Wednesday, April 28, 2010
83-Sign up for new medical insurance for me and Chris-COMPLETE
Self-explanatory. Got off my lazy rear end and got us the medical coverage we should never have gone without! Lesson learned!!
28-Take Nursing Assistant Classes to become PCT and take WA State Board Exam-COMPLETED
WOW I'm really quite the slacker when it comes to updating my goals lol.
In WA, you are allowed to become a nursing assistant 2 ways: 1) by becoming an NAR (no clinicals just on-site experience) or 2) becoming a CNA (by clinicals).
I took the tests to do option #1 right away so I could start working at the nursing home that hired me. Although it's a small step, it feels like a huge leap towards the direction I am heading. I will still get my CNA as a back-up but it's nice to say I have a nursing license of some sort :)
In WA, you are allowed to become a nursing assistant 2 ways: 1) by becoming an NAR (no clinicals just on-site experience) or 2) becoming a CNA (by clinicals).
I took the tests to do option #1 right away so I could start working at the nursing home that hired me. Although it's a small step, it feels like a huge leap towards the direction I am heading. I will still get my CNA as a back-up but it's nice to say I have a nursing license of some sort :)
25-Enroll Ethan into daycare part-time- COMPLETE
About a month or so ago I reluctantly started taking E to a sitter/daycare. Work started to pick-up at the nursing home faster than I was anticipating and I needed to know that if he was to go to someone he'd be OK. So slowly but surely I dropped him off for an hour or two a few times a week and he loved it! His first day went much better than I anticipated, but as always I had a hard time letting go and bawled my eyes out after we got in the car.
I'm happy to say he's still doing well over there but he does have his days where he wants his momma :) It's comforting to know that if we're in a pinch he's got somewhere to go where I don't have to worry too much about him!
I'm happy to say he's still doing well over there but he does have his days where he wants his momma :) It's comforting to know that if we're in a pinch he's got somewhere to go where I don't have to worry too much about him!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Things I have learned being a new mom...
1) My schedule will ALWAYS revolve around what baby wants.
It doesn't matter what I have planned, or what time I am supposed to go to work(or even when I was schedule to return back to work) I learned quickly that E determines what does on for the day. Maybe it's a good thing or maybe it's a bad thing but when he needs me it doesn't matter what's on the agenda. I drop it no questions asked, no matter what the consequence is. My plan was to work right away after he was born- I didn't go back to work until he was 4 months old. And that took a good month and a half of me easing back into it 4 hours at a time.
2) No matter what you THOUGHT you were going to do as far as parenting isn't always what you do in the end
I swore from the moment I thought about sleep strategies that baby would sleep on his back. I swore up and down when he was born that we wouldn't give him juice until he was in Pre-K at the earliest. I desperately wanted to feed him homemade baby food. E slept on his stomach when he was 3 weeks old (with of course a SIDS monitor attached to his crib and a video monitor zoomed in so I could watch him breathe), we gave him apple juice at 6 months cause he has BM issues and I pouted the whole time, and despite my desire to make his foods I ended up just buying organic canned foods with the horrible excuse of "I have no time". Some things just didn't pan out the way I wanted to, even though I never thought I would go that way. And I learned to just go with the flow and pick the battles that are really worth fighting.
3) Baby DOESN'T need every single item they sell at Babies R Us
This is still a hard one for me to grasp but I am learning...I swear!! E probably has more toys, gadgets, clothes, baby contraptions that any kid could ever want. He has at least 14 different bottles (from 5 different brands), 2 highchairs, 3 car seats (just for me and DH), a pack n play, crib, 3 strollers, 2 bouncers, 1 swing (although I almost bought another one at one point), 3 play gyms, 2 different types of bumbo like chairs, 3 walkers, the whole toy isle at target and BRU and this is all for just stuff at our house. If we went into his room he has an entire closet full of clothes plus 2 boxes that are packed with things he's outgrowing, over 12 receiving blankets he's never used, 14 regular blankets (cause you know I have to match them with the outfit he has on), more shoes than I own (and he doesn't even like to wear them, prefers to eat them actually), and I still get the urge to buy him more. Now I know I said I never wanted him to go without but after typing this I feel unbelievable ridiculous and now see why DH wants to strangle me sometimes. He most defiantly did not need half of these items. Some were handy at one point or another but I really should've listened to everyone when they said, "He doesn't need that Ann!". At the end of the day the only thing E wants is his momma :)...and ONE bottle.
