Five years ago...

I became a mom. After 17 hours of labor, I ended up having a c-section for fetal distress and failure to progress. We spent two days with our little man.

The Dance, by Garth Brooks always makes me think of my little boy.

Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared beneath the stars above
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known you'd ever say goodbye
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance
Holding you I held everything
For a moment wasn't I the king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey who's to say you know I might have changed it all
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance
Yes my life is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Andrew Wyatt.

School's out for....

Well, school's out for a few weeks at least. I have an online medical terminology class that will start the end of this month and last for ten weeks. I'm also taking Microbiology, but that doesn't start until June 7th and lasts for 8 weeks. I have a feeling it's going to kick my butt this summer. I might be slightly possessed to be taking it over the summer. I'm also going to take a one credit, two day course in cpr for healthcare workers in early June.

Sean has a few more finals this week, but he graduates on Saturday! I'm so proud that he went back. He'll graduate with two associate degrees, one in software development and one in web development. I hope that at some point he'll go on to finish up his Bachelor's degree.

As for me, I'll be renewing my name on the applicant list this August, but I'll also be applying to a few BSN programs as well. It'll take a year longer in most cases (3 versus 2), but since I don't know when I'd start the ADN program, it might work out to less than 1 year.

My view - Top 5 baby items you'll need

I recently read an article by yahoo finance about the top 5 things that you need for a baby and they are pretty far off the mark. Here's a link to their top 5. As a side note, since the author didn't include items like diapers, wipes and clothes, I'll omit them as well. :)

Here are my top 5 things you'll need for a baby:
1) An awesome sling or wrap. I think wraps are fantastic as they're forgiving on size and allow you two hands of freedom. Plus, there's tons of holds that you can do with a wrap. A good sling is a nice alternative though. I've had both and would pick a wrap over a sling, for it's versatality.

2) Car seat - look, even if you live in the city, you have to have one in order to leave the hospital. This isn't a purchase that I ever buy used on, either. You can borrow from a close friend or family member if the seat hasn't been in an accident and isn't past its expiration date - which, for most seats, is six years. This is the only one that I agree with from Yahoo's list. I like an infant bucket seat when the babies are younger than six months old, but switch around that point as they become to burdensome to carry and to awkward to just leave in the car. For that reason, I recommend the Graco Snugride (not the 30 pound one). Great seat, easy to use and install and come with bases so that you can outfit more than one car as a baby mobile more easily.

3) A great double electric pump. Okay, so you're not going back to work, so you don't really need, nor can afford the double electric pump? Then buy a decent hand pump. The Medela Harmony or the Avent Isis. Both are good hand pumps that retail under $35. They usually both come with a bottle too, so you might not even need to buy number 4 on my list.

4) Bottles - contrary to the Yahoo Finance article's suggestion, you do not need to buy several sizes of bottles. Try the ones that came with your pump first, if those don't work buy another kind. Breastfed babies can be somewhat finicky with artificial nipples and bottles, you have to find what works for you. As to the suggestion that you'll need larger bottles, I call major shenanigans on that one. Most breastfed babies aren't sucking down 6-8 ounces per feeding. They typically take what they would get at the breast, a normal amount being about 2-4 ounces. There are some breastfed babies that are super amazing (as is mommas milk supply) and can quickly nurse 8 ounces, but those babies are the rarity, and not the norm. I have no scientific journals to back this up, this is all personal opinion, having spent the last year as a volunteer weighing babies at a breastfeeding support group.

5) A good swaddling blanket. The ones sold in stores are usually too small, so look for large ones as a swaddle is so important for super young babies. Some people have friends or family make them some larger blankets - super easy as you just need flannel and to either serge the edges or to finish the edges with a sewing machine.

As for a place to put baby, well you have the infant car seat if you need it. Or you can try putting the babe in your partner's arms (or a grandparent, etc). While a swing or bouncy seat are essential to some babies, they aren't for all. We got our use out of our Fisher Price Papasan Swing with my daughter - she loved it. My son was just as content to lay on a blanket on the floor. Different babies, different personalities, and all that.

Finally, as to author Stacey Bradford's assertion that "of course, you'll also need clothing, formula and diapers", well, I can agree with the clothing and diapers. I completely disagree with the notion that you'll need formula. While supplementation is sometimes needed for medical reasons, for the majority of nursing babies, supplementation is not needed. What's needed is support for the breastfeeding mom, so instead of putting a can of baby formula in your kitchen for just in case or taking that free formula bag, why not find the name of a local IBCLC as well as the meeting times and dates of local breastfeeding support groups (or la leche league meetings). If, for some reason formula is needed, worry not....there are tons of stores open 24 hours a day, no need to keep that can of formula tempting you at 2 am because the baby isn't sleeping and you're tired (it gets better, I promise!).

Life is busy

I actually go to class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My other classes this semester are all online. Wanna know what my next two weeks look like? A&P II lab final test, Digestive System test, Reading Day HAPS test (I'm not sure what to expect, but it's bonus just for taking it) and finally A&P II final exam. Yep, two solid weeks of tests.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it here or not, but I'll be all finished with my support classes for the nursing program this summer. All I have left is Microbiology and I'm taking that, along with Medical Terminology this summer. My apparent wait for the nursing program at my local community college is at least until Fall of 2011. I met my pre-reqs in August 2009 and got onto the list for the applicant pool. The college likes to boast that they have no wait list, but um, they really do. :P

I'm considering applying for some BSN programs, as it would only take another year to finish. In addition, I'm going to be doing a mentorship to become an IBCLC over this next year, and then will hopefully sit for those boards next July. I'm excited to do that! When I finally do get into and finish nursing school, my hope is to work L&D, so I'm hoping that will help!

