It's the witching hour...really. It's 430am on Halloween. I'm at work. And, it's the hardest hour of the night. I came into work with loads of energy and at this very moment, it's all been zapped. I've tried eating and drinking, to no avail. I'm wondering what a madhouse Franklin street and traffic is going to be tonight when I have to come in to work. I'm hoping it'll be smooth sailing!
Let's talk about how cute Seth is when he looks up at the animals over his swing and smiles and coos. I probably took 15 pictures of him smiling today at them. And, it's a little unreal. I keep telling myself it's the Jay in him. Jay's nickname was "Beamer" because that's just how he has been from the get go. Is get go a word? Getgo. Get-go Get go. Who knows. Enjoy the pictures. I've posted one of me holding Seth in my "sheet sling." Another is of us getting the peppermint mocha baby shakes at Chickfila. SSoooo good! PYe. You need to go to bed.~Kimmie
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
pictures
As you can tell, I'm a little better about uploading pictures than I am about actually blogging. I think this deserves a little bit of explanation on my part. I can upload pictures directly from my blackberry to the blogsite. I can also blog by email (from my blackberry) but that takes too long :0) So, I upload pics that are darling and forget to (or don't get the time to) actually blog :( So, when I come to work, I usually have time to blog and update everyone about my life. That's my apology for not writing much throughout the week.
Let's see. We haven't done ANYTHING yet for Halloween. We've managed to put up a Halloween sign on the door and the garage door. Other than that, we haven't done anything. We haven't gotten Parker a costume yet. Seth, of course will be a pumpkin (just like Parker was :) and we're thinking that Parker will want to be Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas is the apple of his eye right now. I'm thinking we'll be getting that on ...Wednesday. Does that make me horrible? We will probably be going to get our pumpkins then too. That way, they'll be cute after Halloween for a while. I'm sad that I have to work on Halloween. Okay, bottom line is, that I'm devastated. But, I know that there's next year. And, at least I get to be home for Christmas :) I think we are going to get the kids all dressed up on Thursday night and take them over to the grandparents to "trick or treat"...it'll be a surprise maybe. I really do want to go to a corn maze and pick out our pumpkin from a pumpkin patch. I don't want a wal-mart pumpkin. I'm a snob, and I know it. :0) Plus, I think Parker Jay needs to run down the rows like the maniac 2 year old that he is. I mean, it's kindof expected at the pumpkin patch, you know? Please see the attached picture below of Parker Jay in his orange ghost shirt that Jay took. I made him send it to me so that I could post it. It's ADORABLE and makes my heart smile. I hope that it makes your heart smile too.
Pumpkin and mum hugs,
Kimmie
Let's see. We haven't done ANYTHING yet for Halloween. We've managed to put up a Halloween sign on the door and the garage door. Other than that, we haven't done anything. We haven't gotten Parker a costume yet. Seth, of course will be a pumpkin (just like Parker was :) and we're thinking that Parker will want to be Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas is the apple of his eye right now. I'm thinking we'll be getting that on ...Wednesday. Does that make me horrible? We will probably be going to get our pumpkins then too. That way, they'll be cute after Halloween for a while. I'm sad that I have to work on Halloween. Okay, bottom line is, that I'm devastated. But, I know that there's next year. And, at least I get to be home for Christmas :) I think we are going to get the kids all dressed up on Thursday night and take them over to the grandparents to "trick or treat"...it'll be a surprise maybe. I really do want to go to a corn maze and pick out our pumpkin from a pumpkin patch. I don't want a wal-mart pumpkin. I'm a snob, and I know it. :0) Plus, I think Parker Jay needs to run down the rows like the maniac 2 year old that he is. I mean, it's kindof expected at the pumpkin patch, you know? Please see the attached picture below of Parker Jay in his orange ghost shirt that Jay took. I made him send it to me so that I could post it. It's ADORABLE and makes my heart smile. I hope that it makes your heart smile too.
