Today was a great lazy day....we all slept in and of course, we made our way to Costco. Um, yeah, what were we thinking? The entire parking lot was jam packed and so was the store! We had our hot dog and ran into Mitro and Landon at the same time. B enjoyed her snacking and tried green beans, hearts of palm, various cheeses, meatballs, etc. We were lured in to Mr. Yoshida Teriyaki sauce (I can only imagine how good it would be with salmon!) and meatballs to take as our appetizer for the beer exchange.
We also ventured to Dicks to return some of the Winter Classic hats I didn't want (I just kept the blue print one) and let me tell you how grumpy someone can be in a packed parking lot and busy store. He just wanted to get home because he hates the crowds!
We tried our hardest to get B to nap but really about 30 minutes was all we could get out of her daytime. The good thing was that the sun was shining and it was relatively "warm" so Erik was able to do some outdoor work and clean out the garage. After a busy day of straightening the house and finishing up wrapping all of the gifts, we had leftovers for dinner and got B to crash for a nap around 5:30. She slept until 6:45 (yay...so she wouldnt' be a crankpot for the party). We ventured to Scott and Jess's for a Beer Exchange party.
We took Dirty Blonde beer. Last year, B slept in the car seat and we had fun posing her with beer. This year, she was still good and loved playing with their dog Tucker....Tucker isn't used to kids so she was a little annoyed at B when B thought she was like a Crosby whose tail and ears she could pull so we had to pay a little closer attention to her and Tucker. We got a great selection of beer....Great Lakes, Blue Berry, home brews, etc and can't wait to sample some!
After a long day, I'm venturing to bed!!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Lazy Friday
Today, I was lucky in that the OR was pretty light. I didn't have a case until 11am so I was able to finish some of my applications and then the case was quick. So, at 1pm when I was out of the room, I got to go home for the day. Can you say "yay"!!! I love getting home early. I took a quick nap and then got B from school. It was so cute seeing her look up from the snack table and smile her big cheesy grin! So precious! Gosh, does B love to eat! She was polishing off her crackers. Then we went back to the house and sure enough, at 5pm, she was climbing into her high chair for dinner. We had a tombstone pizza.
I did have a party to go to tonight but tomorrow we have another party and really, I just don't think I can do 2 nights in a row. B (and us) value our sleep!
B went down for sleep so easily but then at like 9pm she woke back up and was hysterically crying so I went in and got her back to sleep. I think she's teething and her molars are ready to pop....I can feel the bumps on the top. Poor baby girl!
So, Erik and I cuddled on the couch downstairs with a bottle of wine and caught up on the first Penguins 24/7.
Winter Classic: 2 weeks!
Is it wrong that it's 11pm and I'm exhausted on a Friday night! Erik and I have a rule that we cannot go to sleep before 11pm on weekends so we don't feel like old people!
I did have a party to go to tonight but tomorrow we have another party and really, I just don't think I can do 2 nights in a row. B (and us) value our sleep!
B went down for sleep so easily but then at like 9pm she woke back up and was hysterically crying so I went in and got her back to sleep. I think she's teething and her molars are ready to pop....I can feel the bumps on the top. Poor baby girl!
So, Erik and I cuddled on the couch downstairs with a bottle of wine and caught up on the first Penguins 24/7.
Winter Classic: 2 weeks!
Is it wrong that it's 11pm and I'm exhausted on a Friday night! Erik and I have a rule that we cannot go to sleep before 11pm on weekends so we don't feel like old people!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Long day...
Had a decent night last night. Got to catch up on work in the evening. Then had 3 epidurals to do between midnight and 3:30am in between which I had some great conversation with my attending regarding life goals. This is a huge topic of concern because I know what I want, but in the immediate future, there's no possibility because that isn't even present yet at the hospital I want to be at.
Anyway, I then proceeded with a meeting with some folks to try to sort things out. I have a lot of thinking to do this weekend/next week.....too much! Sometimes I wish it was 1907 and I couldn't vote or do anything because then I would at least know my role in life and not have so many darn decisions to make.
I was home around 1pm and took a nap before picking B up from school. In the mean time, I did drop off some of our neighborly gifts to our next door/street neighbors. Instead of baking cookies and buying some little trinket trash that will be in next summer's yard sale pile, I used some practical ideas for neighbor gifts: wrapping paper, bows, sparkly ribbon and sparkly gift tags, attached our Christmas card with a little note that said "Wrap Yourself Up in the Holiday Season." So cute!
Then, B and I played all afternoon and evening and let me tell you, we tuckered each other out. She sat in her outside swing and I got the idea to pull her around because if you laid the back part of the swing on the ground, it made a sled looking shape for her to sit on and I just pulled her around the basement. Big....stinkin....mistake because now, she just wanted pulled and pulled and pulled and pulled. I think this was a better workout than the Shake Weight because this was pulling 24-ish pounds of kid around with friction!