4) They REALLY do grow fast
It feels like yesterday E was just this itty bitty 6lb 7oz baby that was struggling to breathe in NICU one night and then a champ chowing down on his bottle the next. I've watched him hit milestone after milestone (most ahead of schedule might I add :D..I'm a proud momma OK!) so quickly that my head is spinning. He's now walking like crazy when holding onto something and I wanna cry sometimes cause it seems so unreal. How did this little person go from needing me to do everything for him to becoming so independent? We're getting to the point these days where he doesn't want anyone to feed him. He LOVES to hold his bottle himself and gets angry when you try to help him. So many people told me that it flies by but you really don't realize it til you sit back for a moment and think about it.
5) There is NO other love like this
Take this one as you may but I don't mean it to come off as bad....I love my DH...very very much. If you know our background, you know I HAVE to love this man like no other to marry him. I would never want anything bad to happen in our marriage, and I plan to be married til the day we die. BUT my love for E is like nothing I have ever dreamed of. I can't breathe without him, I couldn't go on if anything ever happened to him, and as bad as it sounds he trumps DH. E is my life, my whole being, I cry sometimes when I think of him cause I love him so much it's scary. Imagining my life without him is a nightmare, something I don't ever want to endure. Being away from him for the 13.5 hours during my occasional day shift is horrific for me cause it usually means I will go the whole day without seeing him. He's the only thing I know in my heart of hearts I've done right in this world and I am so proud to call him my son. He could have kept me up for days on end but the moment he gives me one of those gummy smiles and plants a sloppy wet kiss on me I'm on cloud nine. There simply is no words to describe the love between a mother and child.
It doesn't matter what I have planned, or what time I am supposed to go to work(or even when I was schedule to return back to work) I learned quickly that E determines what does on for the day. Maybe it's a good thing or maybe it's a bad thing but when he needs me it doesn't matter what's on the agenda. I drop it no questions asked, no matter what the consequence is. My plan was to work right away after he was born- I didn't go back to work until he was 4 months old. And that took a good month and a half of me easing back into it 4 hours at a time.
2) No matter what you THOUGHT you were going to do as far as parenting isn't always what you do in the end
I swore from the moment I thought about sleep strategies that baby would sleep on his back. I swore up and down when he was born that we wouldn't give him juice until he was in Pre-K at the earliest. I desperately wanted to feed him homemade baby food. E slept on his stomach when he was 3 weeks old (with of course a SIDS monitor attached to his crib and a video monitor zoomed in so I could watch him breathe), we gave him apple juice at 6 months cause he has BM issues and I pouted the whole time, and despite my desire to make his foods I ended up just buying organic canned foods with the horrible excuse of "I have no time". Some things just didn't pan out the way I wanted to, even though I never thought I would go that way. And I learned to just go with the flow and pick the battles that are really worth fighting.
3) Baby DOESN'T need every single item they sell at Babies R Us
This is still a hard one for me to grasp but I am learning...I swear!! E probably has more toys, gadgets, clothes, baby contraptions that any kid could ever want. He has at least 14 different bottles (from 5 different brands), 2 highchairs, 3 car seats (just for me and DH), a pack n play, crib, 3 strollers, 2 bouncers, 1 swing (although I almost bought another one at one point), 3 play gyms, 2 different types of bumbo like chairs, 3 walkers, the whole toy isle at target and BRU and this is all for just stuff at our house. If we went into his room he has an entire closet full of clothes plus 2 boxes that are packed with things he's outgrowing, over 12 receiving blankets he's never used, 14 regular blankets (cause you know I have to match them with the outfit he has on), more shoes than I own (and he doesn't even like to wear them, prefers to eat them actually), and I still get the urge to buy him more. Now I know I said I never wanted him to go without but after typing this I feel unbelievable ridiculous and now see why DH wants to strangle me sometimes. He most defiantly did not need half of these items. Some were handy at one point or another but I really should've listened to everyone when they said, "He doesn't need that Ann!". At the end of the day the only thing E wants is his momma :)...and ONE bottle.
