Update!

So much has been going on lately - it seems like summer is just flying by. Too fast. Much too fast. Good thing I'm going to have a summer that never ends as soon as we move to Arizona I guess :).

I don't think I ever even "announced" on here that we are officially going to Arizona for dental school. Brian will be attending Midwestern Dental School, Glendale and we are thrilled! We are also on the "alternate" list for the Navy HSPS scholarship. To make a complicated explanation short, that means that he will either A) receive a full 4 year scholarship starting in October (we would get back-paid for tuition) B) Receive a 3.5 year scholarship starting in January or C) receive a 3 year scholarship and we would be responsible for paying the first year's tuition.

Obviously we are hoping for alternative A! We are trying to get out of this dental school party with zero debt. I believe they will let us know next month which one we are getting. Cross your fingers (and toes) for us!

Many people ask me what I am going to be doing in Arizona while Brian learns how to inflict pain on people's mouths (kidding, kidding...). Well, with the Navy scholarship comes a lovely monthly living stipend that should be enough to cover our needs. Consequently, this momma isn't going to have to work for the first little while! I am relieved and grateful that I won't have to put our newborn baby girl in daycare. I do plan on going back to work in Arizona, but just not right away. So, I will get to stay home and kiss her chubby little cheeks all day long! I am worried about cabin fever, but more about that some other time.

My last day at the NICU is going to be July 16th. While the prospect of sleeping in past 5 makes me very happy, I am seriously sad about leaving my job. It is such a great job! I love who I work with, the patients I care for, feeling like I'm making a difference, and bringing home the bacon! I don't think I'll ever find a unit quite like the NICU where I work and I'll really miss the friends I've made :/. Luckily there are several NICUs in the Phoenix area, so I should be able to find a job out there with babies. Sorry, adults, but babies are where it's at!

We've had a few adventures this summer already with the latest one being a trip out east to visit Dan & Laura and go to Dan's graduation! We stayed in Princeton, NJ during the graduation shenanigans and then traveled up the coast through New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and into Massachusetts where we stayed for a few days in Cape Cod. We felt very spoiled. Brian, Dan, and I hit up New York City on the way back to Princeton - My first time in a big city like that. Definitely an experience worth having.

Pregnancy is still going great! Brian felt her move for the first time last night and I was glad to finally be able to share that with him - it's my favorite part! I imagine it will be less favorite once she gets bigger and starts kicking my ribs... but for now it's just so cute! She's around 11 inches long nowadays and growing like crazy! I must say, it is a little strange taking care of babies at work who are just a tiny bit bigger than her. We have our fair share of 24 weekers in there. Yikes!

Anyway, this is getting long and I'm going swimming - hopefully I can update more soon!

I love them!

the graduate!! so proud!

Blue Baby

Due to HIPAA, I can't really go into detail. But let's just say recently I was very very glad that I had brushed up on my infant CPR training. One of the parents came and very calmly asked if I could suction out their baby's nose because he had some milk in it. I said I'd be there in a minute (I was working with another baby). The parent then said, "No, it's an emergency!" And ran out of the room to where the baby was. Naturally, I ran after him and found a very blue baby. A few back blows and some suctioning later, he was just fine. Freaked out (as were the parents), but breathing.

I had always wondered how I would react in an emergency situation. Thank heavens this time I was able to stay calm and be efficient!

#12 - typical day in my life

12. Describe a typical day in your current life


Well, I have several different types of days. Work days, days off, and Sundays. They are all pretty different! I'll summarize the three of them:


Work Day: I get up at 5:15, get ready and leave by 5:50 for my hour commute to Salt Lake. I catch a shuttle to work, clock in, listen to a "safety briefing," get report from the nurse I'm relieving, and get working! My work consists of taking care of critically (and sometimes not so critically) ill infants. I do all sorts of things with them from assessing their health status to putting in IV's to bottle feeding to giving all sorts of medications. Oh, and cuddling the older ones of course! It's a great job. So, I do that for 12 hours and then I drive home for another hour and get home around 9. If I work the next day I go to bed as soon as possible so I can get up at 5 again. If not, I usually stay up and hang out with Brian for a while. If I work nights it's a similar story except that the sleeping is all mixed around. It does crazy things to my sleep/wake cycle, let me tell you!