And with that, I'm off to bed!

A review...

So, life is really exciting around here! We were recently in need of a new vacuum as ours just wasn't doing a great job. While shopping at Target (you know, the place you go for q-tips and walk out spending $100?) we happened upon the vacuum aisle. Sean started checking out the various models, I lovingly stroked the sides of some Dyson's and I thought we would be on our way, but Sean insisted I look at his new favorite vacuum, the Hoover Wind Tunnel Rewind. After I looked at it a bit, I noticed that it was on sale, marked down to $99 from $149. I was sold as that was my price limit on a new vacuum.

It's very cool! The cord rewinds automatically when you press a button. I know many who hate winding the cord will enjoy this feature. In addition, it has all sorts of cool little gizmos and gadgets on it. But perhaps my favorite feature is that it has a washable liftetime hepa filter. You have to let it dry for 24 hours, but still, washable! Our last vacuum had a filter that cost almost as much as the vacuum itself. We never replaced it.

Finally, the first time I vacuumed with it, it wasn't a particularly bad day at our household. If you have kids, you likely know what I mean, some days are way worse than others in the vacuuming department. This was a typical day for us and yet it filled half of the canister. I think it was picking up stuff that the old vacuum had left behind. Now, to understand our carpeting situation, we have one room of carpet - the dining room. The worst possible room ever for carpeting (it will be getting yanked out soon and the hardwood's redone) and then the living room has a very big area rug in it. I love that this vacuum can go on the plush dining room carpet, the bare floors and the low pile area rug without adjusting the settings.

I'm very pleased with the money that we spent on this vacuum. We've had it a few weeks and I still love it. :)

What to do, what to do...

It's a rainy Saturday here. We need a good nap time today for the kids, for good study time for mom and dad. But, what to do on a chilly, rainy spring morning? There's the Green Fest in North Ridgeville, but that promises to be a soggy mess. There's the library, but that probably wont' get enough energy out of the kids. And energy do the kids need to spend! This morning, Nora, supposedly going to the bathroom ruined my phone. Now, you might be thinking, what was your phone in the bathroom for, and well, let's just say that I forgot it last night when I was taking it out of my pants. So, yeah, partially my fault I suppose. I found it a soggy mess. To be fair, the phone is about six years old. My phone, that was decent, but not fancy, broke last fall. The phone quit picking up my voice. For a few days, Sean and I would have conversations that lasted like this.

Sean: "okay, I need to ask you a question, press one button for yes, and two buttons for no" Got it.
Me: press one random button.

Then my husband would ask me a question and I would respond, with one button or two. Around that time, my ILs purchased new phones for themselves and gave me FILs old phone. So, this has been the very crappy phone I've been using for the last six months or so. Now, to be fair, I'm very thankful for it, because we had no extra funds to purchase a new phone and we weren't eligible for an upgrade.

But, I am eligible for an upgrade now. Blackberries are buy one for $29.99 get one free right now, but unfortunately, I can't afford the $50 per month it would cost in additional data charges that it would cost us. On the other hand, I really don't want to have the basic, basic, basic phone because, well, they're ugly. But the phones in between the blackberry and the basic phone have additional charges on them as well. I guess I'll have to go into Verizon today and find out exactly what my options are.

Although I would, love, love, love a blackberry, I think perhaps, an itouch would meet my need of wanting internet access on a little gadget. And, the itouch would also allow me to put educational type applications on it - things that will help me in nursing school (you know, when I finally make it off the wait list, er applicant pool list).

I've been a bad, bad blogger

I'm having a heck of a time finding time for blog posting these days. We're in the midst of the craziness of the last few weeks of spring semester. I feel like I have a test or quiz every few days, papers due, etc. I don't think I have any tests next week, but I have a lab final test the following Tuesday, so I'm preparing to sink my teeth into a review this weekend of the anatomy of reproductive, respiratory, cardio, veins and arteries, digestive and urinary systems in preparation for that final.

I'd like to promise that things will get better, but I can't. Summer courses will be here before you know it, and I have class on campus four days per week during the summer. I'm taking Microbiology in eight weeks, Lord help me! I might be crazy. That's half the amount of time that it normally takes, with all the information still there to learn.

The kids and I have managed many little trips out. We are usually at a local park once a week or more, which feels pretty good since the weather is still rather iffy. We've been to the zoo every few weeks, which we really love to do. We got a recent deal on the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for only $30, so we can't wait to add that to our things to do list. We can activate the membership anytime until August, so we might wait a few months on that. Our zoo membership will expire around September, so that will be a nice replacement. Although, hopefully we get gifted another year which is how we got last years. A gift for the kids birthdays. Best gift ever!

Wednesday we went to Cascade Park. What a fantastic day! We played on the playground and then took a hike. Here's Josh enjoying the swings:


Time at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo