Oh Happy Day!

I am so giddy right now. Why? Because I already know that this week is going to be awesome:

1. Yesterday Paul and I set some really good goals for ourselves. I always feel motivated and ready to conquer the world after I set goals.
2. I only have to do ONE 12-hour clinical this week. Hallelujah! It will be so nice not to do multiple clinicals this week.
3. Warren Miller on Wednesday = Cheap ski tickets for Paul (Skiing is horrifying and I currently refuse to do it).
4. A date with the hubs on Thursday! This will no doubt be the highlight of my week. We're doing the Halloween Full-Moon Lift Ride at Sundance. We'll be bundled up, sipping Ghirardelli hot chocolate from a thermos, enjoying the moon, trees, mountains and the time alone (sorry Vince...)!
5. Carving Pumpkins with Kait and Garen on Saturday. Last time we did this I was pregnant. This time Kait's pregnant :)
6. The ward Trunk-or-Treat party on Saturday night. My sister, Ruth, is letting us borrow a bee costume for Vince. It's size 0-3 mo. He'll almost be 6 mo on Halloween. Alas, he's a little boy and the costume fits like a glove. Pictures to come.

Now can you understand why I'm so excited for this week? I bet you're even starting to feel giddy for me!

Oh, and I'll be DONE with clinical in less than 3 weeks. Boo yeah!

Irreplaceable.

Last night for Family Home Evening (FHE) we bought pumpkins, ate ice cream and watched a talk from the October 2012 LDS General Conference. 

Paul picked it and I loved it.

It was entitled "Brethren, We have Work to do"

Watch it below.

You won't regret it.

 

After we watch or read a conference talk we discuss what we learned or felt.

Naturally, it is concerning that we live in a time when men are demeaned and considered unnecessary.

As our discussion ensued, I realized that I had no concerns about Paul falling into this trap.

He has already proven himself to be a hard-working, faithful provider, Priesthood holder and example.

But his work isn't over.

Now he is working to make lasting and meaningful footsteps for his son to follow.

The lessons that Paul teaches through his daily actions are unique and irreplaceable.

When he leaves for his job each day he teaches the importance of hard work and being a provider.

When he comes home and plays with Vince instead of watching TV he demonstrates that family is first.

When he calls the family together for prayer he exemplifies how to be a patriarch.

When someone is sick and he gives them a blessing he teaches the importance of being worthy and ready to use the power of the priesthood at all times.

When he reads to Vince he ingrains a love of learning and imagination.

 When he fulfills his church calling his actions display the depth of his testimony. 

When he shovels the driveway of an elderly couple he shows that service and love of others is greater than love of self. 

When he loves me he shows Vince that women are to be respected and cherished.

As a mother, I know that I could not teach all of these lessons on my own.

I am grateful that I have been blessed to have a husband who understands his roles and responsibilities as a man. I hope that Vince can learn from his example and make his wife and kids just as happy as Paul makes his.

I'm making lemonade.

It's easy to sit, complain and do nothing to solve a problem.

. . . . . . . .

It's better to come up with solutions instead of sulking.

We live in a basement.

No air conditioning.

No heat.

(And no dishwasher... but that's beside the point)

It was too hot down here this Summer.

We constantly had fans going.

Sometimes we tried to steal A/C from Grandma by opening the door to the upstairs.

Fall came around and things started to cool off from hot to warm.

Oh, how I have LOVED it! It has been perfect down here.

That is, until today. I was freezing cold today.

It's colder inside than it is outside because the ground that surrounds the basement is cold. Thus, even though the air is warm, our basement stays frigid.

I started complaining in my head, 

wishing for my own home.

Then, I looked at Buddy and said, let's get out of here!

It's moments like these when I get a much needed reminder:

We are never stuck where we are.

We always have a choice.

We just need to act.

My solution was to stop doing homework, go outside, lay a blanket out under the warm sun and enjoy these last few days of perfect weather. 

I felt like I finally allowed myself to escape.

Not just from the cold basement, but from my computer and the TV.

Laying out on the lawn with my Little Buddy was exactly what I needed.

Isn't it interesting how our trials lead us to actions that make us happier than we were before?

Our Father in Heaven always knows what is best for us.

We may not understand why certain trials are placed before us,

but in the end we turn out better for it.

I am aware that my solution for the cold basement is only temporary.

Once the warm days turn cold, I'll come up with new ones...

Like warm blankets, hot chocolate and snuggling.

Isn't life great?

