For this blog post, I wanted to catch up on everything that's happened since I started my last semester in the nursing program. I've only gotten through two weeks of the semester but it already feels like an eternity haha. At least I'm two weeks closer to graduation, right?! Only twelve more weeks, but who's counting. . .
Anyway, we celebrated Jordan's 23rd birthday on the 16th and it was a lot of fun! I had a nine hour clinical orientation that day but I still tried to make it special for him by bringing him taco bell during my short lunch break and then leaving some of his favorite treats on the bed for when he got home from work. He said it was a nice surprise so I think it was a success! After I got home from school, we hung out for a bit before we headed to dinner. Jordan wanted Sizzler's steak and all you can eat shrimp! It had been years since I had eaten there so it was fun to try something new. Even though we had to drive the long 30 minutes to eat in Idaho Falls, it was nice being able to spend some alone time together, especially since this was our first birthday celebration as a married couple. Shortly after dinner, we Skyped my family and Grandma and Grandpa Warren came over to our apartment to sing happy birthday and watch him open presents. Jordan was definitely spoiled on his birthday! He got giftcards, movies, some of his favorite snacks and a Nintendo 64 game he had been wanting, just to name a few. Oh and I think the Seahawks shot glass was his favorite gift out of all of them ;) Then he blew out his candles which were stuck in a caramel brownie, the dessert he requested for his birthday "cake" haha. My goal for his birthday was to spoil him as much as possible because he certainly deserved it. Jordan gets up for work at 4:40 in the morning five times a week and works 40 hours to support us. Even with all of the frustrations that come with work, he still manages to keep a positive attitude and take care of me. I love him more than I can express and admire his hard work ethic. I'm glad we get to celebrate a million more birthdays together!
We also celebrated Shonna's 13th birthday last weekend via Skype and that was great too! It is so hard for me to believe that she is already a teenager because I remember taking care of her as a baby. Time has flown by so quickly and she has grown into a beautiful, strong, loving daughter of God. Everyone who knows Shonna loves being around her because of her friendly and hilarious personality. I am so proud to be her older sister and can't wait to continue watching her as she makes a difference in this world. We love you Shonna!
Even though it has already been stressful and busy, I'm enjoying this semester the most because of what we're studying. Since we are learning about infants and children, we get to do our clinicals in the labor & delivery departments, NICU's and mother & baby units! For those who don't know, my long-time dream and goal has been to eventually work in the labor & delivery department after I graduate because I just LOVE babies. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Last Thursday, I got one step closer to living that dream when I had a clinical up at Madison! There was one induction scheduled for that day and I had the privilege of helping to deliver the baby. It was one of the sweetest, most special experiences I've ever had. It was a hectic, busy morning trying to make sure that everything was going smoothly and that the couple felt comfortable during their stay. But when the time of delivery came, I had to fight back tears when the father started crying and the mother was finally able to hold her baby. Even one of the nurses who had worked there for many, many years had tears in her eyes because the Spirit was so strong in that room. Another one of Heavenly Father's precious children had come to earth, making the veil so very thin in that moment.
After spending over ten hours with this couple, I became very close to them and grew to love them as I watched their precious son come into the world. I don't know if I will ever see them again but I am so grateful that they allowed me to share those tender moments with them. Never before have I been so excited to have a baby of my own someday and now I know without a doubt that this is what I want to do with my career. When I worked in the nursing home, I got to experience the other end of the spectrum as people I loved left the earth. I know there will be good days and bad days with this type of work. I knew that long before I signed up for the job. But I believe God has blessed me with the talents, the heart and the strength to help those who are either mourning or rejoicing. Life is a beautiful thing, whether we are entering it or leaving it, and I want to be there for those sacred moments.
To add to the chaos and excitement of the last few weeks, I've also been suffering from some pretty bad pain in my left leg. I have no idea where it came from because I can't think of anything I've done recently to hurt it (although I'm sure a twelve hour clinical on my feet doesn't help too much). But it's here nonetheless and I have to deal with it. I went to one of the campus doctors on Friday and after explaining everything to him, he immediately wanted me to get an ultrasound done to make sure it wasn't a blood clot. Considering all of my risk factors---being female, take birth control, sitting in classes all day---he decided it was better to be safe than sorry. And even though I hate the costs of medical treatment, I agreed. So Jordan and I went to the hospital for our first ultrasound (hehe) and found out that the blood vessels in my leg were just fine and clot free. In a way it's good news because I'm not going to die of a pulmonary embolism, but unfortunately, hearing that news didn't take away the pain. So here I am, trying not to collapse every time I stand up and trying not to cry every time I sit down.
On a happier note to end the week right, Jordan and I have some exciting news! No, we are not having a baby (I already ran that course with my ultrasound joke), but we ARE gaining a new member of our family. In about a week and a half, we will finally get to pick up a little cocker spaniel puppy! He's everything we've been wanting: male, white and brown like Pongo, cute, adorable and everything else that comes from being a puppy! We are soooo excited. Jordan and I both feel he will help relieve a lot of stress and bring a little more happiness into our lives. When we get him we will definitely post pictures, but until then we wait. Thanks for sharing the excitement with us!
Just as we've been taught, there must be opposition in all things, and we have certainly seen that in the last few weeks. But without the pain and the chaos, we wouldn't appreciate the good health or the peace as much as we do! It's the little things that make the biggest difference.
