on walking. He was being really quiet as we walked, holding hands and trying to keep up with the dogs.

About midway through the walk, Alex had mentioned how walking the dogs together is one of his favorite "mini-dates." Again, we kept right on walking, trying to keep up with the dogs. He had been looking around a lot it seemed like, and in the back my devious little mind, I was thinking "maybe he's looking for a place to propose?" But then the realistic side of my brain kicked in and said, "Nah, get that out of your head!" (Later, I found out that he actually was planning on proposing on our walk, but didn't find a "special" place to do it!)

So we finished up our walk and I headed into the spare bedroom to shut off the lights and close the window as we were getting ready for bed. Alex came in the room and I told him how the walls were looking really good and that it was finally looking like a real room again. He agreed, and came over to give me a hug. At that point he started saying how this was our first project together and how he wanted there to many more. I was completely naive, and replied "yeah, me too." After those words, I really have no idea anything he said. Next thing I knew, he was down on one knee, in the middle of the room with the paint cans and drop cloths, asking me to marry him! After I realized that this was for real and he really wasn't kidding, I finally said "yes!" He put the ring on my finger and I was incessantly crying, hugging and kissing him!! Finally after about 10 minutes of this, I looked down and actually saw this ring on my finger:

Then, I looked at Alex and said, "what do we do now?!" He said "we can call people tomorrow, I'm tired!" I said "absolutely not," and proceded to call/text everyone I knew!

We have set the date for July 10, 2010 at the First United Methodist Church in McPherson, KS. Please stay tuned as more of our wedding plans come together.

About the ring:
We had looked at rings back in March at a couple different "chain" jewelry stores around Kansas City. I found a couple I liked, but Alex said he wanted mine to be one-of-a-kind and have it made. I said whatever. We also decided that we would like to buy from somewhere local, instead of one of the chain stores so that we were getting the best bang for our buck, as well as better quality. So this ring was made by Scott's Diamond Design in Overland Park, KS and is a combination of all the rings that I picked out. It is just gorgeous! And I must say, it looks much better on my hand, but darnit, it is absolutely impossible to take a decent picture of it! So there it is. Lovely, isn't it?

Progress...

2009-06-25T17:22:00.002-05:00

After a big fight about primer and one coat of paint later, here we are....

Minus the trim...

And window trim...

One more coat to go, plus trim...plus the closet...and we'll be done. And one wall that will just be trim color. THEN we'll be done. Whew.

Ready to Paint!

2009-06-19T05:54:00.002-05:00

We finally got all the wallpaper and such stripped off the walls. Much longer task than we had anticipated. So here are the bare walls, finally ready to paint. Wish me luck.

What Did I Get Myself Into!

2009-05-31T18:25:00.003-05:00

Alex and I (well, more just me I guess) have decided to finally start painting. One room at a time, of course. It all started when Alex was going to put up some plywood in the closet, and I was needing to prime and paint it. Well, this ignited my "desire" to paint the whole room. So this, my friends is what I have encountered so far.

After an afternoon at Wal Mart and Home Depot, I was then ready to start my project. After much debate as to what was really lying beneath the paint, I started to scrape. And this my friends, is what I found:It appears that there was a layer of orange paint, then a layer of pink paint, then a layer of textured wallpaper, then this dainty floral design that I think is just a covering for the drywall. Basically, there's lots of layers and what's at the bottom is really old.

This is my closet. Tiny, I know. But after a previous attempt to install a closet organizer, it was time to start over and put in something simple and efficient. To start, Alex installed this plywood in the back of the closet to thicken up the wall a little bit. No sense in installing another gadget and have screws sticking out the other side. So the next step is to prime and paint, then in goes the rods.

This my friends is the bottom layer on the walls. It is a thin paper that has been put over the dry wall. Not really wallpaper, just a thin paper with a design. I bet it was beautiful back in the day.And here's the progress. Half orange, half flowery. This will be pretty when I'm done with it.

So there ya go, my first home-remodeling project. Being done all by myself. We'll see how this turns out!

Rollin, Rollin, Rollin...Keep Those Doggies Rollin...

2009-04-25T13:42:00.002-05:00

Today Alex and I got up and somehow had the motivation to clean the garage. Well, sorta. Let's rewind a bit, shall we? Some of you may not know this, (or maybe all of you do) but I moved in with Alex at the beginning of March. I have always been a believer in not living together until you're married. The whole "starting your life together begins when you're married" has always been something that I supported whole-heartedly. But when Alex bought his house back in August of '08 about 7 miles from my apartment complete with a fenced in back yard for the dogs, our commute to see each other turned into me commuting daily to his house. My apartment became chopped liver. There was no need for Alex to come over, especially with the dogs. So I finally made the decision that it was no longer economically correct for me to continue throwing away money on my unused (but cute) apartment.

Alex and I had had many discussions on this matter, as well as what our future was looking like. After deep consideration and in depth talks together, I decided that it might work out ok. So I moved in. Which brings us to the present...

Since I moved in in March, the garage has been stuffed full with boxes and furniture, due to the fact that apparently a two bedroom house is a lot smaller when there are two packrats living in it. Alex and I together have so much stuff. So today, with it being slightly breezy but still decently warm, we made the effort to haul a lot of the boxes up into the attic, which is basically the only storage area we have. I still ask myself why it is necessary to keep all this stuff, but somehow I just can't part ways with "it."

Then Alex's dad, Bags, came up from McPherson. He got here about 12:45 and he and Alex headed out to the racetrack at about 1:30. Alex got tickets from work for the Indy car race and the Truck Series race, so Bags and him are going to the truck series today, and A and I will go to the Indy Car race tomorrow. Jana, Alex's mom, will be here this afternoon helping a friend with a moving situation, then will head this way to spend the evening and night. So all in all it should be a nice weekend to spend with "the folks." Mom, maybe you and Dad could come up for a night sometime?

We have been talking about doing some work on the house for a long time, but have never had the money, time, or energy to do it. Plus, I told A that I don't want to do anything too major until we are officially a married couple. (I gotta draw the line somewhere ya know.) So we thought we might do some smaller projects that would spiff up the house enough so that maybe, you know, we might be able to have some friends over and it would look presentable! Our first project, we thought, that would improve the house's appearance ten-fold, turns out might not be as easy as we thought. The main family room and both bedrooms both are in desperate need of some new paint jobs. But as we found out just a couple days ago, we think the walls are just a dry wall with wall paper, and then painted over. So it's looking like it might be a better (and smarter) idea just to knock the walls out and "re-do" them. New drywall, better insulation, maybe wire in some lights in the ceiling. Fairly cheap to do, just takes the labor. Alex's friend Jon did this to his entire basement all on his own in a matter of about a week, so Jon thought maybe with the two of them together, they could knock this whole room out and be done with it in a 3-4 day timeframe. I say fine, if they hop on it and just get it done. This whole home-repair thing really stresses me out, so whatever they can do in as short of a time frame as possible would be good.

Better get going. Gotta get to the gym and run a few errands before Jana arrives. Thanks everyone for reading, and for being the supportive family (and friends) that you are!

Couple of Ski Pics

2009-03-27T13:07:00.002-05:00

Just a few pictures from Colorado. More to come!

I Am Still Alive!

2009-03-26T08:46:00.002-05:00

Many of you have been wondering where I've been. Well here I am! Many things have been happening, but none too exciting.

We did, although, go on vacation, so I suppose that is exciting! Alex and I went with his parents and cousins to Colorado for the yearly ski outing. We went March 5-10, stayed at A's grandpa's condominium in Frisco, Co. They have a timeshare out there that they have access to about 4 times a year, usually once around that time. We arrived late Thursday night; Alex, Bags (dad) and I. We took Friday to acclimate to the altitude and did things like grocery shop, relax and snag a few sale deals at the ski shop. (Brand new Columbia ski pants on sale for like $60! What a steal! Oh, and Uggs for $110 instead of $180? Uh, where do I sign?)

Jana (Alex's mom,) Brad and Candra (Alex's cousins) arrived late Friday night with the intention to get up ski with us on Saturday. Well, Saturday turned into Jana, Brad and Candra shopping, and Bags sick in bed. Alex and I skied by ourselves at Copper Mountain and had a blast. Little frustrating to re-orient to skis again, but it was good. Sunday we all skied Copper again (except Bags, poor thing was in bed the WHOLE weekend!) Needless to say Monday rolled around and I was either A) sick or B) completely worn out because I couldn't bring my body to ski...too many aches and pains. They ended up only skiing til about 1 or so, the weather was getting a little nasty and they were tired. We had a great! steak dinner that night and proceeded to head home Tuesday morning after a quaint breakfast at the bakery down the road.

We got back to McPherson I think about 5 or so, and Alex had to work the next day, so we trucked it on back to Kansas City. Very long drive to say the least! My body was screaming for rest and Alex was screaming for another day off. The next day I wore myself out even more getting everything back in living order. I then worked three days in a row, had one day off, then was back on again. As predicted, my poor self was of course sick, again. Sinus infection and bronchitis, I'm sure. This continued on until about last Thursday when Alex finally said to me, "Babe, you sound terrible." And when Alex says that, you know you're really sick! That's when I broke down in tears and finally got an antibiotic, just to get me through.

This bring us up to the present. Still taking antibiotics, still working at the hospital (one more day this week) and still sniffling on occasion. But by-God, my vacation was fun! haha Don't have any pictures, really, to share but Candra is sending me some that she took. So I will post those as soon as I get a hold of them.

No other news, really, to report. Alex and I just live our lives one day at a time and pray that God is leading us in the right direction!

Hope everyone is well. Thanks for reading!

Opinion Poll

2009-01-29T10:07:00.002-06:00

.....Because I know so many of my readers have an opinion!

So I went to see Dr. David yesterday, and he had a few things to advise me on.

I presented him with my food diaries that I had worked ever-so-diligently on for the last two weeks. These food diaries contained every bit of my nutrition intake and output for two solid weeks. Food, water, what food group, any other beverage consumption, bowel movements-frequency and consistency, and so on, and so forth. I was rather disturbed about having to do these, basically because I didn't quite know what his purpose was for me doing them. So when I presented them to him yesterday, he got out his yellow highlighter and started mumbling. In a nutshell, here is what he said:

I must cut out all fruit, for now. Fruit has too much sugar and it is feeding the yeast in my body (which is essentially what I am trying to get rid of. The yeast is everywhere.) He said maybe by summer I could start back on some "mild" fruit such as blueberries.

I also must cut out grains and/or carbohydrates. He says the carbs are also feeding the yeast. And somewhere in his ramblings, he went on about how Americans...well, actually humans in general, have been taught to eat lots of grains and carbs, when really there are no essential carbs. He believes that humans are carnivores and that they don't need much more than meat. Carbs, as he says, will almost always be turned into fat and they are very hard to ever lose, which leads me into my next point.

My main point here is that he wants me to eat meat. Lots of meat. Back to the statement that humans are carnivores, they should eat lots of meat. And my reply was, "so if I eat some meat, what can I eat with it?" He says you don't need much more than meat, or protein for that matter. He says if we eat pounds of protein every day, by the time your body uses all its energy to process it and store it, we only get a few ounces of protein. And protein will never turn to fat. Back to my statment, what do I eat with it? Salad? Vegetables? Potatoes? What? Which brings me to my last point.

He says that vegetables are ok, but we don't really need as much as we've been told. He says that high fiber foods are ok, but this high fiber diet that we've been told to eat may be more harmful than good due to the high rise in colon cancer since the FDA starting pushing fiber. So, basically I'm supposed to eat meat. Beef, lamb, pork, fish and eggs. Lots of eggs. And maybe a few vegetables, but not too many. Oh, and really a couple meals a day will do 'ya. No need to "graze" all day long, if you get enough protein that is.

Now I know all you readers will have an opinion on this one. I would love to hear everyone's stances and what you would do.

In other news, things are fine in this neck of the woods. Nothing too exciting, just waiting for the warm weather to get here. Actually, this 20 and 30 degree weather has felt like a heat wave! We've had lots of sunshine, too, the last couple of days, which makes me a much more productive person. I told Alex I think we should move somewhere where it's warm all the time. Like Arizona, Texas or even Florida. His reply consisted of suggestions where there was an MHC branch, such as Denver or Memphis. Eh, not my idea of a good time right now. ha

Alright, must get going. I suppose I have a few things to do today! Feel free to reply with your ideas!

