Sunday, October 31, 2010
This post is LONG overdue, but I've been without a computer for quite some time. So, on the 15th of October we went to our ultrasound accompained by both Grandma's and Auntie Amber and Aunt Beth. I was nervous and extremely anxious to find out what we were having. The nerves were more about finding out that our baby was healthy, which, thankfully, she is! I was very sure that we were having a boy. Like deep down, right to my toes sure. Obviously, I was very wrong!
The ultrasound tech wasn't all that excited to be working that day, but we made do with her. It was amazing to watch her whip that scanner around my belly and see the different angles of our baby. It's crazy how much you can see on an ultrasound! She showed us her brain, heart, stomach, arms, legs, kidneys (or so the tech assured me!) and even her little toes! I loved seeing her little face turn right to us, like she was wondering who was pushing on her so much! I also about fell off the table when the tech finally told us we were having a girl! It took me quite awhile to get used to that. We all went to lunch and did some shopping after the scan and really enjoyed looking at all the little girl stuff.
Right now I'm in the 20th week of my pregnancy, which is considered the half way point!!! I can't believe I'm already half way there. That also means I've been pregnant for 6 months, and that I only have 4 1/2 more to go! It seems like it has gone by very fast. I can't wait to meet our little baby, but I'm sure not ready for her yet! We have gotten the rest of the nursery furniture, including the baby swing. But we haven't put it all together yet. So she has to stay in for a few more months.
We're also beginning to look for houses to buy. This is very exciting, but also very exhausting! It's fun to look and dream, but it can also be frustrating! Hopefully, we will find one just perfect for our growing family!
Well, I'm tired of writing now, so I'll end this blog and save some for another day!
The ultrasound tech wasn't all that excited to be working that day, but we made do with her. It was amazing to watch her whip that scanner around my belly and see the different angles of our baby. It's crazy how much you can see on an ultrasound! She showed us her brain, heart, stomach, arms, legs, kidneys (or so the tech assured me!) and even her little toes! I loved seeing her little face turn right to us, like she was wondering who was pushing on her so much! I also about fell off the table when the tech finally told us we were having a girl! It took me quite awhile to get used to that. We all went to lunch and did some shopping after the scan and really enjoyed looking at all the little girl stuff.
Right now I'm in the 20th week of my pregnancy, which is considered the half way point!!! I can't believe I'm already half way there. That also means I've been pregnant for 6 months, and that I only have 4 1/2 more to go! It seems like it has gone by very fast. I can't wait to meet our little baby, but I'm sure not ready for her yet! We have gotten the rest of the nursery furniture, including the baby swing. But we haven't put it all together yet. So she has to stay in for a few more months.
We're also beginning to look for houses to buy. This is very exciting, but also very exhausting! It's fun to look and dream, but it can also be frustrating! Hopefully, we will find one just perfect for our growing family!
Well, I'm tired of writing now, so I'll end this blog and save some for another day!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Well, tomorrow is the BIG day! The day we (hopefully) find out if this little blueberry is a boy or girl! Excited doesn't do my feelings justice. I have waited for this day since the first day I found out I was pregnant. Cody and I are so anxious to begin really planning for our new little baby. I also am very excited to "see" my little baby again. Last time, I basically saw a blob and still loved it! This time I will see a baby! YEA!
We can't wait! Stay tuned.....
We can't wait! Stay tuned.....
Friday, October 1, 2010
One of the greatest pleasures in my life has been the presence of my grandfathers. I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world to have been able to call two of the world's most special people "Grandpa". I loved both of my grandpas dearly, in their own unique and special way. And I miss both of them with every fiber of my being. Not a day goes by in which I do not think of these two men and the impact they had on those around them. Samuel Paul Logan and Hubert Litle have left this world a better place for their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They each loved their family wholeheartedly and expressed immense joy in each new addition to their family.
When I met Cody, I was overjoyed to find a family as blessed as my own. I had the great pleasure of meeting Cody's Grandpa Nichols and sharing several wonderful years as part of his family. One of my deepest regrets is that his Grandpa Stafford had passed away before we met. Though I missed out on this wonderful person, the imprint he had left on the hearts of his loved ones was plain to see. The stories they tell of him bring bittersweet tears to their eyes. His sense of humor comes shining through and, for just a second, I feel his presence there with us.
These four men, Paul Logan, Hubert Litle, Bill Stafford and Dick Nichols have entered into my thinking more in these last few months than ever before. The sorrow in my heart is simply indescribable when I realize that my own child will never know these men as Cody and I have known them. My child will never feel their strong arms surround them, never hear the stories of their own childhood, never experience the love each of these men would have had for this one special member of their family. All they will know is a shadow, a memory, of who these men were.
And yet, this little child will carry on their legacy; a piece of each of them will make this child who he is meant to be. He will carry on Bill's name, perhaps he will share his wonderful sense of humor. Perhaps this child will be able to see the good in each and every person just like my Papa did. Maybe Dick's determination and quiet steadiness will be passed to my child. Maybe he will become the tough, bigger-than-life, hunter/fisherman just like Grandpa Hubert. Whichever traits my child will carry on, I know that he will be the better for having come from these great men.
As these thoughts float through my heart, I can't help but think of two other men. The two men that my child will call "Grandpa". I am amazed at God's blessings in putting these two men in my life and the life of my child. I could search the world over, but I would not find another man that I would want to replace these two. I have never met two men who loved children more than them. These last four years I have watched them become Grandpas and waited for the day when it would be my turn to give them another grandchild.
I can only pray that my child will know Robert Steven Logan and Kenny Lee Stafford as I have known them. I pray that my child will feel the love of these two men for many years. That he will cherish each day with them. That he will inherit their unique qualities too. Maybe he will have the love of building things, just like my dad. Or maybe he will love the outdoors, just like Kenny. Most of all, I hope that he sits at their knees and learns how to be a great man, one that cares for his family, works hard everyday and plays just as hard. I pray that one day, my child's grandchildren will be able to look upon him and see a little piece of these six men who came before him, his grandfathers.
When I met Cody, I was overjoyed to find a family as blessed as my own. I had the great pleasure of meeting Cody's Grandpa Nichols and sharing several wonderful years as part of his family. One of my deepest regrets is that his Grandpa Stafford had passed away before we met. Though I missed out on this wonderful person, the imprint he had left on the hearts of his loved ones was plain to see. The stories they tell of him bring bittersweet tears to their eyes. His sense of humor comes shining through and, for just a second, I feel his presence there with us.
These four men, Paul Logan, Hubert Litle, Bill Stafford and Dick Nichols have entered into my thinking more in these last few months than ever before. The sorrow in my heart is simply indescribable when I realize that my own child will never know these men as Cody and I have known them. My child will never feel their strong arms surround them, never hear the stories of their own childhood, never experience the love each of these men would have had for this one special member of their family. All they will know is a shadow, a memory, of who these men were.
And yet, this little child will carry on their legacy; a piece of each of them will make this child who he is meant to be. He will carry on Bill's name, perhaps he will share his wonderful sense of humor. Perhaps this child will be able to see the good in each and every person just like my Papa did. Maybe Dick's determination and quiet steadiness will be passed to my child. Maybe he will become the tough, bigger-than-life, hunter/fisherman just like Grandpa Hubert. Whichever traits my child will carry on, I know that he will be the better for having come from these great men.
As these thoughts float through my heart, I can't help but think of two other men. The two men that my child will call "Grandpa". I am amazed at God's blessings in putting these two men in my life and the life of my child. I could search the world over, but I would not find another man that I would want to replace these two. I have never met two men who loved children more than them. These last four years I have watched them become Grandpas and waited for the day when it would be my turn to give them another grandchild.
I can only pray that my child will know Robert Steven Logan and Kenny Lee Stafford as I have known them. I pray that my child will feel the love of these two men for many years. That he will cherish each day with them. That he will inherit their unique qualities too. Maybe he will have the love of building things, just like my dad. Or maybe he will love the outdoors, just like Kenny. Most of all, I hope that he sits at their knees and learns how to be a great man, one that cares for his family, works hard everyday and plays just as hard. I pray that one day, my child's grandchildren will be able to look upon him and see a little piece of these six men who came before him, his grandfathers.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
This week was very exciting because I got to get our baby's crib!!! We ordered it online, so we had to wait until it came in, but it was worth the wait. Cody and I picked it up and Mom and I put it together. I think it is really pretty and goes perfect with what I want to do with the baby's room. I had a ton of fun putting all of the gifts we've recieved in the crib and arranging them so they looked cute. I'm really excited about getting the rest of the furniture to go in the room! Here's a picture of our baby's bed.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
So this week has been a week of failures for me. First, I failed the stupid glucose test that I've already had to take twice! So that made me really happy. So, now, I have to go back to the hospital and sit for a 3 hour glucose test in which they take my blood 4 times. Yeah. 4.
I also failed while attempting to cook my own dinner the other day. I was only making grilled cheese too.....my cooking skills are very sad. I was doing great, everything was fine, and then Cody got up and I asked him to flip the sandwich for me, and he discovered that it was burned to a crisp! GRRRRR. Now, Cody has never really been able to understand my knack for burning things. I always insist to him that it is very easy to forget that you're cooking something, you just get distracted. He (for some crazy reason I certainly don't understand) always blames it on the fact that I tend to read while cooking. Whatever.
So, of course, after discovering that I had burned my grilled cheese beyond saving, his voice kinda started to get a little loud. Now, for those of you who don't know, you should never raise your voice at a pregnant woman who just discovered that her dinner is uneatable. Cody is still learning these small little lessons in pregnancy, he's doing well, but may need a few more months to get everything down pat. So, while he's laughing at me, I burst into tears! Like actual tears running down my face. I can't believe I can't even make a grilled cheese. A baby, I can make....but not grilled cheese! So like the wonderful person he is, Cody kindly made me a perfectly done grilled cheese for my dinner. I was still a bit weepy, but felt much better after having eaten. I sure hope my cooking skills get better before the baby gets here!
I also failed while attempting to cook my own dinner the other day. I was only making grilled cheese too.....my cooking skills are very sad. I was doing great, everything was fine, and then Cody got up and I asked him to flip the sandwich for me, and he discovered that it was burned to a crisp! GRRRRR. Now, Cody has never really been able to understand my knack for burning things. I always insist to him that it is very easy to forget that you're cooking something, you just get distracted. He (for some crazy reason I certainly don't understand) always blames it on the fact that I tend to read while cooking. Whatever.
So, of course, after discovering that I had burned my grilled cheese beyond saving, his voice kinda started to get a little loud. Now, for those of you who don't know, you should never raise your voice at a pregnant woman who just discovered that her dinner is uneatable. Cody is still learning these small little lessons in pregnancy, he's doing well, but may need a few more months to get everything down pat. So, while he's laughing at me, I burst into tears! Like actual tears running down my face. I can't believe I can't even make a grilled cheese. A baby, I can make....but not grilled cheese! So like the wonderful person he is, Cody kindly made me a perfectly done grilled cheese for my dinner. I was still a bit weepy, but felt much better after having eaten. I sure hope my cooking skills get better before the baby gets here!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
I absolutely can't wait for Christmas 2011!!! The Stafford family will have two new babies to love and cuddle! I am so happy that my sister-in-law is on this fantastic journey with me. I am due March 18th and she is due May 17th! I can't wait to see our little babies grow up together!
I had an OB appointment today, which was a little traumatizing. Everything's fine, both me and the baby are healthy, so that's the good thing. However, the appointment itself did NOT go well. It was partly my fault because I forgot to drink the nasty flat orange soda they provided me for the glucose test. So, I had to drink it at the office. Now, the reasonable thing for them to have done was to have me drink the crap, then go ahead and have my regular appointment time and after that draw my blood for the test. Of course, this is not what they did. They had me drink the crap, then sit for an hour (literally, an hour, cause you have to draw the blood exactly an hour after you drink the crap), then they took my blood (more on this later....) and then they did my regular appointment. Seems a little backwards to me, but whatever.
So I drink the nasty stuff and they come and take me to the back to draw my blood. This is where the fun begins. I told the nurse that she probably needed to take my blood from my hands instead of my arm, because no one can ever get it out of my arms. She assures me of how wonderful she is at drawing blood and she's quite sure there will be no problem..... and we have stick #1.
The nurse is slightly surprised at her failure to produce any blood, I, on the other hand, am thinking, "okay, now she'll listen to me and try my hand." Wrong. Another nurse enters the picture and begins to take my blood pressure in my left arm, all the while the original nurse is replenishing her torture supplies. After getting the necessary supplies, they begin to work on me together. Left side nurse is pumping the blood pressure cuff up to 300 instead of just using the tourniquet. She informs right side nurse that she's got the perfect vein....and we have stick #2.
