Official RN status

I did it! Made it through the first year of my 3 year program! Yay, officially an RN after I passed the NCLEX on Tuesday. It was such a relief to get the results and to know that I accomplished this goal. With all the hectic stuff going on in our lives, I was still able to finish this year.

Also, I landed my first RN job at the local hospital here in Greenville. It's at Vidant Medical Center as a staff nurse I working in Mother Baby/Antepartum. This is where I spent my 5 week capstone clinical during my last semester of this year. It is a great unit with the ability to move to L&D in the near future to prepare me for the midwifery track, if that is what I end up choosing. I love women's health and really loved the time I have spent shadowing my midwife as well as my experience during my own labor. I also have had a few opportunities to work with the nurses in L&D and have really enjoyed that. We will have to see what the future holds. I feel that the Lords has a plan and that I just have to prepare myself and put myself in the position to allow it to unfold.

I couldn't have gotten through this first year without the amazing support of my husband. He has really stepped up this last year to not only provide for our family but also being a great dad and husband. He makes many meals per week, gets the kids ready for school and bedtime, helps me study and just all around helps out with whatever I or the kids need. It truly has been a year of challenges, but we had gotten through it. I know this is just the start of the program, but I think we have it down.

I am currently knee deep in my first semester of the graduate portion, MSN, taking general core classes. This semester I am taking pathophysiology, nursing theory and health assessment. It has been tough, but I am already learning so much. It is really nice to finally be in the classes and portion of the program that will lead me to my master's degree.

Bristol started Soccer

We decided that we would sign Bristol up for soccer this year. 3 is a bit young, but since they offered it we thought we would give it a try. So, after registering and going and getting all of the equipment, we took her outside and played around with the ball. She took to it so fast! It was amazing that she could actually kick the ball and follow it, let alone get it into the goal. We were pumped! And, the best part was that she actually enjoyed it and kept asking to play again and again. So, we did!

She had 2 practices and then the third week was their first game. During the practices she would be somewhat involved, but found herself running around and not really listening. It was weird to see her act like this with another adult because in all of her other structured activities, preschool and nursery, her teachers would rave about how great she is and what a great listener. We were then thinking it must be because we were there with her and are not with her in those other activities. Well when game time came, she didn't surprise us at all. She decided that she would rather run around crazy and play princess castle in the goal than go chase the ball and score a goal. Regardless, we really enjoyed watching her and her imagination run wild.

After the 3rd week of her doing this we decided we needed an incentive program. The pink soccer fairy visited her room while she was sleeping each night before a game and delivered her magical pink fairy pixy dust. She was to sprinkle the dust on her before each game so that she would play the best soccer she could! Well, it really didn't work that well, but we tried! We also made a trip to the "Cow Place" (aka chick-fil-a) after each game to get a treat and play in the slides. That didn't work either. Thirdly, Sam decided he was going to go out there with her and see if that helped. Each time their team scored a goal she would run toward him and he would throw her up in the air. That worked for about 2 goals, then she lost interest again.

All in all, we decided she was probably too young to play soccer this year, but that we exposed her and that was good enough. We received a lot of encouragement from other parents who said they had been in our shoes in the years past and that it is just a phase and she would grow out of it. We also got a pep-talk from the best player on her team's mom who said it is just as bad when you have the child on the field who hogs the ball and scores all of the goals. She is right, we both feel the same way!

Regardless of our efforts, we really loved seeing her play and learn a new skill. I am truly excited for the soccer seasons to come!

General Conference and more..

We have been enjoying our time off around this house. It has been really nice being an official stay at home mom, with the exception of online school work. I have loved having these 2 months off to spend with the kids and to really soak it in before I get back to the grind of full time work and full time school. I feel like I am cutting Burke short of much needed time to adjust to this world before he is thrown into the thralls of baby sitters, but I realize my life is not going to get any easier and that I need to get my schooling down now, rather than later. I was able to spend 11 months, baring 1-2 shifts per week about 6 hours each, home with Bristol when she was born. Burke doesn't get that. But, he does get all of me when I get home and when he isn't sleeping.

Anyway, we thoroughly enjoyed conference this October and I decided to make a tradition of making cinnamon rolls for the occasion. They are one thing I love, but hate to make. So, for a special occasion I can whip them out. They were delish!

Other pictures include our hilarious daughter making herself laugh, happens on the daily; our chunky monkey Burke and all of his rolls and cellulite (this pic is a must of our children, did the same with Bris); Burke is sitting with a wide base these days!!; Bristol making Burke laugh by tackling him in daddy's arms; Burke watching football with daddy (he's starting him early); Burke showing off his Nike's from Tio and Tia (Steve and Chris) and his cute pouty lip.