This kid also loves to climb....She climbed from her little desk to the the kids chair to the top of the table (her kid size one) then I caught her as she konked her head on the other chair. Of course she was crying but at this point, it was almost 7 and this clearly was starting to be tired time so up to a bath she went. Then, she tried to climb out of the bath tub. Mama mia....I'm already trying to take bets as to when she gets her first set of stitches.
Anyway, Erik and I also had a conversation about both of our futures and goals today. A lot of important decisions will need to be made in the coming weeks....ay yai, yai, this gives me a headache thinking about it.
Anyway, I then proceeded with a meeting with some folks to try to sort things out. I have a lot of thinking to do this weekend/next week.....too much! Sometimes I wish it was 1907 and I couldn't vote or do anything because then I would at least know my role in life and not have so many darn decisions to make.
I was home around 1pm and took a nap before picking B up from school. In the mean time, I did drop off some of our neighborly gifts to our next door/street neighbors. Instead of baking cookies and buying some little trinket trash that will be in next summer's yard sale pile, I used some practical ideas for neighbor gifts: wrapping paper, bows, sparkly ribbon and sparkly gift tags, attached our Christmas card with a little note that said "Wrap Yourself Up in the Holiday Season." So cute!
Then, B and I played all afternoon and evening and let me tell you, we tuckered each other out. She sat in her outside swing and I got the idea to pull her around because if you laid the back part of the swing on the ground, it made a sled looking shape for her to sit on and I just pulled her around the basement. Big....stinkin....mistake because now, she just wanted pulled and pulled and pulled and pulled. I think this was a better workout than the Shake Weight because this was pulling 24-ish pounds of kid around with friction!
This kid also loves to climb....She climbed from her little desk to the the kids chair to the top of the table (her kid size one) then I caught her as she konked her head on the other chair. Of course she was crying but at this point, it was almost 7 and this clearly was starting to be tired time so up to a bath she went. Then, she tried to climb out of the bath tub. Mama mia....I'm already trying to take bets as to when she gets her first set of stitches.
Anyway, Erik and I also had a conversation about both of our futures and goals today. A lot of important decisions will need to be made in the coming weeks....ay yai, yai, this gives me a headache thinking about it.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Christmas...
10 days away....the last 3 weeks of my favorite 3 months of the year. Fortunately for me, I think I'm well ahead of schedule.
While Erik and I always said we would only get B 3 gifts per year because that's what baby Jesus got, it's been so hard because there have been things I would have gotten her anyway but I just disguise them as Christmas.
Like I got her snowflake socks, cloth swim diapers, play doh, etc. Her major gifts are one of the battery operated quads (hey for $29, it beats the $289 Mercedes Power wheels that she wouldn't be able to reach the peddles on for the next 2 years) and the Swarovski angel crystal ornament.
Compared to last year when I was wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve, we're way ahead of schedule.....
What we have done:
While Erik and I always said we would only get B 3 gifts per year because that's what baby Jesus got, it's been so hard because there have been things I would have gotten her anyway but I just disguise them as Christmas.
Like I got her snowflake socks, cloth swim diapers, play doh, etc. Her major gifts are one of the battery operated quads (hey for $29, it beats the $289 Mercedes Power wheels that she wouldn't be able to reach the peddles on for the next 2 years) and the Swarovski angel crystal ornament.
Compared to last year when I was wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve, we're way ahead of schedule.....
What we have done:
- Christmas card envelopes are printed and addressed so all we had to do was stuff the envelopes
- Tree is up (Thanksgiving Saturday) and decorated
- House is decorated (I did not put bulbs on the stair garland but some little girl would have that tendency to rip off the bulbs and I didn't want to clean up glass)
- Christmas pictures have been taken (twice...ugh...technically 3 times because I went once at the beginning of November mainly for the wallets and some quick pictures for Baba's funeral and then the 2 photo failures courtesy of a B meltdown).
- Outdoor decorations are up.
- All lights on timers (makes life so much easier to not have to remember to turn them on or off)
- All gifts are purchased...just need a few last minute gift cards.
- Attempted to see Santa at the house in Zelienople with the resulting failure and then again at the zoo with another failure.
- All gifts are wrapped and under the tree or already at Mom and Dad's
- Christmas outfits are picked out and ready to go
- Parties are well underway
- Most of the house is well organized
- Maybe a trip to Phipps for at least the tree photos....I think Santa is a failure this year
- Finalize our Christmas driving plans
- Snowman ornaments and handprint ornaments
- Order Christmas cards (yikes)C
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Ten on Tuesday
In traditional 10 on Tuesday format, here are my thoughts for the day:
1. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders by getting my book chapter done last night. Even though I didn't finish until midnight and really didn't get started until the evening, I was able to crank my butt in gear and get it done. I work best under pressure. Always have...always will. I've had months, months to get this thing done but I would write a little, maybe a paragraph, and have mental block to just not want to complete it. Likewise, anytime I wanted to start to write, it would take me 20 minutes to lay out the 15 journal articles, 2 textbooks, etc that I wanted to use as resources and no one wants to lug that around. So, even if I did get out of the OR early on some days, unless it was noon and B wouldn't be home for 3 hours, there was no way I could get everything set up and get into a mindset of writing. Hence, why it took Erik (though not by choice....we kinda fell into a jam) taking B into my parents and me having a library day to catch up on my life responsibilities like clothes and bills where I felt comfortable forcing myself to commit to the book chapter. But alas, it's done and I can move on with my life. I just have the editing remaining so hopefully it will be fairly quick in the process.