Sunday Funday

2009-01-25T16:19:00.002-06:00

Sundays are always nice and calm. I really look forward to them.

While Alex is snoozing on the couch, I've done a few things, but not much more than just cuddle with the doggies and watch a TV show on extreme water parks. I did, though, do some dishes and make a little breakfast this morning. I attempted blueberry pancakes at first, but apparently I had the heat up too high, or something, because they did NOT turn out right. So I settled for a slice of bacon (I know, gross and terrible) and some fruit salad.

It's a little drury out today. Cold, too. I worked yesterday then we went down south to watch Alex's old boss play in a concert. They have a little band that plays 80's and 90's cover rock songs. They are actually pretty good. The bar they were playing out was actually at capacity when we got there, so we had to stand outside for like 30-45 minutes in the cold until they let us in. But it was fun. Made for a long day though.

So I've been using my new food dehydrator a lot lately. I haven't quite gotten the hang of everything, but I think if I try to do everything I want at least once, then the next time it will actually turn out right :) I am have some troubles with drying banana slices, and that's one of the things that I've wanted the most. I just can't get them to crisp up like the store-bought ones. Any suggestions?

Alright, better get back to my "busy day." I might make a snack and see about curling up with a blanket on the couch. That sounds nice!

Headaches, Death, Dogs and Winter

2009-01-10T14:17:00.002-06:00

As you can see by the name of my post, my life has been filled with all sorts of ups and downs recently.

The last couple days I have a had a little headache, the kind that are caused by the a little vertebrae in my neck going out, then all the muscles around it get all tensed up and in a frenzy, causing a massive migraine headache. Last night I thought going to Yoga would kick it. You know, a little relaxation and breathing exercises, maybe a little stretching would help. Well it did help, but it also gave me some sore upper back muscles, as well. (I'm very weak in that area.) So when I woke up this morning with a sore back AND headache, I said something has GOT to be done! First I took a bubble bath, still had a headache. So I called my massage therapist/nurse intern friend who has given me a couple other massages and left her a very pathetic message asking if should could get me in today. She called back a short time later and said she could get me in at about 12:30. Hallelujah! So I laid down with my warm pack for about an hour and then headed down to Olathe. I only had her give me a 30 minute one, just so she could really concentrate on my back. And whatdya know, 30 minutes later and I got up and had no headache! Massage therapists really are amazing. I don't know how anyone can go there whole life without one!

So I'm home now and all is calm, and I am happy. Alex is out "shooting" with some of the guys this morning. Well it was supposed to be just a morning thing...huh. It's 2:30pm now. haha The doggies have been enjoying the last couple days being able to be outside a little more. It's hard when it snows/melts/snows/melts because then the dogs come in with muddy paws. And of course we have to sit out in the garage and take the time to wipe off each and every speck of mud off before they can come in. So when the ground is dry and sun is shining, all is good. I think today might be our last day of good sunshine for awhile, though. I hear it's suppose to be a high of 12 tomorrow, or something like that.

Work has been crazy-as usual. But it is winter time now, which means patients are sicker and we are much busier than we are any other time of the year. I remember this time last year I was wondering how much longer I could take it, and if nursing was really the right career for me! I still wonder that from time to time, but really could not imagine myself doing anything else. Helping people is what I was meant to do.

Along with sicker people at the hospital come death and dying, as well. I have been lucky enough to be involved in the care of some very sick people recently. And when these people are that sick, along comes with that is the ethics side of nursing. I've taken classes on such topics and have been told that I would eventually have to deal with these things. Well, the last couple weeks have finally brought me several [all at once] situations that involve very intense, life-changing issues. I'll save you all the details, but basically I've dealt with a 78 year old with no living will, durable power of attorney or statement saying what he wants with all of this belongings...and oh yeah, he's about to die, can't speak, and cannot appoint anyone to speak for him. I've also had an experience with an 87 year lady who IS a "do no resuscitate, do not intubate" (DNR/DNI) but somehow was talked into having surgery to place a feeding tube. Both of which were things specifically stated in her advanced directive that she did not want. And one other case in which we had a fairly young man that was on our floor post-operatively for approximatley 4 months before he was discharged home with a home health nurse. Well, to tell you the truth, this man was an all-out jerk and nothing we did was ever good enough for him. Now, needless to say, he went home and proceeded to tell the home health nurse that he did not know at all how to take care of himself with all of this equipment (which is a flat out lie) and so the HH nurse told him that maybe he shouldn't have been discharged from the hospital . So now he's already filed a grievance with the hospital and there's a good chance we will be getting sued. "We" meaning everyone involved in his care. Including me. But we'll see what happens. Enough of all this negativity!!

Our New Year's was pretty laid back. We made our way over to our friend's Bret and Alyson Reimer's house. I think we stayed over there til about 3:30 am playing Mad Gab. I know I know, we're some big partiers!!

Alright well I better get on with my day. Starting tomorrow I'm working a 3-day stent, then home for another lasering of my eyes. My Lasik has gone a little blurry, and it's time for an enhancement. So this time next week I'll have new eyes, again! Hope everyone has a wonderful week. Thanks for reading!

...And a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

2008-12-19T10:42:00.003-06:00

Oh, what a week! In the last 7 days, I have been to work once. Why, you ask? Well it all started Sunday, the day we went to the Chief's game. (Sprint provided us with some wonderful box seats, inside a heated room 'n all!) I had had the sniffles for a few days, but nothing really alarming. I went to bed that night with a box of Kleenex by the bed, thinking nothing of it. Well then somehow, 4am rolls and around the next morning, and I wake up feeling like I am on my deathbed. For real. I got up and walked around, moaning and groaning, trying to figure out if this "feeling" is the real thing. Well, it was. I called in sick to work thinking, "ok, I'll stay home today to kick this nasty bug, then I'll be all ready for work tomorrow." Well it turns out that my next night of sleep was even worse. I tossed, coughed, turned, sat up to cough some more, turned, took a drink of water, tossed again to make my head feel more comfortable...and so on, and so forth, all night long. So turns out work didn't work out again. Well then I had the last 3 days off anyway, so I've been able to recover all week long. I am, though, working the next 3 days, starting tomorrow, so I have a feeling that 5am tomorrow is going to be a rather rude awakening. But I'm ready. Ready to get it over with. Ready to go home for Christmas. Ready to get through this winter sick season. (Ready to be done with my job, really. Wait, did I say that out loud??!!)

Anyway, on a more positive note, I am feeling wonders better. This was my first URI (upper respiratory infection) in probably over a year. That is amazing, if you know how often I was sick before! And I recovered from this one in record time, too. Usually these bouts would go on for weeks-forget a couple days! Although I still suffer from headaches, anxiety, asthma and allergies, I think the way my body has handled these illness' has changed drastically. Let's hope that this is a sign that all my hard earned cash that I'm shoveling into making myself well again is helping. I think now I'm onto changing my lifestyle to help my body-namely, my career. I love nursing, don't get me wrong, but I think my job is really taking a toll on my body. So I am on a mission to fix it. In whatever way that may be. Wish me luck.

So I bought a Christmas tree this year. It's a 6 1/2 footer from Wal-Mart; pre-lit too! It's a little bare in some spots, but I suppose that's what you get for buying a 35 dollar tree from Wally World. But it will do.

I think I've got most of the Christmas shopping done, just a few odds and ends yet to get. I think I'll make a stop at Kohl's today-they're having a 2 [or 3] day sale. I'm tellin ya, shopping for Christmas in a big city is so much easier than when you live in a small town. This way you don't have to drive miles and miles to get to your nearest Christmas-present-outlet. Although, the crowds are ridiculous. That's what's nice about having days off during the week, though.
Alright, must go. I've a got a few things I need to do today, including trying to finish the book Marley and Me. Movie comes out Christmas Day! Who's excited for that?!! Merry Christmas everyone!

Post-Thanksgiving Woes

2008-12-01T10:36:00.002-06:00

Well the turkey holiday is over and everyone is back to work, except for me of course. I've got one more day of rest before I'm back to the grind. I had an exceptionally wonderful Thanksgiving this year. I got canceled on Thanksgiving day (as I had ever-so-anxiously hoped for) and got to head home that morning and join in with the fam for the traditional lunch time feast. Everyone was so shocked to see me, and I was so glad to be home. I joined Alex after lunch to visit with his family for awhile and then we both made our way back over to the Holthus' for a fun evening of Catch Phrase and Engergizer bunny-like stories from my dear cousin Henry. We really did have a good time.

The rest of the weekend ended up being pretty laid back. Friday night was spent watching movies at the Koehn house. Then after a yummy breakfast at Neighbor's Cafe with gramps, Alex took me out shooting (a gun, that is) for my first time. We went out to the ol' pasture out by the farm (of course) and shot at some pop cans and hedgeapples. I must say I did pretty good for my first time, although as expected I came out with a nice big bruise on my arm the next day, as well as one giant body ache. I've been told that shooting the 12-guage may have had a little less kick-back then the 20-guage. Oh well, we had fun and it was a decent day to be out on the range.

Saturday night we went out to dinner with my parents and then out with some friends. Alex loves to hang out with the boys and play pool when we're home. I think we're both pretty content with our back road, country-singin, football-watchin, beer-drinkin friends. We might live in the big city, but we are country people at heart :)

Anyway, we had one more Thanksgiving meal yesterday with Alex's parents and grandparents. I think secretly Jana felt bad that I couldn't make it to their family Thanksgiving, so she whipped up one just for me. Or maybe it was that she couldn't get enough of all the wonderful food, so we had to eat it again. Either way, it was delicious. It did make for the drive home to Kansas City a little tiring, but the food was greatly appreciated.

Alex is going back to McPherson yet again next weekend to help at his grandma's house. I guess they have to crawl underneath the house and do some repairs. Sounds like a good time to me, but I'll be working on Saturday.

As we all know, Christmas is only a few mere weekends away. I still have Christmas shopping to do and decorations to put up. Well, actually I need to buy a tree, too. I was gonna buy one last year but just never did. But this year it's for sure. If I could only find a way to keep the dad gom dogs from chewing up the ornaments....

Alright well that is all for now. I hope all the families made it safely back to their respected parts of the country. We returned back to Kansas City only to find a fairly thick blanket of snow! Anyway, Happy Holidays and thanks for stoppin by!

Another Day, Another Dollar

2008-11-20T11:01:00.002-06:00

After much hounding from friends and family about not posting, I suppose I'll give a quick update.

Really not a whole lot of new and/or exciting things having been going on in this neck of the woods. Alex's house is coming along very slowly, to say the least. And I must say, Hannah, the repairs that you guys are doing to your new abode is nothin compared to Alex's house. Not that this a contest or anything, but just in case I've never filled you in on the list of needed repairs, here it is:

-New wiring throughout the house
-In need of garbage disposal and dishwasher (including the wiring as well)
-No air ducts/vents to the bedrooms
-All walls need painted (Can't do that until the wiring is done)
-Wood paneling needs "work" to say the least
-Nasty, awful carpet in kitchen needs pulled up and replaced with tile, or something of the sort
-Front living room has no molding around windows, doors, etc
-Need new kitchen countertops
-All doors need to be sanded down to fit door jams
-2 car-garage; one opener needs replaced
-Bathroom needs completely re-done
-At least 2 windows need replaced due to some rottage

And this is only a general list. I guess the thought of a nice, big fenced backyard and a lovely 2-car garage was overwhelmingly appealing at the time of deciding to buy the house. And yes, all of the above repairs are very fixable and Alex has many friends that are very willing and able to help out, but one must have 2 things: 1. Time and 2. Money. Neither of which Alex has. So needless to say, the house is coming along very slowly.

In other news, the hospital I work at has seen some tough days lately with the closing of 2 units and a total of 68 people being laid off within the hospital system due to budget cuts. Sadly, one of those laid off was one of our full-time social workers who was very good and always busy. I guess you just never know who really has job security in times like this.