Surely, after two failures, they will proceed to try taking the blood from my hand. Wrong again. Right side nurse informs me that she is going to try again in the original spot. Stick #3 is accompanied by a very sharp and unusual pain extending up my entire arm. I am surprised and actually flinch a little (normally, I'm pretty tough when they're taking blood since I go through this about every time) right side nurse chuckles a little and says, "opps, hit a nerve." !!!!!!! Hoping desperately that my arm will return to normal, I'm now praying that these nurses will freaking take the blood from my hand like I told them to from the start!
Left side nurse has given up completely by this point as right side nurse checks the clock and informs me that it has taken them so long to try getting my blood that we will have to redo the entire test another day. OMG. You have got to be kidding me. She also informs me that they won't try again in their office, I have to go to the hospital where they have nurses who take blood on critical patients all the time. Maybe those nurses will listen and take it FROM MY HAND!
Another nurse enters and says that she will do my regular check-up. She weighs me and tells me I've lost another pound and a half. This is good and bad, it's not like I want to gain a bunch of weight, but I thought by 14 weeks I would have stopped losing weight! She then has me lay back so she can use the Doppler and listen for the heartbeat. I'm really excited at this point, because I am dying to hear that beautiful sound again.
She puts the Doppler on my stomach and starts moving it around. A couple minutes pass and we hear....nothing. She continues to move the Doppler all around, but can't seem to locate anything. She looks for a couple more minutes and still, nothing. I'm watching her face at this point, and she looks a little concerned. This, of course, makes me almost have heart failure! All I can think is, "Cody isn't even here with me!" After several more minutes she finally is able to locate the baby and we hear the heartbeat. She said the baby was moving so much that it was hard to pinpoint its exact location. I guess that's a good thing anyway.
During this whole fiasco, Cody is trying to call me from a mountaintop in Colorado. Cell phones are not allowed in the doctor's office, so I can't talk to him. I know that he has limited time before they go back to the camp and no longer have cell phone service. If I miss him today, I won't be able to talk to him until Friday. I'm obviously upset about this, so my stress level takes another hike.
I finally get out of the office and get to call Cody. We talk for a bit and then he has to go. I then return Melanie's call. Poor woman.... I completely break down on her while trying to drive home. I sob out the whole story about how long it took to find the heartbeat and having to drink the nasty glucose stuff again and having to go to the hospital. She finally gets me to calm down and, wonderful person she is, says she will take me to the hospital to get my blood drawn.
The one good thing that came from the appointment is that they scheduled my next ultrasound!!! I should find out what we're having on October 12th!!! I can't wait. Hopefully, that appointment will go better....
I had an OB appointment today, which was a little traumatizing. Everything's fine, both me and the baby are healthy, so that's the good thing. However, the appointment itself did NOT go well. It was partly my fault because I forgot to drink the nasty flat orange soda they provided me for the glucose test. So, I had to drink it at the office. Now, the reasonable thing for them to have done was to have me drink the crap, then go ahead and have my regular appointment time and after that draw my blood for the test. Of course, this is not what they did. They had me drink the crap, then sit for an hour (literally, an hour, cause you have to draw the blood exactly an hour after you drink the crap), then they took my blood (more on this later....) and then they did my regular appointment. Seems a little backwards to me, but whatever.
So I drink the nasty stuff and they come and take me to the back to draw my blood. This is where the fun begins. I told the nurse that she probably needed to take my blood from my hands instead of my arm, because no one can ever get it out of my arms. She assures me of how wonderful she is at drawing blood and she's quite sure there will be no problem..... and we have stick #1.
The nurse is slightly surprised at her failure to produce any blood, I, on the other hand, am thinking, "okay, now she'll listen to me and try my hand." Wrong. Another nurse enters the picture and begins to take my blood pressure in my left arm, all the while the original nurse is replenishing her torture supplies. After getting the necessary supplies, they begin to work on me together. Left side nurse is pumping the blood pressure cuff up to 300 instead of just using the tourniquet. She informs right side nurse that she's got the perfect vein....and we have stick #2.
Surely, after two failures, they will proceed to try taking the blood from my hand. Wrong again. Right side nurse informs me that she is going to try again in the original spot. Stick #3 is accompanied by a very sharp and unusual pain extending up my entire arm. I am surprised and actually flinch a little (normally, I'm pretty tough when they're taking blood since I go through this about every time) right side nurse chuckles a little and says, "opps, hit a nerve." !!!!!!! Hoping desperately that my arm will return to normal, I'm now praying that these nurses will freaking take the blood from my hand like I told them to from the start!
Left side nurse has given up completely by this point as right side nurse checks the clock and informs me that it has taken them so long to try getting my blood that we will have to redo the entire test another day. OMG. You have got to be kidding me. She also informs me that they won't try again in their office, I have to go to the hospital where they have nurses who take blood on critical patients all the time. Maybe those nurses will listen and take it FROM MY HAND!
Another nurse enters and says that she will do my regular check-up. She weighs me and tells me I've lost another pound and a half. This is good and bad, it's not like I want to gain a bunch of weight, but I thought by 14 weeks I would have stopped losing weight! She then has me lay back so she can use the Doppler and listen for the heartbeat. I'm really excited at this point, because I am dying to hear that beautiful sound again.
She puts the Doppler on my stomach and starts moving it around. A couple minutes pass and we hear....nothing. She continues to move the Doppler all around, but can't seem to locate anything. She looks for a couple more minutes and still, nothing. I'm watching her face at this point, and she looks a little concerned. This, of course, makes me almost have heart failure! All I can think is, "Cody isn't even here with me!" After several more minutes she finally is able to locate the baby and we hear the heartbeat. She said the baby was moving so much that it was hard to pinpoint its exact location. I guess that's a good thing anyway.
During this whole fiasco, Cody is trying to call me from a mountaintop in Colorado. Cell phones are not allowed in the doctor's office, so I can't talk to him. I know that he has limited time before they go back to the camp and no longer have cell phone service. If I miss him today, I won't be able to talk to him until Friday. I'm obviously upset about this, so my stress level takes another hike.
I finally get out of the office and get to call Cody. We talk for a bit and then he has to go. I then return Melanie's call. Poor woman.... I completely break down on her while trying to drive home. I sob out the whole story about how long it took to find the heartbeat and having to drink the nasty glucose stuff again and having to go to the hospital. She finally gets me to calm down and, wonderful person she is, says she will take me to the hospital to get my blood drawn.
The one good thing that came from the appointment is that they scheduled my next ultrasound!!! I should find out what we're having on October 12th!!! I can't wait. Hopefully, that appointment will go better....
Monday, September 6, 2010
I'm FINALLY 12 weeks pregnant! I feel like I've waited forever for this week to come. I think because I found out I was pregnant and told everybody so early, that it seems like it's taking forever. Everything I read says the 2nd trimester should bring about more energy and less puking. Count me in!!
I've actually been feeling much better lately. I still get tired pretty quickly, but I can live with that. I haven't puked in 2 weeks, YEA!!! I think I'm actually enjoying this pregnancy thing now. It's kinda strange, but since I've been feeling better it's harder to believe I'm pregnant. I guess because I feel more like myself, but I'm not far enough along to feel movement yet, I just don't feel pregnant anymore. It's kinda sad. I'm quite sure it won't last long though!
I can definitely tell a difference in my belly now. I doubt other people can see yet, but it's getting harder and bigger everyday. I've already bought a bella band, which is a band you can wear that allows you to have your pants unbuttoned without anybody being able to tell. I'm sure it will come in handy!
I had so much fun the other day. My sister has kindly kept everything she used for her daughter for me. And now I can actually start looking through things and deciding what I want. Me, Amber and Mom spent an entire afternoon going through everything and deciding what would stay at mom's and what I would take home. I do think we may have scarred Anna for life though. It was very hard for her to let go of some things. She kept looking up at me with her sweet little face and saying, "I'm still playing with this." It just about broke your heart!
I've been pretty busy these last few weeks. I've been working quite a bit, which is definitely a good thing! This coming week I'll work 4 days and I'll be traveling a lot! I'm not really looking forward to that, but I will be glad for this week to be over. Being a hygienist is tough work. REALLY! You're on your feet and running most of the day. If you're patient is late, your whole day is thrown off and you have to work even faster to catch up. Every office does things differently and they all expect you to remember how THEY do things. I know it's good experience, but I can't wait until I have my own room and am in the same place every day. I'll be exhausted after this week, but hopefully the paycheck will make it worth it! I'll let you know on my next blog :)
I've actually been feeling much better lately. I still get tired pretty quickly, but I can live with that. I haven't puked in 2 weeks, YEA!!! I think I'm actually enjoying this pregnancy thing now. It's kinda strange, but since I've been feeling better it's harder to believe I'm pregnant. I guess because I feel more like myself, but I'm not far enough along to feel movement yet, I just don't feel pregnant anymore. It's kinda sad. I'm quite sure it won't last long though!
I can definitely tell a difference in my belly now. I doubt other people can see yet, but it's getting harder and bigger everyday. I've already bought a bella band, which is a band you can wear that allows you to have your pants unbuttoned without anybody being able to tell. I'm sure it will come in handy!
I had so much fun the other day. My sister has kindly kept everything she used for her daughter for me. And now I can actually start looking through things and deciding what I want. Me, Amber and Mom spent an entire afternoon going through everything and deciding what would stay at mom's and what I would take home. I do think we may have scarred Anna for life though. It was very hard for her to let go of some things. She kept looking up at me with her sweet little face and saying, "I'm still playing with this." It just about broke your heart!
I've been pretty busy these last few weeks. I've been working quite a bit, which is definitely a good thing! This coming week I'll work 4 days and I'll be traveling a lot! I'm not really looking forward to that, but I will be glad for this week to be over. Being a hygienist is tough work. REALLY! You're on your feet and running most of the day. If you're patient is late, your whole day is thrown off and you have to work even faster to catch up. Every office does things differently and they all expect you to remember how THEY do things. I know it's good experience, but I can't wait until I have my own room and am in the same place every day. I'll be exhausted after this week, but hopefully the paycheck will make it worth it! I'll let you know on my next blog :)
Saturday, August 21, 2010
I've gotten several phone calls, emails and comments about my lack of new posts, so I'm finally getting around to posting again. My house is an absolute disaster, so what better time to sit down and write???
A couple of weeks ago, Cody and I were able to see our little baby for the first time!! Though you couldn't really see details, it was still amazing to know that this little person is actually growing in me! One minute I was looking at a blank screen, thinking, "This is really weird, what if they can't find the baby?" and then the next second I was seeing this little alien moving all around! It only took them like two seconds to find it (course when you have that kind of ultrasound, it pretty much puts you in the exact right spot!) The ultrasound tech turned on the sound and let us hear the heartbeat, which was totally awesome. It really made this pregnancy real for us. All too soon, it was over. I felt like we were only in there for two minutes! They must have been busy that day. The tech handed Cody our baby's picture while I got dressed and then we were back in the waiting room. I wish we could have stayed just a little longer and watched our sweet little one move around more. My sister assures me that the next ultrasound will last longer, so I guess I'll have to wait until then.
I am really getting anxious to know if we're having a boy or girl. I think my mom and sister may be wondering too. They haven't said much about it though....I mean, they only mention it like every other second! :) We are all a little disappointed at the lack of neutral baby things that are available this year. It seems like everything we see is either very boyish or girlish. Makes it hard to buy anything, which I'm sure mom and Amber wouldn't be doing anyway :).
I am feeling pretty good these days, thankfully! I went through a couple of rough weeks, but I think those are behind me now. Hopefully, the next couple months will be more fun. I can't wait to be able to feel the little guy move around and kick! My stomach is getting a little bigger each day. I doubt other people could tell a difference between me now and me before, but I can definitely tell. I'm also pretty emotional....I'm sure Cody will testify to this one!
There's not too much more happening right now. My sister is getting ready to go back to school, which gives me this wonderful feeling, knowing that I am DONE! (sorry Amber) I never, ever want to go back. It's a great feeling knowing that I'm done and not dreading the start of another semester. Now, I can look forward to fall without any regrets!
I'm working a little more now, which definitely helps. From now til December I'll be working in West Plains every Thursday. I'm looking forward to having a consistent paycheck for awhile. I like working, it's much less stressful than I thought it would be. I can see 8-10 patients a day without too much trouble. I really enjoy seeing kids as well. They are just a little bright spot in your day.