2. As for the work under pressure, I've always worked best under pressure. It's October and I still don't have my personal statement done....no problem, just crank it out at 2am the night before it's due. Haven't studied for exams....no problem, I'll open a book at 10pm the night before and start reading. I never really studied. Never really learned how to pace myself because I could always get by with last minute deadlines. It actually stresses me to think about getting something done early but I keep ignoring that "you have a book chapter, case report, poster, etc to write that's due next month, week, tomorrow" until it's the wire. My life would be so much less stressed if people gave me deadlines 2 weeks before they were due. And technically, regarding the chapter, it was due in August. However, I "knew" the final book didn't have to be to the publisher until January. So, it wasn't until the powers that be put a little bug in my ear to get working.
3. I miss my B. She's been out of town since yesterday and the house is eerily quiet (and clean, but hey, if I get a smile from seeing B destroy things, then I'll take disarray over spotless any day). Man do I miss that girl! Her little giggles, her "stinky toes," her constant hunger and desire to eat anything and everything, her little moans and grunts.
4. B has had me a little worried. She's "almost" 14 months and hasn't talked. Not one word. No mama, dada, Crosby, ball, etc. However, she signs "more," she points to what she wants and grunts and doesn't get frustrated. She follows commands like "get mommy's socks" and brings them over and puts them on my feet (though she has yet to get the concept of the hole in the sock. She just drops them on my feet). She goes straight to her high chair (even if we're upstairs...she just slides down the steps in lightning speed and goes straight to her high chair and lifts up the tray) when we say breakfast, dinner, lunch, snack, etc. She gives Crosby hugs and kisses when we ask. She follows along songs like "wheels on the bus" and "if you're happy and you know it" and rolls her arms or claps accordingly. She stacks those rings on a peg and attempts to stack blocks. She's starting to use utensils. She makes good eye contact and smiles constantly at people (except if we're at Portrait innovations where she's cried hysterically the last 2 times). I know she's far developed in her fine and gross motor skills, receptive language, etc. It's just her expressive language has me concerned because it's like she has no interest in talking. So, I called Community Resources for Butler County to have a referral done. I figure the least that will happen is an evaluation to say "she's fine" because having worked with kids across the spectrum, I know she's not exhibiting other signs or symptoms of spectral disorders, except for the not talking. Who knows? Like everything else in life (B's induction day, work, etc), if you schedule it, the opposite will happen.
5. Snow....seriously, I love the snow! It makes for such a beautiful backdrop in life. What I don't like: cold. In fact, I hate it. I was outside for like 5 minutes walking to my difficult airway course and about froze everything off on my body. Definitely not a day to wear earrings because I swear it transmitted freezing cold temperatures to my ears. I love the snow...I loathe the cold. I just wish it wasn't 11 degrees and something less bitter like 29 degrees.
6. Today was a perfect day to have a difficult airway course. I was in a very big, very long case surgically. However, anesthetically, once the large IV and a-line were in, my job was pretty much to keep the patient chill as there wasn't a lot of blood loss or other things to do. So, I was never happier when someone came in at 12:15 to send me to the Advanced Difficulty Airway Management (ADAM) course at the WISER center.
7. Love when the attendings at WISER are chill because we were done at 2:15 pm. Enough said! The only thing that stunk was that my ID was in the Mercedes so I had to pay $5 at Magee to park. Boo!
8. I swung by Target on the way home and picked up the next size up in a Penguins jersey for B. Yay! Have I mentioned how much I love my little girl! And I still made it home for 3:30pm. So wonderful!
9. I spent the late afternoon catching up on important housework such as putting away clothes that were washed the day before and straightening up the house. Not to mention that I threw away 52 receipts that had been piled in my purse. Also found in my purse: 5 diapers, sippy cup, snack cup, random change, random craisins, and a puzzle piece. Yep, b/c in the middle of the OR, I put together puzzles.....rather, I think some little suspect put it in there.
10. On another note, I must constantly watch the garbage can. B has this tendency to put stuff in there (almost an iphone one day....she had the lid up with the phone in hand). She threw away several bows when I was wrapping gifts. She also throws away her dirty diapers (don't ask me how she figured that one out....all of a sudden one day, she took her dirty diaper and went to the trash and put it in....I love watching life through the eyes of a child because they are just little sponges that suck up everything around them which makes me be on extra good behavior) which I thought was a great thing until now she throws everything in there.
