Dogwood Festival Pictures

It was hard to get good pictures at the festival due to all the people around.  I mainly took photos of the cool downtown buildings and scenary. 

     To leave the downtown area you have to go through this giant traffic circle, one lane so its not that complicated.  In the middle of the circle is this interesting building, obviously old in architecture I had assumed it was part of an old train depot.  It looked just like where they would have the ticket sales booth and benches for passangers to wait for their train to come through.  As we drove by, Anthony and Stephanie gave me the accurate history lesson.  That area was the center of Fayetteville's commerce at the time, and the particular "building" was where they would auction off the slaves to the highest bidder.  When most of downtown Fayetteville was destroyed during a skirmish in the Civil War, that part of the auction area survived as well as a few market building along Hay Street.  This little northerner assumed wrong, auction block, train station, you know same thing ;)

Legacy Pictures

Check in desk, Chrissy's area

View of the cool ceiling :)

Well patient waiting area

Sick patient waiting area

Front desk area

Check out, Celina's territroy

My desk

View of the nurse's station from the lab

Lab

Desk in the lab

Entrance from the waiting area

Exit into the waiting area

Back hallway, patients rooms on right, on the left is the "treatment room" and the stairs to the break room.

Stairs to break room

More stairs...

View of the stairwell from the break room

Kitchen/dining area of the break room

Tv/couch area of break room

Picnic area out back, soon to have a picnic table!

After the stress from moving I went home in a horrible mood.  I decided to make myself some comfort food and sleep all night.  I did just that and woke up feeling much better.

Proof that I know how to use the food chopper thing Cody bought.

Mini meat loaf with piquant sauce, home made mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans.  Moodiness be gone food!

Day one million and one...

    Realistically I've stopped counting.  Its been about a month and a half.  The more I count the longer it seems this thing is going to be, its gets depressing and overwhelming at times.  All I know is it seems that Mitchell has been gone FOREVER, even though the calendar says otherwise.  Lying bitch.  I downloaded a countdown ticker to my phone, to count down the days for me, until the glorious homecoming.  This is hard to do when you don't have a set date for the return.  Could be sooner, could be later.  With the Army, you never know.  What I DO KNOW is that every day that goes by is a day closer to him being home, that is all that matters.  I have to look at it that way, it seems more optimistic, makes the whole 'journey' a lot easier. 
     Since I've last posted I have had my first prenatal with the actual doctor.  I am very impressed with him, and saddened I had not met him before I chose to transfer the rest of my prenatal care to Womack.  His name is Dr. Liffrig, he is a retired Major, and has been birthing babies and taking care of army families since the dawn of time.  He still has plenty of vim and vinegar though!  He nicknamed my little baby "lil trooper" since Daddy is a paratrooper.  His nurse was very friendly and sympathetic to my situation, her husband is also downrange, he is one of the groups that got stuck on the last 12mo deployments.  I am very greatful that ours is not SUPPOSED to be that long.  I got to HEAR the baby's heartbeat at the appt, where as at the ultrasound I only saw it.  I wish I hadn't been so awestruck, I would have thought to record it to send to Mitchell.  The nurse found it right away, midline, and it was the loudest, steadiest heart beat I've ever heard.  It averaged between 158-160BPM.  I never thought that it would catch me that off guard, having used the doppler to locate fetal heart tones millions of times in the ER and in nursing school.  None of that prepared me to hear my own baby's heart.  Still no tears, but nonetheless it was magical.  