Old Dog, New Tricks

So I posted awhile ago about wondering where I was going to be professionally in a few years... well change came sooner than I thought!
For various reasons I left Davis Hospital- while I adored the nurses and doctors that I worked with there- it was best for my and my family that I look elsewhere for work when my maternity leave came to an end.
I started looking in February, hoping to start hearing from employers right away. When that didn't happen I started to panic- What if no one hired me? Did I really want to go back to Davis? Would we live on the streets?! Of course we could live on Armando's salary- things would be very tight- but I was so anxious about it that my mind was running wild about the worst case scenario.
My cousin is a social worker and suggested applying at the hospice company she worked for- I didn't mind working hospice I am just too OCD to have to depend on other people to be really comfortable doing homecare. You have to schedule your day around someone else. Since the patients are home they are much more non-compliant and you are on their turf- literally: you have to be in their house, which is not always clean, happy or safe- no thanks. It was excellent paying but not for me so I was ecstatic when I got an interview with McKay-Dee's surgical center.
When I started applying for jobs I had resigned myself to working on some Med/Surg floor somewhere, probably graves and working all the holidays because I would have the least seniority wherever I went. If I were to land this job at the Surgical center it would be similar hours of what I was working before the baby came: no holidays, no weekends and no late nights.
During the interview they asked if I had any questions- Since it was an OR position, somewhere I had never worked before, I asked "How long do you train?" She looked me straight in the eye and said, "One week."
F@#K, I thought- Maybe if I take really good notes and write everything down.... I guess I could always get an OR Nursing book and reference...
While I was making a gameplan in my head, I hadn't noticed that she had started smiling and was laughing in my face- "We train for 12 weeks"
THANK, GOD.
The rest of the interview went great and we talked more about me being a new mom and what was different from Davis than the actual job.
I was so happy to hear from HR a week later offering me the position- a small raise, three days a week and a load off of my shoulders.
So far it has been great, I'm learning so much and it's awesome to work for a company that believes in taking care of it's employees. Lunch is catered every day for us- so even if we are very busy we all get a chance to eat. Extra staff is always scheduled so breaks and lunches are guaranteed for everyone and you don't have to stay after your day is done to pull cases for the next day. They have a cut-off time in their OR so that Dr's can't keep scheduling cases and therefore keeping staff way after normal hours. I'm really excited for where it will lead me.

Throwback

I hated getting pictures done. It meant foam curlers, blech. If it wasn't curlers it was a tiny hot curling iron- I don't know which was worse. Mom had the blue eyeshadow and my dad had hair!

My sisters and I are all older and have different names nowadays- all of us mother's in our own rights. I love that we only have to be in each other's company to revert back to these same little girls- yelling, fighting and teasing. We will always be there for each other and that's a great feeling. 

Maybe He's Mine?

This kid might be starting to look like me.... finally!

Tres Meses

You are a daredevil. You like when we bounce you on the bed and also when your dad decides to scare the shiz out of me and toss you in the air. You love to see the adorable little guy in the mirror and laugh like a fool when you sit and talk to him. 

We used the stroller for the first time to take you for a walk... you lasted about five minutes before you passed out :) Your dad, unfortunately, was right and your poor little nose was frozen by the time we got home.

You and Randy are still deciding if you like each other or not... but he sleeps in your room every night and barks when you cry so I think he is leaning towards keeping you. You talk a lot and sometimes it does sound like you say, "What?!" "Maaaaaaahhhhhhhhhm" and "Whoah!" 

 We went to Dallas to visit your new cousin Gavin and I was amazed how well you did on the plane. You sat on my hip in the carrier through the whole airport and never cried once... Well maybe once when you were hungry- but that kid in the back screamed the whole time so I think you are ok. 

When we got to Dallas we seen your beautiful little cousin Gavin- He weighed 8 pounds, that's bigger than you but he looked so small compared to your chunky butt.

Day 2 at the hospital with Aunt Becky and Uncle Mike was an adventure. You pooped ALL over yourself and since mom forgot your extra outfit... we had to steal an infant t-shirt from the bassinet in the room. While you are a handsome devil, you are not a newborn size anymore my friend. 

Papa Sandoval says you look like the China Nite guy... he's a butt.

You are 14+ pounds of lovin' and 23+ inches. You are holding your head up like a champ and we can sit you up in your Boppy or on the couch. I'm scared you are teething but you are probably just a'droolin' fool. You have had to wear a bib for about a week cause you are drippin' like a faucet. You have discovered your fingers and get quite hypnotized by them. The Cookie Monster that your dad got you after your shots is your favorite, you like to gum on his furry hand and try to fit his eyeballs in your little mouth. 

All in all, you are great :)

Shots! Shots! Shots!