So, there ya have it! 10 on Tuesday
1. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders by getting my book chapter done last night. Even though I didn't finish until midnight and really didn't get started until the evening, I was able to crank my butt in gear and get it done. I work best under pressure. Always have...always will. I've had months, months to get this thing done but I would write a little, maybe a paragraph, and have mental block to just not want to complete it. Likewise, anytime I wanted to start to write, it would take me 20 minutes to lay out the 15 journal articles, 2 textbooks, etc that I wanted to use as resources and no one wants to lug that around. So, even if I did get out of the OR early on some days, unless it was noon and B wouldn't be home for 3 hours, there was no way I could get everything set up and get into a mindset of writing. Hence, why it took Erik (though not by choice....we kinda fell into a jam) taking B into my parents and me having a library day to catch up on my life responsibilities like clothes and bills where I felt comfortable forcing myself to commit to the book chapter. But alas, it's done and I can move on with my life. I just have the editing remaining so hopefully it will be fairly quick in the process.
2. As for the work under pressure, I've always worked best under pressure. It's October and I still don't have my personal statement done....no problem, just crank it out at 2am the night before it's due. Haven't studied for exams....no problem, I'll open a book at 10pm the night before and start reading. I never really studied. Never really learned how to pace myself because I could always get by with last minute deadlines. It actually stresses me to think about getting something done early but I keep ignoring that "you have a book chapter, case report, poster, etc to write that's due next month, week, tomorrow" until it's the wire. My life would be so much less stressed if people gave me deadlines 2 weeks before they were due. And technically, regarding the chapter, it was due in August. However, I "knew" the final book didn't have to be to the publisher until January. So, it wasn't until the powers that be put a little bug in my ear to get working.
3. I miss my B. She's been out of town since yesterday and the house is eerily quiet (and clean, but hey, if I get a smile from seeing B destroy things, then I'll take disarray over spotless any day). Man do I miss that girl! Her little giggles, her "stinky toes," her constant hunger and desire to eat anything and everything, her little moans and grunts.
4. B has had me a little worried. She's "almost" 14 months and hasn't talked. Not one word. No mama, dada, Crosby, ball, etc. However, she signs "more," she points to what she wants and grunts and doesn't get frustrated. She follows commands like "get mommy's socks" and brings them over and puts them on my feet (though she has yet to get the concept of the hole in the sock. She just drops them on my feet). She goes straight to her high chair (even if we're upstairs...she just slides down the steps in lightning speed and goes straight to her high chair and lifts up the tray) when we say breakfast, dinner, lunch, snack, etc. She gives Crosby hugs and kisses when we ask. She follows along songs like "wheels on the bus" and "if you're happy and you know it" and rolls her arms or claps accordingly. She stacks those rings on a peg and attempts to stack blocks. She's starting to use utensils. She makes good eye contact and smiles constantly at people (except if we're at Portrait innovations where she's cried hysterically the last 2 times). I know she's far developed in her fine and gross motor skills, receptive language, etc. It's just her expressive language has me concerned because it's like she has no interest in talking. So, I called Community Resources for Butler County to have a referral done. I figure the least that will happen is an evaluation to say "she's fine" because having worked with kids across the spectrum, I know she's not exhibiting other signs or symptoms of spectral disorders, except for the not talking. Who knows? Like everything else in life (B's induction day, work, etc), if you schedule it, the opposite will happen.
5. Snow....seriously, I love the snow! It makes for such a beautiful backdrop in life. What I don't like: cold. In fact, I hate it. I was outside for like 5 minutes walking to my difficult airway course and about froze everything off on my body. Definitely not a day to wear earrings because I swear it transmitted freezing cold temperatures to my ears. I love the snow...I loathe the cold. I just wish it wasn't 11 degrees and something less bitter like 29 degrees.
6. Today was a perfect day to have a difficult airway course. I was in a very big, very long case surgically. However, anesthetically, once the large IV and a-line were in, my job was pretty much to keep the patient chill as there wasn't a lot of blood loss or other things to do. So, I was never happier when someone came in at 12:15 to send me to the Advanced Difficulty Airway Management (ADAM) course at the WISER center.
7. Love when the attendings at WISER are chill because we were done at 2:15 pm. Enough said! The only thing that stunk was that my ID was in the Mercedes so I had to pay $5 at Magee to park. Boo!
8. I swung by Target on the way home and picked up the next size up in a Penguins jersey for B. Yay! Have I mentioned how much I love my little girl! And I still made it home for 3:30pm. So wonderful!
9. I spent the late afternoon catching up on important housework such as putting away clothes that were washed the day before and straightening up the house. Not to mention that I threw away 52 receipts that had been piled in my purse. Also found in my purse: 5 diapers, sippy cup, snack cup, random change, random craisins, and a puzzle piece. Yep, b/c in the middle of the OR, I put together puzzles.....rather, I think some little suspect put it in there.