Pumpkin and mum hugs,
Kimmie
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Life is good
I was web surfing tonight and got a chance to look on the life is good website...y'all know how much I LOOOVE that stuff! They have an area on their website where people have written in to them to tell them how Life is Good has impacted their lives. Can I tell you, I had tears running down my cheeks? Now, I know I'm a sap but there were stories on there that really truly touched my heart! Perhaps the most memorable one was the guy that wrote in about his grandmother. The Christmas before she died, she sent life is good stickers in all of her children's Christmas cards. She died a month later or something...in January. So, at her funeral, the guy handed out 200 life is good stickers to everyone at the service. Now, doesn't that tear you up?! I love this. I would hope that someone would do that at my funeral. Life goes on, and it's GOOD. There were also stories of soldiers in Iraq that have had life is good stuff sent to them and it reminds them of home and keeps them motivated and makes them feel a piece of home. I have a friend from high school named Andrew who is in Iraq -and I talked to Jay tonight about sending him a Life is Good decal around Christmas just to let him know there are people here pulling for him and hoping he stays safe over there. Regardless of how anyone feels about the war...they need love and support, you know? So, I think we're going to send him one.
The day of my college graduation, everyone was decorating the tops of their hats so that their families could find them and just ....to express theirselves. I decorated mine with LIFE IS GOOD in bright colors. I would hope that people would know that's my motto. And, that I live everyday like it's my life. Free as a bird. Blowing along like a tumbleweed with my love and lifepartner Jay.
I hope that you find a piece of life is good today...in the leaf that has fallen to the ground, in the blue sky, in the smell of burning wood. Imagine, we live one time..and we should just cherish it all.
Oh, and just because you can...I vote that you should run by Starbucks today and treat yourself to a peppermint mocha. :)
Baby hugs and family love from mine to yours!!
~Kimmie
The day of my college graduation, everyone was decorating the tops of their hats so that their families could find them and just ....to express theirselves. I decorated mine with LIFE IS GOOD in bright colors. I would hope that people would know that's my motto. And, that I live everyday like it's my life. Free as a bird. Blowing along like a tumbleweed with my love and lifepartner Jay.
I hope that you find a piece of life is good today...in the leaf that has fallen to the ground, in the blue sky, in the smell of burning wood. Imagine, we live one time..and we should just cherish it all.
Oh, and just because you can...I vote that you should run by Starbucks today and treat yourself to a peppermint mocha. :)
Baby hugs and family love from mine to yours!!
~Kimmie
Friday, October 16, 2009
happy days!
As you can tell by the pictures below, Parker Jay LOVES being outside. We've been trying to teach him how to pedal on his red tricycle. Um, he has the hang of it, going DOWNHILL but doesn't seem to be quite strong enough to pedal himself on a flat ground. He seems to be developing his daredevil skills, because he really likes to turn around and go down the same hilly spots and get going fast. I can already tell we have a little Bam Margera on our hands. The faster, the better...well, I think he has that honest! When he starts waking us up doing firecrackers in the house at 2am, I guess we'll have to have a discussion. For the time being, I guess I'm okay with him going super fast and getting a thrill out of it. I mean, that's living right? He knows daddy is there to catch him at the end of the incline and grins ear to ear. It's adorable. The other night, we went and got him up at like 2am and let him sleep with us in the middle of the bed all snuggled up and warm. It was pretty priceless. And, I cherished it. And, I think we'll be doing that more often, especially on these chilly nights. Every kid deserves to snuggle every once-in-awhile and have breakfast in bed :)
Seth- nothing new with that guy. Still sweet as ever. We took our first trip to Wal-mart yesterday with him and I walked around with him in the baby bjorn. By the time we were leaving, my back was KILLING me but I was so happy with how easy it was to use and how happy he was snuggled up inside. It was chilly outside but he was super warm and that made me feel good. We went to BJs today and our carseat doesn't lock into the top part of the cart so I took a cart with Seth in it and Jay pushed a cart for our groceries *which we filled up!!
Fall is here, and it's wonderful. It's family. It's friends, it's warmth.
Hope your fall is memorable.
~Kimmie
Seth- nothing new with that guy. Still sweet as ever. We took our first trip to Wal-mart yesterday with him and I walked around with him in the baby bjorn. By the time we were leaving, my back was KILLING me but I was so happy with how easy it was to use and how happy he was snuggled up inside. It was chilly outside but he was super warm and that made me feel good. We went to BJs today and our carseat doesn't lock into the top part of the cart so I took a cart with Seth in it and Jay pushed a cart for our groceries *which we filled up!!
Fall is here, and it's wonderful. It's family. It's friends, it's warmth.
Hope your fall is memorable.
