Crafting

Hi loyal blog readers, sorry it's been so long. but I do have a little update!
As some of you may know, unlike my mom and my sister, I am not really into crafts. I can do one or two individual projects, as long as they don't take very long and aren't too complicated. Well, being awake all night long has lead me to revisit my take on crafts. And, with my mom's more and more frequent requests that I remove remaining items from my old room at 508 Shurts, one of the things I have taken with me to Oregon Street is a huge box of old tee shirts. So, in attempt to cure some of my boredom, and to try my hand at being crafty, I am making a tee-shirt quilt! (or at least I am attempting to!) So far, I have cut out and backed 15 shirts. I am thinking the quilt will be 6x6, 7x7, or maybe 8x8? I can't decide if I want it to fit on any bed or if I just want it to be a random square size that would be good for picnics and covering up on the couch. Thoughts?
Here's a sneak peek at what I have so far:
Pretty Exciting, but I haven't attempted to actually sew anything yet, so we'll see!
In other news, Emily and I move in 22 days! Very exciting! Time to think about packing! Yuck!

She's a Night Owl...sort of...

Hi all, sorry for my hiatus! Unfortunately, I am writing to inform you of a possibly longer hiatus to come.
This past week I was switched to the night shift. This was not a surprise, but something I had not-so-secretly hoped I could just avoid. There was a group of about 7-8 of us that were all hired at the same time. We were all hired to work the night shift. But then, the week we started, they realized that if we all went to nights right off of orientation, then there wouldn't be anyone with actual experience working those shifts, and one of us would have to be in charge. Uh, no thanks! So they moved people more gradually, and I was lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) to get over 6 months on the day shift. But now it's time for me to move to nights. And so far it's pretty terrible. The work is still fabulous (although slightly more boring when all your patients are sleeping). It's the whole sleeping-during-the-hot-hot-day/always feeling like a zombie part that sucks. Remember all nighters in college, or sleepovers with your friends where you stayed up all night giggling and forgot to go to sleep? And remember how you felt the next day? Yeah. Try a week of that feeling straight. Yuck. And we recieved an email yesterday that informed us that the manager of OB Services (my department) is no longer employed at Carle. So I'm not sure what that will mean. Except that it will make for another potentially difficult transition period.
I am also grieving the loss of one of my very dear friends, Kimmy-Sue, as she too leaves C-U for greener pastures. It'll be pretty lonely around here until Em and I move in together in July. I've been listening to a lot of Foo Fighters and Rage Against the Machine (for those of you not in the know, that's code for ANGRY music)

So anyway, until I stop feeling like a crabby zombie, I'm going to avoid writing depressing posts. Hopefully, it will be sooner than I expect. Think happy thoughts!

A Life with Purpose

I'm going to apologize in advance if this seems ramble-y or hard to follow, but I'm tired.
Lately, I've been feeling a bit...lost. I feel like I need to figure out something to do with my life outside the walls of Carle Hospital.
I still LOVE LOVE LOVE my job. I am doing what I am made to do, what I'm meant to do, and my job has purpose. But when I leave work, it's like I'm just treading water until I get back to work again.
And the last week has me feeling pretty burnt out about work. Friday we had 13 deliveries. Add the two antepartums we admitted, and that's 15 new patients in one day. On top of the ~7-8 other patients. With three nurses. It was a really hard day. And Yesterday was more of the same. Except I was in the nursery instead of on the floor. And this week I have to work three days in a row so I can have the weekend off to travel to Missouri to see my little sister graduate from college (!!!) One exciting note about work- on Friday the nurse educator on our unit pulled me aside and asked if I would feel comfortable being a preceptor for the new nurses in the nursery. What this means basically, is that they want me to train the new nurses on how to be a nursery nurse. She said it kind of breaks a lot of rules to have someone so new teaching (acting as an expert in the field), but she already asked hospital education and the powers that be in our department, and they've all cleared it! It is a huge honor to be asked, and also means a bonus check for every new nurse that I precept! YAY!!! But ANYWAY...
So I need to find something outside of work that gives my life some purpose. Something the can rejuvenate me on my days off but also be more purposeful than sitting around on my beautiful couch and watching television non-stop. So I need an activity or hobby or something to entertain me. Any ideas?
Oh, P.S. My mom is always saying "you need a hobby!" Which I just admitted is true, however, I don't really "do" hobbies. 1-I don't have enough of an attention span to do something enough times that I could be good at it. And if I'm not good at it, then I have no motivation to keep doing it, so then I quit after one go. 2-(probably because of 1), they're expensive. Crafting supplies are surprisingly pricey! So I'm not sure what this really leaves me with. Bah Humbug!
To end on a happy note: This commercial has made me smile every time I've seen it in the last few days. Life should be full of more dance parties!

Movin on Up!

Hi all- BIG news!!! Emily and I have a house! Friday morning I signed the lease on our two-bedroom dream home on William Street in Champaign. Here it is:
So cute! And all updated on the inside, and lovely, and we are moving in this summer! Can't wait!!!
Work is...the same. Been working about the normal amount, nothing too crazy happening (that is, except for a patient that I had who was crazy-borderline personality disorder, and another who, because of a stroke three years ago was a little slow and deaf, requiring me to repeat everything eighteen times and shout). Thursday was a slow day until the last hour when a patient MASSIVELY hemorrhaged, an antepartum thought her water broke, and a night nurse didn't show up. Then we had a staff meeting, and it was 9:30 before I got home. That was a LONG day.
Friday I drove to Chicago and spent a delightful weekend in the city with Bethany and my friends. It was nice to get away for a bit, and also quite possibly the last opportunity in a long time. I found out last week that I am officially going to the night shift as of May 23rd. Not cool.
While in the city Bethany and I went to see this movie. It was a fabulous display of the amazing world we live in, and you should all go see it!
Also just finished this book, which was really great, but the "clock" is ticking a bit loud in my ear/uterus at the moment!
And lastly, a sneak peak at the inside of the house:
Look at all that cabinet space! And a DISHWASHER!!! YAY!!!