10. On another note, I must constantly watch the garbage can. B has this tendency to put stuff in there (almost an iphone one day....she had the lid up with the phone in hand). She threw away several bows when I was wrapping gifts. She also throws away her dirty diapers (don't ask me how she figured that one out....all of a sudden one day, she took her dirty diaper and went to the trash and put it in....I love watching life through the eyes of a child because they are just little sponges that suck up everything around them which makes me be on extra good behavior) which I thought was a great thing until now she throws everything in there.
So, there ya have it! 10 on Tuesday
Monday, December 13, 2010
Getting back on the blog....
Blogging has taken a back burner to life for a while, but now, I'm committed to getting back on the blog.
First things first....I have this huge project (a book chapter) hanging over my head. The project is already late...by a few months, but it's because it requires a significant effort and it's not the type of project, at least in my style of writing, that I can write 20 minutes a day on. It requires that I sit and focus for several hours at a time to write. I could see if I was an expert in this field...I could probably crank out a chapter in no time flat. However, this requires effort. Lots and lots of effort! Now, with a 13-month old at home and prior rotations that were 5 days per week, where can I find the time for that? In all fairness too, most of the other people already had most of their chapter written...they just had to update with some new photos, information, etc whereas my chapter is from scratch and it's not like I'm describing the steps for a process.
I must say...I love my daughter and my husband to the extreme. They are around what my world revolves. However, last night at 6pm when they left, I had a beaming smile on my face (that, after I wiped the look of disgust at what Brooklyn could destroy in 1 hour). I went to Old Navy to pick up camis for Lauren, stopped by Target to get neighbor gifts, and then came home to straighten up the kitchen/living room that Brooklyn had destroyed. I also managed to squeeze in some time to straighten up my cake decorating supplies and whipped out the tackle box to organize all of my random supplies. Let me just say that it's so much easier to find what you're looking for when everything is in a place.
I then retreated to bed to catch up on the DVR and prepare my to do list for today and tomorrow....though I know what the biggest item is on the list today.
While it's not quite December 31st, I'm getting sad to see 2010 is coming to a close as this has been a fantabulous year. October -December, by far, hands down, are my favorite months of the year. I love the holidays, the fact that people have generally been happier, and that there's so much festivity going on.
I hope B has a fun day at grandmama J's house today!!!
First things first....I have this huge project (a book chapter) hanging over my head. The project is already late...by a few months, but it's because it requires a significant effort and it's not the type of project, at least in my style of writing, that I can write 20 minutes a day on. It requires that I sit and focus for several hours at a time to write. I could see if I was an expert in this field...I could probably crank out a chapter in no time flat. However, this requires effort. Lots and lots of effort! Now, with a 13-month old at home and prior rotations that were 5 days per week, where can I find the time for that? In all fairness too, most of the other people already had most of their chapter written...they just had to update with some new photos, information, etc whereas my chapter is from scratch and it's not like I'm describing the steps for a process.
I must say...I love my daughter and my husband to the extreme. They are around what my world revolves. However, last night at 6pm when they left, I had a beaming smile on my face (that, after I wiped the look of disgust at what Brooklyn could destroy in 1 hour). I went to Old Navy to pick up camis for Lauren, stopped by Target to get neighbor gifts, and then came home to straighten up the kitchen/living room that Brooklyn had destroyed. I also managed to squeeze in some time to straighten up my cake decorating supplies and whipped out the tackle box to organize all of my random supplies. Let me just say that it's so much easier to find what you're looking for when everything is in a place.
I then retreated to bed to catch up on the DVR and prepare my to do list for today and tomorrow....though I know what the biggest item is on the list today.
While it's not quite December 31st, I'm getting sad to see 2010 is coming to a close as this has been a fantabulous year. October -December, by far, hands down, are my favorite months of the year. I love the holidays, the fact that people have generally been happier, and that there's so much festivity going on.
I hope B has a fun day at grandmama J's house today!!!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Christmas Cards...Oh Christmas Cards....how pretty they make our family
I love Christmas cards....just like our wedding invitations, I can spend hours crafting the P-E-R-F-E-C-T card that reflects us as a family. I love Shutterfly and we use that as our sharesite at ligda.shutterfly.com and if you know us, you know the password (or you can email us for the password and we'd be happy to give it to you). Seriously, B's entire life is on the sharesite and it's convenient to have all your photos in one location for uploading for times like this when you want to pull upon her messiest food experience for coming up with Christmas card designs and inspiration. While I think there are other cheaper sites out there for ordering photos, Shutterfly is always running a special and I like the convenience and ease of use and the quality of the products.
Since we use it as our upload and share site, we use it for all sorts of publishing needs. For the past year, I've ordered almost all birthday, Mother's/Father's, special occasion cards from Shutterfly because I'd rather spend $2 for a card of B stuffing her face with cake from Shutterfly than some meaningless card that will be recycled into the next Starbucks coffee holder. In fact, I love giving grandparents, aunts/uncles, great grandparents, parents, etc these personalized cards, most of which have included pictures of B in some form or another.
