Work update

I've been meaning to do this blog for a little while. I get distracted by all things Harvey even though work is still a significant part of my life and is the reason we are still here. Things have been going pretty good. Since I came back from maternity leave, we got a new medical record system. No more paper charting. I miss it. It was pretty slick and fast and easy. The first couple months of the computer stuff were tricky. It slowed things down a LOT and so we were really busy. Well, we are always busy, but it was worse because we were slow. Things have gotten a lot better and I feel pretty comfortable and fast with the system now - even though it's a crappy system. But we are still busy. It is crazy. These numbers might not mean that much to anyone but we are often seeing 70-80 patients a day. Before the boom it was maybe 30. When I first started we were getting close to 50 and that seemed busy. 70-80 with one physician and one midlevel and a small handful of nurses is INSANE. That part has kind of been rough. It feels stressful and it's hard to find time to eat and pee and I still am breastfeeding so I have to pump a couple of times a day and that has been hard and I feel guilty leaving, but somehow it's been working out. I still really enjoy it for what it is. I love being in the ER and we have a really good and mostly consistent group of docs now and I like all of them so that has been HUGE. I really like the nurses I work with so that is good too. I just still don't love leaving Harvey. I wish I could be a stay at home momma but I feel grateful I have this job and that I do like it and I understand how important me being here is. They are desperate for people so it's nice to feel needed.  And I did get a "promotion" in the last few months - Lead PA. Woo hoo. There's only two of us (well, 2.5 - there's a lady that picks up a few shifts a month). But still. I did get a pretty good raise recently too so that's also nice. I was also recently put in charge of all the scheduling. So I make the schedule and whatever I say goes. I still try to work it so everyone is happy - sometimes I wish I didn't feel the need to do that - that I could just do whatever I want and let them fill in the rest. But it works out and it's probably better that we all stay relatively happy. And word on the street is that they are working on hiring another PA that wants to mostly work weekends. That would be glorious. But that word has been lingering in the streets awhile and with the way things "work" around this hospital, I'm not counting on it until I see his self in the ER with a badge. Last time I asked they were hoping before Christmas. We'll see...
My contract is up in May. It's crazy to think we're almost to 3 years of being here. (I sometimes think it's more crazy that we've lived in a single wide trailer for almost 3 years. Wow).  But anyway - we'll see what happens as we get closer to that day.
I have to include a few of the pics I've taken over the last few months. So Nat - if you want to quit reading now - you can. I'll put the least gross one first so if you accidentally catch a glimpse, it won't ruin your day :) Muah!

This kid set a skill saw down on his leg - apparently he thought the cover was on. Apparently it wasn't.
This one happened awhile ago and quite frankly, I can't even remember how it happened. Gross.  
Car accident. That center spot is his skull.  Ouch.

 

 And yesterday I did another leg lac that was almost identical to the skill saw thigh. It was skill saw thigh number 2. This one was a little less in length but went through the fascia and got the muscle so was a little more involved. Lots of fun. I mostly love sewing. It works out because most of the docs don't like it. I'm sure there's been a ton of other good and stupid stories lately - but I haven't really been keeping track. And a couple of the ones that have stood out are definitely too inappropriate to share on a public blog ;)

8 months

This is my new favorite age. Have I said that before? But for real. This month has been SO incredibly fun. I love it because I feel like it's a perfect blend of him of baby and start of cool little kid. Does that make sense? He's still small and babyish but he's so much more interactive and aware and FUN. Oh my gosh he's so much fun.  This has been a really great month. Still not sleeping great. We have had plenty of ups and downs and moments I've thought we were getting somewhere and then not but the great thing that happened this month is that I think I'm okay with it. I don't feel like it's my fault anymore. I've tried lots of things. So many things. And he's just not an easy sleeper. And that's okay. I'm trying to let go of things I have no control over and trying to de-stress my life. And this area has definitely been one of high stress.  I think part of the problem is the expectations I had of how he should sleep and since he hasn't been fitting that perfectly, it has worried me. Not anymore. I'm turning over a new leaf of acceptance and stress free sleep deprivation.
On that note, though - here's some more of my favorite theme - Harvey sleeping :)

He has consistently been waking up at 7am. So either Tanner brings him to me or I go get him and bring him back in bed and we just have a real party in the mornings while I work myself up to getting up and such.

This is the first month that it is obvious he knows what we are saying. He has learned to give kisses. He does it only when he wants to but it is my FAVORITE. And it seems true to child form, he comes at ya with wide open mouth. Horrible blurry picture, but besides one video we got, it's all I've got.

He will now stop what he's doing and look up at me and smile whenever I ask him if he wants to play "Patty Cake". He has learned to clap on his own as well. He thinks he's pretty hot stuff. He smiles so big whenever he does it - which is a lot. It's his new favorite trick.

He's also shown he knows what we are saying when he tries to feed his food to the dogs. Tanner had him the other night and kept telling him no but then Harvey would laugh and then Tanner would laugh and needless to say, the dogs got a lot of green beans. I was bathing him the other day and he was trying to grab the plug and I told him no. Then about ten more times he reached for and grabbed it about ten more times and every time looked up at me like he knew he wasn't supposed to and then smiled really mischievously. And then I laughed. We are screwed. 

Another exciting thing that happened this month is he is MOBILE! Early this month he started inching slowly forward. And then Emily sent me a video when she was babysitting of him cruising along with a rather unique army crawl. A few days ago he stopped with the side to side drag and started pulling himself straight. And just today he was like a little motor man cruising all over the living room and giggling like crazy. He's gonna be causing all sorts of new mischief now. I suppose we need to get the house as "baby-proofed" as possible. 

The food thing has continued to be a highlight as well. Of all the books I read about all things pregnancy/child rearing/etc, the baby led weaning one has been the one I have been most glad about. I love watching him get creative with getting different sizes and shapes of food in his mouth. He's getting a lot better. He is pretty good about trying most things I offer, but he's showing some more stubborness in this department too. I have to say that right now, by far, his favorite food is grapes. Oh man. He will POUND those. That's the only food I have yet to see him refuse. He is LOVING on mangos too.  I'm so proud :) That's my favorite fruit.

He has about 3 full grapes in his mouth I think.

 

He is loving bath time still. We got rid of his little bath and he's just a little kid in a fat bath :)

We actually switched babysitters again. Haha. Hopefully this is the last time. It was working out just dandy. But I randomly met some people from the other ward in the ER and he volunteered his wife to babysit and she seemed fine with that. I only mentioned it to Emily to let her know I had a back up if she was overwhelmed. We were going to keep on how we were, but she had to pick up her oldest from preschool right in the middle of when Harvey would be napping. I had tried to get him to nap earlier, but it was such a fight and I'd end up being super late to work, so her busy life and the serendipitous finding of another person worked out. Christine Higgs is her name. She has 3 kids, all in school, and Harvey has been there 5 times now. He seems to be getting more used to it. I don't know her as well as Emily so it's hard not to beg for pictures and updates ALL day long :) Her daughters apparently love Harvey, she has said he's fun to have around, and Harvey smiles real big every time I drop him off, so I have peace about this for the time being.

 These are some other cute pictures Emily had taken during the last few weeks.

 What else? We took him to the Farmer's Market here. I knew of it last year but never went. Tanner wanted to go a couple weeks ago and so we did. Super small, but totally legit. It made me like Williston a lot more! And we all had buttercup squash which we never had tasted and all decided it was the best squash of all time. We'll have to go a lot more next year. People cared more about Gus than Harvey, though.

I've been trying to get to the gym a little more. Now that I'm not worrying about him getting a nap before work, I think it's going to be more realistic. He's been to the day care there 2 times. He's done okay I guess. We played on some astro turf for a little bit after one visit and he thought that was cool.

 Other random pictures...

 For his 8 month birthday, the weather decided to be in the 70's. So we went on 2 walks and played at the park twice. He would NOT look at me anywhere at the park. It was so glorious. Best fall we've had since being up here. Harvey loved today too. I love hangin' with this awesome dude.

A fun day

Last Tuesday, Harvey and I made a trip out to Minot to see a friend that was in town. Wanna hear the crazy story of how I even met her? Try to keep up. An old roommate and really good friend of mine, Loni, married David, who is friends with Molly. I went to school in Savannah, GA. This one time I ran a half marathon on Tybee Island and Loni told me I should meet up with Molly because she was coming down from Atlanta (where she lives and works for the CDC). So I did briefly. And she was awesome and since then we have kept in touch. And Molly is from ND of all places. So instead of seeing her passing through Atlanta, I get to see her when she comes to visit her family!  She came out this time to run a beast of a race in Montana. She's a hard core runner - like 100 miler trail running type hard core. Woah. 

So anyway. I drove out to Minot and she and her sister and niece and mom and dad and Harv and I spent a couple hours at the zoo. That was the first time I had been there. Harvey seemed to enjoy himself. I didn't take too many pictures. 

Sometimes he was more excited about the bars than the animals. 

But he did watch a lot of the animals and it was cool. The weather was incredible! Could not have been more perfect. I feel like we are actually having a Fall! It's awesome!