Work has been same-ole same ole, with one exception to my normal routine last week. (Wait, is my work ever a normal routine?) Last Friday, I had a patient of mine pass away about 3/4 of the way through my shift. She was a "do not resuscitate" and "do not intubate" (DNI/DNI) patient and was refusing to take any of her meds or eat, so it was something that was bound to happen in her situation. There was nothing I could do for her and was only able to make her as comfortable as possible. Oh and by the way, it was also my 4th day of work and I was already exhausted. So needless to say a death was the last thing that I really wanted to handle, but in my profession, it's something that unfortunately was going to happen eventually. So anyway I learned the death process, including paperwork and preparing the body, so I guess all in all it was a good learning experience.

It's cold here, and obviously it will only get colder. I think a little bit of the traditional winter depression has already set in on my body. It's so easy to tell how much my body appreciates sunglight when I don't get it. I bought some stronger light bulbs for the lamps, though, in hopes to make my days a little brighter :)

Well, must go. Appointments to go to and errands to run. Hope all is well! And yes, I'll be home for the holidays-I'm working Thanksgiving day but am thankful to be able to return home either that evening or the next morning and be able to spend the rest of the weekend with family. Can't wait to see everyone!

Changes are in the air...

2008-11-03T09:51:00.002-06:00

Remember my new plan? Well, I did it. I joined the 24 Hour Fitness down the road and have already attended a few times. I must say that going to the gym was the very last thing I wanted to do after work, but in the end I felt so much better about myself. And even though I only spent 25 minutes working out after work, that 25 minutes really did me wonders. So far my plan is working! And since my plan started mid-week last week, this week will be the first week I will be able to fully "go at it." My goal is to go Monday thru Thursday, leaving my weekends free.

In other news, I got canceled from work yesterday-only the most glorious feeling ever! It was nice to be able to enjoy my Sunday by watching the race and doing laundry, a weekly tradition for Alex and I. We also got to take the dogs on a walk in the beautiful 70-degree weather.

And the leaves...oh the leaves. They're all shades of yellow and orange and brown, so gorgeous. But I must say they are everywhere! The dogs just love romping through them and hearing them crackle and wushh..and they love chasing the squirrels that seem to scurry through them as well.

Alex's house is still ever-so-slowly coming along. In the last couple weeks we've gotten the garbage disposal in, the carpets cleaned, a doorbell and motion-sensor light installed and the garage door opener is almost ready for use. Yesterday Alex unpacked more boxes and hung a picture in the living room to cover some of it's current "ugliness." Jana, my mom and I got curtains hung over the front window and re-arranged some of the furniture to open up the living room space a little more. So all in all, things really are coming along nicely.

No pictures to post, I've been bad at bringing the camera anywhere lately.

Alex and I went on our first date since the day before my birthday on Saturday. We went out to dinner at this little Mexican restaurant in Brookside. It was a lively little joint and the food was pretty decent. I enjoy spending a little quality , one-on-one time with him every once in awhile! I told Alex at least once a quarter would be good for a date. I think it's just a matter of setting aside the time-that seems to be a tough task for both of us!

Must go get my day started. Thanks for reading!

Post-Mineral Treatment

2008-10-29T11:50:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, I have been getting weekly allergy treatments with Dr. David. It really has been a roller coaster ride of experiences and new feelings, but this week was an especially big treatment. He treated me for minerals...this means all types minerals. From chlorine to molybdenum to phosphorous to potassium. Usually with these treatments, I have an "avoidance" period in which I have to avoid certain foods that contain what I was treated for, but this was one was especially tough. With minerals, I had to avoid all metal surfaces. It wasn't so much about what foods to avoid, but I was supposed to use rubber gloves all day to avoid touching anything metal. I was not even supposed to use metal cookware, utentsils, or even the zipper on my hoodie jacket. I really did the best I could, so I guess we'll see next week if I "cleared."

Since minerals is such a big treatment, I experienced a few side-effects yesterday and even today. Mainly I'm feeling fairly exhausted. I've done a few things this morning, including paying a bill and getting my ballot ready to mail, so I think I deserve a little rest before moving on with my day :)

So I've deviated a new plan regarding my workouts. This has been an ongoing battle since I started working 3-12 hour days over a year ago. I've always been a workout freak and still love it. But my work life has really put a damper on my regular Monday thru Friday schedule, so I have been trying to figure out what to do. Well a year and 3 months later, I've finally decided to try something new. I had a pep talk with a girl I work with about working out [she is a former gymnast] and have decided I just need to do it. I've found a 24 Hour Fitness that is very close by and they give discounts to Saint Luke's employees so the monthly price is very cheap. I've decided to go back to working out at least 4 days a week and forcing myself to squeeze in even a short work out after work. I've tried this before and it only exhausted me, but I also only did it a few times before I quit. I think this will make me feel better about myself and my health. I'm such a health and body conscious person that I think this is what I need to do for myself. So anyway, stay tuned on my progress.

Like my new blog page? I'm working on making it a little more exciting. We'll see how long that takes me.

Must go eat some vitamin c and lie down. My body is tired!

I Got an Interview!

2008-09-30T17:01:00.002-05:00

So for those of you that have been following my blog at all, you know that my current job situation isn't exactly ideal. So I have been hunting and hunting and hunting for new job opportunities, and just recently applied for about 4 jobs in the last week or so. And today, just as I happened to be ranting and raving to my mom on the phone about my next schedule and the holiday scheduling, etcetera etcetera, I got a "beep," alerting me that I had another call. It was a number that I didn't recognize, meaning that A) it was someone calling about my car or B) someone calling about a job. So no quicker than I could say "Mom, I'll call ya back," I clicked over, and low and behold it was a recruiter from Truman Medical Center wanting to set up a job interview. I put on my happy face and dug out my most cheerful, friendly voice and set up the interview for Monday morning. If you can't tell, I'm more than just a little excited-but I really don't want to get my hopes up yet. But yet I am hoping, just a little :)

So anyway, I'll work my Saturday this upcoming weekend...and oh yeah, the Sunday, too, that I somehow got switched to unexpectedly. Wasn't that nice of them. And then come Monday morning, I will tote myself off to this interview with all the bounciness and loveable-ness that I got-and hopefully get myself out of this toxic job. Everybody cross your fingers!!! I'll keep you posted...

Arthritis and Cinnamon Rolls

2008-09-27T11:49:00.004-05:00

Just a little note to update and blog about some of my recent encounters.

I continue to see Dr. David here in Kansas City for NAET, and I have had quite the time. So far, my symptoms are nothing like I could have ever imagined. In my second week of treatments, I began to feel the tremendous, overwhelming feeling of absolute exhaustion. The last time I remember feeling this way was in nursing school when it was all I could do to get through the day. This lasted about a week and a half, and then came on my next symptom which I have been experiencing for the last couple weeks.

Joint pain. Utter pain and throbbing throughout my whole body. It's in my fingers, my wrists, my shoulders, my CLAVICLES, my ankles, my toes....it's everywhere. I suppose this is what it's like to have arthritis. My question is if this means (which I assume it does) that my body is detoxing itself, is it safe to take some ibuprofen for pain and inflammation? Because it hurts. Bad. I came home from work last night and it was all I could do to just lay there. And throb. What can I do? Is this a natural thing to expect?

So Alex is made cinnamon rolls with orange flavored icing for breakfast and I put together a little fruit salad. Isn't that cute. He's quite the cook...at least one of us is a good cook!

Anyway, we're meeting up with a lot of friends tonight, so I suppose I better start getting ready. Besides, my fingers are starting to hurt.

Any comments are welcome!

Water and a Chewable Vitamin C

2008-09-15T10:37:00.003-05:00

The last couple days I've been feeling a little "worn out." I can't tell if it's a side effect of the NAET treatments, or if I'm just getting a bit of a cold. My head is really congested and like I said I'm feeling run down, but other than that I'm ok. I know people are catching colds right now like nobody's business, but I also know that Dr. David told me that this feeling may be a result of my treatments. So who knows. Thankfully I've got a few days off to rest, then back to work.

The weekend was completely non-eventful since I had to work Saturday, but really that was fine. I can tell my body is screaming at me to rest, so that's what I'm doing. It's cold outside anyway, so it gives me more of a reason to snuggle up on the couch with a warm blanket :)

It's finally stopped raining here, for now. We (as in Kansas City) have just been getting poured on for days, and now it's finally cleared off. The poor doggies are so upset that they can't be running around the yard in this beautiful 60 degree weather, but it's hard when the ground is all muddy and they come in looking like they've taken a mud bath. So they get mini-outings for now along with a few walks around the block to keep them happy.

No other news, really. Work is still work; still shopping around for a new job. I've applied to several places, and either I'm too late with the application or it's been filled by an internal employee. These outpatient surgery jobs are hard to come by, so I'll just keep looking. Shawnee Mission is still a possible option in the future, but I guess no positions right now. Supposedly the recruiter will call when a position opens up. Who knows when that'll be, though. Our census on my floor has been fairly low lately, so the possibility to be canceled is greater. It's sad when you look forward to those days every week. They actually did try to cancel me one day, but either they were calling the wrong number or my phone wasn't working right, because my phone never rang and they ended up canceling someone else. Now that was a bummer.

Anyway, better get back to my water and vitamin C. Hope everyone is well!!

Another Wedding Weekend

2008-09-08T11:45:00.000-05:00

Alex and I went to another wedding this weekend...I do believe we've been to 6 weddings so far this summer and have a least 2 more to go this fall, depending on our schedules. We both love going to weddings, mainly because we get to sit back and relax with friends that we probably haven't seen in awhile. So all the driving we have to do to GET to the weddings is just a mere bump in the road for us!

We got back last night and had just enough time to make some pizza and salad, and that was about it. We both have been so busy lately with work, deciding what projects to take on with the house, and weekend adventures, that we really have not had much time to sit around and relax.

I had mentioned in the last post that I was going to a NAET doctor here in Kansas City. I had my first visit last week, and came back with a bundle of information concerning my health. I have been to this sort of doctor before in hopes to get over my seemingly chronic illness', such as allergies, asthma, headaches and anxiety. According to Dr. David, my current NAET practitioner, my body is in a state of serious illness and is possibly on the verge of a stage 1 chronic illness. My body is "allergic to" and malabsorbing everything from minerals, B vitamins, sugar, proteins and calcium, which is why I am having such constant, outward symptoms of hay fever, asthma, anxiety, and headaches. And as sad as it is to hear that your doctor hasn't seen anyone this sick in months, it really is encouraging to hear that there is something that he can do about it. I've really been getting fed up with traditional MD's not believing my symptoms, and alas having no answer to them. It seems as though any medical doctor in the western medicine field has an answer to your symptom, and of course a pill to go with it...but never an answer to the root of the problem, and therefore making the basis of all problems, worse.

Sometimes I wonder to myself, "Why am I, of all people, the one with all the health problems?" I feel like I am the one who has always been self-conscious about my weight, always eaten a fairly-healthy diet, and had somewhat of an interest in nutrition and health. So why me? Why isn't it the average Joe walking around the streets that eats fast food for every meal, never exercises, and doesn't give one hoot about their health? Sometimes it really seems as though that's the case. And of all the things that I have tried to trace my health problems back to, the only thing that I can come up with is my prenatal care. I really have no idea what kind of nutrition and care I had before I was born, but why else would a health-concious, nutrition-driven 25 year old be on the verge of chronic illness? It just doesn't make sense.

So anyway, I guess I'm on the road to a healthy recovery. I know it's gonna be a lot of work and I know I have some long weeks ahead of me. But let's just hope this time it works. I don't know how many other options there are out there....

Well, better get going. Please pray for me in the next few weeks, as I'll be starting my intensive treatment with my doctor. Have a wonderful week and thanks for stopping by!

Baby It's Cold Outside

2008-09-04T11:01:00.002-05:00

Well, they say summer is over. It's currently 61 degrees, looking forward to a high of 68 today. All hopes of 90 and 100 degree weather are gone for they year, so they say. And sadly enough, I didn't make it out ONCE to my apartment complex pool to bask in the heat and get a beautiful, glowing tan. Where did the summer go? I guess it went to work, it went to a lot of weddings, and a whole lot of running around Kansas City. So I guess my tan will have to wait til next year.