Well, guess I better go get some housework done. Hopefully I'll be better about keeping everyone updated more!!
A couple of weeks ago, Cody and I were able to see our little baby for the first time!! Though you couldn't really see details, it was still amazing to know that this little person is actually growing in me! One minute I was looking at a blank screen, thinking, "This is really weird, what if they can't find the baby?" and then the next second I was seeing this little alien moving all around! It only took them like two seconds to find it (course when you have that kind of ultrasound, it pretty much puts you in the exact right spot!) The ultrasound tech turned on the sound and let us hear the heartbeat, which was totally awesome. It really made this pregnancy real for us. All too soon, it was over. I felt like we were only in there for two minutes! They must have been busy that day. The tech handed Cody our baby's picture while I got dressed and then we were back in the waiting room. I wish we could have stayed just a little longer and watched our sweet little one move around more. My sister assures me that the next ultrasound will last longer, so I guess I'll have to wait until then.
I am really getting anxious to know if we're having a boy or girl. I think my mom and sister may be wondering too. They haven't said much about it though....I mean, they only mention it like every other second! :) We are all a little disappointed at the lack of neutral baby things that are available this year. It seems like everything we see is either very boyish or girlish. Makes it hard to buy anything, which I'm sure mom and Amber wouldn't be doing anyway :).
I am feeling pretty good these days, thankfully! I went through a couple of rough weeks, but I think those are behind me now. Hopefully, the next couple months will be more fun. I can't wait to be able to feel the little guy move around and kick! My stomach is getting a little bigger each day. I doubt other people could tell a difference between me now and me before, but I can definitely tell. I'm also pretty emotional....I'm sure Cody will testify to this one!
There's not too much more happening right now. My sister is getting ready to go back to school, which gives me this wonderful feeling, knowing that I am DONE! (sorry Amber) I never, ever want to go back. It's a great feeling knowing that I'm done and not dreading the start of another semester. Now, I can look forward to fall without any regrets!
I'm working a little more now, which definitely helps. From now til December I'll be working in West Plains every Thursday. I'm looking forward to having a consistent paycheck for awhile. I like working, it's much less stressful than I thought it would be. I can see 8-10 patients a day without too much trouble. I really enjoy seeing kids as well. They are just a little bright spot in your day.
Well, guess I better go get some housework done. Hopefully I'll be better about keeping everyone updated more!!
Friday, July 23, 2010
I had my first OB doctor appointment today. It wasn't a huge deal, but I was excited anyway. My mom wanted to go with me, so I had someone to keep me company while I waited. They basically just went over my insurance and the main do's and don't's of pregnancy. They did take an official pregnancy test, which, to my relief, was positive! For some reason, I got it in my head that maybe I was all wrong about actually being pregnant and kept thinking about how embarrassing it would be to have to tell everybody that I wasn't ever pregnant!!! YIKES! I mean, the test said "pregnant" and all the signs are there, but my crazy head still thought about it. So, I was happy to have it confirmed by a doctor!
After that they took some blood~ and by some, I mean they drained almost all of my blood from my body. For some reason, my veins are always hard to stick, so they ended up taking it from my hands (like always) which hurts like the dickens! I now have a huge bruise on the back of my hand! They must be running a bunch of tests with all the blood they had to have. I didn't ask what tests they are running, because I don't want to worry about the outcome.
I was happy to learn that I will have my first ultrasound at my next appointment, which is Aug 10th. I guess they now take the first ultrasounds earlier than usual instead of listening for the heartbeat. That way, the can just see the heart beating and thus eliminate a step. They only allow one person to be with you on this one, so it will just be me and Cody.
After the appointment, me and Mom, Amber and Anna all went to Toys-R-Us. I totally started crying in the middle of the store for no reason! I just couldn't stop the tears from coming. Of course, Mom and Amber just laughed at me and said welcome to the first trimester.
While I'm enjoying being pregnant, I can't wait to be past the first three months. It seems that everything bad stops then (the tiredness, crazy manic hunger, and morning sickness) and the good stuff starts (feeling the baby move and finding out the gender). So, I'm learning to be patient, but I wish time would speed up a little! Right now Cody and I are trying to think (and agree) on names. Hopefully we'll find one soon!
After that they took some blood~ and by some, I mean they drained almost all of my blood from my body. For some reason, my veins are always hard to stick, so they ended up taking it from my hands (like always) which hurts like the dickens! I now have a huge bruise on the back of my hand! They must be running a bunch of tests with all the blood they had to have. I didn't ask what tests they are running, because I don't want to worry about the outcome.
I was happy to learn that I will have my first ultrasound at my next appointment, which is Aug 10th. I guess they now take the first ultrasounds earlier than usual instead of listening for the heartbeat. That way, the can just see the heart beating and thus eliminate a step. They only allow one person to be with you on this one, so it will just be me and Cody.
After the appointment, me and Mom, Amber and Anna all went to Toys-R-Us. I totally started crying in the middle of the store for no reason! I just couldn't stop the tears from coming. Of course, Mom and Amber just laughed at me and said welcome to the first trimester.
While I'm enjoying being pregnant, I can't wait to be past the first three months. It seems that everything bad stops then (the tiredness, crazy manic hunger, and morning sickness) and the good stuff starts (feeling the baby move and finding out the gender). So, I'm learning to be patient, but I wish time would speed up a little! Right now Cody and I are trying to think (and agree) on names. Hopefully we'll find one soon!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Well, there's not too much to report here. I feel pretty much the same as I did last week. I'm still peeing every five seconds, so that's still lots of fun.
I think the newest symptom that has astonished me is how fast I get hungry. One second food sounds disgusting and the next second my stomach is eating my backbone!!! I have never felt so hungry all the time! I'm not sure how you keep from gaining too much weight when you're constantly on the verge of starvation!
My sleep has also changed. And by that I mean, that I no longer sleep at night. It seems that my body only accepts sleep during daylight hours. I've tried not taking naps during the day, but I can't keep my eyes open! Cody is probably ready to toss me to the couch cause I toss and turn so much now.
Other than these few issues, I really can't complain. I do get a little sick every once in awhile, but it has not been bad at all. I hope it stays that way!
I guess I kind of thought that I would be ecstatic over being pregnant every minute of every day, but it hasn't really been like that. I mean, I'm very excited about having a baby, don't get me wrong. It's just that every once in awhile, I forget that I'm pregnant. I guess when my belly gets big that will change. But right now, I don't really feel all that different.
Well, I have more to write, but I'm once again so hungry that I have to have food NOW, so I'll update more later!
I think the newest symptom that has astonished me is how fast I get hungry. One second food sounds disgusting and the next second my stomach is eating my backbone!!! I have never felt so hungry all the time! I'm not sure how you keep from gaining too much weight when you're constantly on the verge of starvation!
My sleep has also changed. And by that I mean, that I no longer sleep at night. It seems that my body only accepts sleep during daylight hours. I've tried not taking naps during the day, but I can't keep my eyes open! Cody is probably ready to toss me to the couch cause I toss and turn so much now.
Other than these few issues, I really can't complain. I do get a little sick every once in awhile, but it has not been bad at all. I hope it stays that way!
I guess I kind of thought that I would be ecstatic over being pregnant every minute of every day, but it hasn't really been like that. I mean, I'm very excited about having a baby, don't get me wrong. It's just that every once in awhile, I forget that I'm pregnant. I guess when my belly gets big that will change. But right now, I don't really feel all that different.
Well, I have more to write, but I'm once again so hungry that I have to have food NOW, so I'll update more later!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
I am so excited!! I am finally gonna have my own little bundle of ...BABY!! I've wanted one since I was old enough to understand what a baby was. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always, "A mommy, just like my mommy." It seems like I've had to wait forever, but it finally has happened. My dream has come true!
I've spent the majority of the last 3 days telling everyone I know (and maybe some I didn't, but let's not talk about that!) that I'm pregnant. I'm only 4 weeks right now, so it's very, very early. I probably should have waited longer to tell people, but I just couldn't hold it in. There is no way that I would have been able to not tell my mom, sister, mother-in-law and sister-in-law, and as long as we're telling that many people, might as well go and tell everybody! So, I did!
Right now being pregnant doesn't feel that different. I haven't been sick yet, so lets hope that continues. I've had a little bit of abdominal cramping, but they say that's normal. The biggest difference I've noticed is that I'm really tired all the time. It's strange though because I'll feel wide awake one minute and so tired I just want to lay my head down on whatever's in front of me the next minute. I also have to pee like every five seconds. So, that's fun. :)
A lot of people have asked if we want a boy or a girl. We really don't care. I used to think that I would definitely want a girl first, but then 4 people really close to me had little boys and they are so sweet. I would definitely take a boy! I would be just as happy with a girl too though. I am already impatient to know what I'm having~ and I still have quite a while before I find out!
My first doctor appointment isn't until July 26th, which seems like a long time to me. I guess they don't feel the need to see me as often as I feel the need to see them! Currently, I'm debating about whether to switch doctors or not. Now's the time if I'm going to, so I need to make up my mind fast!
I still haven't found a job, and now it will be harder than ever! So, please pray that someone will hire me and that we can finally stop worrying over money!!!
I can't wait to see Cody become a daddy~ I know he will be wonderful. He brought me a huge bouquet of flowers the day I told him. He is very excited and already talking about the different hats he will buy for the baby. I also can't wait to see my belly get big! I think most people dread that part, but I've waited for that belly for a long time!!!
So, as I'm sure you've already guessed, this blog is about to become all about "baby". Sorry if it gets boring!
I've spent the majority of the last 3 days telling everyone I know (and maybe some I didn't, but let's not talk about that!) that I'm pregnant. I'm only 4 weeks right now, so it's very, very early. I probably should have waited longer to tell people, but I just couldn't hold it in. There is no way that I would have been able to not tell my mom, sister, mother-in-law and sister-in-law, and as long as we're telling that many people, might as well go and tell everybody! So, I did!
Right now being pregnant doesn't feel that different. I haven't been sick yet, so lets hope that continues. I've had a little bit of abdominal cramping, but they say that's normal. The biggest difference I've noticed is that I'm really tired all the time. It's strange though because I'll feel wide awake one minute and so tired I just want to lay my head down on whatever's in front of me the next minute. I also have to pee like every five seconds. So, that's fun. :)
A lot of people have asked if we want a boy or a girl. We really don't care. I used to think that I would definitely want a girl first, but then 4 people really close to me had little boys and they are so sweet. I would definitely take a boy! I would be just as happy with a girl too though. I am already impatient to know what I'm having~ and I still have quite a while before I find out!
My first doctor appointment isn't until July 26th, which seems like a long time to me. I guess they don't feel the need to see me as often as I feel the need to see them! Currently, I'm debating about whether to switch doctors or not. Now's the time if I'm going to, so I need to make up my mind fast!
I still haven't found a job, and now it will be harder than ever! So, please pray that someone will hire me and that we can finally stop worrying over money!!!
I can't wait to see Cody become a daddy~ I know he will be wonderful. He brought me a huge bouquet of flowers the day I told him. He is very excited and already talking about the different hats he will buy for the baby. I also can't wait to see my belly get big! I think most people dread that part, but I've waited for that belly for a long time!!!
So, as I'm sure you've already guessed, this blog is about to become all about "baby". Sorry if it gets boring!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
So I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being out of school! Every time I hear someone talking about taking a class or finishing homework, the only thought that goes through my head is, "I never have to do that again!" The feelings of relief and joy are almost overwhelming.
School, for me anyway, is so stressful. I can never fully relax. I'm always thinking of the next assignment that is due, or feeling guilty because I should be studying instead of the doing the fun thing I'm doing. Most people say that once you get a real 8-5 job, you're dying to be back in school. Well, that's just utter nonsense! I realize that you may have more "free" time in school, but you're never off, nights and weekends are fair game. When you have a job, you know at 5:00, you're done. DONE. No homework to put off til tomorrow, no tests to worry about. Nothing until you're back at work the next day. How wonderful!
So needless to say, I'm glad that I'm done with all that stress and worry. Now, for the next step.... finding a job! I took an entire day, dressed nice, and drove all over Springfield personally delivering my resume to every dental office I came across. In case you didn't know, there's a lot of dentists in Springfield! I also am mailing a bunch of resumes to all the offices in the surrounding areas. Hopefully one of those little suckers will net me a job! I need one pretty soon, because I'm finding quite a bit of stuff that I want to buy!!