Days Off: This is where I need to become more productive. I try and get up when Brian gets up to go to school and we have breakfast together. Then, he goes to school and I am left all alone! What I do with my time really depends on the day. Lately I've been reading a lot, trying to learn the guitar, painting, cleaning the house, cook, calling friends & family, exercising (mostly running, but I hiked the Y last week!), etc. I think I need some more structure though.


Sundays: I get up, I go to church and teach the 5-year olds in primary, come home and try to take a nap, make dinner with Brian, Skype with the fam :), sometimes hang out with friends, etc etc. Pretty exciting, huh?


In other news...


Brian was invited to sing in the choir for the groundbreaking of the Provo City Center Temple - for more info about that, see this article. It was pretty neat! I felt lucky to have a ticket because I guess they were pretty hard to come by. There are definite perks to having a husband who can sing :D. 

This balloon crew decided to pop in for the groundbreaking and made a very impressive (and loud) appearance as the ceremony got underway. It flew right over the top and they waved to us all in the audience. I guess if you couldn't get a ticket, that's one solution!

Work is still going really well! I had 3 night shifts in a row this past week that nearly killed me, but I survived (hey, hey!). I am just looking forward to my trip in a few weeks to New Mexico! I really really wish Brian could come, but he has to go to school and study for the DAT :/. I make myself feel better by telling myself that it will be better that I'm gone because he'll have more time to study! Right? Right. For FHE last night, Brian and I started making plans for a trip of our own. We are planning on going to the most beautiful place in the whole world - San Diego (disclaimer: I have a feeling there are more beautiful places in Europe or maybe New Zealand, but for the states, this is a great place!). We are going to go visit some areas/people from my mission, hit up some amusement parks, hopefully see some relatives, and hang out at the beach! I seriously can't wait. By then all of this dental application crap will be over and done... except for the excruciating waiting part. Ek. Pray for us!


for more of the 30 questions project, click here!

#10. Most embarrassing moment!

10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.

I am laughing right now just thinking about the one I want to share! Embarrassing things happen to me on the regular. For example, just the other day (night?) I was working a night shift and I really really had to, ahem, relieve my bladder. So, I finished up feeding one of the little babies and ran off to the loo. I guess in my haste I forgot to lock the door. So, there I was minding my own business and suddenly another nurse comes running into the bathroom (I guess she really had to go too). She was in such a rush that she was about 2 full steps inside the bathroom before she realized I was there. Whoops. She screamed (literally, screamed) and ran in the opposite direction while I just sat there and laughed. I kept laughing to help myself feel better but boy was I embarrassed. The worst part is that I didn't even see her for the rest of the night! I wanted to laugh about it with her so it wouldn't be awkward the next time we saw each other, but alas, I guess I might be dealing with that awkwardness on my next shift. Anyway, that story wasn't supposed to be that long because that's not the embarrassing moment I even wanted to talk about!

This one happened during my volunteer adventure in Guatemala. Everything is better in Guatemala after all!

Let me introduce you to the chicken bus. I wrote about them more here, but I will do a quick refresher. They are the public transportation of Guatemala. They will hold any amount of people willing to get on (I even saw a man hanging on the outside with his arms through the window to hang on once when we were going about 45 on a winding, bumpy jungle road! Anyway, you get on and then you are packed in there like sardines and then a man comes around gets your money. Oh, and they play very loud latin music for your enjoyment along the way. Oh, and they don't follow any traffic rules. Off-road? As fast as the bus can go? Not stopping for anything/anyone? Yep -Anything goes!

Ok, so it was my first week in Antigua Guatemala and I was loving it! I was there on a volunteer trip and I was ready to flex my volunteer muscles at an HIV clinic (which leads to another story...) up in the mountains of Guatemala. I was told how to get there and I would have to make a bus transfer at "the tree after the long fence before the market." Yikes. After going through the winding city, through the valley, over the hills, and into the mountains, I was lucky I got off at the right tree considering we were practically in a jungle.

And there was my bus! I was so glad it was waiting there so I wouldn't have to stand awkwardly by a tree in my scrubs looking like a lost tourist.