We have even gotten folks calendars in the past with pictures of B and Crosby and one special one came in March where Lauren announced her pregnancy.
However, the project I'm most excited about is the A to Z book! Since B is on the verge of this language explosion (we hope), I can't wait to read the book to her! It contains photos of the important people in her life and I'm so excited to see her little face smile at Daddy, Mommy, Roo Roo, Grandma, Pap, Aunt Lauren, Uncle Nate, Aunt Heidi, etc.
Since we use it as our upload and share site, we use it for all sorts of publishing needs. For the past year, I've ordered almost all birthday, Mother's/Father's, special occasion cards from Shutterfly because I'd rather spend $2 for a card of B stuffing her face with cake from Shutterfly than some meaningless card that will be recycled into the next Starbucks coffee holder. In fact, I love giving grandparents, aunts/uncles, great grandparents, parents, etc these personalized cards, most of which have included pictures of B in some form or another.
We have even gotten folks calendars in the past with pictures of B and Crosby and one special one came in March where Lauren announced her pregnancy.
However, the project I'm most excited about is the A to Z book! Since B is on the verge of this language explosion (we hope), I can't wait to read the book to her! It contains photos of the important people in her life and I'm so excited to see her little face smile at Daddy, Mommy, Roo Roo, Grandma, Pap, Aunt Lauren, Uncle Nate, Aunt Heidi, etc.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
How many shoes can I wear...
when I only have 2 feet (or hats when I only have 1 head)? I must say recently I've felt pulled in so many different directions to fulfill so many different roles and I realize I have to start prioritizing what's important to me. This post is going to be a rambling so just a pre-warning.
Who am I? I'm a
Wife.
Mother.
Anesthesiologist.
Sister.
Daughter.
Granddaughter.
Niece.
Aunt.
Friend.
Employee.
Crafter.
Photographer.
Adventurer.
Leader.
I could probably come up with dozens more roles and positions but these give a good picture as to why sometimes I think I never truly have a handle on life as my to-do list grows exponentially by the day. Do I tackle too much? Of course! Do I try to do too much? I'm thinking so. Do I need to find a better balance in my life so I can fulfill my roles as completely as possible? I'm working on that.
Prioritizing and organizing my life (now, my home, that's a different story) have been current projects of mine. I want to maximize the time I spend with my family while still fulfilling my duties such as studying or paying bills.
It doesn't help things when I leave for work at 5:15 in the morning and don't return home until 6:00 or 7:00 in the evening.
Do I ever wish I was in a 9-5 world? Yes, but do I love what I do...that's a resounding yes.
This weekend will be tough because I'm on call from 7am-7pm Saturday and Sunday so I will barely see Brooklyn awake which just tears my heart apart...sometimes, I feel like I'm missing out on so much of her life and of my life in general. It's tough. It's even tougher starting back to work on this rotation and really, I feel like I watch the clock all day long until the room is over and I can hopefully go home.
Brooklyn has also been having a bit of a regression lately...she's spacing out her poops and last week went on Wednesday night but not again until Saturday morning and then starting Saturday night, she has been up every few hours at night for a comfort feed of maybe an ounce or two before going back to sleep. It's been frustrating to say the least. She finally pooped last night which I think helped her sleep cycle regulate a bit better as she was only up like 2 or 3 times to pop the pacifier in and eat.
Erik comes back tonight after being gone this week. Mom is out at the house. I swear she must be a light sleep because she's already with B and a bottle before I even hear her crying. It must be that I'm trying to maximize my REM sleep for the little time that I do get to sleep, I'm in a deep sleep.
So, I continue to play the waiting game on my room since my case was cancelled....
Now, trying to figure out my life and what direction I want to take with it....this is another story!
Who am I? I'm a
Wife.
Mother.
Anesthesiologist.
Sister.
Daughter.
Granddaughter.
Niece.
Aunt.
Friend.
Employee.
Crafter.
Photographer.
Adventurer.
Leader.
I could probably come up with dozens more roles and positions but these give a good picture as to why sometimes I think I never truly have a handle on life as my to-do list grows exponentially by the day. Do I tackle too much? Of course! Do I try to do too much? I'm thinking so. Do I need to find a better balance in my life so I can fulfill my roles as completely as possible? I'm working on that.
Prioritizing and organizing my life (now, my home, that's a different story) have been current projects of mine. I want to maximize the time I spend with my family while still fulfilling my duties such as studying or paying bills.
It doesn't help things when I leave for work at 5:15 in the morning and don't return home until 6:00 or 7:00 in the evening.
Do I ever wish I was in a 9-5 world? Yes, but do I love what I do...that's a resounding yes.
This weekend will be tough because I'm on call from 7am-7pm Saturday and Sunday so I will barely see Brooklyn awake which just tears my heart apart...sometimes, I feel like I'm missing out on so much of her life and of my life in general. It's tough. It's even tougher starting back to work on this rotation and really, I feel like I watch the clock all day long until the room is over and I can hopefully go home.
