What Am I Thinking?

Starting March 4 my life as I know it will be changing.  Yep, you are looking at one of the newest students at Walden University.  My books came in the mail last week and we paid for my classes a few days ago. Yikes!  I am a bundle of nerves and this could possibly be the hardest, longest 18 months I have had to endure yet.  I am ready though.... for it to be over. Haha!

Walden University is an accredited online school. I am enrolled in their Family Nurse Practitioner program. I should complete the program in 18 months by going full-time. I took a Pathophysiology class a few summers ago while I was pregnant with Norah Kate and luckily those credits transfer! Yay! That saves me a little time and money. Also, I can arrange for all of my clinicals to take place locally. I plan to keep on working for now... we will play it by ear and see how the next few months go.

I don't know if I am quite ready to be back in student mode, especially with a husband, a toddler, and a full time job.  When I was going to my Bachelor's it was a completely different story... no husband, no baby... just a boyfriend and a 10-12 hour/week part-time job.  I am really nervous about how I am going to balance it all, but I have always been pretty motivated and when I set goals I accomplish them.

 

My Goals for Graduate School:

#1 Don't lose my mind.  I must somehow maintiain my sanity through this.

#2 NOTHING comes before Norah Kate.  She is my number 1 priority and it is essential that I don't let anything take away this precious time with her.  She is already growing to fast.  Even if that means waking up early or staying up late to do schoolwork.

#3 Not go in major debt by taking out tons of student loans.

#4 Finish.  Even when it gets tough, when I want to quit, when I want to throw my laptop and books out the window.  I can't.  We have already invested money, so I have to finish.  It's what is best for our family.

Really though, I am excited.  I am looking forward to what my future will hold.  I have always loved learning and have always loved being a student.  This time I just have a couple other obligations and priorities to go along with it.  People do it everyday though, with jobs, husbands, kids...  If it is anything like that last 18 months, the next 18 months with FLY by.

#bringiton



Rain, Rain Go Away

For the last two weeks I think it has been raining more than the sun shining.  It has been the prettiest on the days I am working of course.  We have spent the majority of our days going stir crazy, staying in our pjs for most of the day and seeing how much we can string and strow the house.

 

On rainy days, I pick up the house just for it to get messy and I sweep the floors just for mud to be tracked back in.  Schools have been cancelled due to the roads being so messed up.



Our pond is over flowing.  I am grateful for this though because we will need all that water for irrigation in the summertime.



Yesterday you could have whitewater rafted down our driveway.  Now there are just big ruts and washouts.

The sun is supposed to come back out this afternoon, praise the Lord.  I am ready to get my run on! (If I can get out of my driveway!)

The Bottomless Pit

My child eats, and eats, and eats, and eats some more.

I pack her lunches for the babysitter and she eats everything I pack, plus she begs for more from the babysitter and the babysitter's little girl.

I feed her lunch, then her and I eat my lunch. Same thing goes for all other meals.

She is like a bottomless pit!

Matt and I were discussing the other day if we feed her too much?  I should have known, because she was the one that was still breastfeeding every 2-3 hours when all the "books" said it should only be 3-4 times a day.



Oh well, I love those little chunky thighs.  She is perfectly healthy.  The majority of the stuff she eats is healthy.  I keep Cutie Clementines, bananas, and apple sauce in the pantry at all times.  She really is not picky at all.  According to the growth charts, she is right on track.  I was always really chunky as a toddler then was always very petite from elementry school and up.

 



Life Lately

I didn't think I would still have to do monthly blogs with updates of Baby Girl as much as before, but I believe I was wrong. She is still changing so fast! Here's what's been going on with her lately:

Dancing machine.  I always knew she liked music, but now she will really get down and groove.  It amazes me that she can really move to the beat. She will bounce up and down and sway her head from side to side.  When she really gets into it she will clap too.  It is funny to watch her playing and then suddenly top when a good song comes on a commercial on the TV.



Talking up a storm.  At first I was a little concerned that her speech wasn't quite on track, mainly because I couldn't get her to say very many words, but boy in the last week she has become a little copy cat.  I can say pig, she says "ig.". I say dog, she says "woof." The other day I was changing her diaper and was saying "stinky," and she started saying "tinky.". I have read where at her age she should be saying some words, understand the meaning of many words, and point at objects.  She points and "Mimms" at everything she wants.  I can also tell her to do pretty well anything and she understands so I think now we are right on track.

A few nights ago she picked up her toys and put them in her basket. She did it without asking and it freaked me out. I guess because she has seen me do it before bedtime since birth... Have I created an OCD clean freak too??

She brushes her own teeth everyday and most definitely doesn't want any help with it.  She can help undress for bath time, brushes her hair, and is attempting to fed herself with a spoon.  She gives the best kisses and will pat your back when she gives hugs. She got some baby dolls for Christmas and will carry those things around and "rock" them and pat them. It beats all I have ever seen.  They truly are like little sponges soaking in everything from birth. The other day she had her baby doll over her shoulder, her purse on her wrist and was pushing her shopping cart. Haha! Little mama.

  

With all this newfound independence has come some diva-esce temper tantrums. She will slap her hands and growl when you are taking something away from her that she wants or are trying to do something she don't want. She started crying today because she couldn't fit her shopping cart into her Pottery Barn chair with her. She also got frustrated the other day because she couldn't hold five different things in her hand at once. She would try to pick up something else and drop another thing and was getting very agitated.   Apparently one is the new two... Oh, Lord help.  Fortunately though, we don't have very many "bad" days.  She is still a sweet girl :)