5 Months.

I am well aware that 5 months comes after 4 months... but somehow Vince turning 5 months really snuck up on me! My thinking is a little bit weird, but I freaked out when I realized he was 5 months because 5 months is almost 6 months, and 6 months is practically a year! Perhaps I sound ridiculous. Though you have to agree that time will just go faster and faster. I am trying to soak up all of the precious moments that come with having a little one.

 At the beginning of this past month Vince started sticking one leg up in the air. He did it all the time: Laying on the floor, nursing, you name it!

 A week or so after he hit 4 months we started him on rice cereal. He did pretty well with it but he wasn't all that crazy about it either.

His balance is still lacking... but he's working on his sitting skills. He leans forward really far and ends up squished in half. There is no way that he could be comfortable, but he seems to like the new views that come with sitting.

 Although most of his time is still spent on his belly. He loves his tummy time.

 Halfway through the month he started lifting BOTH legs in the air.

If he was on the floor, you could bet that he'd shoot his legs right up.

Next came grabbing his feet. 

And of course, trying to stick them in his mouth.

Vince is predominately a diaper baby. However, with the chilly weather we have been trying to get him dressed so he doesn't get cold. Sometimes the clothes don't make it all the way back off though!

Towards the end of his 4th month he started rolling onto his side. He reaches out and grabs things, inches his way all around and tries to find voices when people talk.

Today, to celebrate his 5 months on earth, we gave him something other than rice cereal-- Sweet Potatoes! He LOVED them (at least compared to rice cereal). When I brought the spoon toward him he would actually take his fingers out of his mouth and open wide. 

We love our little boy.

Quirks, Oddities and Random Facts: Part I

Everyone is weird in their own way. I love that we're all unique individuals. Someday, I'll be long gone. I don't want my posterity to only know me as a name. I want them to know about my oddities and random life events. This list is a work in progress... but it's a start.

-- After I have a cough attack, I have one giant sneeze. Then it's over.
-- I talk in my sleep all the time.
-- I don't like drinking "old" water. I'm convinced that it makes me sick. So each morning Paul has to dump out the water from the night before and get me fresh water while I nurse.
-- I love high heels. I don't wear them for very long because they start to hurt, but I love them. I even wore them when I took my drivers license test when I was 16.
-- Planning is a must. I plan out everything.
-- I hate losing. It's not my fault. I'm pretty sure it's genetic because everyone in my family is a sore loser. I've gotten better since marrying Paul... but I'm still really bad at it.
-- At night I always run into the bedroom, jump on the bed and jumble up the sheets until I get beneath them.
-- Cuddling is my favorite. Paul knows that if I lay down and face my back to him that he is expected to snuggle up.
-- I've been hand washing dishes for the past few years (I can't wait to have a dishwasher...) so I have perfected the art of using the minimum number of dishes.
-- My feet are always frozen. For this reason, I LOVE wearing thick, fuzzy socks in the winter.
-- I only like ballpoint pens. Those glidey gel pens are terrible!
-- My clothes are hung in color order and the DVDs are in alphabetical order.
-- Bargain shopping is my forte. I love a good deal.
-- I start listening to Christmas music in September. Don't judge me! I usually only do it when I'm studying or stressed out because he makes me feel so happy.
--  When I get hot I get really grumpy and won't let anyone touch me.
-- My short AND long showers are 20 minutes. It doesn't matter how hard I try. It's always 20 whole minutes.
-- I'll eat anything Pumpkin. It' so yummy!
-- I won't go into the ocean unless I have swim shoes on. Crabs and living things creeping around in the ocean scare me.


And now a few about Paul:

-- Without fail, he takes at least 65 minutes to get ready! We are working on this...
-- Talk about ticklish. I can't even give him a foot rub without reducing him to spasms.
--  He is a morning person. Like, wake up and be to work at 6 am, kind of morning person.
-- Paul is very particular about the way cords are wrapped up.
--  He refuses to sleep with socks on.
-- Paul bought a 54" TV when he was single because "He knew his wife would never let him"
-- Even though he stopped gymnastics 12 years ago, he can still do a back flip. It scares me every time.
-- When Paul is toasting a bunch of bread, he'll go back through and flip over all of the pieces of toast to keep them from condensing on the plate and getting soggy (Weirdo).
-- He is really good at cutting up large amounts of fruit and he can cut REALLY thin pieces of cheese. These talents frequently come in hand.
-- Cell phone belongs in the left pocket, keys in the right. Always.
-- Paul has an uncanny ability to remember numbers. Whether it's an address or a telephone number he can retain it til he's done with it.
-- If he's been somewhere once, he can probably get there again without directions.
-- He has always wanted long hair but knows he never will.
-- Paul is a deep sleeper; I practically have to yell to wake him up. Vince, on the other hand, can wake Paul up with the smallest peep.