I picked up some free prenatal vitamins from the pharmacy while I was at the office, might as well, its free!!  I also scheduled my next prenatal appt, this time it will be at the OB/GYN clinic in Womack, with a midwife.  Had I known when I was given the choice to stay at the family practice until 30wks, or switch to Womack for more continuous care now, that I would be seen by midwives, I wouldn't have said yes.  I have nothing against midwives, I'm just a worry wart and a nurse, and I've seen too many botched cases handled by midwives riding through the ER.  I would feel much more comfortable and at ease with an MD by my side.  Too late now.  I will let them follow me for my prenatal care, up until labor.  The minute labor starts they better GTFO and find a Doc quick, or they will be hearing some very unkind words.  Give me a mirror, hot water and some blankets, I'll deliver this baby by myself!  Ok, I'm not that bad ass, but I'm very determined to have a doc near my cooch and not them.
     Legacy moved into its new building Friday.  The building was not ready for us, but we moved in anyways.  I am not looking forward to tomorrow at all.  Not only are we in a new building with a completely new layout, but we are also switching from paper charts to a new electronic medical record that none of us have used before, and got little practice and training on.  We also have a FULL schedule tomorrow.  Yesterday some of the lights weren't working, the phones still aren't working, and our computers are networked incorrectly. This was very well planned.  Somedays I catch myself wishing I wasn't pregnant so I could enjoy a nice burning hot bath with a glass of wine.  Now I have to find my stress relief elsewhere, and I refuse to let myself eat it away.  Even though the job can be stressful at times, I am still glad I accepted it.  It was far better than Sandhills ever was, and I have made some really good friends there.
     Stephanie, her husband Anthony, daughter Lacey and I went to the Dogwood Festival yesterday evening. I met her at their house and she drove us into town.  The Dogwood Festival is a big to-do where they block off the streets of downtown Fayetteville for vendors and music and carnival rides.  Several big name bands were to appear for concerts this year, Gretchen Wilson (not my thing) and Eve 6.  I was hoping to catch Eve 6 but they didn't start until 2100 and downtown Fayetteville is not somewhere I want to be alone late at night, even for a free concert.  It spells trouble, especially with all the disapperances going on lately.  We walked by all the vendors, had to skip the carnival rides, had a good time chatting with friends.  We stopped by Beef O'Bradys an eatery off Hay St.  Nothing sounded appealing, so I got a grilled cheese, can't go wrong there.  Oh, yes, yes you can.  The cheese was the most horrendous thing I have ever tasted!  I ate the crust, and that was it.  Best part of it, 9 fucking dollars for a grilled cheese.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!  It tasted like grilled moldy barf, with a hint of chewy rubber.  Since Stephanie and I couldn't very well go around to all the wine tasting booths we got bored fast.  We decided to drop by her sister-in-law Candice's house where we met up with some more of my coworkers.  Celina and Ben, Chrissy and Travis, Melissa and Sam (family friends of Stephanie's) and Candice and her hubs were all there, children running about.  We had a nice time, hanging about the house just chatting.  We meant to only stay for an hour or two, but ended up staying until around 1130!  I didn't get home until midnight and when I did I washed my face and passed out!  Even though it wasn't a fancy outing, it was nice to get out of the house and socialize.  I'm definitely deprived of that.
     Lots more to write about, not enough oomph to do it. I'd like to touch on more of the emotional side of this deployment, especially being pregnant.  I find it interesting the reactions I have.  I hope to catch up on that bit in another post.  I want to do it, not to stress out my husband, but so he will be able to truly see into my mind, see whats going on.  More later :)