Went to a wedding down in Wichita this last weekend. It was really fun, mainly for the fact that a trip down to Wichita for the weekend, for us anyway, is like a vacation. We got to see lots of McPherson people and it was good to let loose and be away from Kansas City/work for the weekend, for the both of us. Alex has been working ridiculously hard lately, which in turn has for some reason really wore me out, as well. But all is good now; Alex is working less hours and the summer madness is slowing down.

Here is the uninvited guest to the wedding this weekend. He was a precious Great Dane, (which most Great Dane's are wonderful pets-just big) but was bigger than anything that I have EVER seen. I really wasn't scared of his "bigness" at all, just a little scared of that tongue that could've jumped out at me at any time! Thus, my facial expression showing this fear. Found out it was owned by one of the workers at this little farm, and was taken home by a kid by getting on a four-wheeler and tying him to the back to jog behind. What a beast! By the way, his paws were a little bigger than my own hand.

Alex is moved into his house, now just organizing and prioritizing what project to start on first. The doggies love their back yard, but also have the luxury of sleeping on their own little beds in the spare bedroom. They're so spoiled. Look at those eyes!

One of the first projects that Alex took on with the house was hauling off some rotting wood from the back yard, leftover from an old fence, or something. This was actually quite the task because of some questionable termites underneath that could have the potential to migrate towards the house, if he wasn't careful. Oh and by the way-here is one of the many SNAKES that was found underneath it, too!! How disgusting. I don't have any pictures, but there has also been quite the slug problem around here, too. We have spotted many of them at a time in the front lawn, sidewalk, and walkway, and terrifyingly enough-inside the house, as well. I've had two run-ins, myself, with slugs on the kitchen floor and on the wall. They absolutely terrify me, to say the least. They look like small aliens, for heavens sakes! What do they want??!!! and Why are they here??!!!

Last but not least, the ole Eclipse is still for sale. Will someone PLEASE buy it? It's a good little car, I promise! Check it out on craigslist.

Must go for now. Have an appointment with a NAET doc in a couple hours. We'll see if he can do anything about my allergies/asthma/headaches/anxiety....

Side Note

2008-08-17T22:36:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to post a quick thought.

In the last couple weeks, I've been mulling over some life issues that seem to be growing bigger and more important every day. They are issues that have no easy answer, and whatever the answers are, are very life-changing. They really are not negative or harmful issues, just decisions about where my life is going.

I just read a quick comment from my cousin Cheri. She was wishing me a happy birthday, but also gave me some "birthday advice" which I found to be very thoughtful. She said: "Treasure every day. Time goes so fast! My birthday advice is don't be in a hurry for what comes next, be present in each moment and fully enjoy today! Every season of life holds such joy." I feel that that this is not only advice for me personally, but for everyone.

In addition, sometimes I wish I was one of those people that just didn't care about the decisions in life, and just flew by the seat of my pants. But then who knows what this world would be like if there wasn't anyone to care? And what would my future look like? Umph, being 25 is harder than 24 was. Rats.

So in closing, please pray for my guidance. I am attempting to really take in cousin C's advice, but also hope for a "right" answer, preferably sooner than later :)

Night night everyone.

A Birthday Blog

2008-08-16T10:51:00.005-05:00

As I roll into the ripe age of 25, I'm thinking to myself everything that I have been through to get here. Even in the last year, the experiences and everyday challenges that I have encountered have made me into a whole new person. I'm thankful that I am alive and breathing and looking forward to another quarter of a century!!

I've tried starting this post several times, only to be interrupted...so my goal today is to post something. August has been one of those months where you think yourself "I didn't think life could get busier than it already was!" Oh but it did. Not only did Alex finally close on new his house and get all of his stuff moved, I bought a car (finally) and have put my 'ole Eclipse up for sale. I also just found out a couple days ago that I was approved for the promotion that I had worked so hard on to become an RN II. This basically means I take on a few more education hours, but I also get a bit of a pay increase. This is good, partly because any new job I take, I can now say that I was an "RN II" instead of an "RN I," and they will also have to match my new pay. So this is good, for many reasons.

I've been trying to help Alex as much as I can get settled into his new house, but it has been a bit difficult because he is doing a lot of the "updates" after moving in. So it becomes frustrating when things have to be fixed before you can settle in! Such as: no vents/ducts for the AC or heat to the bedrooms; otherwise a central air and heated house. Carpet in the kitchen is dah-scusting!! We'll pull it up eventually and put down some tiling, or something. Wood paneling intermittently throughout the house needs something done to it. I hate wood paneling. Need a couple more ceiling fans. Need to haul out the decaying pile of wood in the back yard. Needless to say, there are termites underneath it. (Thank goodness not in the house yet, but Alex has set up a home-yard-system to prevent the little devils from migrating.) Probably every room needs re-painted. Bathroom really needs re-done, but at least needs an exhaust fan and some new lighting for now. Needs molding around the front inside windows along with some curtains. (Very scary at night to have that open for everyone to see in.) And the list goes on....but you get the picture. So there are projects for Alex [and I] for about the next 5 years, if we're lucky. I am grateful, though, to be able to be partaking in this exciting time in Alex's life. (I do [secretly] hope that we'll someday be able to make this "our" project, if you know what I mean. Anyway.

So, my birthday is today. Alex and I celebrated together last night with dinner at my favorite restaurant (Olive Garden) and then a free movie, thanks to a gift from the credit union that I got my car loan from. We saw Step Brothers, a ridiculous comedy with Will Ferrell and John Reilly. We had to see a stupid comedy, I guess, because that's what Alex and I traditionally go to. We couldn't break the tradition now, I suppose! It was funny, though, just not movie of the year. So then tonight Alex is going to a bachelor party for one of his best friends from high school and I will probably meet up with some of my friends for some good old food and frolicking.

No pictures of the house or car yet, but when they come available, I'll post a few. Here's a few from the past month.

This is Jake, at Alex's old apartment, laying with his head sticking out the blinds. He loved to be able to see outside.

My little loves, resting on the couch. It's been a tiring couple of months.

One of my good friends from college, Jennifer, and I at a sorority sister's wedding. She is actually getting ready to start her PHd program in history at the University of Florida in a couple of weeks.

That's all I got for ya for now. I'll keep ya posted on the newest renovations to the house. And don't forget to pray that someone buys my little MicroMachine-and soon! Cheers to everyone, enjoy your weekend!

All Is Calm

2008-07-12T15:01:00.006-05:00

Today is the first day in literally MONTHS that I have spent a Saturday ALONE and at my apartment, vegging on the couch. And I must say that it's been kinda nice. Unfortunately, Alex is home yet again, but sadly because his Grandma Kathy died a few days ago. So the pups and I are having some quality mom-dog time and I am taking full advantage of this quiet, rainy afternoon. Needless to say, though, my allergies have taken over me today, so I haven't had much of a choice but to rest my weary, watery eyes and clean the 'ole air purifier. I'm hoping sometime today I'll get around to do some other things around the apartment, like laundry, dishes, and vacuuming. We'll see what happens.

In other news, my teeth have been the center of my attention for about the last 7 months, and unfortunately they still are. After numerous trips to the dentist, I still have teeth and a couple jaws that are killing me. I've heard every excuse from that I grind my teeth at night, to that the filling wasn't sanded down right, to finding a fracture on the top of my tooth, to my old silver fillings sitting on top of a nerve. But yet it still hurts. It's a good thing I have dental insurance, but this is still costing me a pretty penny. I'll keep ya posted on how things turn out.

So my search for a car has begun-well at least it's actually active now. I've been researching the web for months upon months to decide what I would like to buy to replace my MicroMachine of a car. I think I've got my choices narrowed down and am on a mission. I did find a beauty of a Jeep the other day, but we'll see how it works out. It would be one of those cars that when I roll up in your driveway with it, I would be like, "Did you see that car? Yeah, it's mine." Let me give you some quick stats, and you can be the judge of whether YOU would like it.
-2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
-Charcoal colored (a black/gray mix-absolutely beautiful)
-all-leather seats with heated driver and passenger seats
-built-in, in-dash navigation system
-DVD player in the back seat
-here's the kicker: HEMI v8 engine
It has a HUGE engine and TONS of power which I really don't need, but the thing is beautiful and it has every option I could ever ask for.

Anyway, here are some New Orleans pictures, like I promised. We were so "on the go" the whole time, that it was tough to stop for photo-op's. But I did the best I could.

Here is some quick pics of our time on Bourbon Street. Aaron manages a 3 bars down there, so we made our way down there on the nights that he worked. The neon sign is a classic example of the "classiness" you would find down there. Lots of strip clubs and gay bars, in case the need should arise. HA

Here is the classic hurricane-hit house. This is actually 2 houses down from Aaron, and is sadly not uncommon. See that orange "x?" That is the symbol for when they inspected it, when it was evacuated, how many animals were found, and also how many dead bodies were found. This one actually had 3 bodies found in it. It's so very sad, but these people really had no idea what was coming.

Here is the inside of that house. All houses that were damaged most likely had to be stripped down to the studs and basically rebuilt. I wonder where those bodies were? (By the way, Alex would have NO part of inspecting the inside of the house with me! Too creepy, I guess.)

Here is the house next the one from above. It looks decent, but do you spy the FEMA trailer in the front lawn? Yeah, not unusual.

And the house on the other side. There were so many beautiful homes around there, right in between the ugly, hurricane-damaged shacks.

A typical scene from Bourbon street-on a Wednesday night. It's a pretty poppin place.

And who can forget Aaron and Rachel's precious little dog that we spend oh-so-much time with. Meet Gypsy, a mutt that appears to be a mix between a terrier or some kind and maybe a lab, or something.

Here's the view looking towards the French Quarter and the French Market. Lots of vendors, souvenirs and festivals that take place here.

And here we are overlooking Lake Pontchatrain (sp?). I guess people can take cruises out of here.

Alright, must close. My head is pounding and my sinus' are screaming. Time to lay down again.

What a Day. What a Week. What a MONTH!

2008-06-26T17:25:00.003-05:00

I'm apologizing now for my absence in the last month, but after you hear what's been going on, you'll understand!

The end of May kicked off wedding season for the summer of '08. Alex and I have attended 2 weddings so far and still have about 3, maybe 4, weddings to go! I guess we are at the point in our lives where everyone is getting married. Huh, what a concept.

Well, Alex's cute little house that he originally put an offer on finally got nixed. He has, though, found another house very close by that he apparently put in an offer in on Tuesday and just found out today that he GOT IT! He should be closing by the end of July and all moved in. It needs about a weekend's worth of renovations and a good crew of family to help out :) But it does have a 2-car garage and a wonderfully fenced in back yard. It's in a cute little neighborhood, actually a couple houses down from a nurse-friend of mine. So this really is a good deal.

My car is so close to its wit's end that I can taste it going bad. I had to add a full quart and another half of oil the other day just to keep the poor thing a-runnin. By the end of July I HAVE to be in possession of another car. I can't hardly stand it anymore!

We did just get back from New Orleans this last weekend and it was wonderful! I'll post pictures soon, but I don't have the energy right now to do that. We spent a fair amount of time down on Bourbon Street since Alex's brother, Aaron, is a manager of a bar called Razzoo down there, which in fact is one of the busiest bars on the strip. So that was quite the experience. And besides that, we spent time in the French Quarter, we attended the New Orleans Aquarium and watched a cool Imax film on the hurricane, and ate LOTS of fresh, oh-so-delicious seafood. I loved it! But coming back to work after a week off has been pretty rough this week, to say the least.

The weekend before our New Orleans trip, we went back home to McPherson for a quaint little wedding in Lyons, Kansas. It was Eric Duerksen and Cora Coleman's wedding-two people which we are really good friends with. Cora used to be my neighbor and Eric is one of my really good friends from high school. We used to eat "family dinner" together with them every Thursday and watch Grey's Anatomy. They now live in Wichita and we are very sad to see them go, but extremely happy for their marriage!

I have one more day this week and then I have the weekend off, and then yet another wedding to attend the weekend of the 4th, so our busyness will only continue.

Things with work are fine, still ready for a change and actively looking for "it."

Anyway, I'm on my own for dinner tonight. Think I'm gonna go whip up a Spinach and Asiago pasta dish. I know, sounds good, doesn't it. I'll post pictures sometime very soon, I promise!