Pitt County Fair

It's always a nostalgic feeling when we visit any fairground, considering my background in 4-H. Bristol is in love with animals right now so we wanted to take her to see them at the fair. She loved looking into all of the gates, seeing the animals and hearing their sounds. She insisted on naming all of them and making animal sounds. Burke enjoyed himself as well, sleeping the whole time in the moby! We of course had to dive into the overly greasy, but tasty once-a-year fair food that consisted of an elephant ear. Brings back childhood memories of the good ol' days. It was a great evening to spend with the family and even better was wearing shorts in October. This weather here is something else!

Burke is 4 Months

September 30, 2013

Sweet baby Burke,

Already 4 months, today. Our little blue eyed phenomenon. It is amazing how you came to be. We marvel at that each day we look into those eyes. Your Papa (Daddy's dad) and Nana (Mommy's mom) have blue eyes. You had the chance to get them, but looking at mommy and daddy we didn't imagine there would be a way. Oh but you did! And, we love them!! You get comments on them all the time now that others can look at you and make you smile. You recognize those around you and smile at us. We melt. You are getting so chunky these days and it is the best. Your ankles and wrists are starting to look like they have rubber bands around them. We love chunky babies around here and you are not disappointing! You love your milk and I love the time that I get to have those bonding moments to breastfeed you.  You are waking up at night about every 2-3 hours to feed, which is pretty typical of a boy your size. You have to maintain that weight! The sleepless nights are tough, but I know that this is a short time in your life and I would't trade it for anything! Some new things this month:

-You love playing peek-a-boo and laugh every time.
-You rolled over this month! Yay, a milestone!! You mastered the front to back. I'm sure you will get the back to front really soon!
-You are sucking on everything you can get your hands on. You have started drooling all over everything.
-You have found your voice and are able to express yourself very loudly! You yell all the time and the raspy-ness of your voice is very masculine. We are starting to wonder if your voice will be deep when you start to talk, just like your cousin Nixon.
-You found your feet this month and you cannot get enough. As soon as you found them, they found your mouth!

Your smile is invigorating. We are obsessed with you and all of your daily happenings. You are beginning to express yourself in ways that let us know each day is the most precious of all because you are growing way too fast. You are a wonderful baby brother who loves his sister and she loves you to pieces. It is heart-warming to watch you two interact. We love you, Burke, and have high hopes and dreams for you!

Love always,
Mommy

Our Little Babes

A little update on Bristol. She is so fun at this stage. She is learning so much and soaking every bit of it in. I have started school this month and she loves the fact that I am studying and reading books and taking tests. For some reason all of that intrigues her. So much, in fact, that she is enthralled in my pathophysiology book. It is pretty funny, actually, to see her interest pique when I have it out to study. She is all over it and for some reason drawn to the integumentary system. She love rashes! She loves the burns! I have let her look at it and tried to explain it to her, but also trying to sensor the information so that it stays basic. There are some things that she just doesn't need to know at this time and Sam and I both feel that she still needs to be a kid and to enjoy kid things! It is just fun to see her absorb the information and to enjoy it.

Burke is loving the bumbo. He sits in it all the time while I cook and he just giggles. Each night, after a bath, I give Burke a massage with some lavender oils. He loves it, but every time I massage his tummy, he arches his back. He seems to be pretty sensitive to touch and he does that every time, followed by a smile and a giggle. It is pretty cute! He has a new friend named Teddy, who is about 9 months. Teddy is the son of our new friends Stephanie and Scott, who is in dental school here at ECU. We've had fun getting to know them and spending time with them.

**Thank you Tio and Tia for the sweet nike baby shoes! Sam, I mean Burke, loves them! Also, thanks Gracy and Papa for the cute pink jean jacket. Bristol really does love it!

Labor Day Virginia Trip

We decided to make the trip to Charlottesville, VA to continue Sam's 30th birthday celebration. He and his friend, Ryan (who attended medical school at UVA), wanted to see BYU play UVA over Labor Day weekend. So, we made a weekend trip out of it and visited the school, went on a hike and traveled to Burke, VA and hit the Cafe Rio on our way home!

Sam enjoyed the game and had a lot of fun with the guys. I was able to spend time with Cheryl, Ryan's wife, and the kiddos. We had a lot of fun driving around the city and eating yummy food! 

Sam and I wanted to get a hike in before we left so we could enjoy the beautiful outdoors. It had been way too long since moving to NC and we knew we wanted to at least get one hike in. It was amazing! It was about 4 miles round trip. Bristol made it .9 mi before asking to be held. We were proud! Burke loved the moby and slept through most of it. It felt so good to get outside and do what we love to do! We miss it so much and cannot wait until we settle in next to the mountains in a few years.. 

We wanted to travel about 1 hour out of our way to go to Burke, VA and hit the cafe rio there. It was definitely worth the trip. It was fun being in Burke and visiting the small town, but Cafe Rio tasted great! We miss that, too!