"D" day on Devil's Field

Day 1,2,3 Big Girl Deployment. The Real Deal.

     Well folks, the time has come.  We are no longer practicing with JRTC, but we are now if full fledged "big girl" deployment.  Thats right, my husband has run off with the Army to exotic lands.  By exotic I mean scary cold and then scary hot.  He promised to bring me home a Camel Spider.  Jerk.  (I hate spiders).  When Mitchell returned from JRTC I took a hiatus on the blog, now that he is gone again I figured I would take it back up.  That way if he is able to get internet where ever he ends up, he can again see what I've done with my days. 
   When he got back from JRTC we found out I was pregnant and we will be expecting our first child in November.  Unfortunately Mitchell deployed the same day of my first ultrasound so he was unable to share that moment with me.  I was able to convince the ultrasound tech to print me a picture, and I took a photo of it on my phone.  I sent that photo in a picture text to my husband, so it was almost like he was there.  I was so distracted that he was leaving literally at the same time I was getting the ultrasound that I think I wasn't really focusing.  I know that when most people see their baby's heart beat for the first time cry, and get all emotional.  I didn't.  I just sat there staring at the screen, marveling at how such a tiny thing could have such a tiny heart, and still be inside of me.  I'm not showing at all.  I haven't gained any weight, in fact the only real sign of pregnancy is my inability to eat solid food in the mornings and my sore chest.  The little sea monkey's heart was beating at 112bpm.  I tried asking the ultrasound tech all sorts of questions, which side of the uterus was it implanted on, is it near the cervix (will I have to worry about placenta previa as it grows), what was the normal heart rate for this gestational age.  She didn't understand what "implantation" meant and didn't know the normal range.  She said she only knew that it the heart rate was near 80 she needed to report it.  Well 112 is close enough to 80 for me!  I know nurses make horrible patients, but its only because we want to be well informed!  I went home and did some research, 112 is perfect for its range!  My due date was a little off from what I calculated at November 7th, the ultrasound measurements suggest the little thing will enter this earth around November 10th.  Pish posh, babies come when babies want to come.  Either way I'm game so long as my husband is by my side, if he is still out and about I plan on fixing my nether regions with duct tape till he is home.  That thing can just be well done when it comes out.  :P
     I woke up early Saturday morning, bummed around the house a bit.  I made myself a smoothie for breakfast as that is the only thing I can tolerate in the mornings, played a few facebook games, read for awhile.  I even got off my duff and took a shower!  After all that I was pretty pooped, so I decided to take a nap.  I didn't need to be anywhere until 1500, my friend from work was having a Bridal Shower.  So I layed down around 1030.  I didn't wake up until 1600.  Yeah, totally missed Celina's Bridal Shower.  I had also meant to go shopping for food for me and things for Mitchell's first care package!  Oops!  After I woke up from my nap I went to the store and gathered those things.  I also stopped by the local craft store and picked up myself some yarn, a DIY crochet book and a few crochet hooks.  I figured while the hubs is gone I could use a time consuming hobby, since I'm having a baby I can crochet some booties or a blanket or something.  Its a win win.  I taught myself to crochet at midnight on Saturday.  I had nothing better to do.
     Sunday morning I spent crocheting with the puppy on my lap.  He was getting jealous of the blanket and started gnawing at it until I let him lay on my lap.  I think he misses Mitchell.  In the afternoon I met up with a few coworkers to see Hunger Games.  I had already seen the movie with Mitchell the night before he deployed, but thought I should go again, it would be a good excuse to get out of the house.  It was nice to see some people and be able to social this weekend.  My house is feeling super empty and super alone and there are only so many things I can say to my dog.  He just looks at me like I'm crazy, occasionally he'll whine back at me.  He's probably telling me to shut up, that he can't understand me.  Or maybe he just wants a bone.
    Today after work I got home and made some mac and cheese, it sounded really good while I was at work.  I ate the ENTIRE box.  By myself.  I crocheted a few rows on the baby blanket and then decided I should write some letters to the fam.  I wrote to Mitchells mother and grandmother, both of my grannies, my aunt and my dad.  I'm also including a copy of the ultrasound picture for them to have.  I finished folding some of the laundry I started yesterday.  I think that is enough chores for one day.  I get tired very easily lately.  Mitchell and I painted the nursery before he left, I have a few spots I need to touch up, I hoping to do those tomorow.
     I've resorted to carrying my phone with me whereever I go.  I never know when I'll hear from my husband, or what the number will look like when he calls.  I even carry it with me when I'm in the bathroom!  You never know!  Yesterday I was sitting on the couch, crafting, when the phone rang.  It was a number I didn't recognize, I got all excited thinking maybe it was him.  I wasn't expecting to hear from him for awhile.  I answered the phone.  It was an automated call for the College Network.  Not my husband.  Biggest let down I've had in awhile.  Oh well, it will come when it comes.
    I've layed out all the items to go in Mitchell's first care package and realistically it will probably take 2 or 3 boxes to fit all the stuff it, I got a bit carried away.  I've ordered a few APO flat rate boxes online, they send them to your house for free, but it takes a week.  I don't want to wait that long, because I'm sure it takes forever for packages to get over there, and this package is Easter themed.  I'd like it to get here as close to Easter as possible.

I feel so scatter brained, I hope I didn't leave anything out, and I hope this made some sort of sense.  I'll probably start updating every day again, that way I won't feel so stretched out.  Silly tired pregnancy brains don't work very well.

Little Pieratt.  FHT 112bpm. 7wks.

Poor little Courage was jealous of the Crocheting.  I had to let him lay on my lap so he would stop looking so pathetically neglected.

After 4 hours of Crocheting.  Not bad for a beginner!

Care package assembly line!

My friend Malori sent this picture to me.  I thought it was funny.

Writing letters to all of the family members.  This one was to Mitchell's grandmother. I have never actually met or spoken with this woman, but from what I've heard she is pretty inspirational.

Day 20: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck...Apple beer?

   I'm really really really excited!  Mitchell will be home this weekend!  I get him back for approximately a month and I'm beside myself with happiness!  He will get to see the house after all of the upgrades!  The painting, the pictures I hung on the walls and now the office!  I bought and organized a file cabinet this evening.  I also found a beer (really its a hard cider) that I can enjoy!  It is called Woodchuck Hard Cider, a coworker told me about it.  It tastes just like rich apple juice!
     Work is going quite well, I've been seeing patients and giving shots on my own now.  I get along with the coworkers fine, we're planning on having a jewelry party and some sort of girly spa outing.  I got to talk to my honey on my lunch break and although it started off rough, my fault, it was still amazing to talk to him and get to share what I've been up to.  We spent my entire lunch hour on the phone! Tomorrow I plan on picking up my legacy scrubs, cleaning the house with clorox bleach wipes so Mitchell doens't catch the plague when he is home and I plan on hiding another welcome home surprise in his truck!

