double the haircuts, double the fun

It happened, our little baby boys looked less like babies & more like little boys today when they got their first official haircut. When I say "first official" I mean by someone that actually knows what they are doing. If the boys could put all these words together they would have said "Mommy, we are desperate for you to quit trying to make us look as handsome as you picture in your head....it never works & you have no skills in the hair cutting department." Since the two year old birthday is fast approaching, I thought they deserved to look less like scraggly little guys & more like clean cut cowboys. 

Much happened leading up to the actual haircut that I cannot leave out due to the humor factor. I took a recommendation from a friend to see a stylist at Preston Center which is in a large building above multiple stores & a gym. She takes cash or check only & I packed my checkbook in my purse but repacked my wallet into the diaper bag so halfway there I had to rush through the bank to obtain the necessary cashola. I was already running a little behind so that added a few minutes. 

Once we arrived to this massive building I followed the directions to the parking garage to find that it was only 6 foot 2 inch clearance & I need closer to 8 feet for the Expedition with the rack on top. I went around the building a couple times looking for an outside spot until I approached a car leaving.  I was glad to see a spot but horrified to attempt parallel parking my badonkadonk vehicle after a 5 month hiatus from driving that ceased only 6 days ago. To make matters worse, the car in front was a BMW & the car behind was a Lexus. My heart was racing with attempt number one that was laughable. I then reoriented my self & slipped right in there like I was working for a valet service that specializes in parallel parking! It was then I thought "I still got it!" I loaded the boys in the double stroller & was on the move. 

Next order of business...finding the suite.  The specific directions said to go up to level two or three in the garage I could not fit in & enter the building on that level.  I had no idea where else to go & she didn't answer the phone so there I was, a crazy lady with a double stroller hightailing it around & up, around & up the parking garage avoiding cars left & right. I am thankful we did not get run over & also that I did not pass out. I made it to the entrance, squeezed the stroller through a narrow doorway & came to an abrupt stop as I hit a dead end at the bottom of a half flight of stairs. I was breathing heavily & staring at them thinking through my options. They were as follows...

1. unload 2 almost 2 year olds, let them run free while I drag the stroller to the top of the stairs 
2. go up another level of the parking garage & pray that there is a handicapped entrance
3. throw out my back or accidentally catapult the boys out of the stroller while attempting to pull the stroller up the stairs

I was still contemplating when I heard a voice behind me saying " What do you think? Can you make it?" I laughed out loud as I turned around. It was the kindest woman who was maybe about 10 years ahead of me in parenting that said, "I have been there, I think we can take it!" Oh Lord, thank you for Leslie, her strong arms & impressive balance as we carried the stroller up a narrow flight of stairs, the boys flat on their back while Anson declared over & over "Fun! Fun! Fun!"

We finally made it to where we needed to be. I breathed a sigh of relief & looked at two scraggly boys to decide who got to go first. Owen was the first out of the womb & often the one to go first. I saw this situation no different & hoisted him up onto the chair. I say "hoist" but that is probably a more appropriate word for how I feel when lifting Anson ; ) Anyway, Owen was alright for about a half a second until the tears started flowing. He was sooo sad but never moved a muscle. BIG tears were rolling down his cheeks & he was adorable. 

After a few minutes, he decided it wasn't worth it. He was still as serious as can be & quite handsome with his new cut.

My child who usually gives a big grin when you say "Owee, say cheese!" Stone cold he was.

Stone cold that is until he swapped seats with his bub & got a lollipop. 

We decided to go ahead & give Anson a lollipop when he got in the chair. It worked wonders for the mood. This picture is SO Anson who doesn't get riled up about much. 

 

He was sticky & happy for the remainder of his cut.

Final result was equally as handsome as his bub...

By the end, Owen was ready to get the heck outta there before that woman tried to put clippers up to his head again while Anson was laid back digesting his yummy treat.

but of course, there had to be some "nuggles"...

They look older but are still our little babies : ) 

Valentines with the Valentines

We really do enjoy Valentines Day around our home & this year was no exception.  Not only was it a lovely holiday but a day to celebrate because MAMA got behind the wheel again! The day began around 7 when Robby threw me the keys & deemed me the driver to the donut shop around the corner. He figured it was an easy driving test to boost my confidence ; ) I was placing our order & the lady kept trying to give me a total until I rolled down the back window & she counted all the kids...then she laughed & continued allowing me to order an absurd amount of sweet treats! We have been eating rather healthy (for the most part) since the beginning of the year & splurged that morning on some delicious donuts & kolaches. The girls were excited about the Valentine themed sprinkles & the boys were excited about any bite of any thing that was purchased there. 

We have a love-hate relationship with "donut day." It sure is fun & all are excited but man oh man, the boys are insane screaming "MORE, MORE" with a full mouth of food & plenty on their plates. It's like they have never been fed in their life. Following the sugar high is the sugar crash that makes us say "we are never getting donuts again!" All that to say, it is rarely worth it but on "our" special day it was. 