Before I was a mom someone yelling SHOTS only  meant one thing:

Now, sadly, it means something completely different. At Chancho's two month appointment he got his first set of immunizations. He did so well with the heel sticks and blood draws that I figured it would be just the same... It was not :(

Little chunk before his shots

Did all the regular stuff when we first got in. Stripped down and got weighed, 12 lbs 10 oz. Stretched out on the table, 23 inches. Measured his cabezon, etc. After Dr. MacGregor came in and seen him, answered all of our questions, told us we were doing a great job and kissed Dom goodbye, the trouble started. 

The two medical assistant's came in and layed him down on the table. He did really good drinking the Hib vaccine- this kid'll eat anything- so he was all smiles and giggles. They had three shots, one combined and two singles, to give him. They stretched his chubby legs and hit him all at the same time. Bam, Bam, Bam... 

For about two seconds I thought he didn't even notice- then the scream that broke my heart started. 

Dom is a chill little kid, he fusses in the afternoon if he gets too tired and the only time he really cries is when he is really hungry- Until this day I had never heard him scream. 

As the tears formed in my eyes and my heart ached for my son, the two MA's backed away and let me comfort him. I scooped him up immediately and just rocked him back and forth. I felt awful for being the one to bring pain to him, even though I know it's for his own good. 

He did so well on the trip home and was his normal little self, until the Tylenol we had given him before his appointment wore off. Then he started to fuss and squirm and cry these little mewling cries- Poor guy. It was a rough night- no more screams but lots of discomfort on his end. 

The next day it was as if nothing had happened- sunshine and smiles all day. I'm happy that he had no adverse reactions to the vaccinations. I won't feel entirely comfortable taking him anywhere until he has his complete series, but I feel better knowing that we've begun the process. 

Next time my son gets his shots, Mommy might have to take A shot to get through it.

Nine to Five

I love being a nurse- for once in my life I feel like I have a career instead of just a job.... and I have had plenty of jobs.

I started working at 15 for the Snowie stand owned by my friend's parents, it was the best job. I got to read books all day in a little shaved ice shack and got as many free Snowie as I wanted. Plus I worked 5 hour shifts and could ride my bike to work, what's not to love? Oh yeah, getting paid minimum wage and having dyed red hands all summer.

At 16 I worked as a hostess for a Chinese restaurant that I had been going to since I was born. When I applied the owner wrote something in Chinese on my application. After I was hired, one of the waitresses told me what it said, "Cute, can work up front".

During school I got work release to work for a friend's mom. She owned her own company and made lingerie, underwear and swimsuits. Probably not the most appropriate work environment for a high schooler but I learned a lot from my experience there- not always good things.

I was also taking pharmacy technician classes at the time and once I graduated I got offered a job with Walgreen's- the place I had finished my externship with. It was perfect timing because the year I graduated was the same year that Layton, Clinton and South Ogden Walgreen's opened. I worked there for the next 8 years; full-time, part-time and then as needed. It was awesome experience and it put me through college- I can't ask for more.

I graduated, the first time, in 2004 with my Bachelor's in Health Administration- I worked at Primary Children's Medical Center. All of the people I worked with had clinical degrees: nursing, respiratory therapy, etc.... They also got paid 2-3 times more than I did. So.... I applied to nursing school. I could get my nursing degree, come back to my job and make more money. At least that was the idea anyway.

Once I started working as a nurse though, things quickly changed. I have loved nursing more than any other job that I've had. Things are messy and sometimes people are mean- but they are also scared and angry and anything that I can do to make the situation better is so great. Armando asks me all the time, "How could you do that?" I just tell him, "Somebody has to"

I've worked in a rehabilitation center and now in a surgical center and I've loved learning new skills and have made such great friends. In a field where it is 95% female it can be very difficult to go to work every day- Females = Drama. But, when you work with great people it is awesome to go to work every day.

I haven't worked at Legacy since 2012 but still get together with the girls there every few months. I can't wait to see what I'm doing in another five or ten years. 

Grandpa Phil

Before my grandma passed away I used to go down 1-2 times a week and hang out with my grandparents- drop off prescriptions, make dinner, whatever. When I started getting uncomfortable pregnant- I didn't always make it down every week and since Dom's been here I haven't been down at all :( For the last two weeks I've been planning on going to church on Sunday and visiting Gramps after.
He's been struggling since my Gram left us and I know that he enjoys visitors- This last Sunday we finally made it down. It broke my heart a little bit that he couldn't even hold the baby for more than a few minutes because his arthritis hurt him so bad. I know these little golden moments will mean more to me than Dom later in life but I will love getting to point out his Great Grandpa holding him.

I love that my grandpa gets to meet my son, something my grandma never got to do, but it tugs at me that this isn't the man that I remember as a girl. My son won't get to go play out in the garden with him or climb trees to pick apples- it makes me sad. It's the hardest thing to watch my gramps mourn- He still doesn't know how to express himself... but I guess I don't either- I still cry missing my grandma but I'm so grateful that I have the memories I do.