Luckiest Nurse Alive!

I love my new job. What a great feeling to be able to go to work and LOVE what you do. I thought it would be incredibly difficult to leave my kids, since I've been a stay at home mom for 6 years. While I do miss them, it helps that I really love what I do and I feel like I am really making a difference in the lives of families.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to land a labor and delivery job as a new graduate. That's pretty much unheard of in the world of nursing right now. Out of my class of 30 graduating students, I think I'm only like the 4th to even work in a HOSPITAL, much less in labor and delivery, a specialty. I am currently training in post-partum. My preceptor is awesome and all of the nurses and doctors have been so warm and welcoming. That's what I love about L&D. It's like a big family and everyone is there for each other. I love going to work everyday. I get to hold babies and teach breastfeeding to new mothers. Surprisingly, my favorite part of my job is educating my patients.

In about 7 weeks, once I get used to post-partum and working a few weeks on my own, I will start the labor program. I get to work in the both in the vaginal deliveries and the c-sections. I still cry every time I see a delivery. I wonder if that will ever go away? I hope not, I think it's such a beautiful thing, bringing a new life into the world.

Another great thing about my job...I will be cross trained to work in the NICU, and in pediatrics. This won't come for a while because my main focus is working PP and L&D. What great about nursing is that every day is different and there are so many options. I love that I get to learn something new everyday and that I am making an impact in peoples lives.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. I have been through so many ups and downs in my life and I have pressed forward and kept going. Hard work and sacrifice really does pay off and I am reaping the rewards right now. It feels good. :)

Elf on the Shelf

We have had so much fun with our family elf! Elf on the Shelf is a fun tradition we started this year. "Buddy", our elf, was sent to us from the North Pole, along with a fun story and instruction guide. Buddy watches over the kids during the day and reports back to Santa every night. The kids are not allowed to touch Buddy because if they do, his Christmas magic disappears. Buddy can be a naughty elf! We got Buddy on December 1st. So far, he has thrown the boys underwear all over the Christmas tree, played in the "snow" (flour) all over our kitchen counter. He drove through it with Connor's remote control car and made tire tracks all over the kitchen. Not to mention, he made a marshmallow snowman to complete the scene. He was nice one night, he scattered Christmas candy all over my living room. The kids were very excited about that! Connor got to eat a candy cane for breakfast! Finally, Buddy pee'd and poo'd in our downstairs toilet.....I didn't know elf pee was Christmas green and elf poo looks an awful lot like raisins?? Hmmmm. Buddy had toilet paper stuck to his butt so I KNOW it was him!! He hides around the house in a different spot every night so the kids wake up every morning very excited to find out what sort of pranks Buddy pulled the night before and they love to find where he's been hiding. This is only our 4th night with Buddy so I'm sure I will have more fun stories to share!!

His latest tricks- Snow angels in sugar, a snowball fight with cotton balls against Buzz, Potato Head, 2 transformers, Tinkerbell and Ariel, a winter wonderland (He toilet papered our loft), ate a mini meal that consisted of a tiny piece of pizza, a baby carrot, cookie crisp cereal, a thimble of milk with a tiny straw and an elf-sized napkin. Last night he left each of the kids a pouch full of chocolate coins. I will update more as the days go on!