Instead of buying cards for the kids, I asked Robby what he thought about drawing the girls pictures since he is pretty talented when it comes to paper & pencil. He quickly agreed & the eve of Valentines Day, we got to work. The final product makes me smile & made the girls smile too. 

For Charlotte, Robby decided to draw all of us including Bella Blue driving around town with him singing The Lumineers Ho Hey "I belong with you, you belong with me you're my sweetheart" which is a family favorite for belting out while on repeat. The boys even request it saying "Hey Hey Ho." 

For Eloise he drew himself with the girls riding/hanging off the cart at Central Market. We have been going there on Saturdays as a family & it is always fun & almost always a little painful. I love that Eloise has on her cowboy boots which she wears about 90% of the time. She has acclimated to the lone star state well! The song he chose for her is also by The Lumineers & is called Elouise. He sings it to her often & she actually knows the chorus by heart. We have to laugh that the first part of the chorus is "Eloise, why'd you leave?" since she takes off in Lolo world & requires us to chase her down for safety's sake.  Very appropraite words....

Robby definitely shows me up when it comes to drawing but I made my best attempt to brighten the girls' day with my rendition of a happy moment.  Robby said they both look like mini'me's & we had a good laugh about the banana boat in the drawing for Charlotte.

I made a quick stop at CVS on Friday evening to pick over the left overs. There were a couple adorable tween-age boys doing some shopping on the stuffed animal aisle. I left with some new Clifford toothbrushes, a couple of Reeses Hearts (my ultimate fave) & some stickers to fill the goody bags.

I think this house is my favorite for holiday decorations. My burlap banner ended up needing to be cut down to accommodate a doorway & the kitchen window.

In closing, here are our little Valentines, some calm, some silly & all sweet...

Oh, if you were wondering why Anson was making that face....it's because he was notified we ran out of donut holes which are called "roly balls" by the kids. That boy likes to eat ; )

Happy Valentine's Day

a year in review  

The Valentine Nest

MARCH- In February we remembered how much we loved driving 22 hours with our bunch & decided to take our second trip to Texas five weeks after returning home from our last trek. Dallas was full of excitement including receiving the news that our newest niece Olivia had arrived. While we were in Houston we witnessed my Maid of Honor saying “I do,” took our first family trip to the Houston Rodeo & celebrated TWO buckaroos turning ONE! We had a cowboy party (of course) & Owen beat Anson for the only time ever in a chocolate cake eating contest. We recounted much of the past year of watching two babies in the NICU grow to healthy toddlers & were beyond thankful for the Lord answering the prayers of many. During that challenging time we began to discuss the possibility of moving back to Dallas & in January received the news that Robby’s company may be winding down. After much consideration we made the decision to head back to Texas. We were thankful God had allowed us to be part of laying the foundation of a church plant that went from small to thriving right before our eyes.

APRIL- This month was filled to the brim with saying goodbye. We spent many moments with those placed in our lives.  Over six years, friends had become family & our lives were intertwined making it all the more difficult to share that last hug. Our dear friends, the Lents, hosted a farewell dinner with our close friends & it was a wonderful time reflecting on all the Lord had done in the years we served alongside Celebration Community Church. Toward the end of the month I went to Dallas for a job interview & three hours after my plane landed Robby called to let me know he was taking Charlotte to the ER after a scooter/truck collision. Thankfully the truck was parked, sadly the tailgate was down & sweet scootering Charlotte met that tailgate with her cheek! A little glue fixed her right up & Daddy, Grammy & Papa took excellent care of her while I was away.  Once I retuned, my mom arrived & we got moving packing a house full of memories

MAY- Just a few days into the month my mom & I flew to Dallas with the kids & I flew back to Orlando hours later. The kids got to relax & be doted on by a Grandma & Great Grandma while we, along with my Dad, loaded a big banana colored truck & left the sunshine for a lone star. Our last 24 hours of time in our house was nothing sort of exciting including me touching up paint in the playroom with the wrong shade of green. The best part was when we were ready to leave & the car keys had disappeared. After a long (tense) search they were located in the trash can in the garage. I was such a good helper…not really ; ) The two day expedition was long but easier with one puppy than with our children. The Valentines along with many boxes graciously welcomed our chaos into their home. I started a full time position as a Labor & Delivery RN. Over the course of three weeks we celebrated an anniversary, Mother’s Day & three birthdays between all of us Valentines. The favorite celebration was Eloise’s 3rd birthday. The theme was “Wild about Elo” but could have also been titled “Elo is wild.” We took a trip to the Dallas Zoo which she loved almost as much as she loved her pancakes for dinner.