School, for me anyway, is so stressful. I can never fully relax. I'm always thinking of the next assignment that is due, or feeling guilty because I should be studying instead of the doing the fun thing I'm doing. Most people say that once you get a real 8-5 job, you're dying to be back in school. Well, that's just utter nonsense! I realize that you may have more "free" time in school, but you're never off, nights and weekends are fair game. When you have a job, you know at 5:00, you're done. DONE. No homework to put off til tomorrow, no tests to worry about. Nothing until you're back at work the next day. How wonderful!
So needless to say, I'm glad that I'm done with all that stress and worry. Now, for the next step.... finding a job! I took an entire day, dressed nice, and drove all over Springfield personally delivering my resume to every dental office I came across. In case you didn't know, there's a lot of dentists in Springfield! I also am mailing a bunch of resumes to all the offices in the surrounding areas. Hopefully one of those little suckers will net me a job! I need one pretty soon, because I'm finding quite a bit of stuff that I want to buy!!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Well, I've had a busy week! I finally got my license on Thursday!! I was sooo excited. They send you a big certificate along with a card license. I'm definitely going to frame that big one. I worked my butt off for that thing! I called the owner of the temp. agency that I'm working for and told her that I'm now available to work! I'm not quite sure that the temp thing is going to work out. It kinda seems like she's not going to be able to give me as many hours as I want. I guess we'll just wait and see. I'll definitely spend next week sending out resumes to every dentist I can find!
I also spent a lot of time getting ready for my garage sale. I don't know if anyone is aware of this, but those things are A LOT of work! First I had to go through all my crap and find what I wanted to sell. Luckily, I've been planning this garage sale for a long time, so I've just been throwing stuff in a pile as I've found it. That decreased the amount of time I had to spend looking through closets and under beds. I also invited about everyone I know to put their crap in the sale too. This worked out well for everybody, because they got to sell some stuff and my sale looked bigger. I really think garage sales do better when you have more stuff out.
I owe a HUGE thank you to Mom, Grandma Sue and Alicia for helping me with all this! I would not have been able to do it all myself. They sat out in the heat (and by heat I mean just a shade short of hotter than the fires of hell) all day with me and then helped to drag everything in and out of the garage. Mom also helped me pack up everything that didn't sell and hauled it to her house to put in her garage sale. We also packed up some clothing to donate to goodwill. I try not to be offended when other people don't want to pay me for my cast~off, old clothing (see previous post about Plato's Closet) but sometimes the hurt runs a little deep. I'm pretty sure that Alicia felt the same pain/irritation/indignation about her rejected clothes too. I mean, we're not selling used underwear here people!
I think the best moment of the entire affair came when a dirty old man (and when I say dirty, I'm not indicating the amount of filth clinging to him, though there was plenty of that) came up and started talking all smooth to us. He certainly felt he had quite a bit to offer in the handsome man/good husband category. He offered to sell me the dirty poodle~ish dog that followed him over. I kindly informed him that I had two of my own inside and wasn't interested. His response? "Well, I bet my dog can out drink your dogs!" I was unaware that people competed in the dog~drinking arena, so I acquiesced on that point. Apparently he had gotten the dog at an AA meeting. I'm not making that up either, he actually told us that. I'm pretty sure he thought this was a point in his favor. Ya know, so we understood that he had overcome his demons and was a good catch now.
He then turned to my mom and pointed to my grandma and said, "She sure is cute, she single?" It was hilarious!! Mom had the most horrified look on her face as she said, "That's my mother!" Then he told grandma that he was lookin' for hisself a good woman. Grandma didn't even bother to look up as she said, "Well, good luck!"
The man finally left after that. Guess he figured we didn't know a good thing when we saw it. Grandma threatened my life if I told anyone about it, so if I turn up dead, you know where to look!
All in all, we did well. Cody and I made about $400, so it was worth the heat and work. I also got rid of a bunch of stuff that's been laying around my house. Hopefully that money will go towards the down payment on a new house!
So, I've finished school, received my license, and completed my garage sale. I'm ready to begin working now! Hopefully I'll get some hours soon....
I also spent a lot of time getting ready for my garage sale. I don't know if anyone is aware of this, but those things are A LOT of work! First I had to go through all my crap and find what I wanted to sell. Luckily, I've been planning this garage sale for a long time, so I've just been throwing stuff in a pile as I've found it. That decreased the amount of time I had to spend looking through closets and under beds. I also invited about everyone I know to put their crap in the sale too. This worked out well for everybody, because they got to sell some stuff and my sale looked bigger. I really think garage sales do better when you have more stuff out.
I owe a HUGE thank you to Mom, Grandma Sue and Alicia for helping me with all this! I would not have been able to do it all myself. They sat out in the heat (and by heat I mean just a shade short of hotter than the fires of hell) all day with me and then helped to drag everything in and out of the garage. Mom also helped me pack up everything that didn't sell and hauled it to her house to put in her garage sale. We also packed up some clothing to donate to goodwill. I try not to be offended when other people don't want to pay me for my cast~off, old clothing (see previous post about Plato's Closet) but sometimes the hurt runs a little deep. I'm pretty sure that Alicia felt the same pain/irritation/indignation about her rejected clothes too. I mean, we're not selling used underwear here people!
I think the best moment of the entire affair came when a dirty old man (and when I say dirty, I'm not indicating the amount of filth clinging to him, though there was plenty of that) came up and started talking all smooth to us. He certainly felt he had quite a bit to offer in the handsome man/good husband category. He offered to sell me the dirty poodle~ish dog that followed him over. I kindly informed him that I had two of my own inside and wasn't interested. His response? "Well, I bet my dog can out drink your dogs!" I was unaware that people competed in the dog~drinking arena, so I acquiesced on that point. Apparently he had gotten the dog at an AA meeting. I'm not making that up either, he actually told us that. I'm pretty sure he thought this was a point in his favor. Ya know, so we understood that he had overcome his demons and was a good catch now.
He then turned to my mom and pointed to my grandma and said, "She sure is cute, she single?" It was hilarious!! Mom had the most horrified look on her face as she said, "That's my mother!" Then he told grandma that he was lookin' for hisself a good woman. Grandma didn't even bother to look up as she said, "Well, good luck!"
The man finally left after that. Guess he figured we didn't know a good thing when we saw it. Grandma threatened my life if I told anyone about it, so if I turn up dead, you know where to look!
All in all, we did well. Cody and I made about $400, so it was worth the heat and work. I also got rid of a bunch of stuff that's been laying around my house. Hopefully that money will go towards the down payment on a new house!
So, I've finished school, received my license, and completed my garage sale. I'm ready to begin working now! Hopefully I'll get some hours soon....
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
These past few weeks I have learned the meaning of sorrow. On May 20th, Brandon Paudert lost his life in the line of duty. He and a fellow officer were shot down on the side of a freeway, leaving our family to forever mourn his loss. Cody and I traveled to West Memphis to attend his funeral. We stayed for a week, holding onto those nearest us, trying to mend broken hearts.
During this week I experienced some of the saddest moments of my life. It was crushing to see the desperate pain on the faces around me. My heart broke into a million pieces each time I looked into his mother's eyes. The cries of his precious children still ring in my soul. I will forever hear the sound of Taps played on bagpipes, the march of feet as the honor guard was changed, the ringing gunshots saluting our fallen heroes. The image of the flag covered coffins surrounded by masses of flowers has burned itself into my memory. The sound of thousands of mourners gathering together to say goodbye will never leave my ears. My heart still reflects the flashing blue lights surrounding me as we rode in the Sea of Blue to honor Brandon and Bill. My arms almost ache knowing that they are no longer holding on to those people who are hurting so much. My entire being strains to find a way to take away this pain, to go back in time and change that fateful day. To bring Brandon back to his family. And I cry when I realize, again, that there is nothing I can do. Nothing I can say. Nothing I can feel, that will make a difference.
It seemed strange to be home after being in Memphis for so long. Strange to be around those whose lives had continued on when it felt as though ours had stopped. Strange that some people here at home had not heard about the tragedy that had ripped our family in two. I looked around for the flags at half~mast, for the condolence messages on restaurant and church signs, for the mourning that had been so prevalent in Memphis.... but there were none. Life had not changed here. It made me sad. Sad to know that life goes on. The sun will rise and the sun will set, no matter how much pain we endure in between.
We had been home for almost two weeks when we recieved another devastating blow. One that felt as if it was the final blow. The one that would break us. Cody's grandfather, Brandon's grandfather, had been killed in a car accident. It seemed surreal. How could we be going through this again? We just did this. We just had one of our members torn from us, how could we let another one go? How could I go to Cody and look him in the eye and tell him that he had lost yet another loved one?
My heart was so heavy, I was surprised to find that my body could hold it. The pain was screaming so loudly in my ears, I was sure that everyone around me could hear it too. I couldn't even cry. My tears were gone. Spent. I had none left.....or so I thought.
We attended another visitation...another funeral. I held Ola Mae as she tried to cope with burying another beloved husband. I tried to give what little was left of me to Melanie, to help her say goodbye to her daddy. And I tried, I tried, to share Cody's pain. I felt so helpless.
My heart, which was still broken, seemed to shatter as I walked to the gravesite and saw another set of soldiers standing at attention, honoring another fallen brother. Taps played again. Gunshots rent the air once more. Another flag was folded. Another goodbye was said. Another sun set.
This summer has been long. It has been hard. Everyone says hard times make you stronger. But I don't feel stronger. I feel weak. I am forever aware of how fragile life is. I am completely aware that there is nothing I can do to hold my family together. I can not stop death. I can not change what has already happened. I can not stop the tears. I can not overcome the pain of others. I can not bring a son back to his mother, or a father back to his daughters. I can not make sure that a husband will return to his wife. I can only hope in God. I can only continue to pray for healing. I can only choose, choose, to trust that God is still in control. I can only focus on Brandon and his grandpa walking on streets of gold, free from hurt and pain. I can only love those around me entirely. I can only trust my loved ones to God. For I know that He will carry me through the rest.
During this week I experienced some of the saddest moments of my life. It was crushing to see the desperate pain on the faces around me. My heart broke into a million pieces each time I looked into his mother's eyes. The cries of his precious children still ring in my soul. I will forever hear the sound of Taps played on bagpipes, the march of feet as the honor guard was changed, the ringing gunshots saluting our fallen heroes. The image of the flag covered coffins surrounded by masses of flowers has burned itself into my memory. The sound of thousands of mourners gathering together to say goodbye will never leave my ears. My heart still reflects the flashing blue lights surrounding me as we rode in the Sea of Blue to honor Brandon and Bill. My arms almost ache knowing that they are no longer holding on to those people who are hurting so much. My entire being strains to find a way to take away this pain, to go back in time and change that fateful day. To bring Brandon back to his family. And I cry when I realize, again, that there is nothing I can do. Nothing I can say. Nothing I can feel, that will make a difference.
It seemed strange to be home after being in Memphis for so long. Strange to be around those whose lives had continued on when it felt as though ours had stopped. Strange that some people here at home had not heard about the tragedy that had ripped our family in two. I looked around for the flags at half~mast, for the condolence messages on restaurant and church signs, for the mourning that had been so prevalent in Memphis.... but there were none. Life had not changed here. It made me sad. Sad to know that life goes on. The sun will rise and the sun will set, no matter how much pain we endure in between.
We had been home for almost two weeks when we recieved another devastating blow. One that felt as if it was the final blow. The one that would break us. Cody's grandfather, Brandon's grandfather, had been killed in a car accident. It seemed surreal. How could we be going through this again? We just did this. We just had one of our members torn from us, how could we let another one go? How could I go to Cody and look him in the eye and tell him that he had lost yet another loved one?
My heart was so heavy, I was surprised to find that my body could hold it. The pain was screaming so loudly in my ears, I was sure that everyone around me could hear it too. I couldn't even cry. My tears were gone. Spent. I had none left.....or so I thought.
We attended another visitation...another funeral. I held Ola Mae as she tried to cope with burying another beloved husband. I tried to give what little was left of me to Melanie, to help her say goodbye to her daddy. And I tried, I tried, to share Cody's pain. I felt so helpless.
My heart, which was still broken, seemed to shatter as I walked to the gravesite and saw another set of soldiers standing at attention, honoring another fallen brother. Taps played again. Gunshots rent the air once more. Another flag was folded. Another goodbye was said. Another sun set.
This summer has been long. It has been hard. Everyone says hard times make you stronger. But I don't feel stronger. I feel weak. I am forever aware of how fragile life is. I am completely aware that there is nothing I can do to hold my family together. I can not stop death. I can not change what has already happened. I can not stop the tears. I can not overcome the pain of others. I can not bring a son back to his mother, or a father back to his daughters. I can not make sure that a husband will return to his wife. I can only hope in God. I can only continue to pray for healing. I can only choose, choose, to trust that God is still in control. I can only focus on Brandon and his grandpa walking on streets of gold, free from hurt and pain. I can only love those around me entirely. I can only trust my loved ones to God. For I know that He will carry me through the rest.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Well, I have completed 3 of the 4 tests needed to become a licensed RDH! The 4th and final test is over the laws of Missouri and shouldn't be difficult. The biggie was the national boards I took in March, and then the one we took today.