Hope everyone has a good rest of the week!

Ho hum

2008-06-01T21:10:00.003-05:00

Well, it's now ANOTHER new month and I'm once again behind on my postings. I'll tell ya-the last month has been CUH-RAZY! I've interviewed for a new job, but don't think I'm going to take it. It's a lot of commitment and I don't really think it's something I'm willing to take the risk on. Orientation would be almost a year and I don't even know if this is "the job" I'm looking for. So, on to other opportunities. My applications are open for business and in full effect. To put it simply, I'm ready for a change.

Alex is still waiting to finalize a deal on the house he put in an offer for. I think he might have it, it's just a matter of tie-ing up the deal. Lord knows he needs this house.

Speaking of which, did I tell you that we inherited two-not one, but two medium sized dogs in the last few weeks? We have friends that have moved away and Alex "volunteered" to take both of them. One is Jozie, the full-bred Boxer who appears to look 1/2 Boxer and 1/2 Lab. And then there's Jake-he IS full Boxer and he is a BRICK HOUSE, as we like to call him. He's got a huge chest and he's the boss. Don't mess with his bones. Oh, and did I also mention that they are sharing OUR households? Uh-hem, our APARTMENTS with US! Yep, they live mainly at Alex's but they come and visit aunt Emily's apartment quite often. I mean, they are good dogs-but they are too big to be an apartment. Hence the need for Alex's house.

Anyway, we just got back from an exhilarating weekend in Weatherford, Oklahoma and I am pooped. My bed is full of clean clothes that need hung up so I suppose I need to hang those before I hit the sheets. Wish me luck. Oh, and wish me luck on my newly purchased Nutri-Calm. This has GOT to be the key to helping me sleep. I can't take Xanax forever!

A New Beginning

2008-05-02T13:57:00.002-05:00

Well although the month of May is just beginning, I am already feeling many changes in my life. I went ahead and applied for another job, but have yet to hear anything. It would be a totally different kind of nursing and would require about a year of paid, in-house training, but I am totally up for the challenge. My hours would be wayyyy better and I would only take two nights and one weekend day of call A MONTH. The position I'm referring to is as a surgery nurse in the main OR at Saint Luke's, the hospital I am currently working at. I'm not getting my hopes up yet but I am HOPING! I informed my manager yesterday of my interest in that job, but only after I had heard that she has hired 7 new nurses in the last month or so to fill all the shoes of everyone who is leaving. I approached her calmly, saying something to the affect of: "Susan! I hear you hired 7 new nurses!" At this point the two other people in the room said, "uh, I'll see ya later!" It seems that a good majority of the nurses on my floor are feeling the same urgency as I am to look for another job, hence the fact that my manager has hired so many more nurses. I think East 7 (the floor I am on) is just so diverse and SO busy that it is a good starting point for a lot of nurses, and then after awhile they find it's time for something else. So anyway, I guess I'll keep you posted on this situation.

I'm feeling MUCH better than I was about a week and a half ago, but I still fight a slight sore throat every once in awhile. I've decided that these frequent, drastic changes in weather aren't helping, but I've been taking this Super Trio of vitamins from NSP and so far they seem to really be helping.

Well Alex just called and said he was on his way back to work from the Truman Medical Center ER because he was having a really bad jaw ache, enough to hinder his chewing even. Apparently he has an infection somewhere under his teeth, so I get to be the lucky one to go pick up his antibiotic. I guess I need to make a trip to Wally World anyway to pick up some new pillows. Mine are getting to be flatter than a pancake. By the way, Alex has put in an offer on a house only a few blocks away from me. We're hoping that that the fact that his offer is about 25 thousand less than the asking price will be bypassed. hehe I mean, it is going into foreclosure, so surely they'll take it. Surely.

Oh, in other news-Kansas City had a mini-hurricane last night, as I like to call it. Winds were up to almost 80 mph and I guess a lot of areas had some substantial damage. Thankfully, nothing in my possession was affected. But unfortunately, my car was still there in the morning. Darn. I was hoping it would either get magically swept away by the wind and rain, or hail would somehow pummel it to its last death. But no, just a few leaves to scrape off the hood. Maybe next time.

Alright, off to Wal Mart. Updates to come.

Where did April go?

2008-04-29T13:21:00.015-05:00

Can anyone believe that we are in the end of April? I mean really, where did the month go? I guess so many things have been happening lately that I've kinda lost track of time. This month has brought many fun times, some bad times, and a lot of new ideas. The first weekend was Alex's 23rd birthday (I know, he has SO much to learn at his young age) and we celebrated with a few friends. Here we are at a deserted bar pretending to be like the picture on the wall. Oh what we'll do for entertainment :)

The second weekend in April was the Sigma Tau Gamma White Rose Formal in Pittsburg, KS. This is a bi-annual dance that is put on by Alex's fraternity at Pitt State and all members and alumni are invited. It's usually a good time for everyone to get together, get dressed up and have a nice dinner/dance. Alex and I went in October this last year and had a great time. I guess this one was extra special because a lot of Alex's friends that are still there will be graduating this May, so it was the last time a lot of them would be able to get together for awhile. Here are some pics:

So that gives you an idea of our evening. We had a lot of fun with all of our friends!

On to the 3rd weekend in April....
Alex and I went to a Chevelle concert with a guy that Alex works with and is also a fraternity brother. Jon, the guy that went with us, was going to bring his wife (to keep me company) but she wasn't feeling well, so it was just the 3 of us. Keep in mind this was my first real concert EVER and Chevelle is more a hard rock kind of band. Not typically my kind of music. To make a long story short, Alex and Jon made their way to the front of the concert and left me in the back all by myself. Granted, I wanted no part of the "mosh pit" that was happening up in front, but I also didn't think I would be left all alone, not knowing a single lyric to any of their songs. Let's just say Alex and I had words after that evening of "fun." Don't think I'll be listening to anymore of Chevelle's music.

After a long last week of being sick with something like the flu on steroids, I finally decided by Saturday that it was time to venture out of the house. Alex got tickets from his work to the Nascar Truck Series race and the speedway here in KC. So even though it was a bit brisk with a 60% chance for scattered thunderstorms, I decided to take a chance and go. It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon/evening and as long as I had my bag full of sweatshirts, raincoat, gloves and a few more layers, I was perfectly fine! It was fun to actually experience a race in real life- it really is a fascinating sport if you know a few things about it, and Alex sure does. After we got out of the bumper-to-bumper traffic afterwards though, I had about an hour left in me and I was EX-HAUSTED. I worked the next day, so needless to say I am still working on regaining my strength and energy after such a long stent of being sick. Don't worry family, I've got plenty of herbs!

In other news, my urge to find a new kind of nursing seems to be getting stronger and stronger. It's not that I don't like my current job so much as that it doesn't seem to be a job that is fitting in my lifestyle. The fact that in the 8 almost 9 months I have been working, I have yet to figure out a workout schedule that suits me. Basically my workouts have gone kaput. And for those of you who know me, working out is very much a priority in my life. On top of that, I can't seem to leave my work, at work. In the last 6 months, it seems that I have lost my ability to sleep soundly. It takes hours to really get to sleep and then when I am asleep, it seems that I wake up every time I roll over. I am generally getting tired, physically and emotionally. So at this point I am looking for a job that will leave me a few extra hours in the day to work out and have time to fix a decent meal. I am looking for more structure and something that would *hopefully* not require as many weekend hours, although if the other standards are met, working a weekend or two wouldn't kill me. I am currently looking into a position in surgery and continue to search for anything that jumps out at me. If anyone knows someone or of an opportunity in the Kansas City area, any heads up would be GREATLY appreciated. I'm starting to get very anxious about finding something new. Too bad money has to be an issue-otherwise I'd be working in a cute little doctor's office in a slow-paced, sociable environment! I guess I'll have to wait on that idea.

The only other news (finally) that I have is that Alex is looking to buy a house in the near future. Him and his family were looking this last weekend all around Kansas City and have yet to find something. He did find one, though, that is actually VERY close to me and is a cute home, but is a little over his budget. He extended a very low offer in hopes that maybe since it is a foreclosure, a lower price would be acceptable. We'll see. Let's just say both of us will be thankful when we are closer together so that we don't have to drive 20 miles one way every day to see each other! That's like driving to Hutchinson! It will save us both a lot of time and gas money.

Well, I suppose I will close. I have phone calls to make (including one to haggle with my apartment on WHY they are raising my rent by $60 a month when the market rate on my specific unit went DOWN. WHY??) and I'm going to attempt a mini workout for the first time in ages. I thought running up and down the halls at work was exercise enough?? And maybe a trip to the grocery store is in order...and Wal Mart for some new pillows...oh my, I need a Xanax.

Recap

2008-04-09T12:28:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note to give you a recap of my recent experiences. Here it is:
Went to a seminar on Saturday about getting involved in a lifetime time share/vacation opportunity. Won a trip to Las Vegas, we pay only $95 in taxes. Alex and I have considered going for my birthday in August.
Worked the last two days. Had my first drug-seeker in awhile. Called my first "Rapid Response," the step above a Code Blue. Admitted my first "status post" Cardiac Arrest patient. Am picking up my new shoes today. Getting my hair cut on Friday by a co-worker who is a hairdresser. Leaving for Pittsburg on Friday afternoon. Going to the Sigma Tau Gamma White Rose Formal on Saturday. Working three days in a row next week so I can go to the dentist and eye doctor. Can't wait to retire.

The End.

I Need a House. Period.

2008-03-29T11:51:00.011-05:00

I bought a new Crock Pot this week, and as I was trying to find a good home for it in my kitchen, I realized something. I need a house.

It seems these days that kids my age are more and more likely to buy homes. They tend to graduate from college, spend a year in a city of their preference, and then settle into a little nook-like house somewhere in a suburb. And although I've always had in my head that a house is a step into the big-kid world that I'm willing to put off, I'm starting to think that maybe a house would be more practical.

I mean really, I don't even have a place to put my box of Magic Bullet accessories and parts.

You think I'm kidding. Here's my only substantial storage area in my kitchen:

Oh, and let's talk about my mini-size refrigerator....

And how bout the weird corner on the counter that seems to collect water. Where does the water come from, you ask? Who knows. But it collects it. And the water turns gross. Weird.
See it? Gross.

But back to my Crock Pot. Here's the old one:
Sad, isn't she?

And here's the new one:

Isn't it cute? And it's RED!

Anyway, that's my thought for the day. Any thoughts on how to better my apartment living space and storage methods, let me know. Oh-and Alex's birthday is next week. Any ideas on gifts? I really am clueless.

Ahhh, Such Is Life.

2008-03-18T12:11:00.014-05:00

As I sit here sipping my Chai Latte with the sounds of the dishwasher and washer going, I think about all that God has brought me, as well as all the things that He has shown me in the last few months.

I've been a nurse now for about 7 months, and let me tell you, all the stories "they" tell you about your first year as a nurse seems to all make sense now. They were right. Huh. How did they know? How did they know that I would feel like a ball of stress every night after work? How did they know that some days my job could make me cry? How did they know that even though I have a "dream job" of working 3 days a week and scheduling myself, work would be so hard?

I started pondering the real meaning of working in the real world, just in the last week or so. And I've figured out that not only does working in the real world, along with having a so-called real world boyfriend, mean working on days that you really don't feel like it, but it also means keeping up with the rest of your life on the days that you don't work.

As many of you know, (or have read in previous blogs,) I am saving up to buy a semi-new car. My current "MicroMachine" doesn't have much life in it and is already showing some signs that I really need to put her out to pasture as soon as I get the chance (and the $.) Thus, I have putting away as much of my paycheck into savings as possible. Add in the monthly bills and loan repayments, my financial status is a little dwindled right now. To make a long story short, I was recently asked by a very close friend for a one-week loan so that he could pay his overdue car payment. After much investigation of the situation and a post-dated check in hand from this fella, I agreed. I agreed to give him money for a ONE TIME ONLY loan. I also agreed to never give money to him again. I also piped in that I don't feel comfortable giving any friend a loan. 'Nough said. But ever since this little stir, I have really been evaluating how hard life can be. Not just for me, but for many other out their like "him" who work 50-60 hours a week, hate their job, and can find no time or money to even look for something better. So I find myself thinking about what all life entails. And who teaches people these skills? Who teaches people how to go to work 5 days a week, (well, most people,) keep their living space livable by vacuuming, dusting, etc, wash their clothes, dishes and whatever else may need washed, buy and cook any sort of meal(s), have a significant other, and still have money to pay bills and have a life? And why do some people learn these skills with or without any teaching, and some people don't?