Brooklyn has also been having a bit of a regression lately...she's spacing out her poops and last week went on Wednesday night but not again until Saturday morning and then starting Saturday night, she has been up every few hours at night for a comfort feed of maybe an ounce or two before going back to sleep. It's been frustrating to say the least. She finally pooped last night which I think helped her sleep cycle regulate a bit better as she was only up like 2 or 3 times to pop the pacifier in and eat.
Erik comes back tonight after being gone this week. Mom is out at the house. I swear she must be a light sleep because she's already with B and a bottle before I even hear her crying. It must be that I'm trying to maximize my REM sleep for the little time that I do get to sleep, I'm in a deep sleep.
So, I continue to play the waiting game on my room since my case was cancelled....
Now, trying to figure out my life and what direction I want to take with it....this is another story!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
We finally have...
Poop....
This girl was on a poop strike from Saturday morning until tonight! She was uncomfortable yesterday and had a ton of gas and was struggling to try to get the gas out. I got her some Prune-apple juice and pear juice at Giant Eagle and slowly gave her a bit of juice. We had her in the Bumbo while we got dinner ready and all of a sudden, B's face turned red and she looked like she was straining. Of course, the mother in me ran to get the video camera because Old Faithful was getting ready to explode and sure enough, within a minute, we heard the rumbling explosion and then it repeated itself.
Any mother knows that this is something you do not mess with...do not pass go...do not collect $200...just go straight to the bathroom and have a bath ready. By the time I lifted her from the Bumbo, my hand could already feel the wetness seeping out and I carried her like a fragile egg with her head and shoulders cradled in one arm and her legs in another. I had help in me stripping her down and running the water and wow...this was intense and greenish tinted and everywhere...
She got her bath and then was a happy little camper. She was starting to get tired so I gave her her bath and then went to pump for my last session but apparently she needed to go down immediately after her bath because I think she got a little too tired and was really fussy trying to go to sleep (she would sleep in my arms but the moment I would put her down, she would wake up and be this bright eyed and cheery little baby). M took her while I tried to get some studying done and get to sleep.
Otherwise, I can't believe it's Ash Wednesday already...man, time has just flown by and Easter will be here before we know it. I did get out "relatively" early from the OR today and had some interesting lessons on the heart and oxygen saturations. When I got home, B was out and about shopping and I was able to pump in peace and quiet (since I forgot my pump parts at home, I was quite uncomfortable by this time since it had been nearly 12 hours).
This girl was on a poop strike from Saturday morning until tonight! She was uncomfortable yesterday and had a ton of gas and was struggling to try to get the gas out. I got her some Prune-apple juice and pear juice at Giant Eagle and slowly gave her a bit of juice. We had her in the Bumbo while we got dinner ready and all of a sudden, B's face turned red and she looked like she was straining. Of course, the mother in me ran to get the video camera because Old Faithful was getting ready to explode and sure enough, within a minute, we heard the rumbling explosion and then it repeated itself.
Any mother knows that this is something you do not mess with...do not pass go...do not collect $200...just go straight to the bathroom and have a bath ready. By the time I lifted her from the Bumbo, my hand could already feel the wetness seeping out and I carried her like a fragile egg with her head and shoulders cradled in one arm and her legs in another. I had help in me stripping her down and running the water and wow...this was intense and greenish tinted and everywhere...
She got her bath and then was a happy little camper. She was starting to get tired so I gave her her bath and then went to pump for my last session but apparently she needed to go down immediately after her bath because I think she got a little too tired and was really fussy trying to go to sleep (she would sleep in my arms but the moment I would put her down, she would wake up and be this bright eyed and cheery little baby). M took her while I tried to get some studying done and get to sleep.
Otherwise, I can't believe it's Ash Wednesday already...man, time has just flown by and Easter will be here before we know it. I did get out "relatively" early from the OR today and had some interesting lessons on the heart and oxygen saturations. When I got home, B was out and about shopping and I was able to pump in peace and quiet (since I forgot my pump parts at home, I was quite uncomfortable by this time since it had been nearly 12 hours).
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Snowed in or not really...
Apparently NC must be in the heart of the Arctic Tundra as they have gotten another 6+ inches of snow to bring their total to >1 foot. We just had flurries here but it was enough to keep us inside while Erik and I took down the Christmas trees and decorations.
We left the outside wreaths up because I like the look of the house with some wintery greens. Erik and dad were able to tie up the trees so our first tree in the dining room fit nicely into a tree bag (however, if anyone has a Christmas tree box, I would love to have it to try to fit the tree back into the box to stack better in our basement.....please!?!?!?!).
The living room tree fit nicely back into it's box, again after some careful tying. We put away all the ornaments back into their boxes and took down most of the major decor except for some candles and snowman plushies.