Hilton Head & 4 Months

At the end of August Paul and I went to Hilton Head Island, SC with my family.

2 parents, 6 of 7 children and their spouses (minus 1) and 15 of 16 grandchildren. That comes out to a grand total of 28 people-- two of which are pregnant. 28 of 32 family members. I can hardly believe there is a house that fits all of us! We used up every square inch of that bad boy.

Hilton Head is very different than the Outer Banks of NC, which is where we usually go. In OBX, the ocean drops off and gets deep fairly quickly. Whereas HH stays shallow for a LONG time. It wasn't as fun to play in the ocean because waves barely existed-- but the trade off was seeing a ton of wildlife: starfish, sand dollars, horseshoe crab, string ray, a (dead) shark, alligators, frogs, turtles, snakes and a lot of freaky bugs.

We also rented bikes for the week. The sand is packed down and hard so you can bike right on the beach. Paul and I also biked around one of the bazillion golf courses. Paul, my dad and my brother Hans made it out to one of the courses to actually golf. They got turned away because Paul wasn't wearing a collared shirt! He had to change before they let him play. They are serious about their golf at HH!

My favorite part of the week was the very last night. A majority of us gathered around to sing hymns and talk. I surely do love my family.

 

A few days after we got back home, Vince hit 4 months of age. This has been my favorite age so far. He is happy on his own but still loves to cuddle. He talks, laughs and barely cries. He sleeps through the night and eats like a champ. He isn't a fragile baby any more... but he isn't a toddler that is getting into everything. Life is bliss right now. 

We recently started a bedtime routine. It concludes with us singing a song to Vince. Sometimes he is so tired that he just screams til you put the paci in... but some nights he'll "sing" along. Cutest thing EVER. I can't explain just how much we love this little boy. 

 

 

M.I.A.

I apologize for my disappearance during the month of September. 

I promise that Vince still turned 4 months old-- even if I didn't post about it. 

(Don't freak out, I WILL post pictures soon)

We also went on a trip to Hilton Head at the end of August. 

Pictures to come on that as well.

So where have I been?

The hospital.

No, I'm not sick.

(Well, that's sort of a lie)

I have been busy racking up clinical hours at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.

UVRMC has been good to me.

I'm working on the 6th floor-- aka Med-Surg.

My preceptor is an adorable pregnant lady.

She grants me a lot of freedom, which makes me feel legitimate.

Her baby is due in early December, but her first baby was early.

Thus, I'll be done with clinical in early November.

Can you believe that?!

Basically, in ONE month I'm going to be finished.

I can almost taste the freedom of being done with packed 12-13 hour clinicals.

Now, don't get me wrong--

I love the nursing program.

I love learning and improving my nursing skills.

I love working with loads of different people and helping them recover

...

but I miss my baby all day.

During my pregnancy I would constantly fret about how I was going to be a mom AND be a nurse.

I hated the though of "throwing away" my education.

Oh man, things have drastically changed since Vince came along.

There is nothing more fulfilling than being a Mother.

I come home from those long days and can't wait to scoop up my baby and shower him with all of the kisses and love that were put on hold while I was gone.

As much as I love helping my patients during some of their greatest challenges,

nothing is better than nurturing my son and watching him grow.

I would have loved to quit the program when Vince was born,

but I couldn't justify it.

My life was too blessed and circumstances were too perfect for me to quit.

Paul's job is extremely flexible so he can watch Vince when I'm gone.

My Mom came out for 3 weeks when he was born to get me through Spring term and she is here again for an additional 3 weeks to help me through Fall Semester.

Vince is an angel baby. 

He sleeps well, eats well and is a happy camper.

With all of these blessings and my belief that getting an education is important...

yeah, there is no way I could have quit.

It isn't easy, but it will be worth it.

Although it is possible that I will never work, I will always keep my license up to date.

I no longer view this as throwing away my education.

Instead of caring for patients, I will care for my children.

I will use my skills to patch up scrapped knees.

My empathy to heal broken hearts.

My focus on safety to prevent broken bones.

My priority planning to fit 28 hours of stuff into a 24 hour day.

My disaster preparedness to stay calm in times of trouble.

My leadership skills to uphold decisions and discipline even when my kids talk back.

My teamwork skills to teach them how to implement ideas, solve problems and take turns.

The list goes on and on.

The blessing of a child has increased my understanding of the importance of Mothers.

Life moves at a different pace and my priorities have changed.

As I strive to be a better mom, Vince changes me into a better person.

I had no idea that life would be so different.

At first, it was tough to accept.

Now, I wouldn't have it any other way.