Picture of my coffee related kitchen curtains and coffee wall hangings! 

Yum yum woodchuck!

Day 18: Death bed

    There was a hiatus due to illness.  Apparently one of the cute little monsters I take care of decided to share more than just their love with me.  Friday after work I came home and napped for FOUR hours, got up and painted.  When I completed the painting in the living room I hopped right back into bed.  That is where 90% of my weekend was spent.  I played a little SWTOR, went to Walmart for decongestant and slept and cuddled in bed with my puppy.  I thought I caught strep throat since we've been seeing quite a few little kiddos with positive rapid strep, then I was wondering if I happened to catch RSV along with it since we've had a few babies who are RSV positive.  Now, in adults RSV is about the same as a head cold.  I swear I had multiple things going on, sore throat, nasal congestion, nausea and vomiting, mucusy cough, NO FEVER!  Now that I'm off my death bed and able to breath at night I feel much better!  Just in time for Mitchell to be home!  I was so worried that I would still be ill when he got home.  I'm even more worried that he'll catch the bug when he is home :/ so I will be running through my house with clorox wipes like mad Friday afternoon.
    I baked the friendship bread and it turned out AMAZING!  So delicious!  I did a quick little raid with my guild on SWTOR, we downed the world boss on coruscant.  We did a few group pics and our GM made a video of the fight!  I feel so nerdy and awesome!  Not much else to report today, I am going to include the pictures from this weekend and the tail end of last week to catch up!

Puppy kept me company in my sick bed.  He was even mildly behaved!

He gave me "get better" kisses.

I woke up to fluff everywhere one morning.  It was all over the bed all over the floor! I was so worried the puppy had ripped open one of my pillows or my comforter.  I got up out of bed and found this.  He chewed up HIS puppy pillow.  I was a bit angry that there was such a mess to clean up, but very proud that he only destroyed his toy and nothing else.

Entry way pre-paint

Entry way post-paint.  It is such a subtle color change it is hard to pick up on my camera but it looks very nice!  I am very pleased with how it turned out.  I cannot wait for Mitchell to get home to see his reaction!

Yummy yummy friendship bread!

Day 12/13: Buy day 12, get day 13 for free!

     I thought I would do a quick blog post while I'm sitting here waiting for my SWTOR to update.  Yesterday's work day was fairly uneventful there were sick kids, there were well kids, most of the kids had immunizations.  I did go out to lunch at Sammio's with my coworkers.  Sammio's was having their 7 year anniversary specials so I was able to get a GIANT dish of baked ziti for 3.99!  It came with a breadstick and cake ball for desert! Such a great deal, and it was quite tasty too!  In the evening I got to talk to Mitchell, we had a long conversation about future plans that got me all excited.  I love talking about the future with him, it means he wants to keep me around ;).   I talked to my granny last night, she was doing well, they changed the frequency of her nebulizer treatments, but she wasn't put back on bipap!  She said the MD would come and consult first thing in the AM to see if she could go home.  She joked that she wouldn't go home if they weather stayed -20!  She then said that if only the good die young than she and I would be around for a long time!  Granny also marveled at how similar my Aunt and I sound.  She was telling me that yesterday AM my aunt called to talk to her, she thought it was me so she started chatting away when my aunt asked "who do you think you're talking to," of course my granny said "why its Heather," "no MOM, its me, Kim."  I laughed pretty hard when she told me that.  I've always been told that I sound and look more like my aunt than my own mother, in fact, it used to drive my mother CRAZY that people would mention it!
     Today work was a whirlwind.  It went by quickly but was incredibly busy!  To top it off Stephanie's daughter was sick and spent the day at the office so we could keep an eye on her.  I was running running all day long, shots here, shots there, take a temp here, test vision and hearing there.  Call in a Rx, file those charts, measure that baby, soothe this baby.  Break for lunch and then repeat. Somehow we managed to get done early, at 1600, so Stephanie and I sat down and touched base with how things were going.  We talked about what I'm feeling comfortable with, what I'm not, what I need to see/do more of, etc.  At the end we traded more tips and tricks.  I'm very glad to finally have a supervisor who actually cares about nuturing my career.  I was told that I can stop by the local scrub store to pick up my very own set of Legacy Pediatrics scrubs!  I love getting new scrubs and I'm in desperate need of some.  My old ones are a combination of falling apart from use and being too big since they were from my fat pre-gym days.
     When I got home from work I organized the bill binder and extraneous bits of mail on the floor.   I ran with the puppy to expel some of his pent up energy and cuddled with him on the couch.   My goal for this weekend, not including painting, is to buy groceries and a file cabinet of sorts that will help me feel organized.
     Oh!  Patch is done!

