Blessings

This week has been an amazing week of blessings.  All weekend I was so nervous and worried about my nursing boards.  Everyone in my class who had taken them heard within 24 hours that they had passed.  24 hours after I took my test, my name was not posted.  Then it was the weekend.  I prayed, I tried to stay positive, but oh man I was so worried I failed.  After all, it was the hardest test I have ever taken, the test shut off after the minimum questions (it is a smart test that evaluates how you are doing after each question and either gives you a harder one or an easier one and then stops the test when you have answered enough to pass or fail), and I really was counting on getting my license to help get a better job to pay our bills.  Basically all of my self-esteem was put into this test and my balloon of self-esteem was quickly deflating the more days that passed.  

Sunday, Brad pointed out that DOPL said they last updated 6-5-13 (the day before I took the test).  We both breathed a little easier.  Then Monday morning came around, DOPL said they were updated to 6-10-13 and my name was not up.  I did my best to stay positive, tell myself that I am smart, that life would go on, that we would make things work.  I said lots of prayers, read lots of scriptures, and hugged Tacy.  Then Tuesday morning came.  Tacy and I slept in.  I had worked late and she had gone to bed late because she went to her Daddy's softball game.  Brad called me and asked if I had checked online yet.  I had just woken up so that answer was no.  Tacy was waking up so I got her all ready for the morning, looked at the computer, and sat down to check.  My name was there stating that I was officially a licensed practical nurse as of 6-10-13.  As to why it took them 4 days to process my test, I really can only guess.  But I was so happy I could have cried.  Instead I just hugged Tacy.  Miracle number 1!

The week I took my boards, I had met with the director of nursing at the facility Brad works at.  She went ahead an offered me a job working PRN (as needed).  I met with HR the day before my test and filled out all the paperwork and was told to call them once I found out I passed so they could get me scheduled.  It was definitely a relief to not have to apply for jobs and already be offered one, but also added to my nervousness at the long wait for my results.  So I happily called them tuesday and set up to start orienting/training this saturday.  Miracle number 2

Miracle number 3 came Wednesday.  I met with a nursing facility in Clearfield (much closer to home).  They are part of the same company as the other facility I worked with, so the DON I had talked with in West Valley talked with this DON in clearfield and I was basically just going to meet her and get to know her.  The plan was for the two facilities to share me (since I'm working PRN).  Well this DON was really nice.  I loved the 10-15 minute drive.  She asked me how much I was offered at West Valley and when I told her, she gave me a questioning look and told me that she had to decide if she wanted to pay me the same amount.  To me this meant she was thinking of paying me less.  I told her that whatever she could offer would be fine (let's face it, anything is better than what I'm making at Ross).  She then told me that she would offer me $1.50 more an hour and that they paid $1.50 more an hour for night shifts.  She then told me that they had short night shifts that go from 6pm to midnight and asked if I would be interested.  I'm sure my jaw was on the ground by this time.  I was so happy and told her that would be great.  I just had to sign two papers as the wages were different and got set up to start training there next week.  She told me that they are full to capacity and could use me as much as I would like.  "I don't want to steal you from West Valley...but I guess we will just wait to see what they offer you for time and go from there."  

Great week indeed!  Tacy and I danced a lot.  My re-down root canal was over and we now have a clear way to pay for it. 

Last miracle would be that I finally got all the paperwork Weber State needed to process my FAFSA application done.  I had one form left that needed to be signed and was having a hard time catching someone in the nursing office.  I finally got in contact with one of the head Nursing Administrators and he told me to just email him the form, that he would finish it, sign it, and give it to the scholarship office for me so I didn't have to drive up to Ogden.  Considering a lot of people say that this particular guy is not very helpful, I was so happy.  He got it all done within an hour of me emailing him.  