I jumped off the bus and got on the second bus with a little smirk on my face. I could totally handle this Guatemalan stuff! I greeted the driver and sat down without really looking around. As I sat there, however, I started to realize that all around me I could only hear children voices. I finally looked around and saw that there was a good reason for that - I was surrounded by Guatemalan kids! 

I was on a schoolbus. We were on our way to school. Bahahahahaha! I swallowed my pride and asked them if the hospital was on their way and they were so kind and dropped me off where I needed to go. Hahaha. I felt so dumb. The kids were nice though.

Here's the sugar on top. The next day I was waiting for my real bus and the schoolbus came up. The driver stuck his head out the window and offered me a ride again and I am happy to report that I took him up on his offer :)

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I have to brag a bit about the Mr.


Brian got at 90% on his chem final! It's the highest score he's heard of and it secures his A in one of the most difficult courses at BYU. He looked at me the other day and said, "Rach, I never realized before that I was smart." I always knew. He is going to do great in dental school!


For more of the 30 questions project, click the above tab or here!

#8. Five passions I have

8. What are 5 passions you have?

1.  My family - both my immediate family that I grew up in and my new one (Brian!). I really believe that family is the most important aspect of life!

2.  My future. Maybe that sounds weird, but I think about my future a lot. Mostly my future family and what I can be doing now to help make it great.

3.  Adventures. I like to experience new things and places! My new adventure is this new job. I'm loving it, but it sure gives me a run for my money!

4.  Food. I sometimes think I have an unhealthy relationship with food, but I seriously love it. Mostly sugary stuff. 

5. The Gospel. Right now my passion is trying to figure it out better and get my questions answered so that I can do what God wants me to do! It is such a struggle sometimes to receive/recognize answers to prayer.

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Work on Thursday was rather stressful. I had 3 needy babies who all wanted to be bottle-fed (which is difficult to fit in when I only have 1/2 hour scheduled with each baby and I have to do a full assessment, meds, diaper change, etc each time PLUS about 1/2 hour for bottle feeding. The time there just doesn't add up. But, somehow I was managing by starting early and ending a little late with their cares.... until 6:15 rolled around and the doctor wanted to do a lumbar puncture on one of my kiddos! Well, that was quite the time-consuming experience and I frantically had to try and get caught up again afterwards. Oh well. I survived. The babies survived too :).

Classes are over for Brian and now he is studying like crazy for finals. Right after finals he will continue studying like crazy for the DAT. Then he will apply to dental schools and take the DAT. Then we will hold our breath and pray that he gets into a good school. Then we will hold our breath and pray that he gets an awesome scholarship. Whew. This will be quite the year. Last year was quite the year too. Maybe every year is going to be crazy from here on out! 

Oh, and I've been having a bad case of "I want a baby." That could make this year interesting too. Not yet though, we're not quite there - so don't get too excited! 

Went to a a cute little market with Andrea today and saw a quote that I think I'll just have to put somewhere in my kiddos' rooms. I've heard it before, but this one had a bunch of little drawings of kids doing different things (ballerina, student, soccer player, cook, etc etc) and the quote "Whatever you are, be a good one." - Abraham Lincoln. Inspiring. It was much cuter than the pic I could find online ... Though, this one is alright too :)

courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/27655120@N06/4037122001/

#7. Dream Job, Easter recipes, & nursing surprises

7. What is your dream job, and why?** recipes for Resurrection rolls and Pineapple Dream Cake on the bottom of the post :)

These questions sure make me think. 

Thinking.... thinking....

My very first thought was professional ice-cream taster. Too bad I'd have to exercise too much :/

Growing up, I wanted to be a variety of things. I can remember, at one point or another wanting to be these:

1. Olympic gymnast (is that even a profession?)

2. Veterinarian (unfortunately, I am allergic to cats and my childhood prediction that there would be a "shot" available to cure me of this by the time I became old enough to be a veterinarian hasn't worked out yet...)