As a disclaimer, I must add that I may not be the perfect "life skills" representative, but I do know that I am surviving very comfortably and am lucky to have a family that will support me, if/when I'm in need. But not all of us have that, and that's what makes me ask such questions.

Well now that I've got my head in a blunder, I'll move on to a more positive note. To summarize the last month or so:
1. Had Lasik. I'm seeing wonderfully and am hardly having any dry eyes anymore!
2. Went skiing with the Koehn family; came back with LOTS of bumps and bruises.
3. Got back to work, although I took a day off this last Sunday due to a "may-ja" headache
4. Been couped up in the apartment the last couple days due to a steady rainstorm
5. Am already investigating my next vacation: San Diego, CA; New Orleans, LA; or Pensacola, FL. Any preferences out there?
6. Am pondering the idea of becoming a travel nurse within the Kansas City area. Only 5 months to til my first year of nursing is up!

To close, I will post a few Colorado ski trip photos. If you want to see more, you'll have to email me.

I think this my favorite pic of Alex and I. Ever. (And yes, he was my perfect angel that took care of me on the mountain. He even helped me up after my numerous falls!)

Alex and I rejuvenating over lunch. Well, maybe it was just me that needed rejuvenated. (Unfortunately, I was not aware that I still had goggles on my head.)

Bags and Jana don't even look phased from all of our morning skiing. Probably because they were waiting for me the whole time! haha
This is the exit to Granby/Winter Park. It takes you through Berthoud pass. This is where we go every summer. Looks a little different in the winter, eh?

What Age Do You Act?

2008-03-09T11:02:00.001-05:00

You Act Like You Are 24 Years Old

You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel like an adult, and you're optimistic about life.

You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

You're still figuring out your place in the world and how you want your life to shape up.

The world is full of possibilities, and you can't wait to explore many of them.

What Age Do You Act?

Thank You to Dr. Kingrey

2008-03-05T20:42:00.003-06:00

This is my thank you/testimonial letter to the Ochsner Eye office for my Lasik surgery:

"My final decision to have Lasik was very last minute. My mom had told me that she had made me an appointment with Dr. K for that Friday for a "consultation"-and oh by the way, you could have the surgery that same day, so you need to take your contacts out NOW! (It was Monday.) So I went ahead and took out my contacts, but to be honest, I was VERY skeptical, to the say the least. Being an RN myself, I had tons of questions. On the day of my appointment, Dr. K and Marsha were very informative and helped calm my nerves a lot. I had the surgery that day, and by the next morning I was seeing 20/30 and 20/40 and was cleared to drive back to Kansas City. (Keep in mind that I had been in glasses/contacts since the 2nd grade-I'm now 24.) Needless to say, on my way back to Kansas City, I had tears in my eyes because of my amazing, new-found eyesight. So thank you, sincerely, for my new ability to see. I will have a lifetime of gratitude!"

A Blurry Work Day

2008-02-24T16:51:00.003-06:00

Today is my first day back at work with my new eyes. I can see pretty well, but my eyes seem to have been intermittently blurry all day. Fortunately, this is very common. I just keep putting my Refresh eye drops in and hope for the best. When I had my post-op checkup yesterday, he said my eyes were seeing 20/30 and 20/40. Not bad considering it was less than 24 hours before that I had had my surgery!

So today isn't too bad, it's just the blurriness. It's like I have my contacts in and they need a quick rinse...but there are no contacts! And I must say, waking up in the morning and being able to see the clock and walk to the bathroom, etc. without putting any glasses on is one of the coolest things I've ever felt! In fact, I was so touched by the whole matter, while I was driving back to Kansas City yesterday from McPherson, I had tears well up in my eyes because I was just so incredible happy that I could see. Without contacts or glasses. It really is amazing. Believe it or not, this is the first time I haven't had any contacts or glasses since 1st grade. 7 years old. Why didn't I do this sooner???!!!

Anyway, must go. It's time to start wrapping up my shift. More later on my new-found eyesight. Stay tuned.

42 more hours and counting....

2008-02-20T16:36:00.002-06:00

Who cares about the gorgeous sun shining outside....the couch has been my hideout ALL day today. I've got very congested sinus' and a nose that is either stuffed up or suddenly dripping. Really I'm not sick, just very sniffly. Nothin like the Food Network permanently plastered on my TV screen.

On top of my sniffly-ness, I have to wear my glasses. All day. Every day. Here's why: My time has finally come to have Lasik. I'm going to see Dr. Kingrey (the same doc that did my mom's lens implant) on Friday and most likely having him laser the crap out of my worthless corneas. (Sexy, huh?) Therefore, I must have my contacts out. And like I told Alex, I think the only reason they make you take your contacts out a week in advance is so at the end of the week you're so tired of wearing glasses that you're begging to have the stupid surgery done. The plan is to drive home to Mac tomorrow after work, have dad take me to Newton on Friday for my appointment and lasering; have a quick check up on Saturday post-op; drive back to KC and work Sunday, Monday, Wednesday. Then I'm off to Colorado! How cool would it be to be able to ski without any contacts in? Scary, but cool!

I think my body is rebelling today from my day of work yesterday (which was horrible, by the way.) Give me a day with a terrible charge nurse, a headache and bloodshot eyes due to wearing my glasses and a head full of snot, and I'm almost guaranteed to curl up on the couch for at least 24 hours. Too bad I have to work again tomorrow. But don't you worry, my manager and I will be chatting about this charge nurse situation. It is absolutely ridiculous to have a charge nurse that gripes out orders and rattles off patients that we absolutely have to take from the ER, and then does nothing to help anyone. Oh, and then as everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off at shift change so they can get everything done, she's strolls out with her purse the moment it's ok to clock out. THAT is ridiculous. So please, if you're reading this and you are or will sometime have the chance to be a charge nurse, keep these things in mind. Those things don't make the nursing staff happy.

Anyway, I've got to get dinner a-stirrin for Alex and I tonight. We're having barbecue turkey burgers smothered with carmelized onions. I know, I should be a gourmet cook. Just thank my healthy meals on the run cookbook.

Talk to you when my corneas are functioning again!

New Pictures!

2008-02-17T11:56:00.000-06:00

Got a couple pictures last night (and I do mean only a couple) with a few friends eating at Kona Grill on the Plaza. I wouldn't be so excited about them, except that I finally got a decent wintertime picture that doesn't reflect my ghost-white complexion, which seems to make me look sickly and fat in most classic wintertime poses. So here they are. Savor them while it lasts! (Did I mention that I can't WAIT for summer? I say this as it is blizzarding outside on top of the already what-looks-like 4-5 inches on the ground. Grrrr.)

This is one of my best friends, Alyson. She is married to one of my high school friends, Bret. This would have been a good picture. (C'mon Bret, we don't want you in the picture.)

Alyson and I again. Much better.

Bret finally got his picture. He is on the left, and on the right is our friend Chris Olsen who is an anchorman out in West Virginia. He does have an attention problem, if you can't tell.

Another Week Done, 2 More to Go!

2008-02-16T18:34:00.000-06:00

After working Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, I finished off this Valentine's day week with a good helping of sinus headache, fatigue and a slight bit of wheezing. Although today the wheezing seems to have subsided, the fatigue and headache still seem to be hanging on. Even though being any sort of sick at all is a bummer, but I find myself rather lucky amongst all the influenza A, influenza B and other infections that are going around. If this is the worst it's gonna get, than I should be thankful! And if I can get it all out of my system before we going skiing in a couple weeks, that would be even better!

This "skiing" that I speak of is the Koehn Family Ski Trip that we are taking the last weekend of February into the first couple days of March. To say the least we are VERY excited to have a vacation away from Kansas City as well as our jobs. We will be staying at Alex's grandpa's cabin in Frisco, CO. Alex and I are heading out a day early to meet up with my dear friend/sorority sister in Keystone to fit in a good day of skiing with her. Then after that we will be skiing around the Frisco area for the rest of the weekend. You would think that with all the cold weather and snow around here lately that I wouldn't be excited to go play in MORE snow and cold weather. But as long as I can get away from the busy-ness of the hospital for a few days, I will be content!

No new pictures to post for you. The one night that we could've gotten some really good ones ended up being a very boring, lifeless evening, thus resulting in NO pictures. So, instead of new pictures, I'll go ahead and post some OLD ones to remind me of the good 'ol days of Australia. Enjoy!

This is one of my favorites. We all look so happy! (Probably because we're so tan. And on the Gold Coast. I mean really, who wouldn't be happy in those circumstances?)

This one of my best friends, Molly, and I holding up a shark (dead, of course) that reminded us of Bruce from Finding Nemo. Molly is from Indianapolis, IN and is still one of my very close friends.

These are all of my Australia roommates. We were all the bestest of friends and had the time of our lives. We called our house "The Real World." This was one of our last pictures all together and we had planned to frame it and hang on the wall in our Real World house. I don't think any of us ever did. Someday it will make it on my wall.

Yes, I'm Here!

2008-02-05T20:32:00.000-06:00

As I sit here munching on a Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie and reading everyone's blog's, I am realizing that it really HAS been a long time since I've written. I guess it also dawned on me today when I got an email from a certain relative reminding me of my "absenteeism." I replied and told her that because it takes me so long to map out a perfect paragraph with perfect verbage and grammar, my blogs tend to be few and far between. But I guess that the structure of my blog isn't what matters here, right? Sometimes I wish I could be like my other blogging family members that make their websites look so professional, you know, with the links to other blogs and tags and all that whatnot? But I mean really, who actually knows what a "tag" or a "label" is actually supposed to be for?!! Looks like you guys are lucky to get a few pictures in with mine :)

Anyway, things have been good on this side of Kansas/Missouri. Work takes up 3 days of my week (and I mean 3 whole days) and then the rest of my weeks have been occupied by Alex, social gatherings and one long weekend with the parents. Ha! (It really wasn't that long, but putting up those curtains really took it out of me!)

In my quote unquote spare time, I've really been taking to some hobbies that I feel like have been lost but not forgotten in my college/nursing school years. Since Alex has a love for cooking, I really have been attempting to scavenger up meals for us on days that I don't work. This has required me to venture out to Barnes & Noble and buy a "healthy cooking on the run" type of cookbook, as well as learn to season and spice up the foods. (You wouldn't think that seasoning was an art, now would you? Boy are YOU wrong.)

I've also ventured into the world of On-Demand FitTV-what a revolution! This cold weather and snow have made my workouts rather dull and uninviting, especially when I have to walk IN THE COLD to get to the clubhouse. Hence the On-Demand FitTV. I think every home should have On-Demand.

In addition to my FitTV, I think I want to find a fun class to take somewhere in the area to squeeze in some extra fitness time, such as a hip-hop dance class, Pilates or something that's just plain fun. Getting on the treadmill or Eliptical in a 4x4 fitness room isn't really cuttin' for me anymore.

Did I forget to mention that I'm going for a Lasik consultation next week? Yeah, I'm super excited. I don't know if it's just the idea of eye surgery, or that my eyes just plain suck, but my contacts seem to be bothering me worse and worse every single day. The day that I can wake up in the morning and be able to go to the bathroom without stumbling and fumbling due to my eyes being practically blind (I'm really not kidding about the blindness) will be a glorious day. And when I don't have to take time out of my work day to stop and rinse off my contacts because there's so much "goo" (aka protein) on them, I will be ecstatic. So to say the least, I'm ready for Dr. Cavanaugh to sign me up for some surgery! (Who knew anyone, especially me, would EVER be so excited for surgery.)