Our clinical boards, which is what we did today, is not necessarily hard, but EXTREMELY stressful! For clinical boards you have to present a case that meets the correct standards, complete an FMX that is prefect (has all open contacts, and shows at least 2mm of bone around each apex of the teeth), then you have to correctly measure 12 probe depths and clean a quadrant (a fourth) of their mouth. May not sound like much, but it's not easy!
The first step is to find a patient that qualifies to become your board patient. The patient must have at least 12 significant areas of calculus, 5 of which must be found subgingival in the posterior (molars and premolars) only, with 3 of the 5 presenting interproximally (between the teeth). Only 6 of the 12 areas of calculus can be in the anterior portion of the mouth. The patient must have at least 1 molar present that has an adjacent tooth. The patient can not have any decay within the quadrant that you are presenting to be cleaned. You only have 90 minutes to complete the cleaning, so you don't want a patient that has too much calculus. You also have significant points taken off if the first quadrant (called the primary quad) you present does not have enough calculus. If the examiners don't accept your primary quad, you can present 4 more teeth (called an alternate quad) to reach the required 12 pieces of calculus. However, if you have to use an alternate quad then you must clean the primary quad and well as the alternate! In other words, you would be required to clean 12 teeth, instead of only 8! If your patient does not qualify at all, you must have a back up patient to use. In this case, significant points are deducted and the possiblity of passing the exam is GREATLY reduced!
Whew, did ya catch all that????
So, once you find a patient that has all this, you can only hope that they don't have any health problems such as high blood pressure, heart problems or joint replacements! These health issues would require a physicians note stating that it is okay to clean their teeth (a big hassle that you don't want to deal with). You also want a patient that doesn't have too deep of pockets or calculus that is hard to remove. You have to keep in mind that you want someone who will be reliable enough to show up on the day of the exam, or else you're simply out 1200 dollars!!!!
Needless to say, these patients are a little difficult to find. Getting your board patient is one of the most stressful parts of the exam. It took me awhile to find one, I was one of the last to get one (scary!). However, I was extremely blessed with a wonderful patient that was reliable and very easy to work with. He put up with all my crazy obsessiveness, the million phone calls (including a 6:00am wake up call the day of the exam), all the paperwork I was required to fill out, not to mention the endless hours of laying in a dental chair and being examined by 4 different people, before and after the cleaning!
I was crazy prepared for this day! I tried to think of everything that I would need, and anything that could go wrong! I had mom on stand-by, ready to zoom across town and pick up my patient in case anything went wrong with his transportation. I had a friend's cavitron as well as mine, just in case mine stopped working for some crazy reason (which happened to a girl last year!). We went into clinic yesterday to prepare our chairs and carts for the big day. We packed double (and in some cases triple) of all the supplies we would need; such as: gauze, patient bibs, bib clips, anesthetic, syringes, syringe cards, needles (of all sizes, of course), floss, prophy paste, RDH's, blood pressure cuffs, finishing strips, more scaling instruments than you would believe (2 of each as well!), gloves, masks, and anything else imaginable!!!!! The box I took home with me was crazy heavy with all this stuff!
So the day finally arrived, unfortunately at 4:45am! Everything went according to plan, mom didn't have to race across town to rescue anyone and I didn't forget anything! Orientation started at 6:45, this is where we turned in all the paperwork we had prepared for the day. It felt so good to hand off all that paper and to know that it was filled out correctly and that I had the appropriate amount of copies for each form. I won't even go into all the details of the paperwork. Just suffice it to say that some had to be filled out before the exam, some during, some in pencil, some in pen. Some papers were not allowed in the clinic or else you would automatically fail, etc... All very stressful!
After orientation, we were finally allowed into the clinic to set up for our patient. This was also when we had to document the 12 pieces of calculus and which quadrant we wanted to clean, along with any planned injections for the anesthetic. We had exactly (to the second) 45 minutes to complete this. Never has 45 minutes gone faster! We were then taken to a room to wait for an hour to find out whether our primary quadrant had been accepted. Never has one hour gone by so slowly! It was a large room so we distracted ourselves by walking a lap around it, and then having an impromptu fashion show! Finally, they came to get us so we could begin the cleanings!
My heart was in my throat as I looked to see which quadrant I had been assigned. Thankfully, they accepted my primary! YEA, half the battle was won! So I gave my injection (which I missed the first time so had to give again, darn!) and then did my 12 perio probings. After that I cleaned the teeth and prayed all that calculus was gone!!! I finished in plently of time. I was able to spend the last 5 minutes putting a cold compress on the teeth so that the bleeding would stop. Of course, there can not be any bleeding when the examiners check the patient! This is very stressful, because most people bleed a lot when they get their teeth cleaned. At last, the time was up and I could do no more! We were excused and waited another 40 minutes while our patients were graded.
After everyone was graded, we dismissed out patients (and I paid my patient the promised $200!) and then we cleaned our chairs and prepared them for the next group.
We then had to go take the 3rd board exam, which is a computer component used to judge clinical skills with radiographs and chart documentation. This test was relatively easy, but I was so tired by this point that I had to read the questions over and over again. It took about an hour to complete that and then finally I could go home!!! I was done, and I still can't believe it's over.
We will find out whether we passed both tests on Monday afternoon! Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Our clinical boards, which is what we did today, is not necessarily hard, but EXTREMELY stressful! For clinical boards you have to present a case that meets the correct standards, complete an FMX that is prefect (has all open contacts, and shows at least 2mm of bone around each apex of the teeth), then you have to correctly measure 12 probe depths and clean a quadrant (a fourth) of their mouth. May not sound like much, but it's not easy!
The first step is to find a patient that qualifies to become your board patient. The patient must have at least 12 significant areas of calculus, 5 of which must be found subgingival in the posterior (molars and premolars) only, with 3 of the 5 presenting interproximally (between the teeth). Only 6 of the 12 areas of calculus can be in the anterior portion of the mouth. The patient must have at least 1 molar present that has an adjacent tooth. The patient can not have any decay within the quadrant that you are presenting to be cleaned. You only have 90 minutes to complete the cleaning, so you don't want a patient that has too much calculus. You also have significant points taken off if the first quadrant (called the primary quad) you present does not have enough calculus. If the examiners don't accept your primary quad, you can present 4 more teeth (called an alternate quad) to reach the required 12 pieces of calculus. However, if you have to use an alternate quad then you must clean the primary quad and well as the alternate! In other words, you would be required to clean 12 teeth, instead of only 8! If your patient does not qualify at all, you must have a back up patient to use. In this case, significant points are deducted and the possiblity of passing the exam is GREATLY reduced!
Whew, did ya catch all that????
So, once you find a patient that has all this, you can only hope that they don't have any health problems such as high blood pressure, heart problems or joint replacements! These health issues would require a physicians note stating that it is okay to clean their teeth (a big hassle that you don't want to deal with). You also want a patient that doesn't have too deep of pockets or calculus that is hard to remove. You have to keep in mind that you want someone who will be reliable enough to show up on the day of the exam, or else you're simply out 1200 dollars!!!!
Needless to say, these patients are a little difficult to find. Getting your board patient is one of the most stressful parts of the exam. It took me awhile to find one, I was one of the last to get one (scary!). However, I was extremely blessed with a wonderful patient that was reliable and very easy to work with. He put up with all my crazy obsessiveness, the million phone calls (including a 6:00am wake up call the day of the exam), all the paperwork I was required to fill out, not to mention the endless hours of laying in a dental chair and being examined by 4 different people, before and after the cleaning!
I was crazy prepared for this day! I tried to think of everything that I would need, and anything that could go wrong! I had mom on stand-by, ready to zoom across town and pick up my patient in case anything went wrong with his transportation. I had a friend's cavitron as well as mine, just in case mine stopped working for some crazy reason (which happened to a girl last year!). We went into clinic yesterday to prepare our chairs and carts for the big day. We packed double (and in some cases triple) of all the supplies we would need; such as: gauze, patient bibs, bib clips, anesthetic, syringes, syringe cards, needles (of all sizes, of course), floss, prophy paste, RDH's, blood pressure cuffs, finishing strips, more scaling instruments than you would believe (2 of each as well!), gloves, masks, and anything else imaginable!!!!! The box I took home with me was crazy heavy with all this stuff!
So the day finally arrived, unfortunately at 4:45am! Everything went according to plan, mom didn't have to race across town to rescue anyone and I didn't forget anything! Orientation started at 6:45, this is where we turned in all the paperwork we had prepared for the day. It felt so good to hand off all that paper and to know that it was filled out correctly and that I had the appropriate amount of copies for each form. I won't even go into all the details of the paperwork. Just suffice it to say that some had to be filled out before the exam, some during, some in pencil, some in pen. Some papers were not allowed in the clinic or else you would automatically fail, etc... All very stressful!
After orientation, we were finally allowed into the clinic to set up for our patient. This was also when we had to document the 12 pieces of calculus and which quadrant we wanted to clean, along with any planned injections for the anesthetic. We had exactly (to the second) 45 minutes to complete this. Never has 45 minutes gone faster! We were then taken to a room to wait for an hour to find out whether our primary quadrant had been accepted. Never has one hour gone by so slowly! It was a large room so we distracted ourselves by walking a lap around it, and then having an impromptu fashion show! Finally, they came to get us so we could begin the cleanings!
My heart was in my throat as I looked to see which quadrant I had been assigned. Thankfully, they accepted my primary! YEA, half the battle was won! So I gave my injection (which I missed the first time so had to give again, darn!) and then did my 12 perio probings. After that I cleaned the teeth and prayed all that calculus was gone!!! I finished in plently of time. I was able to spend the last 5 minutes putting a cold compress on the teeth so that the bleeding would stop. Of course, there can not be any bleeding when the examiners check the patient! This is very stressful, because most people bleed a lot when they get their teeth cleaned. At last, the time was up and I could do no more! We were excused and waited another 40 minutes while our patients were graded.
After everyone was graded, we dismissed out patients (and I paid my patient the promised $200!) and then we cleaned our chairs and prepared them for the next group.
We then had to go take the 3rd board exam, which is a computer component used to judge clinical skills with radiographs and chart documentation. This test was relatively easy, but I was so tired by this point that I had to read the questions over and over again. It took about an hour to complete that and then finally I could go home!!! I was done, and I still can't believe it's over.
We will find out whether we passed both tests on Monday afternoon! Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Today was one of the coolest days of my life! Every hygiene class has to come up with a project to do as a class to replace a final test. Usually classes do something like go to a childcare facility or a nursing home and clean teeth. Our class wanted to do something really cool. We all decided that we would like to clean an animals teeth. At first we considered bringing our own pets into a vet's office and clean their teeth. We were all really excited about it, until our class president came up with something even better! She made a call to the Dickerson Park Zoo and asked if our class could participate in the dental cleaning of a zoo animal. The Zoo staff was kind enough to allow us to do this!
So, today, we all packed into our cars and headed to the zoo. The zoo vet, Dr. Wilson, was doing annual physicals on the zoo's two female South American Maned Wolves. These wolves are endangered species that can only be found in the wild in South America. They do not look like your typical timber wolf, but really resemble an extremely large fox. They have huge ears and very long black legs. They also have black hair on their neck, which is where they get the name Maned Wolf. These wolves are also known for their distinctive smell, which some people say smells like cannabis (or pot). They are extremely shy animals, but they are absolutely gorgeous!
We arrived at the zoo and discovered that several news stations had got wind of the project and came by to take pictures and interview people. We had to split our class into two groups in order to fit everyone in the examining room. I was in the first group to go in. My immediate thought upon seeing Rayna (the wolf) was how large she was. All the pictures I had seen of these wolves made them look very small. But these guys are quite big. I would say they are probably the size of a Great Dane. I also was struck by how big and beautiful her ears were. She was lying on a the exam table and had been intubated, so a machine was breathing for her. We were able to watch and ask questions as Dr. Wilson completed her examination. At the end we were able to look into her mouth and take a peek at her teeth. I was amazed to find that she had the exact same number of teeth that humans do! I expected canines to have different kinds of teeth and to have more than us, but they are the same. Of course, they look differently, but they are still classified as molars, premolars, canines and incisors.