JUNE- In all honesty, this month was insane! Trying to work full time & being away from the kids that much was hard on us plus we were packing up to move…again.  The Valentines blessed us with their all weeklong care of our four which made it more than bearable. Owen & Anson took off on two feet or four to be more accurate. This accomplishment really increased their happiness & the overall danger level in the home!  While it was crazy on the weekdays, the afternoons & weekends were full of relaxing in the great outdoors. The girls helped Papa plant a garden & watched it grow. They played in the sandbox & enjoyed the swing he put up for them... well all except Anson who was the lucky one that was swinging when the rope snapped. He was dangling upside down until rescued. Father’s Day was full of smokin’ meat, swimming & cold drinks on the back patio. Over the course of the month, we caught up with friends & prepared to move into a new home.

JULY- When we think back to how we ended up in our house we just smile as we consider God’s perfect timing. A friend happened to know a family who would be moving at the end of June making their home available for rent when we needed it. It was right in our price range, in a beautiful neighborhood & more space than we needed. The owners live next door & have been so kind to us. We moved into the house just before the 1^st. Robby lifted one too many boxes & his appendix ruptured resulting in emergency surgery followed by a four night hospital stay. One week later we celebrated Charlotte turning 5 years old. It was a big bash with lots of friends & family. She ran her own lemonade stand & made some good money ; ) For the rest of the month we helped Robby recover & tried our best to settle into the new place we would make our “home.” In the meantime, I switched to working night shift 2-3 nights a week which was a big transition for The Valentine Six! By the end of the month I began having episodes where I would have a déjà vu feeling & blurry vision followed by nausea. We weren’t really concerned at this point thinking it was something insignificant.

AUGUST- Robby was feeling much better & able to lift children again, Hallelujah! We began exploring the walking trails around the neighborhood even though it was still brutally humid. There were lots of turtles to see & a bridge away from the street that was perfect for scooter riders. Best part- no tailgates. Indoors, this month was spent preparing for our first official year of homeschooling a kindergartener. We found a Classical Conversations community near the house. We loved the experience last year & were excited to continue. The one day a week offers structured learning in many subjects while we work on math & reading at home. Schooling at home has been a challenge with little bitty ones but we have truly enjoyed learning together as a family. Our day in & day out time really offers the opportunity to work through issues in light of who God is & how he works.  The wisdom & encouragement offered by homeschooling moms in Orlando has been vital to pressing on & getting used to a daily routine that brings about more opportunity for learning & teaching our children about Jesus.

 SEPTEMBER- Robby’s company carried us along with just the right amount of income & ended the week prior to him starting a new job. The new position is in the same field of business but OUTSIDE the home for the first time in 7 years.  It has been an easy transition due to the increasing noise level at The Nest & the office being 3 feet away from the kitchen table which might be the loudest part of the house. The best part is that his office is 5 minutes away! He eats breakfast with us, sometimes surprises us for lunch & usually makes it home in time to help with the dinner time rush. It has been lovely & he has settled in nicely to a new role. On Labor Day I had an episode that left me on the floor following me rushing to the door to the backyard to get Robby’s attention. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back & I was at an internist’s office the next week. He referred me to a neurologist that we saw at the end of the month. Testing began & we were awaiting results. The order I received from the doctor was to not drive or bathe my children without supervision….nice combination ; ) On a lighter note, we loved hosting Robby’s brother, his wife, our nieces & nephew. 11 people in our house was fun & extremely loud! Lord willing they will be Poland bound this summer to serve as missionaries so any time with them is extra special.

OCTOBER- This was the year of enjoying as many Texan things as possible which had to include the State Fair! We enjoyed seeing Big Tex, riding the biggest ferris wheel in the USA & eating some fried food. My mom kidnapped me & the the kids  & took us to her house for a week which was a blast. She & I got crafty & made Halloween costumes for the kiddos. Our projects consisted of our very own cast from Peter Pan: Wendy, Peter, Mr. Smee & Captain Hook. They looked darling & the pictures still have us laughing when we see Eloise with her mustache, hook & sword. By the end of the month, following an abnormal EEG, the neurologist was able to diagnose me with a seizure disorder, started me on a medication & house arrest began. We have felt a little trapped but God has provided rest in our home & we have enjoyed the change of pace. Who really enjoys packing up & buckling in four kids five & under to take them out alone multiple times a week? I was happy to have an excuse to avoid the stress.

NOVEMBER- We enjoyed our year-round sunshine filled days in Florida but were excited to experience some seasons in Dallas. One of our favorite days this month was when our yard was COVERED in leaves. The kids had been begging me to build a hideout covered with leaves complete with a giant leaf pile to jump into. We spent lots of time playing. We spent much time doing these things one week much to the Fab Four’s delight. It was a little disappointing that I failed to scoop up something stinky & there were some gross moments in our jumping. We celebrated Thanksgiving with the Ellis family & reminisced about our holidays spent in Orlando filled with neighbors & different friends each year.

DECEMBER- We celebrated 10 years of marriage with a kid free three night trip to the Hill Country & had a lovely time. We laughed a lot this month making our own Valentine 12 Days of Christmas & Our Ten Top Ten lists for 10 years of marriage. We took a few weeks off school & did lots of playing. We celebrated Christmas with the Valentines then headed south to Kingwood for New Year’s where we were able to celebrate my mom’s birthday & play a LOT of Liverpool Rummy. As usual the kids were wired playing with their uncles for three days straight. They are pretty entertaining!