Baked Ziti!

The drive home.  Don't worry, I was being safe.

WASD.  The WWJD of SWTOR.  :)

Day 11: Weak Tea

     Today I was allowed to do even more things on my own at work.  Where I still catch myself forgetting little things like adding the patient's weight to the growth chart (we write the weight in 5 different spots, I KID you not.  Sometimes its hard to remember what I've marked and what I haven't)!  How did you like that pun?  Clever?  Or too transparent?  Other times I'll forget to write the room number up at the top of the chart.  Yeah, STUPID LITTLE MISTAKES!  An insecurity of mine is that other people will think that I am unintelligent.  Well, if I keep making such air-heady mistakes they just might!  Maybe I need to dye my hair back to brown or red or anything but this blonde!  It really does not suit me.  I made a couple return calls to patient families, I even called in an Rx or two.  All of this office work is a completely new ball game for me, in the ER I was spoiled.  I had the wonder Aimee or Denise to do all of that dirty work for me!  I should probably send them a belated thank you box of chocolates....
     The first half of lunch I spent eating and studying immunization forms and the second half I spent relaxing on the couch reading GoT book 2.  I really need to finish that book, I've been "reading" it since September.  I brought home my awesome drug rep swag today.  I got a nifty tussinex clock and a baller FocalinXR stapler/tape dispenser duo!  I also got a few free ice packs for my freezer!
     I skipped the gym today because I wanted to get some chores completed.  I told myself I'd paint a bit more tonight but so far I haven't gotten to it.  I'm willing to gesture that I will not get to it tonight.  I put away the clean dishes, finished folding my laundry, and most importantly I attempted to enroll in Tricare.  Who knew this would be such a lengthy endeavor?!  Oh wait, its something Army.  Duh, everyone knows it takes forever.  Everyone but me.  I just spent an hour mucking about on various webpages that promise to assist you in enrolling ONLINE!  Yeah no, they don't.  I finally broke down and called the 1-800 help line at 1915.  Call center closed at 1900, fuck you, call back tomorrow.  ARRRRRRGH!
     For dinner I had a delightful tuna tettrizini, honey bran bread and a few pieces of dark chocolate.  I also added my milk, flour and sugar to the friendship bread!  A few more days and I'll get to bake up a storm!  I'm tempted to make this deployment-friendly cake recipe I discovered.  I figured I should practice now so I can tweak the recipe if needed before he actually deploys. 
    My granny was moved out of the ICU and onto the medical floor this afternoon!  I got to speak to her a little bit last night which meant the world to me, but made me cry like a baby.  She told me what she thought had happened, all about her nurses, and of course how they won't let her eat and have her tea.  I said she has to get better and be nice to the nurses since I'm not there to make sure she behaves, she replied that I can always fly up for the funeral.  I cracked.  Not only did I sob uncontrollably, but I also managed to lecture my granny.  Literally a good 10 minute lecture on how she is not allowed to say things like that, and that she needs to survive and keeps a good positive spirit blah blah.  My closing argument as to why she a)couldn't say things like that and b)couldn't die yet, I wouldn't allow her to was 1) she had not met Mitchell and 2) she hasn't seen my adorable babies yet.  Like a trooper, my granny conceded and promised that she would not give up or let go until she saw and held one of my little babies.  Now I'm convinced this will keep her around for awhile because she is very motivated to kidnap my offspring.  She actually said she wanted to kidnap my offspring for awhile, maybe a few years, then send them back when they hit the tantrum phase.  I've always been convinced that my granny will outlive us all, she is seriously a strong, fiesty, British woman.  Let us hope my conviction is correct.  Today she is much better, she is already complaining about how the food is bland, she needs salt, and how her tea is weak, can she have a few more bags.  This is all apart of her normal hospital cycle, she calls it the game she plays.  She even asked my aunt to bring her glasses, no not those glasses, the other glasses that I NEVER USE.  Bring those. I'm optimistic that she will be back home by the end of this week!  I'm very grateful for my aunty for driving down to take care of granny in my place, and I'm very thankful for the wonderful staff at Benefis.  They always treat my granny well and have gone out of their way to keep me updated on her status. 

Reading my book.  Of course I'm vain enough to take a picture of that.  My real excuse is that Mitchell will now know what I was doing :)

My lunch!  Yogurt, blueberrys, nutritious sammich (not pictured,) and paper.

Tussinex clock!  It is in the master bathroom!

BAMF stapler/tape dispenser duo.  You know you want one.