I was able to clean the first tooth! We had an ultrasonic (a dental machine that vibrates and sprays water to blast of tarter) to help us clean her teeth. I jumped right in and cleaned her first molar. It was the craziest thing to sit right next to a wild animal, to be able to pet her and actually have my hands in her mouth. I know that I will probably never get the chance to do something like this again. We cleaned her teeth and then were given a last chance to pet her before she woke up. She was so soft and amazingly clean. Her teeth and gums were in great health. Dr. Wilson did a wonderful job; you could tell she really cares about the animals she is in charge of.
After the cleaning we were able to walk around the zoo (free of charge!). We visited the giraffes, including the 2 month old baby giraffe. He was so cute! I've added a picture of him at the bottom. We loved the little tuft of hair he had on his head! Then we went on to see the cheetas, hippo, lions, monkeys and several other unique animals. We also were able to see the new baby bear that has not been seen by the public yet. He was several months old, but was really anxious after his move here. We couldn't get too close, but were able to watch him run and play in his pen. This was just one of the funnest days I've ever had! Such a great time with such great friends! I'll remember it forever!
Billy, the baby giraffe
Alicia, Mallory, Autumn, Rachel, Me and Nikki
All of us and Rayna
A close up of her newly cleaned teeth!
The cleaning
Me and Mallory with Rayna
So, today, we all packed into our cars and headed to the zoo. The zoo vet, Dr. Wilson, was doing annual physicals on the zoo's two female South American Maned Wolves. These wolves are endangered species that can only be found in the wild in South America. They do not look like your typical timber wolf, but really resemble an extremely large fox. They have huge ears and very long black legs. They also have black hair on their neck, which is where they get the name Maned Wolf. These wolves are also known for their distinctive smell, which some people say smells like cannabis (or pot). They are extremely shy animals, but they are absolutely gorgeous!
We arrived at the zoo and discovered that several news stations had got wind of the project and came by to take pictures and interview people. We had to split our class into two groups in order to fit everyone in the examining room. I was in the first group to go in. My immediate thought upon seeing Rayna (the wolf) was how large she was. All the pictures I had seen of these wolves made them look very small. But these guys are quite big. I would say they are probably the size of a Great Dane. I also was struck by how big and beautiful her ears were. She was lying on a the exam table and had been intubated, so a machine was breathing for her. We were able to watch and ask questions as Dr. Wilson completed her examination. At the end we were able to look into her mouth and take a peek at her teeth. I was amazed to find that she had the exact same number of teeth that humans do! I expected canines to have different kinds of teeth and to have more than us, but they are the same. Of course, they look differently, but they are still classified as molars, premolars, canines and incisors.
I was able to clean the first tooth! We had an ultrasonic (a dental machine that vibrates and sprays water to blast of tarter) to help us clean her teeth. I jumped right in and cleaned her first molar. It was the craziest thing to sit right next to a wild animal, to be able to pet her and actually have my hands in her mouth. I know that I will probably never get the chance to do something like this again. We cleaned her teeth and then were given a last chance to pet her before she woke up. She was so soft and amazingly clean. Her teeth and gums were in great health. Dr. Wilson did a wonderful job; you could tell she really cares about the animals she is in charge of.
After the cleaning we were able to walk around the zoo (free of charge!). We visited the giraffes, including the 2 month old baby giraffe. He was so cute! I've added a picture of him at the bottom. We loved the little tuft of hair he had on his head! Then we went on to see the cheetas, hippo, lions, monkeys and several other unique animals. We also were able to see the new baby bear that has not been seen by the public yet. He was several months old, but was really anxious after his move here. We couldn't get too close, but were able to watch him run and play in his pen. This was just one of the funnest days I've ever had! Such a great time with such great friends! I'll remember it forever!
Billy, the baby giraffe
Alicia, Mallory, Autumn, Rachel, Me and Nikki
All of us and Rayna
A close up of her newly cleaned teeth!
The cleaning
Me and Mallory with Rayna
Look at those beautiful, big ears!
This kind-of shows how big she is
Her legs were so long they didn't fit on the table
Our wolf shadow puppets!
Nikki, Alicia and I
Alex, Autumn, Mallory, Cheri, Rachel, Me, Danielle, Melissa, Alicia,
This kind-of shows how big she is
Her legs were so long they didn't fit on the table
Our wolf shadow puppets!
Nikki, Alicia and I
Alex, Autumn, Mallory, Cheri, Rachel, Me, Danielle, Melissa, Alicia,
Amber and Nikki
In the car on our way!
In the car on our way!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Well, I got the results of my written board exam, and I passed!!! I got an 89%! And now that I know I passed, I can blog about it. It was too terrifying to go over it all again before I knew whether or not I had passed! So, here's the scoop:
I woke up at 6:45 and had to pick up my friend, Mallory, at 7:00! I have never, NEVER, been late to class in this program and the one, most important day of all, I set my alarm wrong! I could not believe it! The panic must of lent me wings because I was at Mallory's at 6:55!
Mallory and I pick up Alicia, and we head off! We arrive at the testing center and prepare to take the hardest test of our lives. Gradually, the rest of our class arrives. We all wait nervously for the testing center to open. I hand out some Imodium (won't mention any names here!) to calm some anxious tummies, and pop some Xanax myself! All to soon, the doors open, and we are ushered in.
We step up one at a time and present our exactly, to the letter correct, id's (two forms, mind you!) and place our palm on a sensor that takes a picture of your palm for identification. We are then instructed to place all of our belongings, except our id, into a locker. We are taken back, one by one, to the death chamber. We are placed in a small room, lined with cubicles along three walls, and glass windows along the fourth. Behind those glass windows is a testing center employee whose sole job is to watch the test takers to make sure they don't cheat. Each time you leave the room (which I only did twice, once to pee and once to go to lunch) you have to have your palm read again to make sure you are who you say you are! It felt very strange, but was kinda neat to see the technology! As I sit down, I can't believe the day has finally arrived...
I begin the test. I immediately panic because I don't know the answer to the first question. I HATE when I don't know the first question! It sets a bad tone for the entire exam. I move to the second question, not sure about that one either! Crap! On to number three......you have GOT to be kidding me..... where are they getting these questions??? Finally, the fourth question is reasonable and I have some idea of what they are asking. By that I mean that I had heard of the choices before. I continue on through the test, feeling like I had studied all the wrong information! Finally, I come to the end of the morning session. I just prayed that I had answered enough of the 200 questions correct to allow me to pass.
Mallory and I finish around the same time. We had planned to go to Mom and Dad's with Alicia and eat lunch. However, the ADA failed to tell us that we had exactly one hour from the time we finished the morning session to eat lunch and return for the afternoon session. We thought we were scheduled to take lunch from 12-1, no matter how early we finished. Alicia had finished much earlier than us, and we had no idea where she was. Hoping that she had found someone to take her to lunch, we head to Mom's. We eat as fast as we can and return for the afternoon part. We finally see Alicia and, together, we all complain about the misleading information from the ADA!
We return to the testing room and submit our palms for reading. After feeling so incompetant after the morning session, I pray that the case studies portion is easier. This is one of the most tiring exams you can sit. They give you 15 case studies with 10 questions each. You have to read the health history, perio charting, medication list, hard charting, x-rays and intraoral pictures on each case. I felt that the case studies were rather simple, a definite relief. I was so tired by the last 3 cases, that I was sure I was making stupid mistakes. Finally I answer the last question and submit my answers. I can't believe it's over.
I was completely exhausted after 8 hours of answering question after question. I was so relieved it was over, but I was really worried about passing. I felt as though I had studied all the wrong information! The test did not seem to be very dental-specific. It was more general health questions that any health professional could answer. Looking back on that day, I felt like I was in a fog, like I was only there for a couple minutes, rather than 8 hours. I am just sooooo thankful it is over and I never have to do it again!
We waited almost 2 weeks to find out if we had passed. Today, after clinic, Autumn told me that she had heard from some fellow students that our scores would be waiting in our mail box when we got home! That was the longest ride home ever! Alicia and I rode together, and normally I drop her off at home and then head home myself. Well, today, I was freaking out, so my wonderful friend offered to let me go home first and get my score. We pull up to our mailbox and I open it slowly. I swear, it was happening in slow motion. I see the envelope and grab it! I open it and pull out the paper. All I see are numbers.....numbers everywhere. Numbers that make no sense whatsoever to me. I can't find a percentage sign for the life of me! Finally, I yell out, "I can't find my score!!!" Alicia calmly takes the paper and finds my score for me! What a great girl! After that, we head to her place and her awaiting score card. I stood next to her as she, much more calmly than me, opens her letter. She passed too! In fact, our entire class passed! I was so proud of us!
I immediately call everyone I know and tell them the good news. Cody was so sweet and brought me home some flowers, wine and cookie dough ice cream! Does that boy know me or what? Here's a picture of my beautiful flowers!
Thanks to everybody for putting up with me and my craziness these past 3 years. I couldn't have done it without the support of everybody. Especially Cody. He has sacrificed so much for me to be in this program. Thanks babe, I love you so much!
I woke up at 6:45 and had to pick up my friend, Mallory, at 7:00! I have never, NEVER, been late to class in this program and the one, most important day of all, I set my alarm wrong! I could not believe it! The panic must of lent me wings because I was at Mallory's at 6:55!
Mallory and I pick up Alicia, and we head off! We arrive at the testing center and prepare to take the hardest test of our lives. Gradually, the rest of our class arrives. We all wait nervously for the testing center to open. I hand out some Imodium (won't mention any names here!) to calm some anxious tummies, and pop some Xanax myself! All to soon, the doors open, and we are ushered in.
We step up one at a time and present our exactly, to the letter correct, id's (two forms, mind you!) and place our palm on a sensor that takes a picture of your palm for identification. We are then instructed to place all of our belongings, except our id, into a locker. We are taken back, one by one, to the death chamber. We are placed in a small room, lined with cubicles along three walls, and glass windows along the fourth. Behind those glass windows is a testing center employee whose sole job is to watch the test takers to make sure they don't cheat. Each time you leave the room (which I only did twice, once to pee and once to go to lunch) you have to have your palm read again to make sure you are who you say you are! It felt very strange, but was kinda neat to see the technology! As I sit down, I can't believe the day has finally arrived...
I begin the test. I immediately panic because I don't know the answer to the first question. I HATE when I don't know the first question! It sets a bad tone for the entire exam. I move to the second question, not sure about that one either! Crap! On to number three......you have GOT to be kidding me..... where are they getting these questions??? Finally, the fourth question is reasonable and I have some idea of what they are asking. By that I mean that I had heard of the choices before. I continue on through the test, feeling like I had studied all the wrong information! Finally, I come to the end of the morning session. I just prayed that I had answered enough of the 200 questions correct to allow me to pass.
Mallory and I finish around the same time. We had planned to go to Mom and Dad's with Alicia and eat lunch. However, the ADA failed to tell us that we had exactly one hour from the time we finished the morning session to eat lunch and return for the afternoon session. We thought we were scheduled to take lunch from 12-1, no matter how early we finished. Alicia had finished much earlier than us, and we had no idea where she was. Hoping that she had found someone to take her to lunch, we head to Mom's. We eat as fast as we can and return for the afternoon part. We finally see Alicia and, together, we all complain about the misleading information from the ADA!
We return to the testing room and submit our palms for reading. After feeling so incompetant after the morning session, I pray that the case studies portion is easier. This is one of the most tiring exams you can sit. They give you 15 case studies with 10 questions each. You have to read the health history, perio charting, medication list, hard charting, x-rays and intraoral pictures on each case. I felt that the case studies were rather simple, a definite relief. I was so tired by the last 3 cases, that I was sure I was making stupid mistakes. Finally I answer the last question and submit my answers. I can't believe it's over.
I was completely exhausted after 8 hours of answering question after question. I was so relieved it was over, but I was really worried about passing. I felt as though I had studied all the wrong information! The test did not seem to be very dental-specific. It was more general health questions that any health professional could answer. Looking back on that day, I felt like I was in a fog, like I was only there for a couple minutes, rather than 8 hours. I am just sooooo thankful it is over and I never have to do it again!
We waited almost 2 weeks to find out if we had passed. Today, after clinic, Autumn told me that she had heard from some fellow students that our scores would be waiting in our mail box when we got home! That was the longest ride home ever! Alicia and I rode together, and normally I drop her off at home and then head home myself. Well, today, I was freaking out, so my wonderful friend offered to let me go home first and get my score. We pull up to our mailbox and I open it slowly. I swear, it was happening in slow motion. I see the envelope and grab it! I open it and pull out the paper. All I see are numbers.....numbers everywhere. Numbers that make no sense whatsoever to me. I can't find a percentage sign for the life of me! Finally, I yell out, "I can't find my score!!!" Alicia calmly takes the paper and finds my score for me! What a great girl! After that, we head to her place and her awaiting score card. I stood next to her as she, much more calmly than me, opens her letter. She passed too! In fact, our entire class passed! I was so proud of us!