3. Professional chef with my own themed restaurant

4. An ambassador (this was in high school)

5. A doctor

6. A nurse (hurrah!)

7. A teacher

8. A non-profit traveling service giver

Well, as you know, I did just recently get my nursing degree and am now working in a neonatal intensive care unit. As far as nursing goes, this very well might be my dream job. I will openly admit that nursing is not what I thought it would be. I'm not really sure what I thought it would be, but I'm pretty sure it did not include getting up at 5 o'clock in the morning and working 12 hour shifts. I can't complain about the 4 days off a week though! Yeah! 

Some things I didn't realize I would be dealing with as a nurse (these do not all apply to the NICU):

1. charting. I never knew how much paperwork there was! I spend about 1/4 of my time just writing down what I've been doing the other 3/4 of the time! It's crazy!
2. I already mentioned the 5 o'clock in the morning routine. Ew.
3. Liability. I think that was the scariest lecture I ever had in nursing school - about how if you make one little mistake, you can go to court for it! It is so so important to be meticulous and careful.
4. Giant diapers. I am not trying to be rude or impolite, but I simply had not imagined myself wiping bums for my career. Luckily, the diapers in the NICU don't bother me one bit!
5. Patient families. They are often more work than the actual patient. I have found that hospitals are roaming with crazy people who feel entitled to everything, including my pen.
6. It's fun! I am really grateful to find out that I really enjoy even the technical aspects of nursing. Maybe I'm a weirdo, but I like starting IVs (if I get them on the first try), working with equipment, and using my skills to help people feel better. 
7. Code PINK! This is random, but I had no idea that people stole babies from hospitals. Just so you know, if you try it we are going to all a code pink on you and you will get caught. The end.

I've already raved about the benefits of working in a NICU, but I really think it might be my dream nursing job. I could also see myself enjoying the ER or life-flight. 

As for my other dream job... I can't wait to be a mom. I am seriously so excited! I know that it is going to be a lot of hard work. Heck, I am always so grateful to go home from work to get a break from the crying babies and I'm only there for 12 hours - then I get to sleep! Not true with real moms. There is no time off. But, I look forward to raising kiddos, teaching them about the world, taking them on adventures, teaching them about God, reading them books, watching them grow up, and trying to help them all along the way! I am also super excited to see Brian be a dad. He is just going to be the best dad. I can tell. 

He likes kids a lot. So much, in fact, that he gave one of my primary kids one of his plastic Easter eggs full of jelly beans on Sunday. Right after I told the poor child he couldn't have another one because he already had 2 and everyone else only got 2. I told Brian he probably shouldn't do that with our own children and he agreed that unity is the best thing. I wish we taught primary together - I think we would learn a lot about parenting in that few hours every week. I love my team-teacher though!

Lately, I also want to be a photographer. I am saving up my money to buy one soon(ish)! Nikon or Canon, Nikon or Canon?

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Ok, short update on what has been going on... Bullets are nice and concise, so I'll do that:

• I am officially on my own at work now - no more preceptor (no more security blanket! Aaaah!)
• We had some friends and family over for dinner on Easter and we made our first roast - delish! We also made a delicious cake and Resurrection rolls (see pics below). Resurrection rolls are awesome because they are hollow inside - like the tomb! Found the recipe for them on this cute blog.
• Went to a friend's temple sealing on Friday and got to see old friends and my mission president and his wife. They are so wonderful and boy was it great to see them.
• Brian took a tour of my hospital floor on Friday while we were in Salt Lake and loved it!
• We had dinner at The Pie. I have not eaten that much cheese in a long long time and probably won't again for a long long time.
• We went to the new City Creek mall and checked out stores like Coach and Tiffanys (whoah) as well as ones more in our price range like H&M and Forever 21. Didn't buy anything for ourselves though except a Diet Coke and a few pairs of earrings from Claires to wear to work.
• We got the Pass of All Passes to use this summer and we can't wait to use them!
• I have been slacking a bit on blogging - thus this extremely long post. Sorry!

2nd photo couertesy of http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/ 
My recipe below!

this picture is actually from my freshman year because I made the same cake then with my best bud Megan, and I didn't take a picture of ours this time. It is super delicious, easy, and relatively healthy! 

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RECIPES:

Resurrection Rolls (adapted from above mentioned blog)

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 cans (8 oz each) Refrigerated Crescent Rolls

16 large marshmallows

A little less than 1/4 cup butter, melted

This is SUPER easy and fun for Easter. Our guests thought they were not only cool, but delicious as well!