JANUARY- Eloise has joined our Classical Conversations class since she didn’t want to hang out with the “babies.” Both girls love what they are learning & teach Owen & Anson facts which they repeat randomly. They have also taught the boys the Fruit of the Spirit. We are so surprised by the ability for children to memorize things at such an early age! It is also pretty cute when each one takes a turn saying what is next. We are finally a part of a church in East Dallas called Christ City Church “that seeks to proclaim Christ in the everyday until He cannot be ignored” to quote the website. We have laughed that the abbreviation is “CCC” just like Celebration Community Church. We should have known that was where we would end up! We are beginning to meet with a couple of families who live nearby & are thankful to begin new friendships & serve together to minister to those around us.  As we teach the kids, “God is everywhere,” we are looking forward to seeing how that unfolds in Dallas. 

FEBRUARY- Bella Blue’s 10^th birthday is fast approaching & she surprisingly loves the non-stop attention from our clan. She tolerates playing “Pet Shop” & might cringe a little bit when the boys yell “RIDE!”  On Valentine’s Day (how appropriate) we will rejoice as I grab the car keys & actually drive myself somewhere! Another bit of exciting news, I am officially a stay at home mama after resigning from a job I have loved for over nine years. We are looking forward to the ways God will use that decision to care for our brood & nest we have made in the Lone Star State.

Praying for a joy-filled year for your family

-The Valentines-

Robby, Lauren, Charlotte, Eloise, Owen, Anson & Bella Blue

and since there were more than five pictures....

We are grateful for these little Valentines!

Out of the mouths of babes...

Anyone who has a child or spends any amount of time with a child has a story to share about hilarious things from "out of the mouths of babes." Sometimes it's appropriate to laugh out loud while other times you just have to keep it to yourself & laugh hard later with another adult. 

We have a front row seat to the Fab Fours' developing language skills & keep a running list of the "funnies" each day. Here are some favorites...

Charlotte

• ForEVER she has said "just cheesing" instead of "just teasing." All of us Valentines have followed suit since it is so adorable. Two other favorites that are said incorrectly are "chomp-stix" & "anglish" when she says "We speak Anglish right?" Really close Char. 
• She has two styles of jeans one of which are "skinny" jeans. These are her favorite & she has worn holes in the knees of two pairs over the past few months. When is is irritated that they are not clean (or have holes) she says begrudgingly "I guess I will just wear my fat jeans." That name takes on a whole new meaning later in life but for now it seems like an appropriate way to describe the opposite of skinnies. While on the subject of jeans, she is now calling the mattress on the floor a "jean machine." She slides her jeans onto her legs then jumps on the jean machine until she can pull them all the way up. I could use something like that in the postpartum period ; ) 
• The other day we were all on our way to a friends house. Charlotte rides in the middle row next to Anson & talks his ear off the entire time. Anytime she asks him "do you want to hear...?" he says quietly "mmm-hmm"with thumb in mouth & a straight face. The last conversation went a little something like this. C- "Anson, do you want to know what jail is like?"  A-"mmm-hmm" C- "well, it is a scary place where they lock you in a room with bars & they don't let you out. There are mean people there but the food is really great." We of course quoted The Office quietly from the front seat "Gruel sandwiches, gruel omelettes, nothing but gruel."

Eloise

• A few commonly spoken favorites..."Look! I can put my hands up-slide down" or "Schlep n Slide" for slip n slide. When she is talking about being slippery after a bath Rob encourages her to "schlep" into her jammies & slip into bed. S must be a popular letter for her because she also says "splacemat" for placemat, "smoodies" for smoothies & my personal favorite "smoot snacks" for fruit snacks.
• One of her frequent chores is feeding Bella. I overheard her as she was getting her breakfast in the cup. "Bella, how was your sleep night? You are a great dog even when you growl like a tiger." Just for the record Bella was not acting like a tiger.
• Every time she says "You are the greatest" she pauses for about 5 seconds & then follows with "but not the best like God." A few weeks ago she added on "but Uncle Kyle is pretty great because he is the longest & has long  legs, arms & a long neck."  He is pretty tall compared to that cute little thing. 
• I'm adding a 4th for her because being 3 allows for entertaining things to be said. Last week we were waiting at the doctors office & she said "I know this, mommies are really big, darlings are small & little babies like Owen are so small, like this big" as she spread her fingers apart by about half an inch. 

Owen

• When he counts he says "1, 2, 4!" It reminds me of how we count babies around here. He does count with great gusto "1, 2, 4, 4, 5, 6, NINE!"
• Every morning when we change his diaper he is putting in his breakfast order for "moatmelt." He is very disappointed when oat meal is not on the menu but also likes "eggies" & "bapplesauce." His favorite snack is graham crackers with almond butter & is requested by screaming "BUTTA BUTTA CACKAS!"
• Anytime he hears music playing he yells "dance, dance, dance" until he is free from a high chair & can show us his moves. 