We are all very happy.  I just had to count my big blessings from this week so far.  I quit my Ross job (they aren't too happy, but as Brad and I decided it was better for our family that I start making more money as soon as I can then waiting 2 weeks while making minimum wage at Ross).  Tacy is eating a ton more now, probably because she moves so much now.  She also says Mama a lot and I love it!  

10 months

Well life has felt a little crazy these past few weeks.  Brad has been studying for the GRE, I was studying for my NCLEX (nursing boards) and Tacy keeps getting more and more mobile.  On top of all that, I have been working part-time at Ross (yup living the life) in the evenings and on weekends, so we don't get a whole lot of family time with all three of us together.  I was able to go to ALL of church yesterday and it was wonderful.  I feel like that hardly ever happens anymore between Tacy and work.  But I didn't have to work at all and when Tacy got tired, starving, etc. Brad took her home to sleep (she had refused to nap before church).  It was weird not having Tacy with me, but I was actually able to listen to the lessons and relief society was a great lesson about pruning/trials.  I feel like we have our fair share of trials, but they keep on coming and I keep getting discouraged/disappointed etc.  So this lesson was awesome as it reminded me that we all have trials to help us grow and that I need to stop dwelling on the trials and what I don't have but focus on what I can learn and how I can improve.

Tacy officially turned 10 months on Saturday.  I can't believe that in less than 2 months she will be one!  But Brad and I are so glad to have her in our lives and so blessed to have such a fun and adorable little handful.

Tacy now crawls like a champ.  Sometimes she crawls slowly, other times super fast.

She loves to climb up everything: chairs, boxes, mom and dad, the stairs, poles, etc

Trying to get to the computer past Mommy's leg

Tacy loves poles.  It's funny but everytime we walk past a pole she has to reach out and grab it.  I think it is because they are easy for her to grip but trying to get her to not grab them and walk away is near impossible.

 Tacy still loves to walk.  She has also learned how to stop, as in when she is walking with mom or dad, when she wants to stop to look at something she will spread out her legs and turn her feet so you really can't make her keep walking without picking her up.  She is a smart little cookie.

With Tacy being so mobile now nothing is safe and we have been struggling to keep her out of things.  We have 2 bookcases that sit low on the floor and she now loves to go over to them and start pulling everything off of the shelves.  Plus they are great for her to pull herself up with.  We now have to keep the bathroom door closed and our bedroom door (she loves finding cords, keys, etc).  We have now "creatively" child proofed our main room using pillows, blankets, and balloons.  Tacy is afraid of balloons.  So right now a balloon is protecting the movies and Harry Potter.

Brad made her a pillow fort

Tacy still only has 2 teeth and continues to drool like a dog.

Tacy loves the bath, she crawls straight for it as soon as she is naked and laughs the whole way there.  She also loves splashing in the kiddie pool.

Tacy can climb the stairs pretty well now.  She will get distracted halfway up and try to go back down, so we have to redirect her attention, but we always clap when she gets all the way up and she smiles so big.

climbing Mommy to get to the camera

Tacy seems to have a better understanding for "mama" and "dada" as she seems to say them more when she is around mom or dad.  

Her attention span is maybe 2 minutes so when a toy keeps her busy for 10 minutes we are happy.   

Example of our baby proofing

 Now that we are feeding her more table food, if you are eating something she will crawl right over to you and whine until you give her some (even if she just finished eating her own food).  Tacy likes wheat bread more than white bread (smart girl).  

first time eating yogurt

Tacy has a "cheese" face that she loves to make when she is silly.  I think she learned it from her Daddy.  It's cute, funny, and goofy.

Taking pictures of Tacy is now near impossible without her turning into a blob so most of the best pictures I get of her, she is in her high chair.  Oh well.

Brad is just waiting on one more letter of recommendation and then he can submit his applications to PA schools.  He did pretty well on the GRE (granted we aren't sure how his scores to compare to everyone else yet but I still think he did well).  We are waiting to hear about if I passed my boards yet.  If I didn't then I will study more and retake them and keep focusing on how I can improve (not on everyone else and how they did).