I immediately call everyone I know and tell them the good news. Cody was so sweet and brought me home some flowers, wine and cookie dough ice cream! Does that boy know me or what? Here's a picture of my beautiful flowers!
Thanks to everybody for putting up with me and my craziness these past 3 years. I couldn't have done it without the support of everybody. Especially Cody. He has sacrificed so much for me to be in this program. Thanks babe, I love you so much!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Well, as most of you know I just turned 28! Though I wasn't excited about being a year older, I was glad to leave 27 behind! I just don't like that number.... I mean yuk! 28 sounds much better.
I also had one of the best birthdays ever! I was kind of expecting this birthday to, well, suck. This year my birthday happened to be the day before I took my national board exam. I thought that I'd be all stressed out and just sit around the house and do nothing but worry. Well, my wonderful husband and his family took care of that for me!
Cody's family has been four wheeling for, well, I'm pretty sure forever. At least as long as I've known them. And me? Well, the first time I sat on a four wheeler was when I started dating Cody. Big surprise! However, I quickly came to love it. One of my favorite things is four wheeling at Kenny and Melanie's. We've gone countless times since my first ride, and I get a little more comfortable each time.
So this year, Kenny called Cody and asked if we wanted to go down to Ava and ride. Luckily, I was on Spring Break and could go with them. It also happened to be on my birthday! So we packed up the truck and headed down to Glade top. We arrived to find one of the most beautiful days of the year. The sky was perfectly blue and the weather was not too cold or too hot.
Glade top is a national park, and it is gorgeous! There is nothing around for miles, except for trees, creeks and wildlife. It's just you and nature. I love riding because I can just sit and enjoy the breeze on my face and look out into the forest. Glade top has a little bit of everything; you can drive forever and see only trees surrounding you and then suddenly you are on top of a hill and can see for miles around. There are rocky hills to climb up and creeks to cross. I love those gurgling creeks with the water so clear you can see the different colored rocks on the creek bed. If you go slow enough you can even see the fish and frogs that make the creeks their home. I love looking out and wondering how many little animals are hiding from the hum of our four wheelers, waiting to come out until we pass by. This area is one of the most peaceful places I've ever been. I can't help but think of how awesome our Creator is when I'm in a place like that.
Another of my favorite things about Glade top is the history that is there. Every once in a while you come across an old homestead. You can see the remains of old cellars, forgotten tin pails rusting in the grass, rock foundations that once supported a home. I find myself wanting to know more about the people who lived here. The ones that worked so hard to tame the land and build a home. Did they thrive here by the water, or did they struggle each day to put food on the table and to protect their children? Were they born on this land, or did they travel from a far away place to claim it as their own? How many children came into this world at this very spot? I can almost see a little girl sitting in the tall grass making chains of flowers, or a little boy struggling to chop wood so his family would stay warm. What were their hopes and dreams? What did they fear? Did they fall asleep at night listening to the water flow outside their window?
There is a small and very old cemetary on one of the hills on Glade top. It's a beautiful place, in its own way. There is certainly sorrow to be felt there. Many lives had been laid to rest there, too many before their time I'm sure. Many graves are only marked by a stone. Some have names and dates scratched on their surface. A few mark the resting place of entire families. Did they die of some terrible sickness? I can almost see a mother leaning over her child, wiping their little face, praying that they would get better. Some stones only tell of an infant, one that was called to heaven before ever even beginning life here on earth. Many graves show birth and death dates from the 1800's; what did this cemetary look like when these people were laid here? Was there snow on the ground? Were there this many trees around? I'll never know; all I can see now is a shadow of the past. As we leave the cemetary to continue our journey, I find myself hoping that it will always be there. That a hundred years from now, another person can walk through it, wondering about the lives that were lost here, thinking about those that had to walk away and leave their loved ones where they lay.
We left the cemetary and continued down the trail. I began to think that maybe I would try driving. Kenny and Cody have always been great about helping me and they are always very patient with me when I get scared. They always encourage me to get out of my comfort zone and actually drive instead of just ride behind Cody, but they never make me feel bad if I chicken out! I have driven several times; Cody stays on the back and helps me by providing emotional support, and, well, helping me do things like turning the four wheeler on. I usually decide to drive when we're on flat land with lots of open spaces; no hills or creeks to cross, no trees to run into. Just simple, easy driving. Well, Glade top is not really simple, easy driving. There are rock ledges to climb and water to cross, both of which are surrounded by trees to hit! I did overcome my fear and I drove! I didn't really go up any rocks, cause that's just craziness, but I did cross several of the creeks! I was so proud of myself! I've attached some pictures of our adventures.
Cody going up a steep bank
Me resting on Cody after driving through some scary creeks!
Me going through a creek
Look how deep that is!
I like this one because it shows the steepness of the banks and
I also had one of the best birthdays ever! I was kind of expecting this birthday to, well, suck. This year my birthday happened to be the day before I took my national board exam. I thought that I'd be all stressed out and just sit around the house and do nothing but worry. Well, my wonderful husband and his family took care of that for me!
Cody's family has been four wheeling for, well, I'm pretty sure forever. At least as long as I've known them. And me? Well, the first time I sat on a four wheeler was when I started dating Cody. Big surprise! However, I quickly came to love it. One of my favorite things is four wheeling at Kenny and Melanie's. We've gone countless times since my first ride, and I get a little more comfortable each time.
So this year, Kenny called Cody and asked if we wanted to go down to Ava and ride. Luckily, I was on Spring Break and could go with them. It also happened to be on my birthday! So we packed up the truck and headed down to Glade top. We arrived to find one of the most beautiful days of the year. The sky was perfectly blue and the weather was not too cold or too hot.
Glade top is a national park, and it is gorgeous! There is nothing around for miles, except for trees, creeks and wildlife. It's just you and nature. I love riding because I can just sit and enjoy the breeze on my face and look out into the forest. Glade top has a little bit of everything; you can drive forever and see only trees surrounding you and then suddenly you are on top of a hill and can see for miles around. There are rocky hills to climb up and creeks to cross. I love those gurgling creeks with the water so clear you can see the different colored rocks on the creek bed. If you go slow enough you can even see the fish and frogs that make the creeks their home. I love looking out and wondering how many little animals are hiding from the hum of our four wheelers, waiting to come out until we pass by. This area is one of the most peaceful places I've ever been. I can't help but think of how awesome our Creator is when I'm in a place like that.
Another of my favorite things about Glade top is the history that is there. Every once in a while you come across an old homestead. You can see the remains of old cellars, forgotten tin pails rusting in the grass, rock foundations that once supported a home. I find myself wanting to know more about the people who lived here. The ones that worked so hard to tame the land and build a home. Did they thrive here by the water, or did they struggle each day to put food on the table and to protect their children? Were they born on this land, or did they travel from a far away place to claim it as their own? How many children came into this world at this very spot? I can almost see a little girl sitting in the tall grass making chains of flowers, or a little boy struggling to chop wood so his family would stay warm. What were their hopes and dreams? What did they fear? Did they fall asleep at night listening to the water flow outside their window?
There is a small and very old cemetary on one of the hills on Glade top. It's a beautiful place, in its own way. There is certainly sorrow to be felt there. Many lives had been laid to rest there, too many before their time I'm sure. Many graves are only marked by a stone. Some have names and dates scratched on their surface. A few mark the resting place of entire families. Did they die of some terrible sickness? I can almost see a mother leaning over her child, wiping their little face, praying that they would get better. Some stones only tell of an infant, one that was called to heaven before ever even beginning life here on earth. Many graves show birth and death dates from the 1800's; what did this cemetary look like when these people were laid here? Was there snow on the ground? Were there this many trees around? I'll never know; all I can see now is a shadow of the past. As we leave the cemetary to continue our journey, I find myself hoping that it will always be there. That a hundred years from now, another person can walk through it, wondering about the lives that were lost here, thinking about those that had to walk away and leave their loved ones where they lay.
We left the cemetary and continued down the trail. I began to think that maybe I would try driving. Kenny and Cody have always been great about helping me and they are always very patient with me when I get scared. They always encourage me to get out of my comfort zone and actually drive instead of just ride behind Cody, but they never make me feel bad if I chicken out! I have driven several times; Cody stays on the back and helps me by providing emotional support, and, well, helping me do things like turning the four wheeler on. I usually decide to drive when we're on flat land with lots of open spaces; no hills or creeks to cross, no trees to run into. Just simple, easy driving. Well, Glade top is not really simple, easy driving. There are rock ledges to climb and water to cross, both of which are surrounded by trees to hit! I did overcome my fear and I drove! I didn't really go up any rocks, cause that's just craziness, but I did cross several of the creeks! I was so proud of myself! I've attached some pictures of our adventures.
Cody going up a steep bank
Me resting on Cody after driving through some scary creeks!
Me going through a creek
Look how deep that is!
I like this one because it shows the steepness of the banks and the pretty rocks on the creek bed
Me driving over a big tree branch
Cody driving down a really steep hill~ Melanie and I
Me driving over a big tree branch
Cody driving down a really steep hill~ Melanie and Iwalked down this one!
Kenny and Melanie
Crossing a creek
Melanie crossing a creek~ she's braver than me!
another creek crossing!
Kenny and Melanie
Crossing a creek
Melanie crossing a creek~ she's braver than me!
another creek crossing!
Monday, March 15, 2010
I'm am very tired of writing about school, so I'm sure you are tired of reading about it! Therefore, this blog will not mention it at all! Yay!
I'm starting to get very excited about life! The future is looking bright and, for once, very close! Right now I'm working on getting all my old stuff together so I can have a garage sale. I'm planning this for late May or early June. I've never hosted my own garage sale, I've always gone in with my mom or sister, so I'm kinda nervous! I'm wanting to sell of the majority of what I own, so that when I get a job I can replace it all with cool new stuff! However, I am trying to control the urge to throw out everything, because I'm sure in a different environment I would still like some of it. My house looks a little funny right now, because I'm taking items off of shelves and walls to add to my growing pile of "garage sale stuff". I'm also inviting several people to put stuff in the sale, so if anyone is interested just let me know.
I'm also getting excited because Spring is on its way. I LOVE Spring. It is by far my most favorite season. I love watching everything turn green and grow. I love the weather, which is not too hot or too cold. I even like the thunderstorms, as long as they don't produce tornadoes! I made a slightly embarrassing purchase to use this spring. It's a blue plastic folding lawn chair, you know the kind that were everywhere in the '80's! Cody has informed me that it's white trash, but I love it! I can sit out on my back porch and read, enjoying the weather with my dogs having fun playing in the yard. I am looking forward to taking some nature walks with Cody too. We are going to go hiking this Spring/Summer. We found a nice little trail near our house that we walked the other day. It was so peaceful and quiet. It wound around a little creek, an old barn and even a really old graveyard (not the creepy kind of graveyard, but the really old 1800's graveyards). Hopefully, we'll be able to go back at least once a week.
I have also decided that I'm going to kick myself in high gear when it comes to exercising this summer. I have waited way too long to start; there was always too much going on for me to really concentrate on it before, but now I'm going to make it a priority. My friend introduced me to a new website named Living Strong. It is a really neat site that allows you to enter what you eat each day and it calculates the calories, protein, sugar, sodium, etc for you! You can also enter when you exercise and it calculates about how many calories you burn. So far I haven't been able to enter info every day, but I'm averaging about every other day. I think it helps just to see how much we actually put into our bodies every day. My sister and I have also started running again. Well, so far we've just walked, but once it gets a little warmer we'll start running.
Cody and I are also starting to look into buying a house. We won't be able to actually buy one until I find a job and we know where we will end up. But it's really fun imagining the possibilities! We are both so ready to own our own home that we can't wait to get started! We'd really like to end up in Rogersville, or around there, but again, it all depends on where I can find a job.
There are many other things I could write about, but I'll save it for another post!
I'm starting to get very excited about life! The future is looking bright and, for once, very close! Right now I'm working on getting all my old stuff together so I can have a garage sale. I'm planning this for late May or early June. I've never hosted my own garage sale, I've always gone in with my mom or sister, so I'm kinda nervous! I'm wanting to sell of the majority of what I own, so that when I get a job I can replace it all with cool new stuff! However, I am trying to control the urge to throw out everything, because I'm sure in a different environment I would still like some of it. My house looks a little funny right now, because I'm taking items off of shelves and walls to add to my growing pile of "garage sale stuff". I'm also inviting several people to put stuff in the sale, so if anyone is interested just let me know.