4) They REALLY do grow fast
It feels like yesterday E was just this itty bitty 6lb 7oz baby that was struggling to breathe in NICU one night and then a champ chowing down on his bottle the next. I've watched him hit milestone after milestone (most ahead of schedule might I add :D..I'm a proud momma OK!) so quickly that my head is spinning. He's now walking like crazy when holding onto something and I wanna cry sometimes cause it seems so unreal. How did this little person go from needing me to do everything for him to becoming so independent? We're getting to the point these days where he doesn't want anyone to feed him. He LOVES to hold his bottle himself and gets angry when you try to help him. So many people told me that it flies by but you really don't realize it til you sit back for a moment and think about it.
5) There is NO other love like this
Take this one as you may but I don't mean it to come off as bad....I love my DH...very very much. If you know our background, you know I HAVE to love this man like no other to marry him. I would never want anything bad to happen in our marriage, and I plan to be married til the day we die. BUT my love for E is like nothing I have ever dreamed of. I can't breathe without him, I couldn't go on if anything ever happened to him, and as bad as it sounds he trumps DH. E is my life, my whole being, I cry sometimes when I think of him cause I love him so much it's scary. Imagining my life without him is a nightmare, something I don't ever want to endure. Being away from him for the 13.5 hours during my occasional day shift is horrific for me cause it usually means I will go the whole day without seeing him. He's the only thing I know in my heart of hearts I've done right in this world and I am so proud to call him my son. He could have kept me up for days on end but the moment he gives me one of those gummy smiles and plants a sloppy wet kiss on me I'm on cloud nine. There simply is no words to describe the love between a mother and child.
47-No soda for a week-COMPLETE
So excited to say this one is done!! I'm actually rolling on 2.5 weeks without the diet soda monster...woo hoo!
Diet Coke is like crack to me. I loved it...with a passion! But I have goals that need to be met, and that simply won't happen when I'm drinking soda of any kind.
So to my love, I will miss you terribly..adios ;P
Diet Coke is like crack to me. I loved it...with a passion! But I have goals that need to be met, and that simply won't happen when I'm drinking soda of any kind.
So to my love, I will miss you terribly..adios ;P
Monday, April 26, 2010
The cat has been let out of the bag :P
My birthday is in exactly 2 weeks and while usually I despise my bday (it never turns out very good), this year I have been hoping for a different outcome! My very first Mother's Day is the day before and with baby E who could not enjoy a birthday. He makes every day so wonderful for me that it is only certain that I will enjoy my b-day this year :)
Well me and DH were shopping at Nordstrom earlier last week and walked past the Coach handbags (my long time love :P) and I stopped to just take a peek at them. I saw one I really liked and DH said he would buy it but that's all I was getting. I laughed and said maybe cause in reality I really don't need another Coach purse. THEN we walked past the Coach store and I had to just go see what other styles they had out in that pattern. I ended up liking a bit bigger one better (the blue pocket hobo), but also saw the pink groovy bag that was a bit smaller and maybe more manageable with E. All of a sudden DH asks the salesperson if they have any diaper bags ( I asked for when while PG and he said "No way in hell!"). So she brings the only one they had...and I loved it! But it was way expensive so I told DH he could buy me whatever he wanted, I just wanted him to put effort and thought into it. I told him several times during the week he didn't have to get me anything from there cause I felt guilty about secretly (or not so secretly lol) wanting such expensive gifts.