In addition to my exciting eye surgery, I have made the big decision to buy a car...in about 5 months. Now as most of you know, my "MicroMachine" as I like to call it, really has lasted me a LONG time. Let's see now, how many cross-country trips did it make? 1 trip from McPherson to Tucson, AZ and back; 1 trip from Tucson, AZ to San Diego, CA and back; I'm guessing about 6 trips from McPherson to Danville, IL and back; infinite numbers of trip from Danville to Lafayette, IN/Cadillac, MI and back; and who knows where else. That car really has quite the stories to tell. But as good as it has been, I think it's time to retire it. It just had fresh spark plugs and "gaskets" (whatever those are) put on yesterday by my dear boyfriend, (bless his heart), so she should be rarin' to go for her next adventure. I'm looking at '04-'06 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo's, and '06-'07 Toyota Highlander's. Any preferences out there? I really have done a lot of research on both cars and they both look fairly appealing. But I'm still in the money-saving process so I'm thinking about June or July I'll start really eying my future beauty. That's if the MicroMachine will last me that long.

Anyway I've had a very long day at work that included a 1 clueless student, 1 admission, 5 patients and lots and lots of crap. Literally. So it's my bedtime. I'll include a couple pictures here at the end of some recent fun times with Alex. Hope all is well with everyone! Keep blogging...I DO read everyone else's, I just fail to keep mine up to date :)

Yeah, so we're dorks like that :)

I thought this might be a framer.

This is Amy, a girlfriend of one of Alex's old roomates from Pittsburg. Alex thinks we look a lot alike.

Happy New Year to All!

2007-12-31T13:54:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday evening! Alex and I are spending an evening with some Pittsburg friends, which we are thoroughly looking forward to. Shouldn't be anything to exciting, but we plan on having ourselves a good time.

Work has been going fine, now that the holiday season is winding down that is. It has been especially hard having to work through the holidays this season since I have never been required to do so before, but I was completely prepared for the hardships. I knew I'd be rather bummed about working, so I guess I was prepared to be bummed, if that makes any sense!

I actually did get some compliments on my abilities at work in the last week. To make a long story short, I was singled out by some of the night nurses saying that I was one of the only new grad nurses that was actually doing very well and doing things as I was supposed to. I guess my preceptor Marine, JD, really paid off. Thanks JD!

Anyway I've got some things to do before our festivities tonight. Happy New Year!! See you next year!

Here and There, This 'n That

2007-12-18T19:11:00.000-06:00

Well it's been an interesting last couple weeks. I've had a couple good days at work and a couple of bad. Real bad days. But those happen, I'm over it.

But here's the crazy thing. I'm sick, but I'm not really sick. My "crazy herb lady," aka Connie, for those of you who know her, has prescribed me some Lobelia for a lung cleanse. Well apparently I have a lot of "junk" in my lungs and it has proceeded to cause an all-out cough fest-FOR 5 DAYS!! I've only taken it a few times and I'm still coughing up a lung. And it caused me to miss work today, and possibly tomorrow. But not because I'm "really" sick. Connie says I don't have a single illness in my body and am in no way contagious. Oh yeah? Well I don't think my co-workers or patients would feel that way when I am literally standing over the toilet, about to cough up my lungs. Hmm. What to do, what to do.

Other than that, really things have been grand on my side of Kansas. Alex is wonderful, he treats me like an angel : ) We went to 3 Christmas parties this weekend, so needless to say, I was completely tired out by Sunday. We did have fun though and I got to meet a few of Alex's bosses. They all seemed very down to earth and easy to get along with. Too bad I had to be introduced to them right before we were attending out Ugly Sweater Christmas party at the Reimer's...nice first impression Emily. Actually there was a couple at that same party that was going to a White Trash Bash right afterwards and they had some really horrid looking clothes on..so I didn't feel too ridiculous.

Must close. Time for dinner.

This Is A Test

2007-12-05T13:23:00.000-06:00

As I sit here watching The Essence of Emeril, Jozie, the black boxer/lab mix has been playing with her bone on the floor in front of me. Yes, Jozie the dog. Last weekend Alex and I went to Pittsburg to attend a friend's birthday party and we decided it would fun to bring home Jozie for the week. Jozie is Alex's friend, Josh's, dog. Alex and I love her to death and thought this would be a good "test" to see if a dog would make a good addition to either one of our homes. So far it's been going pretty well. The worst part is adjusting to her schedule. When she has to go to the bathroom, it doesn't matter what time of day it is...she's gotta go. I thought waking up at 2 am two nights ago was a little ridiculous, but when she woke me up at 7:45 this morning on my day off, I was a little, how do you say, ...perturbed. But I'm starting to understand what people are talking about when they say "They are a lot of work, but I'm so glad I got one!" She is so cute and loveable..how can you not get attached?? Here are some pictures to show her cuteness:

I asked Alex what we are going to do if/when we have fallen in love with her by the end of the week? He said we just won't tell Josh where he lives, that way Josh can't come and pick her up. Ha, yeah right.

The End of a Tough Week

2007-11-16T12:24:00.000-06:00

So today marks the end of a very long week for me. I worked Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday this week and it really was a landmark event. To explain, Tuesday was my first day of taking patients completely on my own. Although I am not yet counted as a full nurse and technically still considered on orientation, I still am able to take on 3 patients all by myself. And let me tell you, I had a very rude awakening into the real life of a nurse. And while I feel very comfortable being on my own, it seems as though God decided to challenge me the best he could on my very first week of being on my own. It wasn't so much the acuity of my patients that challenged me, it was the ethical and social issues that really gave me a run for my money. The good thing was that since I worked 3 days in a row, I got the same patients back each day so I got to know them really well. But I'm not gonna lie, feeding pain pills to a lady with an infected spinal surgical site just so she could make it outside to smoke every 3 hours was real tough for me. I'm not kidding, she wanted her 12 mg of Dilaudid right before she would go outside, then the rest of her 4 mg when she got back. And only to wait 3 hours (the minimal amount of time that she had to wait for her next 12-16mg) and promptly ask for her next dose. And this continued for the next two days...only to discover yesterday as I was listening to her belly with my stethoscope a small bug that did not resemble any bug I had ever seen before. After I snatched it up on a small alcohol wipe, (ugck, it makes me itch to talk about it) I took it out to the nurses station for everyone to exam. After one of the old hippie nurses proclaimed that it might be a louse,we proceeded to look up a picture online of a louse, and sure enough: there in my very hand stood a louse. For those of you not familiar with this term, louse translates to LICE.

So on top of the slowest, weirdest nursing student that was assigned to me that morning with my other patient who is an 87 year old alcoholic, (don't worry, story to come) my day had just got a jumpstart to "sucky" as Cathleen, the "old hippie nurse" put it. After what seemed like a bazillion phone calls, I had initiated contact precautions and summoned the doctor to prescribe some medication for my lice-infested, drug-seeking smoker.

So on to my 87 year old alcoholic. Ya know, this lady really was a peach, but man she had some issues. She somehow couldn't get in her head that whenever she needed to get out of bed, she needed to let us know so we could unplug her IV pole and role it with her. Maybe the fact that when she was admitted, she had a serum alcohol level of 200 had something to do with it. ("Normal" is between 15-30 for someone who is probably fairly intoxicated.) Apparently she likes her white wine-a lot! And really this patient wasn't that difficult, but throw in a student who is in his first semester of nursing school and has never charted anything before, let alone document every 2 hours for someone on alcohol withdrawal, this patient suddenly became more and more difficult. While we were in the process of discharging her home, we discover that she has no shoes and needs to somehow get a hold of her neighbor to come pick her up from the hospital. So in conclusion, we could summarize just those two patients by solely saying that the social worker and I got to know each other very well this week.

Unfortunately, that was only the first half of my day. The second half begins by the doctors making a roundabout decision to to send my lice-infested, drug-seeking smoker lady home. Well although that was all fine and dandy, as I was getting her paperwork started, I realized that none of these doctors appeared to be talking amongst themselves. There were numerous bits of paperwork that weren't signed, medication scripts that needed to be written, and about 3 different specialties that needed to ok her discharge. Seriously I was discharging this patient from about noon till 8 pm, when I finally left.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that my [lazy] charge nurse decided to give me an admission. And at the same time that I'm trying to discharge the lice-infested, drug-seeking smoker. Ok fine, I can handle this. After my patient arrives (at least he walked in his room instead of being wheeled up on a cart-that's always a good sign!) I'm trying to finish up admitting him by filling out paperwork and assessing him, but every doctor known to man decides that they get to do their "thing" before me. Thanks guys. So I ended up leaving my shift without finishing up noting off all the doctor's orders or even getting to do a complete assessment on him. The worst part about it was that the nurse taking over on this patient is really a royal snot head and of course was NOT happy about the situation I had left her. But to tell you the truth, I worked harder than I have ever worked in my life yesterday, and at 8pm, I decided that I deserved to go home.

Ya know, I've always heard about days like yesterday, but never really comprehended my abilities to work so hard. I've always heard of new nurses going home crying because they feel so worthless, and Wednesday I finally had my first introduction to the going-home-crying experience. And yesterday I had the urge to breakdown, cry, and crawl into a corner MULTIPLE times. Welcome to the real world of a nurse! Whatever happened to the days where I was still on orientation with my preceptor and somehow I was bored because my patients were so easy! Hopefully next week will be better!

On a more positive note, I did buy some new shoes this last week for work. They're the popular nurse shoe and I'm so excited to finally own a pair myself! Supposedly they're going to improve my posture and help my body realign itself. And they're very comfortable to walk in for 12 hours! (Or 13.5, as evidenced yesterday)

Alex comes home today from Seattle. I'm very excited to see him! I'm picking him up at the airport then we're headed home, to McPherson that is. Yep, that's right-we're headed back for the weekend. I guess this will have to be my Thanksgiving weekend. And yes, I am VERY excited to see my family and be away from my job for a few days!

Well I guess I'll close. I'll see most of you this weekend!

New Look

2007-11-05T17:00:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to show you all a quick photo from the "Rainforest." Alex and I ate their this last Saturday evening and had a wonderful time! There were all sorts of fake animals on "display" and they would come to life like every 15 minutes or so. So besides the fact that we shelled out more than our budget just to get the souvenir drink cups, we had a fabulous time!(Oh, and did ya notice the hair? It's my new winter hue!) Hope everyone is well. I'm off to work out!

So Much Fun

2007-11-03T17:44:00.000-05:00

I've been sitting here, on the couch, for hours on end. Why? Because it's Saturday, and there's football on. Not just football, mind you, but Michigan football AND Notre Dame football. Alex loves Michigan football, therefore I have been hearing all the commentary (from the TV and from Alex) for the last few hours. What an invigorating afternoon!

Actually we have kind of a fun evening plan. Alex and I are headed to the Oak Park Mall (as soon as my headache goes away, of course) to shop around for a few winter clothes and then we are going to try out the legendary Rainforest Cafe. I'm actually very excited; something new and fun! And tomorrow we're going to the Kansas City Zoo, (only because Kansas City, MO residents can get in for FREE) and only if I can tear Alex away from the Nextel Cup race. I guess the zoo has a whole Australia "area" complete with Kangaroos and all. We were also excited to learn that they also have a Africa area with meerkats! We love watching Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet, so any chance to see a live one in person is thrilling for us! Yes, I know, we lead very boring lives. Ha.

So I dyed my hair yesterday...don't worry, nothing drastic, I just went a little darker. My friend Danny did it and it actually looks pretty good! No pictures yet, but I'll post one as soon as I get a good one. Maybe tonight at Rainforest Care we'll get a cute one! haha

Anyway, looks like I'm supposed to be getting into the end of this Michigan game. Get excited! More to come.

The Calm After the Storm

2007-10-29T12:21:00.001-05:00

So sorry it has been awhile since a good post, but things really have been busy!

This weekend Alex took me to Pittsburgh, KS to attend the famous Homecoming/Fall Sigma Tau Gamma Formal. I had been hearing about since we met and all of his friends thought it would absolutely insane for me to miss it! And I must say, it was so fun to have fun to get all dressed up, pretty up my hair with the girls, and then have the boys come pick us up like it was prom! (Thank goodness for my bridesmaid dress from Hannah's wedding!)
So, needless to say, we had a wonderful weekend, but we both were very glad to get back to the good life here in Kansas City. And of course while Alex gets to work every day for the next 5 days (like a normal person,) I get to rest up and catch up on my errands and cleaning around the apartment. Man, I love my job.