1. Preheat oven to what it says on your crescent package (mine said 375 degrees)

2.  Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl 

3. Roll one of your large marshmallows in the melted butter

4. Roll the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon sugar mixture

5. Wrap the buttery sugary cinnamony marshmallow in one of the crescents - make sure you pinch up all the sides really well so not much marshmallow can escape during the baking!

6. Bake for about 10 minutes (until crescents are golden)

Result: Delicious crescent rolls that are HOLLOW on the inside (like the tomb!) but have a delicious sugary cinnamony marshmallowy coating on the inside. Delish. I think I had 4. Before dinner.

Pineapple Dream Cake (adapted from Food and Family)

2 cups whipped cream (I used lite)

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple

1 package (5ish oz) vanilla pudding mix

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 angel food cake cut into thirds

chopped/sliced strawberries

Easy peasy. 

1.  Mix the whipped cream, pineapple, vanilla pudding mix, vanilla extract, and as many chopped strawberries as you want (or no strawberries - you can save all of them for the top if you want).

2.  Put the mixture between your layers of angel food cake and on top of course

3. Top with strawberries

4. Chill for at least an hour

5. Enjoy every delicious bite!

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Oh! and if you would like to read more of the 30 questions, click here!

introducing my husband, the drunk driver :)

Friday night we were coming back from a friend's wedding reception (congratulations, Rachel & Ryan!) and Brian was driving. We were just pulling onto 300 South from 900 East and suddenly there were flashing lights behind us.... dun dun dunnnnnnn.

Brian pulled over and the popo man came to the window with his flashlight looking very suspicious. He checked out the back seat and the front seat and appeared to be looking for something. What was that something? Alcohol!

"Do you know why I pulled you over?"

"No officer! I'm very confused - I was definitely going the speed limit!"

"Well, you have a taillight out, you were slow off of the light, and I believe you have a headlight out too. This is very typical of driving while intoxicated."

"Oh no, officer! I'm not drunk!"

Then I chimed in from the passenger seat... "Make him walk the line! Walk the line!" (Brian didn't appreciate that)

"I think I'll let you guys go.... But, why do you have a driver's license from Arizona, license plates from New Mexico, and you're driving in Utah?"

"Newlywed students."

"I see. Have a good night and get your lights fixed!"

Phew. I must say that I find it very amusing that my husband was pulled over for drunk driving. Only in Provo I guess. I think Brian would be the last person I'd ever expect to get a DWI.

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Other news...

I did my first night shift and boy was it weird. Brian was kind enough to make a cave for me in our bedroom by putting a few blankets over the window to make it completely dark. I tried to sleep the day before, but it is tricky. My body thinks it's time to go out and do things but my brain is telling it to go to sleep during perfectly beautiful daylight hours. Consequently, even though I gave myself time for a 4 hour nap prior to going in for my night shift, I woke up every hour. Hopefully I'll be able to get a hang of this whole sleeping during the day dealio. If anyone has tips, let me know! 


I am working a three-in-a-row night shift stretch this weekend. Seeing as it may kill me, this might be my last blog post.

Night shift humor

story time... and photos!

It was a fantastic week :)

I am really enjoying my new job. The other girls I am orienting with are just so dang fun and we are able to make the 8 hours of bookwork go by fairly fast and have a good time about it. We laugh and laugh and laugh. I am so grateful that it doesn't have to be all serious and dull. Of course, it is nice to be learning a lot about the babies too :)

It is weird being gone so much, but I am enjoying having something useful to do with my time and I definitely don't mind getting paid for it! Now, don't think this has stopped Brian and me from donating plasma... we went twice this week and racked up $150! I sure wish I had known about this place freshman year. It could've paid for all of my snowboarding adventures for sure. For now, it is going towards the gas I burn to get to the U.

Ok, time for a funny story. Or, at least I think it's funny. Luckily, so does Brian.

So... Monday was President's Day and Brian did not have school (yay!). However, he is a little behind in his dental shadowing hours (not so yay) and so needed to spend the day doing useful things like watching teeth get extracted. Well, one of my best friends (Megan!) has a few brother-in-laws who have a dental practice up in Salt Lake and she was so so nice to ask them if Brian could shadow for a day. They were willing and he set it all up. So far so good, right? 