Anson

• Every night the only song both boys want to hear is "Hush little baby, don't say a word" & request it by saying "Hush baby." When I get to the part where mama's gonna buy you a billy goat. He wants his jammies unzipped to see his "belly goat" & then pulls up my shirt saying "mommy's belly goat."
• He says "ouch" no matter what you do to him. Sometimes it's valid like when you are trying to squeeze his bear paws into footie pajamas but mostly it's ridiculous like when you cut a single hair on his head. You might assume he has nerve endings in each strand. 
• He is known for needing & giving lots of "nuggles" during the day. He announces "nuggles" when headed toward something or someone that apparently needs them ranging from person to Bella to baby doll. Over the weekend he attempted to climb on the back of a kitty cat saying "kee cat, nuggles."

Farewell Nursing, Hello Nest

Something unexpected happened last week. After nine years of absolutely loving my job as a Labor & Delivery RN, I resigned. I say unexpected but we had been discussing the possibility for at least a month prior to making the decision. More on the "why" later. I spoke with my boss on Monday & held up well since we had given much thought to our decision for me to not return. Tuesday was a different story entirely. I filled out the necessary forms online to officially resign & as soon as I hit "submit" the tears started flowing. I was surprised at the emotions wrapped up in my role as an RN & immediately took a trip back in time remembering the years of working to become a nurse followed by a career that taught me much about myself & allowed me to provide care to many families over the years. I loved every second (almost). I process by writing so please join me back in 2001 for quite the lengthy journey....

Looking back at big decisions in my life, I make them quickly & usually pick one option with no back up plan. At the end of my senior year I had applied to only one college which was Texas Tech University. Thankfully I got in (since there was no back up plan) & preparation was in full swing to move 9 hours away from home & begin life as a young adult studying to do something. Cheryl & I were encouraged by a mutual friend to be roomies in the dorms our freshman year. We quickly agreed that although we barely knew each other it would be better to live together than with some strange person. We were approved, did our monumental Ikea trip to furnish our 10 sq. foot room & were excited to move in. 

Over the course of high school I had the opportunity to tag along at work with my Aunt who worked in Physical Therapy & cared for many patients in rehab following severe burns. I really enjoyed it & decided that is what I would like to study. Pre-Physical Therapy was listed as my major when my mom & flew to Lubbock for orientation. This next part sounds so immature but I do believe that even in my quick decisions the Lord has brought me along a path he has used to make me more like himself.  Cheryl's mom was an RN & one that truly enjoyed her  profession. Cheryl had decided to follow in her mothers footsteps. This is the immature part....I had no idea that in order to receive a degree in PT I would have to complete a total of 6 years & obtain a masters degree. I immediately said "I don't want to go to school for 6 years!" Cheryl said "why don't you do pre-nursing?" I said "alright, sign me up!" And that's how it happened. A three second decision literally changed the course of my life in a way I am beyond thankful for.

Once we arrived in August, we were getting settled mostly in silence with a little chit chat until I slipped on a laminated poster & fell flat on my back in the middle of the room. We erupted in laughter & pretty much never stopped laughing through the rest of our time as roommates. Here we are on the first day of class as Red Raiders...  

For a pre-nursing major, we took all the regular old classes along with two semesters of Anatomy & Physiology & a couple other science classes. We decided to knock out A&P freshman year & began what we thought was one of most challenging courses we had up to that point. I laugh thinking back to the (what felt like) millions of hours spent writing all of our vocabulary words on note cards. We quickly met the girls across the hall from us, Nikki & Jocelyn. Hilarious that I cannot locate any other picture than this one...and I have NO idea what we were dressed up for but we definitely look like babies & I'm pretty sure we did not have to hunt down a pair of overalls at a thrift store ; ) 

We all had A&P together & all prepared for tests different ways. I think Nikki studied the most, I was second, Cheryl was third & Jocelyn, I'm not sure she ever really studied ; ) Some pre-test nights Cheryl would decide to be out for the evening & would return to me frantic with hundreds of note cards spread over my bed. She would try to join me but then we would end up throwing them all over the room & saying we didn't even care anymore...more laughter followed. After the tests were complete we would sit in Nikki & Jocelyn's room & debate all the answers. Jocelyn seemed to always know the correct ones & was great at making her case for why they were right, haha that still makes me laugh. I seemed to always score the lowest but never that low. A&P I was actually the only C I had in all of school & it killed me because it was a 79.4. Anyway, who really cares now but that class was a great way to begin our friendships. 

Our freshman year Cheryl & I were looking for a volunteer position in the community. We found the Lubbock Rape Crisis Center, completed our training & began our hours. We were responsible for a night a month taking calls at the center when all the staff had gone home along with being on call to meet a victim in the ER. We were usually the "first responders" in caring for the patient while they waited to be seen. We assisted the doctor in collecting evidence & were expected to testify in court if called as a witness which I did one time. I remember working with handicapped women, college students including a friend that called me directly & some children. It was heart breaking but provided one the first opportunities I had to work with women. 