~Kimmie
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Fall
Let's blog about how much I love fall can we? This morning I was leaving work, walking out to my car and as soon as the doors opened and the chill hit me, it felt real finally. Fall. Oh, my favorite. The sky was still grey and dark since it was about 730....and oh...I just took a deep breath and cherished it. I love this time of year when there's a chill in the air and the crunch of fallen leaves make music under my tired feet. There's something rejuvinating and refreshing about it. The State Fair will be here, pumpkins will start popping up on porches, funny looking gourds will be out, and if you try hard enough, you can just smell fresh baked pumpkin pie, you can feel the wet seeds in your fingers and think of how gross those pumpkin seeds feel inside the pumpkin. Everyone will be eating their Halloween candy before halloween and picking out costumes for the kids. By November, you'll be sick of the site of candy corn and remember the tummy ache you had from them. If you're like me, you like biting each color section off at a time...it's fun. :) Knitted scarves and matching mittens will be making their debut too and people will be bundled up. Kids will be walking around with HUGE coats on and waddling like penguins because their mom is making them wear their coat that they HATE. (I remember those days too) ...what else do I love about fall? Warmth. I love how it can be freezing outside and you walk into a friend's house, or your mom's house, or your own home and automatically, your insides start to warm up. Not just from the heat, but from the love. It just seems more tangible this time of the year amidst the hustle and bustle. I've always loved fall. When I was in elementary school, I wrote a poem about leaves and won an award; my teacher sent a letter home stating that I had won an award for my poem but my mom never got to see it. Either I lost it in my "Monday folder" or the teacher lost it. Regardless, fall has always been my favorite. I hope that if fall isn't your favorite, that you can just close your eyes and think of all the things you love and be right there in that moment. My moment....crunchy leaves, the smell of burning leaves and real fireplaces; oh, it's sweet.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
hunky dory
So, things are hunky dory! I was driving on my way to work today thinking about what a rich woman I am. Rich in the fact that I have a car, a roof, a wonderful lifemate/soulmate/friend/husband, 2 healthy and happy boys, a job, and a positive outlook on life. There are so many people, people that I'm sure you know...who wake up, drag theirselves into work, and never crack a smile. How? I feel sorry for those folks because I think back to how rich I am and think that they must have nothing. I guess I would feel like they do if I was missing any of the parts to my life. I would feel empty in some way. That's the only rationale that I have for these people who walk around with the weight of the world on their shoulders. I can only imagine what stress THEY must be under. I mean, I feel that my life is WAAAY too stressful. But, to have it reflected so much on the outside must be horrible, you know? It's the meditation in my heart that I never have to know what it feels like to wake up frowning, stay that way all day, and go to bed frowning. I hope that I always know that I can choose differently for my life. And, I hope to teach my kids that important lesson. I think that's one thing I hope they get from me if nothing else. If you don't like your life, do all of us a favor and change it. Change your job, change your outlook. If you can't change it, then who can?! Okay, sorry I got on my soapbox for a bit. I didn't take any pictures on my cellphone of the kids today...and that makes me sad a little. I think that's a first. I'll have to double up tomorrow :)
Friday, October 09, 2009
yawn
I'm back tonight at work for my second week :( Not doing so bad, I guess the good news is that we all made it through the week and we haven't killed anyone or each other yet :) Sleep is getting harder to come by with mister Parker in the house throughout the week and we just keep thinking that once Sethie is sleeping through the night, we'll be golden! My breastmilk volume took a nosedive this week and Jay seems to think it's because I'm not drinking enough fluids...I think it's a combo of a lot of things...probably not drinking enough, not sleeping enough, only breastpumping (not doing any breastfeeding), and burning my candle at all ends. The good news, is that today before leaving for work, I breastfed Seth and he LOVED it, and I had to use a nipple shield because he still wants to BITE with his gums! But, we both did well and tonight when I pumped here at work, I had 2 oz more than I've been having. So, I think I'm just going to try to start exclusively breastfeeding at home and we'll see how it goes. As long as I can use the nipple shield, it'll be fine. We'll see.
I spoke with the nurse manager in the NCCC and she was supposed to have the assistant nurse manager call me to set up an interview this past week. The assistant nurse manager called and left me a message saying that I need to go through HR so they can do a background check and verify my RN licensure. Imagine my insanity when I listened to the voicemail...um HELLOOOO I already work for UNC! Anyways, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. It just feels like a ton of paperwork, drama, and ass kissing right now to do all of that. The message also said that when they hire someone who doesn't have NCCC experience, they usually start them all together on orientation and they just started one so probably wouldn't have another one for "quite some time." Blah blahdee blah blah. Bottomline is, when you want something bad enough, nothing will stop you. So I guess I will just try to be happy with where I am right now. I want to work straight weekend-nights for the money and as long as my present unit can give me that, I need to make it work...money is more important right now than a 3 year goal.