After the zoo, we went to a Thai place in town. I've been wanting to eat there since we moved here but Tanner never wants too. So I was so excited when that was the pick. It did not disappoint and Harvey was really good the whole day really. Molly's parents are awesome too so it was just great all around. Totally worth the drive!

I got home about the time Tanner did and we decided to enjoy some family time on the golf course. We've actually gone quite a few times lately and it's great. Savoring the last moments of sunny warm weather. Harvey has been a rockstar too. Just loves hanging out on the grass and driving the golf cart and breathing the fresh golf air :)

I think it is so incredibly cute seeing that little body sitting out there. 

It's sad that these days are fast coming to a close. Trying to brace myself for winter...(it doesn't help).

7 months!

Time is just ticking away! I have lots of pictures and a few updates for this last month. I'd like to end on a high note, so I'll start with the most challenging thing. Just when I thought his sleeping habits couldn't get any worse, they have ;)  Oh my goodness he struggles. I don't know what to do about it either. I still don't know if I'm doing something wrong and if so, what it is and how to do it right. He just really has a hard time going to sleep. He fights naps, but bedtimes have gotten much more difficult as well. And he still wakes up several times a night - which for the most part I can deal with. Lately, he's been waking up often right after we put him to sleep and screaming - whether he's being held or not. And usually when he wakes up he'll eat and go right back to sleep - lately he's been not falling asleep and or waking up when I lay him back in his crib and crying for awhile. He wakes up really early too, so I've been bringing him in our bed then so he can lay and babble and then fall back asleep for a little while. I really miss when he'd wake up in his crib and I'd wake up to him cooing and talking to himself. So awesome. He has been a bad sleeper his whole life, I think. The more people I talk to the more I'm realizing he isn't the only kid like this, which helps, but I just want to know how I can help him be better and or know that this is not how it's going to be for the next 5 years. Ugh.  But normally he is just so darn happy. He is so cute and fun when he's not needing or fighting sleep! I still think he sleeps adorably when he does...

He also has lately started really fighting things he doesn't want - like getting in his car seat. It's quite hilarious to me. He arches his back and locks his legs straight and you can NOT get him to lay in his car seat. I had just fed him and he fell asleep on our trip home from Denver. I went to lay him back in his car seat and he started to do his thing, but then fell asleep, like the above picture. And stayed like that for a few minutes while I worked on buckling him in.

He does look so darn sweet when he sleeps. Why does he not realize sleep is AWESOME??
So yeah, he's also been tricky to change diapers and get dressed. He's started revolting against that and trying to flip over and he'll kick his legs so what should take 10 seconds to put pants on takes several minutes sometimes.

The babysitter thing seems to be figured out for now. My good friend Emily, who was doing it temporarily, has crazily offered to watch him, along with her other 3 young boys. She's a rockstar. And she sends me cute pictures of him. He seems to mostly do pretty good for her. I feel happy about it all.

I think one of my favorite things about this new age is the food thing. It is so fun watching him experience new tastes and watch him get better at using his hands at eating. He is actually EATING now. He would here and there last month but it's much more legit now. Taking bites of things and chewing and swallowing. And he seems to be a pretty good eater for now - as far as what he likes. He loves cucumbers still, and grapes. I gave him some pieces of my honey lime chicken enchiladas a couple weeks ago and he LOVED that. That was the first thing I had given him that he really went after for more and more. He loved apricots for the time we had those in the house. And he loved mango too. That was awesome.

He has 7 teeth officially. He's been holding at that number for a little bit. The first 7 seemed to come fast and furiously. He has started to get excited about peek a boo and patty cake this month. He likes pony boy as well. He giggles  at so many things. I LOVE it. He giggles when the dogs come around him. He giggles if other people are laughing. That is pretty entertaining. He actually gets some pretty good belly laughs going too, at random things. He loves being thrown in the air. He can stand by himself holding on to things. Not forever but for a good bit. No crawling yet. He loves the book I Love You Through and Through. We read that a lot before bed time. Obviously that routine isn't really making a whole lot of difference, but that is one book he consistently lets me read through. He's less interested in getting through books now though - he just likes to flip pages back and forth.

Here's some more random cuteness.

Screen shot of a snap chat when Tanner took him to the lake for a birthday party with some ward friends.

 

So serious.

That's better.

He still loves our fishies.

Gus is so good with him. And such a little cuddle bug.

Harvey is just so much fun. It amazes me every day how overwhelmingly in love with him I am. Now I'm starting to feel like time is moving too quickly. I love this age right now! If he could just learn to sleep, it would be absolutely perfect - theretofore, he probably won't, and that's ok.  We'll keep him anyway!