Bringin in the Chips...(or something more clever)

Well, for the last pay period (which I got paid for yesterday) I worked something crazy like 90 hours ( I normally work 72 per two weeks)!!! It included two on call days where I actually got called in, three weekend days, and being team leader for part of one of those days. This all added up to LOTS of mulah! $$$$ people!!! I'm trying to remember that I'm still paying off student loans. I was super super tired and cranky after all this work and desperately needed my two days off at the beginning of this week. Then I worked yesterday, worked on-call today until I begged them to let me leave at 4:30 after I discharged 3 of my four patients. And then I work tomorrow, but then I have the weekend to not be at work! Basically I've been in the nursery 2 out of the 3 days a week that I work, and I really love that. I will admit that 3/3 days or even 2 in a row can be a little much. I do prefer it over the postpartum ladies, only because I can be more in control in the nursery. (Not much a newborn can do to de-rail my well-planned out day). I had an antepartum today, and I like them a lot too--their days are very scheduled. Ok, fine, I'm a control-freak, type A...Good thing I'm a nurse!

And my new obsession: looks like a chip, crunches like a chip, secretly HEALTHY! (Delicious!!!)

Back with the Babies

Seattle was...FABULOUS. I think I am still processing, because I don't really know where to begin. On my flight out I ws seated by my soulmate, love-of-my-life, future husband, Ryan. It was refreshing (and exciting) to know that you can still have connections with random strangers, and it made my four hour flight go much quicker than it would have otherwise. We didn't exchange info, but that's ok, because since it's fate, we'll meet again! Wendy picked me up and we went out for dinner with her hubbie Anil. Saturday, we went to the Chateau Ste. Michelle winery and did some tasting. That night after dinner, we sat on a pier and enjoyed the beautiful water and weather. Sunday we got up early and went down to the market for breakfast and shopping, got some tattoos, and ate some delicious dinner. Monday, we took a random trip to Canada! We went to the Capilano Suspension Bridge north of Vancouver, in the rain, but it was a pretty good time! And then we went to some good outlet malls on the way home. Tuesday we got up early to drive me back to the airport, and I'm getting emotional just thinking about it now. I just had such a wonderful time, and I really think a move to Seattle is in my future!
Since being back, it's been a lot of baby time. I was in the nursery all 3 days last week! I guess that's a good thing, I think I'm in my zone there. Friday, I had three nursing students to help me. When they were getting ready to leave, one pulled me aside and said "I just wanted to tell you that we have to do these clinical journals, and I write about you in mine all the time. You are just such a joy to work with, and you teach us things, and you actually treat us like human beings, and I just really appreciate that" Then another one piped up and said "Yeah, I write about you too, and how working with you has been my best clinical experience to date!" It was just a really nice compliment.
I was lucky to get Easter Sunday off, so I got to spend some time in the beautiful weather with the fam.
This week we have had a really low census, and only 3-4 patients a piece. Monday we had only 6 patients and 2 nurses! It's so exciting when you can really get to know your patients! I was Team Leader again on Monday afternoon, but it was a piece of cake since we only had a few patients. I'm on call all day tomorrow, part of Friday, and work all weekend, so it's a lot of work (and $) for the next few days!

What's that you say? I'm awesome???

Ok, so just a quick post before Seattle, because today was worth writing about.
So First I get to work, and see that I have all 5 antepartum patients. Ok. Could be a lot, but they are all on very strict schedules, so that makes it easier, as long as none of them do anything crazy like, go into labor...so I go put my lunch away, clock in, and sit down at the nurses station to get report. Then, as I'm reviewing my patients on the board, I notice something strange: next to my name are the initials TL. As in Team Leader. As in I'm in charge. Of the whole unit. I kind of laughed until the night charge nurse said "nope, that's for real, you can handle it".
As TL you make room assignments (and nurse assignments) when new patients come up, make sure everyone gets lunch, do a whole list of checks and tasks in this "TL binder", and generally put out fires all day. I've never done it before and usually the most experienced nurse of the day does it. Not quite sure how I ended up with the gig. So I just smiled and said "Um...it's a lot of pressure, but okay...I'll do my best!" The "premium pay" you get for the added responsibility is enough incentive to try to be great at it! Then I get report and find out that one of my patients is dilated to 5cm, contracting every 3-4 minutes, and at 34 weeks. Um, what? Why ON EARTH is she up on our unit and not down on labor and delivery??? (yeah, I still don't know the answer to that question) But she made me very very nervous all day--I kept thinking that I was going to walk in and find a baby on the end of the bed...or in the toilet! (That happens a couple times a year!) Luckily she hung in there, just contracting away, all day.
I also had this hilarious moment: A patient puts on her call light. I go in the room to find the patient and her mother standing around the toilet.
Me: "Um, hey guys, what's going on?"
Patient:"My pee. It smells nasty. And it's dark."
Me : (I look in the toilet) "Um, looks pretty yellow to me..."
Patient's mother: But it looks oily on top"
Me: blank stare
Patient's mother:"It looks like chicken noodle soup, what's with that?"
Me: "um, I think it looks just fine, pregnancy and hormones do weird things to your body..."
Them: "ok, thanks".
Well, great, now I can never eat chicken noodle soup again. Thank YOU.

Oh, and the team leader thing? I was pretty great at it! Multiple coworkers came up and told me so afterward! Yay! Bring on the responsibility and money! WAHOO!!! On to Seattle!!! YAY!