I guess I'm signing off for the night...
Hope everyone is well and happy and tucked in warm...
I'm ready for a state fair caramel apple!!
MMMMM....
Baby hugs,
Kimmie
I spoke with the nurse manager in the NCCC and she was supposed to have the assistant nurse manager call me to set up an interview this past week. The assistant nurse manager called and left me a message saying that I need to go through HR so they can do a background check and verify my RN licensure. Imagine my insanity when I listened to the voicemail...um HELLOOOO I already work for UNC! Anyways, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. It just feels like a ton of paperwork, drama, and ass kissing right now to do all of that. The message also said that when they hire someone who doesn't have NCCC experience, they usually start them all together on orientation and they just started one so probably wouldn't have another one for "quite some time." Blah blahdee blah blah. Bottomline is, when you want something bad enough, nothing will stop you. So I guess I will just try to be happy with where I am right now. I want to work straight weekend-nights for the money and as long as my present unit can give me that, I need to make it work...money is more important right now than a 3 year goal.
I guess I'm signing off for the night...
Hope everyone is well and happy and tucked in warm...
I'm ready for a state fair caramel apple!!
MMMMM....
Baby hugs,
Kimmie
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Saturday, October 03, 2009
career path?
Alright. So, here's the deal. I'm bored at work. I have a thirst for knowledge and learning and ....right now, it's all totally self-driven. I'm not being stimulated or learning anything. I'm really needing a challenge and a drive at work. I'm crazy right? Just had another baby, I have a toddler at home, and I'm looking for a challenge?? That's just me. I never take an easy path, really. The job that I have right now, it's easy. It's quiet. It's almost mindless, really. The patients are all the same with the exception of their social situation. And, no offense but I think I'm better than this. I'm ready to step it up. I've been a registered nurse for 4 years and it's time for me to have a career and not just a job. I want long-term goals and self-satisfaction. Just being a "registered nurse" isn't enough for me anymore. I've always wanted to fly. But, I'm worried about the skills. I want the training; the hands-on. I want to learn before I'm just thrown into flight nursing. And, that's good because that's required anyways. But obviously, I can't do that if I'm mother/baby nursing. And, I don't want to be pigeon-holed into doing mother/baby for the rest of my life. (NO OFFENSE) I need adventure, change, stimulation in my job. So, I've emailed the nurse manager of the Newborn Critical Care Unit here at UNC. My goal right now (yay, for having a GOAL) is to work there for 3 years or so and get some hard core, hands on skills. I want to pick brains again, ask questions of physicians and nurse practitioners again, and really grow as a nurse. I don't feel like I'm growing as a nurse right now, I just feel comfortable. The nurse manager emailed me back and wants me to call her on Monday. These are the reasons that I wrote to her in the email that I'd like to work for her--I miss cutting edge technology and research and evidence-based practice, I miss education from my peers and colleagues and collaboration with physicians, I miss feeling like I have a career, if I worked on a higher-skilled unti, I would feel more driven, I'm bored at work and feel understimulated, I miss seeing patients get better before my eyes, It's time for me to expect more of myself, I'm thirsty for acceleration, now that I have 2 well children of my own, I'm not scared of taking care of preemies, I want to feel like what I do makes a difference EVERY time I clock in for work. I want to know that I'm moving forward, not backwards, I want the opportunity for advancement, I want purpose in my job. I'm hoping that things go well. I'm not sure what she wants to talk to me about on Monday. I'm just excited about this time in my career. I'm thankful that I'm with a supportive husband who says, "whatever makes you happy, you need to do." I think that if I wasn't feeling so nourished in other parts of my life, I wouldn't have the desire or energy or passion to succeed at work. I'm excited about my future...every aspect of it. I promise to keep you updated!
Oh, on another note, Seth did well lastnight while I was gone..poor Jay looked so tired and beat when I got home! He's wanting to eat and eat and eat. But, that's what happens when you're born weighing 8lbs 8oz I guess! Life is good.
~Baby hugs,
Kimmie
Oh, on another note, Seth did well lastnight while I was gone..poor Jay looked so tired and beat when I got home! He's wanting to eat and eat and eat. But, that's what happens when you're born weighing 8lbs 8oz I guess! Life is good.
~Baby hugs,
Kimmie
Friday, October 02, 2009
Back to the daily grind...