Nearly a year & a half flew by & we were applying to the nursing program that would start in summer 2003. This happened to be the spring that Rob & I started dating. My mind was a little wrapped up in love & opportunity & I was thinking I didn't want to go to school in the summers like nursing school required. I thought it would be more fun to join Rob working at a summer camp instead. Cheryl & I received letters the same day in the mail stating that we were not accepted at the current time due to potential budget cuts. They could only take 50 out of 350 & we were within 20 past the cut off. Cheryl was devastated (understandably so) & I felt free as a bird. I began checking out some other majors which I'm sure was making my parents crazy. Cheryl, Nikki & Jocelyn thought I had gone off the deep end. Within a month we received a second set of letters stating that they were able to accept 50 more into the program & we were officially nursing students! After a month of soul searching & having some friends talk some sense into me, I was thrilled. We started that summer & by fall we had our first clinical. My first day....the first time I had left home by 6 am....ever. That was the first time I thought "I don't know if this is for me."

I don't remember much from this day other than the first room we went into. It had that distinct nursing home smell, I was shadowing a nurse & must have locked my knees. You can guess what happened next. I made it to the wall just outside the room where I slowly slid down & closed my eyes. When I had come to I remember the nurse taking me to the break room where she gave me some juice & told me to find her when I felt better. That was the second time I thought " I don't know if this is for me." Haha! 

The second year we learned to start IVs & who better to learn on than your classmates? Cheryl & I took some angiocaths home & went to town at the coffee table. I'm sure our three new roommates who were not nursing majors thought about kicking us out. I have more than a few pictures of our time that night but have decided not to include them due to the graphic nature ; ) I'm not sure we succeeded because there was a lot of blood. What a process it was to learn to do that well! At this point I think we would both start them in our sleep.

Starting in summer 2004, I landed a position as a Nurse Tech in the float pool at University Medical Center. I worked in every area in the entire hospital including Adult & Pediatric ICU, Burn ICU, NICU, Mother Baby & regular medical surgery floors. It definitely helped me figure out what I did not want to do. I also took an elective course in High Risk Obstetrics which started my interest in Labor & Delivery. I was flagged as a nurse tech requesting to be in L&D if they were short. On July 3, 2004 I saw my very first delivery. I was helping an incredible nurse that cared for a 15 year old young lady who was terrified along with her mother & a boyfriend that was even younger than her. This evening revealed three things to me. One, there can be extremely complicated situations leading up to & following the birth of a baby whether planned or unexpected & I wanted to be a part of helping these families through a life changing moment. Two, from the moment that I saw that baby boy be delivered & placed in the arms of his mother I knew that labor & delivery was the only place I wanted to be. Three, I no longer needed to wonder  "I don't know if this is for me." In the mean time, I still got to learn about all sorts of things & in hindsight I see that labor & delivery patients show up with all sorts of medical problems so the continued education was helpful : )

One fun day our senior year we practiced a scenario where our "hospital" was flooded by trauma patients. We were assigned different roles & it looks like Nikki might have been a doctor, Cheryl & I were nurses & Jocelyn must have been involved in the "trauma." Thankfully she had a fake arm someone had to start an IV on.

I am not sure where we were this day but I love that I have kept up with all these girls over the years whether in person or via Facebook. The only clue is that 5 out of the 6 became L&D nurses. Melissa who is next to me, ended up moving to Orlando & we worked together there before I moved.  

Before we knew it, graduation had arrived. All of our hard work rewarded with a cap & gown, some flowers & cheers from a crowd when they announced my name "Laureen Mechelle Valenteen." We were headed our separate ways but the memories over four years built deep friendships that would extend beyond our time out in West Texas.

Over Spring Break while I was still in school I traveled to Dallas to interview for a Labor & Delivery position at Parkland Hospital. It was a plan with no back up plan yet again. I LOVED it & accepted a position immediately. At that time Parkland was #2 in the nation for highest number of deliveries at 16,000 a year. I thought "what better place to get started?" Six of us from Tech & one from Seattle Pacific University started in a September residency that carried us through 16 weeks of classroom work & tests, working on the unit paired with a nurse followed by weeks of having a go to nurse if we needed assistance. It was an intense learning experience due to the vast number of deliveries, many doctors in residency & learning alongside us &but the biggest challenge was that 90% of our patients were Spanish speaking only! 

I grabbed an intake form & had a Spanish speaking fellow employee write down the correct way to ask each questions with possible answers. Robby's parents still talk about how over dinner I would pretend Robby was a patient who I would "check in" to the unit & then talk him through how to push a baby out or prepare for a cesarean delivery. Practice made perfect (not really perfect but somewhat proficient) & soon enough I was talking the talk with all my sweet Spanish ladies. I loved the girls I worked with. Many of us were brand new nurses who valued the experienced ones that stuck it out through the insanity of working at Parkland. Here are some of those hard working women... 