SO we went shopping Sunday ( we shop a lot I know!!), and lo and behold we're at a NEW Coach store. Again, I look at the bags, then DH asks me to step outside with E (obvious much lol). After what seemed like forever he comes out with a big smile and a big box wrapped up. We start walking and he says do you want to know now or later. I told him I didn't care but he was just too excited and proud of himself that he blurts out he bought me ALL THREE for my bday!! The man is INSANE! But very sweet <3 I am so spoiled, and so very lucky :)
I know he was just trying to make me happy and give me a special Mother's Day/ Birthday and I love that. He is just about to get a promotion and I know that he's feeling so good about himself after all the BS we've gone through the last 12 months so I just didn't have the heart to give him grief for spending so much on me. Plus what girl doesn't like to get fancy purses ;P
Well me and DH were shopping at Nordstrom earlier last week and walked past the Coach handbags (my long time love :P) and I stopped to just take a peek at them. I saw one I really liked and DH said he would buy it but that's all I was getting. I laughed and said maybe cause in reality I really don't need another Coach purse. THEN we walked past the Coach store and I had to just go see what other styles they had out in that pattern. I ended up liking a bit bigger one better (the blue pocket hobo), but also saw the pink groovy bag that was a bit smaller and maybe more manageable with E. All of a sudden DH asks the salesperson if they have any diaper bags ( I asked for when while PG and he said "No way in hell!"). So she brings the only one they had...and I loved it! But it was way expensive so I told DH he could buy me whatever he wanted, I just wanted him to put effort and thought into it. I told him several times during the week he didn't have to get me anything from there cause I felt guilty about secretly (or not so secretly lol) wanting such expensive gifts.
SO we went shopping Sunday ( we shop a lot I know!!), and lo and behold we're at a NEW Coach store. Again, I look at the bags, then DH asks me to step outside with E (obvious much lol). After what seemed like forever he comes out with a big smile and a big box wrapped up. We start walking and he says do you want to know now or later. I told him I didn't care but he was just too excited and proud of himself that he blurts out he bought me ALL THREE for my bday!! The man is INSANE! But very sweet <3 I am so spoiled, and so very lucky :)
I know he was just trying to make me happy and give me a special Mother's Day/ Birthday and I love that. He is just about to get a promotion and I know that he's feeling so good about himself after all the BS we've gone through the last 12 months so I just didn't have the heart to give him grief for spending so much on me. Plus what girl doesn't like to get fancy purses ;P
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Week 1 results!!
I am done with week 1 of my crunch time diet...and lost 6 lbs! I know that it's probably a majority water weight and I don't expect to see these results every time I weigh in the next three weeks, but it was nice to see a loss for once!
I must say that it has been SO FRICKIN' hard to keep myself in check with my food habits. I never did realize how poorly I ate til I cut out so many of the bad things in my diet. It's no wonder why I haven't lost anything in 7 months (so depressing I know!). All I can do now is keep my eye on the prize and continue to keep up with the healthy habits :). I have cut almost all processed foods and refined sugars out of my diet...but I do slip at times so I try not to do it more than once during the week. No sodas at all, I've switched to Perrier lime water if I need that fizzy sensation, if I need a choc. fix I try and eat a protein bar or one of those Atkins candies (I used those when I dropped 40 lbs a few years ago and it helped SO much!!), and I am doing sit up every night as well. Hopefully tomorrow I can go back to the gym since I wont be working until Friday this week!
Stay tuned til next weekend for my next weigh in....and wish me luck PLEASE!!!
I must say that it has been SO FRICKIN' hard to keep myself in check with my food habits. I never did realize how poorly I ate til I cut out so many of the bad things in my diet. It's no wonder why I haven't lost anything in 7 months (so depressing I know!). All I can do now is keep my eye on the prize and continue to keep up with the healthy habits :). I have cut almost all processed foods and refined sugars out of my diet...but I do slip at times so I try not to do it more than once during the week. No sodas at all, I've switched to Perrier lime water if I need that fizzy sensation, if I need a choc. fix I try and eat a protein bar or one of those Atkins candies (I used those when I dropped 40 lbs a few years ago and it helped SO much!!), and I am doing sit up every night as well. Hopefully tomorrow I can go back to the gym since I wont be working until Friday this week!