Well, tonight is my first night back at work :( I'm staying busy so haven't really been able to think about the actuality of it all. I must say that when I got in the car and started driving away from home I had the strangest feeling...and I don't know quite how to describe it. I guess it's because it was the first time I was really separated from Sethie since he's been born. And, it felt like I was leaving a piece of myself behind. I realize that literally, I was leaving a part of myself behind. However, that's not what I mean. I wonder if other moms feel this way and could perhaps explain it better. It's bizarre. I mean, for almost 10 months he was inside of me, growing and having hiccups and punching me. Since his birth, he has woke us up every 3 hours to feed and in between for dirty diapers. And, I just got in the car and came to work. So strange. He is there with Jay and I am here at work. I think I mourned a little on the way to work because for the 10 months :) that I was pregnant, I was carrying around a little Jay inside of me; no matter where I was or what I was doing, he was there too...well a piece of him. Now, he is home and has a piece of me to carry around with him. So odd!! Perhaps I'm just thinking about it too much. That's what my mother would say. I've been pumping here at work tonight...I'm blessed to have a job that allows me to do that and doesn't make it an inconvenience for me to do so. I'm also blessed (SOOO blessed) to have a wonderful husband who is fully capable and trustworthy to be home with the kids. I have to say that I don't really trust anyone BUT him with our kids.I don't know where the mistrust comes from...but if I'm honest, it's there. He's smart, and does things thorough. I mean, I know that if a bottle is only good for another hour, he's not going to stretch it at all to 2. And, that makes working and being away from him and Seth easier on me. Well, as easy as I guess it could be. I guess if I wasn't here, I wouldn't be updating my blog. I'd be doing something Seth-related. I wonder how the day will be tomorrow. I know that Jay will let me sleep. I just wonder how the pumping and all will be...if I'll have to get up to pump or if it'll be like nighttime has been, and I'll have decreased milk while I'm sleeping. That would be awesome. But, I'm thankful for the milk that I have been able to pump. Luckily, we have literally half the freezer full. And, we're in the market for a standup or stand-alone freezer for our garage. I mean, we need it for frozen foods anyways. :)
Parker Jay is very sweet lately. And, the only time he is really giving us tantrum trouble is when it's time for him to nap. He's been having alone-playtime in his room for about 30 minutes a day and he really seems to enjoy it. We hear him talking to himself, talking on his play phone, playing with the doorstopper, etc... the other day, Jay went in to check on him, and he told him to close the door!! He likes to kiss Seth on the head repeatedly and when he hears Seth crying, he says "baby crying." When we get ready to go for a walk, he says "baby coming?" It's pretty adorable. He melted my heart yesterday when he came and sat right on my lap during Madagascar 2. I literally looked at Jay with tears in my eyes. What a sweet soul.
Anyways, I just wanted to update the blog. I know it's been awhile.
Take care,
Baby hugs,
Kimmie
Parker Jay is very sweet lately. And, the only time he is really giving us tantrum trouble is when it's time for him to nap. He's been having alone-playtime in his room for about 30 minutes a day and he really seems to enjoy it. We hear him talking to himself, talking on his play phone, playing with the doorstopper, etc... the other day, Jay went in to check on him, and he told him to close the door!! He likes to kiss Seth on the head repeatedly and when he hears Seth crying, he says "baby crying." When we get ready to go for a walk, he says "baby coming?" It's pretty adorable. He melted my heart yesterday when he came and sat right on my lap during Madagascar 2. I literally looked at Jay with tears in my eyes. What a sweet soul.
Anyways, I just wanted to update the blog. I know it's been awhile.
Take care,
Baby hugs,
Kimmie
Thursday, October 01, 2009
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About Me
- Oak City Books
- Welcome to my blog. It's a dedicated place for my book reviews, criticism, and love of all things bookish. I am a mom of 4 busy kids that uses reading as my, "thing." I find that reading books turns off all (okay, mostly all?) of the noise of my world and lets me get away for a bit. Reading helps me escape the reality of the piles of laundry that will never be done, the dust bunnies that I swear will one day grow legs, and the emails and outlook calendar that occupy my life Monday- Friday during working hours. Reading is therapy for me and always has been. I've always been a big dork, introverted, creative, and reflective. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd probably open up a used bookstore with my standard poodle somewhere on the side of the mountain and surround myself by others who enjoy passing their time reading. Until then, I'll keep on keeping on. And, I'll settle for reading when I can. Which, I try to fit in as much as possible. Cheers to your busy life and mine, doing the best we can, as often as we can.