Catherine, on the right was my first orientee I had when I had been there one year. I tell you what, the motto there was "see one, do one, teach one!" There was supervision though & always someone at your side if you called out for help. Over the two years that Catherine & I worked together we served on a committee we loved & I connected her with a pregnancy center where I had volunteered. She began there soon after I left. In the middle is Beth, a friend from nursing school that I absolutely loved talking to while working.

There are SO many absurd situations I remember that had my heart racing & sometimes my legs racing as we ran with stretchers to the OR for emergency c-sections. It was great exposure to just about every pregnancy complication you can imagine & just the opportunity I desired to care for families in crisis. I wouldn't trade my time there for anything.

Back to the special friendships that were started there...Amanda in the turquoise jacket also worked with me in Orlando as a travel RN & I ended up being the matron of honor in her wedding in 2010. She is on the fast train (like us) to mothering & has had three babies in three years : )

One of the most memorable things I was a part of while working at Parkland was taking the reigns for the Labor & Delivery Bereavement Committee. This committee focused on preparing staff to provide care for the families experiencing the loss of a baby. On our unit we handled every loss from conception to term & it was ALOT. Catherine & I along with others knew that policy & procedure in & out. We loved presenting the information to fellow nurses & more so caring for these patients ourselves. We had a prayer translated to Spanish to better equip us to care for these families & were privileged to be a part of planning a yearly memorial service to honor the babies lost. There were families I had cared for that returned & hugged me as we muddled through our language barrier. We had lovely & meaningful services & released butterflies following our time of celebration.  

 

After three exciting years, Robby & I made the move to Orlando & left dear friends behind like the one pictured below. Halie & I worked together all three years but became close friends in the last months I was working at Parkland. I am thankful for the way God deepened our friendship over the six years we spent apart that were seasoned with phone dates, texting & visits. I always love how quickly she gets into serious conversations & asks questions that really make me think about myself in light of who God is. She continued on in the nursing realm with becoming a Lactation Consultant. She was one of my biggest supporters while I was breastfeeding the twins & I can honestly say that I would have never made it past the 5 month mark without her. When I traveled to Texas for my interview last April, I was watching her son while she went to her first ultrasound. She joined me on the couch upon her return & showed me a picture of TWO babies! What a joy it has been to walk through this season of becoming mommies (to singletons & multiples) together while we were miles apart. So between the two of us we have seven little munchkins that can join us for our "dates" & we are thankful for each of them & the racket they make ; )  She along with many other friends threw a going away party before I left & reminded me how much I loved the people I worked with. 

A few memories of Parkland

• Delivering a good 15 babies over my three year stay...most during July & August when residents would stand next to me staring at someone pushing without gloves on.
• The first shoulder dystocia which was my first day off orientation & happened to be the first shoulder dystocia for the first year resident as well....lots of firsts ; ) I still remember the terrified look we shared when she called it. I was so panicked I could barely hit the right number to call out for help. Thankfully help arrived & the baby was fine & I got to practice some suprapubic pressure (that's for you fellow L&D nurses)
• One Christmas Day that there was a C-Section called on L&D West at the same time one was called on L&D East. The East OR had not yet been cleaned so they were flying through the doors at the end of a hall on West just as we exited a room near the door...It was a near stretcher collision & slightly funny in the moment. 
• Another Christmas Day where L&D West had NO patients. We celebrated with sparkling cider & playing Hangman on our beautiful empty board. 
• In providing bereavement care I saw a baby at nearly every week of development & was amazed at how God "knits us together." I held many a baby while they died when the parents were not interested in doing so. I learned how to be comfortable just being quiet with someone in their grief. I cried with many families & rejoiced with many as they welcomed a healthy baby after a previous loss. 

When I knew we were leaving Dallas I started clicking around online & talking to some new acquaintances in Orlando. One recommended that I check out Celebration Hospital which was right down the street from where we would be meeting for our church services. I looked into it to find that they did 250-300 deliveries a month. I was used to at least quadruple that & I wasn't ready to slow down yet so I crossed that off the list. The other hospital I came across was Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies. I had NO idea it existed & at the time was 3rd in the nation for number of deliveries coming in around 14,000 per year....much more my speed. A new hospital had been built just the year before & I was in awe when I interviewed. Only interview (no back up plan). It was beautiful & the staff seemed well equipped, professional & welcoming. I was offered a job on the spot & acceptedt. 

I arrived in June & was paired with a RN to get the hang of things. I was new to computer charting & centralized fetal monitoring which were both great changes. Another major change was that all kinds of people spoke English...something I was definitely not used to! It is funny to say this but those English speaking people were a bit more needy ; ) I did get to put my Spanish to work with the population of Central & South American families but they would ask me "Where did you learn that Spanish? In Texas?" I guess I only knew some Tex-Mex but it got me by just fine! French Creole was new to me & I never learned a lick of it. It took me awhile to really enjoy working there since it was vastly different from Parkland, the place I knew & loved. After 4-5 months it began to feel more like home once I made some friends & got to know the medical staff. When October hit I had a little bitty bun in the oven & that greatly changed my outlook knowing that I would welcome the long awaited first baby in one of the rooms I delivered other babies in. 

