Skip to main content

Happy Times

There isn't anything major to report since I last posted, but lots of little victories and happy moments have added up to lots of positivity!

Work always comes with some level of stress, but I can safely say that I finally feel like a real nurse on a regular basis, and I can almost always walk away at the end of the night feeling proud of my work! I've gained more confidence facing tasks like drawing blood and inserting catheters (I never said it was glamorous), I finish my charting before the end of the shift 90% of the time (and anything left over doesn't take very long), and I even oriented a new employee! She's been a nurse for 2 years, so she actually taught me more than I taught her, but I was glad that the manager trusted me to show her the ropes. I've also been told multiple times from my coworkers that they would never guess that I'm a new nurse and they're impressed by how quickly I learn and how well I fit in. Multiple patients have told me how well cared for they feel when I'm their nurse. I even got through my first major medication error without feeling like a complete failure. The patient wasn't harmed and I reported myself as soon as I realized the mistake, so the charge nurse was very understanding as she helped me fill out the paperwork and "educated" me without being harsh or condescending. I'll admit I'd still rather be working with babies, but I'm extremely grateful for a job that I've gained so much from while giving so much!

Other little things have made me happy too. I finally started putting up pictures on my bedroom walls and decorating more. I successfully cooked a Pinterest recipe for the first time: baked salmon and zucchini. I just had a remote starter installed in my car so I can warm it up before even walking outside. I finally finished the Breaking Bad series. I'm now addicted to Modern Family. I've found a community of believers in the young adult group at Cornerstone church where I feel welcome and I'm actually getting to know people. I'm still deeply in love with Cory. We always have fun together whether it's a game night with his coworkers or taking a drive to Seward for the day, and we've been learning more about each other and ourselves in the process. More importantly, we've approached issues of trust and vulnerability with each other that have been teaching us about trusting Jesus above all else. I'm loving this life of ours.

If there's anything I could change in the coming months, it would be for Cory to have more leave so we could visit his family and mine together. However, as long as the details align, Ben and Laura and Brynley will be visiting next month! I don't have to work on Thanksgiving, but it will be my first one away from my family. At the same time, it'll be my first one with Cory! I'm sure we'll enjoy whatever our plans are that day. I'm especially looking forward to being HOME FOR CHRISTMAS! I'll be in Phoenix from December 18th-26th which includes Brynley's 2nd birthday too! Sadly Cory has to stay in Anchorage :( but we'll do our best to make it out to both Illinois and Arizona next year sometime. I can't wait for the day when everyone I love is in one place (or at least within driving distance). In the meantime, I'll be counting the days till see everyone!

Here are some shots of Cory and I when we visited the Sea Life Aquarium in Seward (about 2 hours south of Anchorage).



Comments

  1. Sara October 23, 2013 at 8:47 AM

    I can hardly wait to visit!!! Excited to see you at Christmas!! Lovely post as always Nurse Bear

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cathy EvansOctober 23, 2013 at 7:53 PM

    I like "Nurse Bear" :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Henry's Birth Story

Well, it's been nearly 6 years since I've posted a blog! So much has happened in that time including the birth of our second son. Even though I don't update this site anymore, Henry deserves a spot in this series! April 9, 2021 I’ve been meaning to document Henry’s birth story all these years but haven’t prioritized it till now. Part of the reason was that it wasn’t dramatic or very eventful the way Hunter’s was, so it felt like less of a “story” to tell. However, it’s OUR story - Henry’s and mine. And I’ve come to realize that a “birth story” can be so much more than just how a person enters the world. No one’s story is exactly like someone else’s, and each one is special in its own way. It’s like the perspective of being a labor and delivery nurse in regards to the question of “do births become less special when you’ve seen so many of them?”. Not at all, because even after seeing hundreds of other babies be born, it’s THAT baby’s first and only birth. There’s nothing more...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hunter

Hunter’s birth story It has taken me over 6 weeks to finally “write” this all down (and it's been over 2 years since my last post!). It’s been time consuming and exhausting and difficult to find adequate words to describe the emotional roller coaster of new motherhood. But it’s important to me to document my story, and it’s been therapeutic to share what happened and reflect on the highs and lows of this birth experience. I’ve always loved hearing and reading about others’ birth stories which is part of why I became a labor and delivery nurse in the first place. Mine is not especially dramatic or earth-shattering and there were never any life or death moments, but it did shake up my world more than I thought it would.  Cory and I went to the hospital at 11am on Saturday May 25th for a scheduled non-stress test that my doctor scheduled since I was almost a week overdue. I had been having contractions that morning but nothing painful. By noon, the test was complete, but the co...
1 comment
Read more

"How quickly a life is lived"

Well I haven't been any better about writing more frequently. Another 10 months have gone by since my last post. I've been in Illinois for a year and a half now.  We're in a new home in a new town (5 minutes from the last), and we love the community that we've become part of. I still LOVE my job, and although I still don't feel like an expert, I do feel a lot more confident while caring for moms and babies. Speaking of babies, I have a new niece and nephew! Laura had Carson Edward on September 10th. He's got luscious blonde hair and the most contagious smile. He started out as a tiny little nugget, and now he's a rollie-pollie ball of joy! He is the perfect little brother for his 2 big sisters! Julie had Kennedy Rose on October 6th. She's the spitting image of her daddy and has the bluest eyes. She had rough start needing to be hospitalized the first 2 weeks of her life to get antibiotics, but she has been a tough cookie since day 1. She's ...
Post a Comment
Read more