Change is in the air

So, 3 days into my new job, I got an email from the assistant director of Advanced Practice Services at Childrens saying that the endocinology PNP job that I had been waiting to get approved (and was told that it most likely wouldn't be approved in 2010), was now approved and did I want the job? I sadly turned down the position because I felt like I needed to keep my committments to the pre-surgical department since I had just started with them. It was very bittersweet, but I knew that God had me where He wanted me and I trusted that fact.
I ran into the medical director of the endocrine clinic at the end of my first week and told him that I had turned the position down because I felt like I couldn't morally take this job since I had just started that week in pre-surg...he understood but was disappointed.
I didn't tell my current manager about any of these converstations because I felt like I had made my committment...
So, three weeks later, my current manager came to me and said that "it had been made known to her" that I had originally wanted to work in the endocrinology department and now a position was avaliable. I then told her what had gone on the past year (this process started last Feb!!), and how they had approached me with the job, how I had turned it down, etc. She then said, "The true travesty would be that you don't get to do what you really want to do." She essentially said that she was not kicking me out of pre-surg, but wanted me to do what I really wanted to do.
So, starting in March, I will transfer to the endocrinology department to work as a nurse practitioner, doing what I love! I am so excited and thankful for opened doors, once again.

SNOW!!

What I came home to after work today...

Baby Shower for Callie Marie!

Miss Callie Marie will be making her appearance in the next month or so, but before she arrives, we wanted to throw a little shin-dig for her great momma, Ali. So, this past Saturday evening, about 20 ladies showed up at our house for a dessert shower...and had a great time!


One of the many super-cute burp cloths



Kudos to Emily for coming....she only had a baby 2 weeks ago!


Friends at the shower


The hostesses (minus Emily) and Ali!

New Year, New Job, New Role

On January 1, 2010 I finished my last day on C6 at Children's as a floor nurse. It was such a bittersweet day for me because I love, love, love my C6 family. They have all been so supportive of me while the school year was so crazy and I have had so many great days with them. Who could forget Sylvia's "Jacked Up" Cheer or her rendition of "She Works Hard for Her Money." Or, how we all came together with the addition of the EMU, or the transition between splitting services this past fall? Sufficiet to say, Jan 1 was a sad day. But, I was excited about my new job as a pediatric nurse practitioner.

So, on Jan 4, 2010, I started in the Pavillion Surgical Center at Children's as a PNP.
So far, so good. Everyone has been so kind, my preceptor has introduced me to everyone and is making sure that I feel comfortable. It has been such a great blessing.
Below are pictures from my going-away dinner at Mattitos with the C6 crowd....I miss them!!

Christmas a little late

I love Christmas so very much. I feel like I wait all year long for Christmas to come, then it goes by so fast and I turn around and it's almost the middle of January. At least it's still cold!
Here's some pics from our Christmas.... can I tell you how much I loved that it snowed on Christmas Eve and we woke up to a white Christmas on Christmas Day?!

Our house on Christmas Day


Christmas Day at Mom and Papi's

Cameron and Doobie

Cameron

Max

Carolyn and Kathryn

We had a great Christmas- we spent most of Christmas Eve at my parents' house, getting ready for Mexican Christmas. I loved being able to be with all of my family while getting food ready and watching the snow fall and wind blow. Amazing. We had a great time with my dad's side of the family that night, but missed the Oklahoma side who couldn't get here because of the weather. We braved the icy streets and went to Watermark's 11:00pm Christmas Eve service, which is one of my favorite things about Christmas- truly reminds us what Christmas is about.

Christmas Day we woke up to snow!! We went to Mike's parents' house and had Christmas lunch and presents with his side of the family. We also enjoyed a little competition as we had a game of Monopoly....and his family was then made aware that I don't have mental math skills. :)

That afternoon, we headed back to my parents' house to open family gifts with them. It was fun to watch Cameron try to open presents- Mike even taught him how to head-butt Doobie the dog. After a fabulous, long day, Mike and I went home and had our Christmas....and then went to bed.

Burned

This is what happens when you get 300 degree liquid peanut brittle on your finger....



It hurts!!!!

News...

So I finally got a real job as a nurse practitioner! I will be starting January 4th in the pre-surgical department at Children's Medical Center in Dallas. What this means is that I will be doing histories and physicals, labs, x-rays, etc of the kiddos coming in for day surgery that day. This means that my hours will be 6am-2pm, Monday thru Friday. No holidays, no weekends and no call. Fabulous!! And, I still get to wear scrubs!

And the best news yet, my Starbucks drive thru opens at 5:00am, not 5:30am. I know this sounds lame, but I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to get coffee on my way to work because I thought they opened at 5:30am and that wouldn't work for me to get there by 6am. So when I found out they opened earlier, it literally made my day. I know, it's really sad. But semi-regular Starbucks makes my mornings better, especially when I'm going to be getting up at 4:30am!!

I turned in my 50 page credentialing packet for insurance companies and Medicaid earlier this week, so hopefully the credentialing process will go smoothly!!

So, I am VERY thankful that God has provided this job for me and opened and closed different doors along the way. I am learning again and again that He does have different plans than I originally think. The much-awaited endocrine position still hasn't worked out, but I am thankful to try my hand at pre-surgical and think this will be a great place to start and learn and should be a good fit for me. I am excited about doing something different and learning new things. Also, meeting new docs, seeing who's who in the surgical department, and being mentored by a nurse pracitioner who has worked a long time in this particular department. We shall see what happens....