In the meantime, prior to showing a bump, my friend & fellow nurse Jessica was paired with me for one of her orientation days. It happened to be Halloween & we happened to show up like this....

We laughed as we discovered that the Reese's Peanut Butter package matched Wilma's hair perfectly & our patients enjoyed our antics. Once the belly started growing, my friends bellies did too! Nadine welcomed Dylan & Aubrey welcomed Fisher within  a month or so of Charlotte's birth. It was so fun to have a fellow new mom with all the same concerns & questions to visit with once we were back at work not to mention a pumping buddy ; ) Aubrey ended up being the nurse for Jenny, my sister in law for Isaac & Olivia's birth. She was amazing. 

I had asked my friend Rose if she would take care of me while I was in labor with Charlotte. She said yes & was the person who confirmed my suspicion that having a fabulous RN makes all the difference when welcoming a little one. She worked her tail off all day between me & a patient next door. I was 10cm at shift change & I am sure she thought I would deliver soon so she stayed. Little did she know, she wouldn't head home until close to midnight. Charlotte took her sweet time & wasn't born until three hours later. Any labor & delivery nurse knows that pushing with a patient for 3+ hours hurts almost as much as having a baby ; ) She offered incredible encouragement & tried every trick in the book to get that girlie out. She finally came & I'm pretty sure Rose was as excited as I was! I still look at this picture & think, Rose is the best nurse! She eventually went into management & was my boss before I left....she was great at that too. We were blessed with two other fabulous nurses, Anna & Amy while welcoming the rest of our brood. 

Charlotte Grace- July 2009

Eloise Hope- May 2011

Owen Marshall & Anson Ellis- March 2013

Those moments are what made me love that hospital even more than I already did & made it painful to leave. I am positive that being pregnant & welcoming my own babies changed the way I care for my patients. There were six years in Orlando doing what I loved alongside others who felt the same way. My years there tested my skills & critical thinking since I did not have doctors at the bedside like I did previously.  I continued to have a sweet spot for offering to take patients who had suffered the loss of their babies. My last shift I worked might have been one of the most painfully sad deliveries I had experienced up until that point. The charge RN said about an hour into the shift that she didn't realize it was my last night to work & she would have not assigned me that patient. She offered to switch my assignment but I said I would love to keep her. I am so glad I did because I left the next morning knowing that God fulfilled my desire to care for women in crisis once again even though I spent a good couple hours crying that morning. It was a great way to finish my time at Winnie. 

Dallas began a whole new chapter in my nursing career at Texas Health Dallas L& D working full time nights....something I had never done. It was financially very helpful for our family at the time but challenging to balance with four little ones at home. Over the course of the past 5 & a half years with little Valentine's around we have had some of the kindest women caring for them while I work or recover from working making it slightly easier to be away or sleeping. All four were delighted when I would pull up in the big red truck! I was delighted for the snuggles that followed. 

At Texas Health Dallas my years of experience were put to the test. It has been named "Best Place to Have a Baby" on more than one occasion & has a staff that exceeds expectations. There are nurses that have been working for 20 years longer than myself  & new nurses receiving excellent training. The management team has created an environment where employees are greatly valued  & in turn have nurses that love caring for patients there. I can't believe I only got to work in such an incredible place for six months but I am thankful for those I met, both staff & patients. Again, I feel like a better nurse after my short time there. 

Considering my nine plus years in a role I loved, I am thankful. I'm thankful for teachers, fellow nurses, midwives, doctors & patients who have taught me countless things & helped me develop into an experienced nurse. I am thankful for family who has encouraged me on hard days, let me interview them in Spanish & listened to all my gory stories. I am thankful for getting to celebrate with couples excited to welcome a baby & the patients whose life situations God used to open my heart to just be with them & provide the listening ear or encouragement they needed. I am thankful that God used my quick decision making tactics to lead me to a career that he has used to shape my view of Him, of life, grief, motherhood & the gift of children. 

Back to present day...The answer to "why" seems so simple. During the past few months of leave following my diagnosis, our family has thrived for the first time in a long time. Being home has provided much stability to the day in & day out routine, rest for me which is vital in taking care of myself to prevent seizures & sweet time with the ones I hold dear.  Resigning at this time is to allow me to be more fully committed at home so I don't miss any of this....

The tears that followed my official resignation were from the sadness of closing a chapter in my life & thankfulness that I am able to be home. I was still crying when I went in to check on the boys who needed to wake up from a really long nap. I scooped up Anson & sat down in the chair. He was so very sleepy that he cuddled on me for a good 10 minutes occasionally wrapping his finger in my hair or patting my back ever so gently. It was in that moment that I knew our decision was right. Someday I hope to return...like when there are college classes or weddings to pay for but for now, The Nest is my new full time place of work & there is no place I would rather be.