Speaking of my job, I did get scheduled for the holidays, and let me tell you, it's not exactly ideal. I had a feeling I was gonna have to be working on Christmas day. And whadya know-Christmas day I get to be spending quality time with all the drug addicts, drug seekers and slightly-ill people of Kansas City instead of with my wonderful family in McPherson. There is a possibility, though, that I might drive home to Mac the night of the 23rd (after work), spend Christmas Eve with the fam, drive back to KC that night, work the 25th and 26th, then come back home. I just can't stand the thought of spending Christmas Eve by myself, alone, in front of my fireplace. Ugh, it give me chills just thinking about it.

This will be officially my first holiday that I won't be at home for at least a week with my family eating lots of delicious food and watching movies till 3am with Mom. To say the least, I'm quite devastated. But I didn't have a choice. I'm required to work 1 major holiday a year and since I just started, I had to fulfill it. And although I'm not working on Thanksgiving Day, I work the day before and the day after so that won't be much better than Christmas.

And no, Mom, I haven't decided on what I'm doing for Thanksgiving yet. I'll let ya know here as soon as I decide. I am, though, DYING to come home. Alex and I have had several conversations in the last week about how this going to work thing is already getting old! It's mind-boggling to think that I have to keep going back to work every week to keep making money! Ahh! Oh, and working weekends is getting old REAL fast. But as my preceptor, JD, has said: "You are no longer a civilian, you are a nurse. Get used to it!" Keep in mind that JD is an ex-marine. Thanks, JD.

Alright I suppose I'll start my day. I've done enough laying around! More to come.

CALLING ALL FAMILY MEMBERS!

2007-10-20T14:46:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I am in the process of scheduling my work schedule for December through about the first part of January. If you guys could let me know any plans for the holiday season NOW so I can maybe be able to get off work for some of the them, that would be great! I work again this coming Tuesday and will probably be signing up then. So let me know ASAP!! Thanks!

A Day in the Life

2007-10-16T11:52:00.000-05:00

Ok so I know I haven't written in awhile, but things have been so busy lately! This weekend I worked so I didn't have time to do much of anything! Actually, I worked Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. After I got off work on Saturday, Alex and I met up with Sheri and some of her friends down in Overland Park for dinner. Apparently she was here for a Qigong workshop, so it was good to see a familiar face! After dinner, Alex and I went to Bret & Alyson Reimer's for a football party. It's always good to meet up with friends for a fun night of good food, football and some drinks!

Speaking of football, how bout 'dem Wildcats? We all were a little (ok maybe A LOT) disappointed and flustered after the KU game, but man did they do well against Colorado! I've heard they're back in the rankings, but I couldn't tell you what number.

Work is going well, extremely busy, but good! It seems as though each day they ("they," meaning my patients) challenge me even more! I guess that's what's so cool about my job-I will always be learning something new! Besides my patient that had about a bizillion medications to be given ALL AT ONE TIME, my latest challenge has been working with a deaf man. We only had an interpreter on staff for a few hours out of my shift, so the rest of the time it was up to me to figure out how to communicate with him! Also, he didn't read lips very well so let's just say I had to utilize a pen and paper A LOT! Thanks goodness I at least know the alphabet in sign language! I also seem to be experiencing a lot of admissions at 6pm, which means that instead of finishing all of my charting and reporting off to the next nurse by 6:45pm and being gone by 7:15pm, I am doing an admission til 7:45pm; by the time I'm finished with everything else, it's already 8 or 8:15pm! So anyway, I'm really working on my organization skills and being able to complete things a little bit faster. Sometime I think to myself, though, "How can I work any faster?" "How could I do this without my preceptor??" I guess it all comes with practice!

I'm working Wednesday, Thursday, Friday this week. I'm very excited for Friday because my friends and I are FINALLY celebrating my birthday! We have been trying to plan for months a good time to all get together, so I think we've finally decided that this Friday will work out the best for everyone. Alyson is making food for me and we'll probably end up going down to the Plaza for a night of good friends, fellowship and of course a few celebratory drinks. This is the epitome of why I love my life right now...good friends, fellowship and a few celebratory drinks!

Here's a few pictures from the KState game weekend:

(Left) All of the ladies in our group at the tailgate
(Right) Two of my best friends: Bret, Alyson Reimer and I headed to the tailgate a few weekends ago:

Oh, and I finally got some new running shoes! Sadly it was a very big deal for me to get new shoes..in fact, I think these are the most expensive shoes [period] that I've ever bought! Have a look:

Quick Note Before Work

2007-10-05T06:02:00.000-05:00

Today is day 3 of my work week. By this time, I'm usually dead tired, as I am feeling today. Alex is out of town this weekend, so I'm on my own, so to speak. I'm going with Bret and Alyson Reimer to the KState/KU game Saturday. The game is at 11am which means we may be leaving at about 5 or 6 in the morning on Saturday! I know, I know, that is VERY early to leave for a football game, but don't worry-it's definitely worth it! All of my old friends are gonna be in Manhattan and I'm so excited to be back in my old stomping grounds! They say that if you're not in Manhattan by 7am on Saturday, there'll be a line just to get into the city! Thus the reason for leaving so early.

I work today 7am-7pm. Things are going really well; I have been taking my own patients every day now (with my wonderful preceptor trailing after me to make sure I don't kill anyone!) He's great about letting me do my own thing and then checking my charting, etc later to make sure everything is done and done correctly. Yesterday was my first day with 4 patients-my max before that was 3. So I'm really moving up! Oh, by the way! I started my SECOND IV yesterday all by myself! And on top of that, my preceptor said it was a really hard place to stick; he said most people would not have gotten it! I stuck this guy on his underarm, right beneath his elbow. My excuse for being able to get it is because I'm left-handed; it was on his left arm so I could weasel in there pretty easy as compared to a righty. Anyway, the exciting thing is that I got it!

Alright, must shimmy off to work. Only 13 more hours till my day is over! haha

Honestly, who works on a SATURDAY?

2007-09-29T23:20:00.000-05:00

As much as I am loving my job, working weekends really isn't my cup of tea. I can't stand the thought of all the social events going on without me! Because I had to work today, I could only attend the housewarming/engagement party going on last night for a few hours (only to stay up too late, of course); I missed attending a K-State football gathering today at my friends' house, AND I missed out on going to Atchison with Alex to watch Kasey Klenda play soccer and celebrate his 21st birthday! And now that I am finally home from work, I'm too tired from staying up too late last night to even think about meeting up with anyone! So I guess I'll stay in. Honestly, I think this might be the first time I've stayed in on a Saturday since I moved here!

Even though I know I'll be FINE by staying in tonight, the cool thing about NOT staying in is that it shows how much more energy I have now. Looking back at this time last year, I was struggling through my 3rd semester of nursing school, hanging out at Scott's ALL THE TIME, and doing nothing but studying and sleeping. And the thought of working 12 hour shifts would not have even been feasible! So in comparison, it is obvious that my health and energy have skyrocketed! It's so great to finally discover the youngster in me! And as Alex says, "You're always doing something...I have to schedule plans with you like a month in advance!" It is true; I am very busy all the time and I absolutely love it that way!

This is my "before" picture: September 2005
And this is my "after" picture: August 2007

So cheers to being 24, being healthy, and being a nurse! (Does this mean I can have a glass of wine now? haha)

2007-09-28T17:52:00.001-05:00

Real quick, I just wanted to put in my two cents for the day.

As I was hustling and bustling at work yesterday, I stopped. I thought to myself "this is what I've been wanting my whole life. I am finally doing not only what I went to school for, but what I LOVE to do...helping people.

Actually, I am technically on orientation. I am supposed to following around a preceptor to get to know the routine and become comfortable. I am supposed to be doing that until the beginning of November, and then take a "small load" of patients to transition into being a real, live nurse. Well, yesterday was my 3rd day on orientation, and my preceptor felt that I could handle my own. So the three patients that we were assigned to, she let me go ahead and assume the role of the nurse and then consult her with any questions I had. (Which obviously I had tons!) But I was it. I was the real deal. When the doctor called with a question, the call was referred to ME! I even called a doctor myself to clarify some orders on sending a patient home...it was the scariest thing I have done so far!

But when I stopped in that hallway and looked around, it was the coolest feeling knowing that I have finally achieved my goal! And I can finally wear a stethoscope around my neck with my name badge gleaming: Emily RN, BSN!

Another wonderful day

2007-09-25T13:07:00.001-05:00

I love that lately, every day I wake up with a smile on my face. It seems like it's been so long since I have been this happy!

I know I haven't really given you any background on this, but Alex Koehn and I have been hanging out a lot lately and getting to know each other. So far this has been one of those relationships that you would never expect (which is by far the best kind!) We seem to get along so well! He is such a gentleman; he has taken me out to dinner numerous times, opens the door for me, and has even fixed me dinner! It's just so nice to have someone like that after being lost for what seems like ages. And whether or not he is my soul mate, he still makes me happy and is a great friend! I guess I'm just so excited to have someone in my life again, although sometimes it does make me a little uneasy that he is so wonderful-Scott was wonderful too, and look what happened there!

Being in a quasi-relationship is a scary thing for me. I absolutely love to have the companionship, but after thinking that I had found the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with, it has really made me ponder the thought of "how do you ever know who is the right person?" And even though Alex and I haven't even had the "Define the Relationship" talk, otherwise known as the "DTR," it still makes me wonder. Any advice for a young, naive, single woman such as myself would be much appreciated!

Anyway, enough about my "cloud 9" talk! I could talk about it all day! I am loving these new-found butterflies in my stomach and all the moments when I close my eyes and realize all the great things that God is bringing my way!

My Personal Beginning

2007-09-21T13:41:00.000-05:00

Hello all! I suppose I'll start off by introducing myself (even though the only people that are probably reading this already know me!) My name is Emily, I'm 24 years old and I am here to tell everything that is happening in my life.

Now, you say, "Why do I want to know everything that is going on in Emily's life?" Well, you probably don't. But recently it seems that so much has been changing and evolving in my life, but unfortunately I never seem to have the time to share these things with the people I'm closest to. Therefore, here is my blog.

I think I should throw in a disclaimer right about now saying that I am NOT an experienced writer, unlike my other fellow bloggers and family members in which their postings could actually be published in books. Keep in mind that I am strictly here to inform my family members and friends of my ever-changing life-happenings!

Ok, here we go. I will begin with the past couple of months, but will spare you all the history up til then since most of you are caught up through about July!!

As most of you know, I spent my ENTIRE summer preparing for the NCLEX exam, which is the licensing exam that all nurses are required to take in order to obtain the "R," or "registered," in the name "Registered Nurse." I was very confident in myself and felt that the two months of studying was really going to pay off. Well, to make a long story short, I took my exam July 12 (finally) and found out two miserable days later that I had failed. Yes, failed. Even with all the studying, practice questions (all 3,000 of them), note cards, positive self-talk and re-assurance from everyone around me telling me that there was no way that I could ever fail that exam, I still failed. I took 365 questions (the maximum amount) and walked out of the test trying to hold back my tears, only to make it on the elevator before they started flowing like wine. I knew I had failed. I went to my car and sobbed to my mom over the phone as I wondered if I could even make the drive home to McPherson from Wichita. When I got home, the tears had FINALLY stopped and I was exhausted. I have never in my life felt so emotionally and physically drained. The rest of the day was spent intermittently crying to my mom and dad as I was nuzzled up against them like a sick, pathethic puppy. I was worthless! And the worst part was that I was forced to wait two more days before I had the confirmed failing results.

Here's where the real story begins! Two days later I began my big move up to the Big Apple of Kansas, otherwise known as Kansas City. Little did I know that the minute that I started moving up to Kansas City, almost every aspect of my life was going to change. And when I say everything, I mean everything. I was now going to be living in a new city, in a new apartment, meeting completely new friends, and becoming a "real" person working 40 hours a week! (Actually it's only 36, but still.) Oh and who can forget paying my own bills, starting payments on my loan debts and financially supporting myself. Did I say paying my own bills?

Well, I think that's enough for now. Besides the fact that my ADD seems to be kicking in, my eyes are tired and I need to get lots done before my fabulous weekend begins! So keep checking back and hopefully soon I will have you all up to date. Thanks for reading!