Well, I had work that day and so I just dropped him off at the dental office on my way. Or, at least I dropped him off where we thought the dental office was. FAIL.

I call him up at lunch and find out that the dental office was not, in fact, on Foothill Drive (that was the office the are renovating and eventually going to move to). Nope, he ended up walking FOUR MILES to get to the real office! Luckily one of his boots for his broken feet was removed last week, but he still had one on. He is such a trooper though. Rather than complain about having to walk forever, he told me about what an adventure it was. He met a guy smoking pot(?) who asked him for a lighter and some other interesting people. He made it to the office about an hour late, but then had such a great day. He really loved shadowing Doctor Dave and learned a whole lot. He is so excited to be a Dentist :). Better him than me! I came in at the end of the day to watch a tooth being put in, and it just made me cringe to see them hammer it in.... It's weird how I can handle nursing stuff but not dental stuff very well! Brian is now thinking about going into oral maxillary surgery because his favorite part of dentistry is all the cutting open and fixing up. Ew.

Some photos from this week and last...

First day as a real nurse in the NICU!

See that ridiculously GIGANTIC binder? That is what we get to study/memorize. You can see how it compares to a relatively full 1-inch binder. Yikes!

Yes, it is heavy.

Badge! Oh how exciting to get a badge :)

This is the incredible homemade pizza we made with our new pizza stone! Delish!!

This is the day we celebrated Valentine's Day. You are probably wondering what we are holding. Well, it's panini bread (homemade!) that we dyed pink for the occasional - I know, I know - cheesy!

This picture just doesn't do it justice... But this is the INCREDIBLE homemade ice cream we made for valentines day. Quite possibly the fluffiest and most delicious ice cream I have ever had (and I've had a lot of ice cream over the course of my life...)!!

Oh! And Happy 8 months to us! Can't believe it - it's gone by so fast!

new nurse

What a week!

It is so weird to have a real job. There is something about having a real badge that really makes you feel different about things. Maybe because I was so used to having a fake badge that clearly pointed out my inferior status as "student nurse." Yes, that sort of badge made patients wary of you as you approached them with a large needle or foley catheter, but it was also a good cushion if something went a little wrong. "I'm just a student!" (a.k.a. it's not my fault, my teacher should've taught me better!). Now I have no such excuses. My badge is the same badge that the veteran RN has who has been there since Florence Nightingale. Yikes! Now, I could still inform my patients (well, their families) that I am "new", but I really don't think that's a great idea. This is my plan - do everything I know how to do and then ask questions if I'm stumped. Better safe than sorry. There is no room for pride in the world of a new nurse.

I would MUCH rather ask a stupid question than make a stupid mistake.

So, I survived (and actually rather enjoyed) my week of hospital orientation and now it's time to start things on the unit. Four weeks of Monday-Wednesday class & Thursday on the floor. Becca, my amazing preceptor from last semester, is going to be our "instructor" for the first week. Can't wait to see her again - she's amazing!

Many people ask about my commute. It is true, I drive 50 minutes to get to work and then catch a shuttle up to the hospital. Lame sauce. We will probably move closer to Salt Lake at the end of the year, so at least there is an end in sight :) But honestly, I think it's totally worth it! Who gets to land a job in the NICU right after graduating? Who gets to work somewhere where she already knows a lot of the staff and loves them? Who gets to get ICU experience and work with adorable babies? Who gets to rock out to music/podcasts for 2 hours a day? Me.

Ok, so the last one is a bit of a stretch. I am trying to tell myself that the commute will actually be beneficial to my overall well-being. I've already listened to some good podcasts (thanks Dan!) and you can never get enough music!

Other news...

Valentines Day was super! We actually celebrated last Saturday because Valentine's Day held a full day of work for me and a DAT prep course until 9pm for Brian. But, Saturday was lots of fun! We made homemade (pink) bread, paninis, homemade (pink) ice-cream, chocolate cobbler, watched a sappy movie, and just had a great time! On actual Valentines Day Brian got me some super gorgeous flowers and chocolate and I made him a book (Maybe I'll take pictures later).