Stay tuned til next weekend for my next weigh in....and wish me luck PLEASE!!!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
It's crunch time!
I have less than 30 days now to get my butt in gear for AZ! YAY YAY YAY!! And nay at the same time :/
Since I am such a slacker, I didn't lose the weight I wanted to and now I am left to stress for the rest of the month hoping I can lose something (aiming for 10 if possible but trying to be real at the same time). I really didn't want to come home looking like this, better yet showing up at my conference looking frumpy yet again (last year I was 6 months preggo and so big I could barely help or do my normal duties :( )
PLUS, when Chris joins us in AZ we are taking some family pictures with the awesome Shelly Ivy...SO EXCITED!!
I know there is more to looking/feeling great than losing the weight so I am also going to start looking into getting some new make-up (Miss Lisa P this is where I need you!!), working on my hair, and finding a few outfits that fit right and that I like.
I have also been working really hard on trying to lose at least some of the inital pounds I was hoping to shed. So now I have cut out my diet coke's completely, limit myself to one TALL starbucks a week if need be, eat better (more salads, less everything else basically lol). I still haven't done much working out since E has been sick but I am hoping to go this week now that he's better. I know it's small steps but hopefully this can lead me into the direction I should've taken months ago!
Since I am such a slacker, I didn't lose the weight I wanted to and now I am left to stress for the rest of the month hoping I can lose something (aiming for 10 if possible but trying to be real at the same time). I really didn't want to come home looking like this, better yet showing up at my conference looking frumpy yet again (last year I was 6 months preggo and so big I could barely help or do my normal duties :( )
PLUS, when Chris joins us in AZ we are taking some family pictures with the awesome Shelly Ivy...SO EXCITED!!
I know there is more to looking/feeling great than losing the weight so I am also going to start looking into getting some new make-up (Miss Lisa P this is where I need you!!), working on my hair, and finding a few outfits that fit right and that I like.
I have also been working really hard on trying to lose at least some of the inital pounds I was hoping to shed. So now I have cut out my diet coke's completely, limit myself to one TALL starbucks a week if need be, eat better (more salads, less everything else basically lol). I still haven't done much working out since E has been sick but I am hoping to go this week now that he's better. I know it's small steps but hopefully this can lead me into the direction I should've taken months ago!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
I passed my tests!!
So after hours upon hours of studying...and NO sleep...I got two of my big nursing exams out of the way! WOO HOO!
I took my Nursing Delegation and Fundamentals test, which are two that are required in order to do a lot of the procedures we do in my facility. Now I can apply for my Nursing Assistant license as well :) I know it's not a huge step but it's SOMETHING and that means a lot to mean. I worked really hard and stressed so much over these tests and was able to achieve a 99% and 94%. It really gives me hope that I can do nursing school and be a good mom to E. I worry so much that he will be effected by my trying to get back into school that I keep putting off, and I'm tired of wasting time. The sooner I do these courses the sooner I can complete part of my dream!
I took my Nursing Delegation and Fundamentals test, which are two that are required in order to do a lot of the procedures we do in my facility. Now I can apply for my Nursing Assistant license as well :) I know it's not a huge step but it's SOMETHING and that means a lot to mean. I worked really hard and stressed so much over these tests and was able to achieve a 99% and 94%. It really gives me hope that I can do nursing school and be a good mom to E. I worry so much that he will be effected by my trying to get back into school that I keep putting off, and I'm tired of wasting time. The sooner I do these courses the sooner I can complete part of my dream!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Easter Bunny 2010
As always I must torture my poor child and drag him to see whatever mythical creature, animal, person we are celebrating and dress him up in my latest and greatest find...this time The Easter Bunny...
Oh how he is going to hate me when he's older :P
Oh how he is going to hate me when he's older :P
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