I also worked on a craft with Brooklyn where I painted her hand with white paint and put her handprint on an ornament (which when I have time, I will turn into a cute little family of snowmen)....however, now I'm on the lookout for clear glass ornaments (please please let me know if you see any) so that I can fill them with fake snow and use them as G-rents gifts next year. It will also be a nice annual thing to do with B. I used the colored glass ornaments but the paint on the glass wipes off too easily for my wanting to have these ornaments for life.
Mom and I ventured out to Lowe's to pick out some ceramic tile for their backsplash in the kitchen (along with carpet...they need new carpet before a kitchen redo). We then went to Babies R Us because Slickdeals had a post about diapers at BRU...of course, they only had size 5 and 6 diapers and I'd love to have the child potty trained by then (okay, probably not realistic but I'd rather stock up on hundreds of size 3 and 4s).
When we came back, we had dinner downstairs and then watched Star Trek. This is officially my last night to relax before I have to go to work.....ugh....this is so bittersweet!
We left the outside wreaths up because I like the look of the house with some wintery greens. Erik and dad were able to tie up the trees so our first tree in the dining room fit nicely into a tree bag (however, if anyone has a Christmas tree box, I would love to have it to try to fit the tree back into the box to stack better in our basement.....please!?!?!?!).
The living room tree fit nicely back into it's box, again after some careful tying. We put away all the ornaments back into their boxes and took down most of the major decor except for some candles and snowman plushies.
I also worked on a craft with Brooklyn where I painted her hand with white paint and put her handprint on an ornament (which when I have time, I will turn into a cute little family of snowmen)....however, now I'm on the lookout for clear glass ornaments (please please let me know if you see any) so that I can fill them with fake snow and use them as G-rents gifts next year. It will also be a nice annual thing to do with B. I used the colored glass ornaments but the paint on the glass wipes off too easily for my wanting to have these ornaments for life.
Mom and I ventured out to Lowe's to pick out some ceramic tile for their backsplash in the kitchen (along with carpet...they need new carpet before a kitchen redo). We then went to Babies R Us because Slickdeals had a post about diapers at BRU...of course, they only had size 5 and 6 diapers and I'd love to have the child potty trained by then (okay, probably not realistic but I'd rather stock up on hundreds of size 3 and 4s).
When we came back, we had dinner downstairs and then watched Star Trek. This is officially my last night to relax before I have to go to work.....ugh....this is so bittersweet!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year!!
Happy Birthday Crosby!!!!! Our little pup is 2 years old! The terrible twos or the teenage years (in dog years) are upon us. I can't believe how much joy she has brought to our lives and how our lives have been forever changed by having her apart of it. She got some Filet Mignon treats to start off the day in her gift bag.
We watched Angels and Demons last night and it was awesome...so reminiscent of Italy. We watched the ball drop and finished watching A&D. We cleaned up and finally made it to bed closer to 2am.
B was up at 6:30 this morning and again at 9:30....followed by a HUGE poop that overflowed her diaper...so much so that I had to change her clothes, the changing pad and just put her in the tub. We then relaxed for the morning and got the pork and sauerkraut going.
I straightened up around the house and just spent time playing with B. I LOVE seeing her big gummy grin. I put her in the Bumbo while I washed bottles and we just talked back and forth (me in English and she in baby coos).
We cozied up downstairs in the theater room to watch Boston and Philly duke it out in the Winter Classic. Mom and dad came down around 6:30 or so and we watched Angels and Demons with the leftovers from our antipasto plate and their NYE snack leftovers.
We also sang Happy Birthday to Crosby while she ate her Carrot Cake Birthday Muffin (though no candles since a little someone doesn't quite get that concept).
I had a few Peach Bellinis (love this drink...maybe I'll try subbing a different Schnapps to give a different flavor to the champagne). By the time the movie is over, we probably won't be in bed until close to 1am.
Anyway, it was a perfect start to 2010.
We watched Angels and Demons last night and it was awesome...so reminiscent of Italy. We watched the ball drop and finished watching A&D. We cleaned up and finally made it to bed closer to 2am.
B was up at 6:30 this morning and again at 9:30....followed by a HUGE poop that overflowed her diaper...so much so that I had to change her clothes, the changing pad and just put her in the tub. We then relaxed for the morning and got the pork and sauerkraut going.
I straightened up around the house and just spent time playing with B. I LOVE seeing her big gummy grin. I put her in the Bumbo while I washed bottles and we just talked back and forth (me in English and she in baby coos).
We cozied up downstairs in the theater room to watch Boston and Philly duke it out in the Winter Classic. Mom and dad came down around 6:30 or so and we watched Angels and Demons with the leftovers from our antipasto plate and their NYE snack leftovers.
We also sang Happy Birthday to Crosby while she ate her Carrot Cake Birthday Muffin (though no candles since a little someone doesn't quite get that concept).
I had a few Peach Bellinis (love this drink...maybe I'll try subbing a different Schnapps to give a different flavor to the champagne). By the time the movie is over, we probably won't be in bed until close to 1am.
Anyway, it was a perfect start to 2010.
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