I'm also getting excited because Spring is on its way. I LOVE Spring. It is by far my most favorite season. I love watching everything turn green and grow. I love the weather, which is not too hot or too cold. I even like the thunderstorms, as long as they don't produce tornadoes! I made a slightly embarrassing purchase to use this spring. It's a blue plastic folding lawn chair, you know the kind that were everywhere in the '80's! Cody has informed me that it's white trash, but I love it! I can sit out on my back porch and read, enjoying the weather with my dogs having fun playing in the yard. I am looking forward to taking some nature walks with Cody too. We are going to go hiking this Spring/Summer. We found a nice little trail near our house that we walked the other day. It was so peaceful and quiet. It wound around a little creek, an old barn and even a really old graveyard (not the creepy kind of graveyard, but the really old 1800's graveyards). Hopefully, we'll be able to go back at least once a week.
I have also decided that I'm going to kick myself in high gear when it comes to exercising this summer. I have waited way too long to start; there was always too much going on for me to really concentrate on it before, but now I'm going to make it a priority. My friend introduced me to a new website named Living Strong. It is a really neat site that allows you to enter what you eat each day and it calculates the calories, protein, sugar, sodium, etc for you! You can also enter when you exercise and it calculates about how many calories you burn. So far I haven't been able to enter info every day, but I'm averaging about every other day. I think it helps just to see how much we actually put into our bodies every day. My sister and I have also started running again. Well, so far we've just walked, but once it gets a little warmer we'll start running.
Cody and I are also starting to look into buying a house. We won't be able to actually buy one until I find a job and we know where we will end up. But it's really fun imagining the possibilities! We are both so ready to own our own home that we can't wait to get started! We'd really like to end up in Rogersville, or around there, but again, it all depends on where I can find a job.
There are many other things I could write about, but I'll save it for another post!
Monday, March 8, 2010
My national board exam is literally two weeks from tomorrow! Yikes! I'm not sure what I'm feeling at this point. Part of me is terrified, yet part of me is ready to get it over with! I have studied and studied and studied! This one little (ok, well, not little) test has been held over my head for almost two years now. We first heard about the horrors of "boards" in our first semester; however, at that point, they were safely stored in the "future" folder. In our second semester we watched as the second year students went through the exam process and thanked our fates that it wasn't us. It became a little more real in the summer. This was when we all thought, "I'm gonna spend at least 30 hours a week studying, and I'm gonna be the most prepared student ever! I, mean, why wouldn't I do that? My whole career depends on this test!" It was about half-way through our fourth semester that we realized we had, in fact, wasted most of our lives by NOT studying the 30 hours we had originally planned for, and now it was almost too late to get ahead! Crap!
So, now, here we are in our fifth and final semester. Watching the days slip by; constantly thinking, "Man, I should really be studying, boards are only 3 months....2 months......3 weeks away." I remember wondering what I would feel like when boards were two weeks away, and now I'm wondering what I'll feel like when they are only a week away. When will the panic set in? Maybe, just maybe, I've prepared enough and I'll make it through just fine. I'll let ya know in two weeks!
So, now, here we are in our fifth and final semester. Watching the days slip by; constantly thinking, "Man, I should really be studying, boards are only 3 months....2 months......3 weeks away." I remember wondering what I would feel like when boards were two weeks away, and now I'm wondering what I'll feel like when they are only a week away. When will the panic set in? Maybe, just maybe, I've prepared enough and I'll make it through just fine. I'll let ya know in two weeks!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
It may only be Wednesday, but I have had enough of this week! I have been sick with bronchial pneumonia for like a week now; the doctor gave me antibiotics, which, of coarse, make my stomach so happy. I swear, I have not been this sick since I had mono! To top that off, I was scheduled to be in sterilization for the first time ever this week at school! Here's a sampling of my day yesterday....
Wake up and wish to die so that I would feel slightly better. Choke down some yogurt (it's not like I can taste it anyway) and head to school. Try and blunder my way through all the normal sterilization duties, all the while trying to convince the teachers that I'm competant enough to graduate. Figure out how to clean an autoclave, and then do it 3 more times. Pull charts for someone because they "can't bend over, cause I'm pregnant." Clean contaminated blood from the waiting room and all associated surfaces. Develop x-rays that I didn't take. Slip, and almost fall in front of the entire clinic, on some water that is coming from...... under the sink!?!? Clean UP the massive amount of water that overflowed under the sink. Switch out old supplies for new supplies in the emergency kit. Confirm the doctor's suspicion that I'm a total idiot because I can't figure out how to turn on the oxygen tank (while he stands next to me saying "you'd have to figure it out in an emergency over and over again) even though I already took, and passed, that class. Clean and flip 4 radiology chairs at the same time. And finally, head home so I can sleep before I do it all again on Thursday!
The one bright spot in this week was when I got home and found that Cody had cleaned every inch of the house (including our spare bedroom!) as well as made me dinner! He also bought me beautiful flowers and a very sweet card. I'm not sure how he knew the exact right day to do this, because I hadn't even told him about my horrible day yet. But somehow (maybe a husband's intuition? is that a real thing?) he knew exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it. What a great end to the most horrible day in clinic so far!
Wake up and wish to die so that I would feel slightly better. Choke down some yogurt (it's not like I can taste it anyway) and head to school. Try and blunder my way through all the normal sterilization duties, all the while trying to convince the teachers that I'm competant enough to graduate. Figure out how to clean an autoclave, and then do it 3 more times. Pull charts for someone because they "can't bend over, cause I'm pregnant." Clean contaminated blood from the waiting room and all associated surfaces. Develop x-rays that I didn't take. Slip, and almost fall in front of the entire clinic, on some water that is coming from...... under the sink!?!? Clean UP the massive amount of water that overflowed under the sink. Switch out old supplies for new supplies in the emergency kit. Confirm the doctor's suspicion that I'm a total idiot because I can't figure out how to turn on the oxygen tank (while he stands next to me saying "you'd have to figure it out in an emergency over and over again) even though I already took, and passed, that class. Clean and flip 4 radiology chairs at the same time. And finally, head home so I can sleep before I do it all again on Thursday!
The one bright spot in this week was when I got home and found that Cody had cleaned every inch of the house (including our spare bedroom!) as well as made me dinner! He also bought me beautiful flowers and a very sweet card. I'm not sure how he knew the exact right day to do this, because I hadn't even told him about my horrible day yet. But somehow (maybe a husband's intuition? is that a real thing?) he knew exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it. What a great end to the most horrible day in clinic so far!
Friday, February 19, 2010
....with studying that is! I WISH I was done with the program! I'm soooo tired of studying, I'm done, done, done with it. Unfortunately, my test isn't for another month or so. I've been taking several mock tests, trying to prepare myself. So far, I've gotten good results. I got a 67% on one and 64% on another. I know those scores sound bad, but you're supposed to add 20% to your score and that would be what you'd make on boards. So, basically I would have gotten an 86% and an 84%. You only have to have a 75% to pass, so hopefully I'll do okay!
The test consists of two parts: a multiple choice section and a case study section. The mulitple choice has 200 questions and there are 15 case studies with 10 questions on each. That's just our National Board Exams. We also have to pass a clinical exam where we assess, probe, clean and polish 8 teeth under extremely stressful conditions! We also have a computer component of the clinical exam where we have to identify and know how to correct common mistakes made when taking x-rays. THEN, we have to pass our jurisprudence test over Missouri laws! Seriously people! I'm not trying to become a brain surgeon here!
So, anyway, I obviously can't wait til I have passed all of these exams. I'm most worried about the National Boards. I'll be especially thankful when they are over. I'll be a different person on March 25th! Can't wait!
The test consists of two parts: a multiple choice section and a case study section. The mulitple choice has 200 questions and there are 15 case studies with 10 questions on each. That's just our National Board Exams. We also have to pass a clinical exam where we assess, probe, clean and polish 8 teeth under extremely stressful conditions! We also have a computer component of the clinical exam where we have to identify and know how to correct common mistakes made when taking x-rays. THEN, we have to pass our jurisprudence test over Missouri laws! Seriously people! I'm not trying to become a brain surgeon here!
So, anyway, I obviously can't wait til I have passed all of these exams. I'm most worried about the National Boards. I'll be especially thankful when they are over. I'll be a different person on March 25th! Can't wait!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
I've always wanted to do a blog with some of my favorite pictures, but I have so many favorites that the thought of this blog was always overwhelming. I decided that I would just do several blogs with a few pictures each. So here is the first installment of my favorite pictures....there will be more to come! Enjoy!
Cody and I on our honeymoon
Cody and I on our honeymoon
My friend, Leslie, and I
Melanie, Beth and me
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Sweet baby Anna
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My grandpa Hubert and me on my wedding day
My friend, Jenny
Me and Jenny old school
Cody and I
Mom and Dad
Kenny and Melanie
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Melanie, Beth and me.jpg)
Sweet baby Anna
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My grandpa Hubert and me on my wedding day
My friend, Jenny
Me and Jenny old school
Cody and I
Mom and Dad
Kenny and Melanie
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Anna and Uncle Brad
My dad and Anna
My nephew, Parker
Me and Anna the day she was born
Anna in the outfit I bought her
My dad and Anna
My nephew, Parker
Me and Anna the day she was born
Anna in the outfit I bought her
Sunday, January 31, 2010
I may be a little premature in writing this blog, but, as this is my last semester in school, I'm gonna chance it! The last two years has certainly been long and difficult, but I know that every moment will be worth it! I've made a lot of good friends that I know I will never forget. I hope that we are able to keep in touch after school!
Our first semester was pretty easy, looking back now at least. We only had 4 classes: Orofacial Anatomy, Foundations of Dental Hygiene, Radiology I and Oral Histology and Embryology. We spent most of that semester learning infection control procedures and how to set up and break down our chairs. We also learned some basic patient care, like oral cancer screenings.
Our second semester was, by far, the hardest semester. Everyone in our class made it through though! We took Radiology II, Periodontology, Dental Materials, Pharmacology, Dental Hygiene II, and our clinic. We were certainly busy that semester! I remember spending most of that semester listening to the second year students and wishing I was where they were. Clinic scared most of us to death, but we were learning a lot of neat stuff. This was the semester that we learned the basics of our instrumentation and began working on each other. It was during this time that I first felt calculus and learned to explore a mouth without causing my patient excruciating pain. We also learned the basics of probing and calculus removal. I was amazed at how difficult it was to control the polisher! In Dental Materials we were learning how to take impressions, and it was here that I actually burned my throat by taking so many impressions on myself. At the end of this semester we saw our first real, live, non-student patients. I was extremely nervous, but did well.
So, we began our summer semester with 17 students instead of 18. We were sad, but we knew Karyn had made the right decision for her family. Summer was a great time for us. We were able to learn a lot from being in clinic, and we had a lot of extra attention from our teachers since we were the only students at school. We were still seeing some pretty easy patients at this point, but we were definitely expanding our skills. Unfortunately, we lost another two students at the end of this semester, Anne and Tanya.
We really enjoyed the time away from school! Unfortunately, we were back at school all too soon. About halfway through the semester, we lost another student from our class. Shelley was once again kicked out of the program. It reminded us all to work hard and just keep our heads down till it was over! For me, the semester went by so fast! Before I knew it we were taking finals and looking forward to Christmas break. Sadly, at the end of this semester we lost another student. Deb was not allowed to continue on to our last semester. I think the loss of her hit all of us the hardest. Deb was a great person and would have made a wonderful hygienist. I wish her the best in life and hope she keeps in touch with us! 
So, we continue on.....pressing forward until we reach our goal. We are so close now we can almost taste it! I still look forward to the day that I can post my graduation pictures and sign my name with RDH following it. I know my classmates all feel the same! Here's one last picture of all of us in clinic.
From the back left: Carrie, Cheri, Alex, Alicia, Sarah, me, Rachel, Danielle, Melissa, Nikki, Mallory, Autumn, Kecia and Amber.
Our first semester was pretty easy, looking back now at least. We only had 4 classes: Orofacial Anatomy, Foundations of Dental Hygiene, Radiology I and Oral Histology and Embryology. We spent most of that semester learning infection control procedures and how to set up and break down our chairs. We also learned some basic patient care, like oral cancer screenings.
Our second semester was, by far, the hardest semester. Everyone in our class made it through though! We took Radiology II, Periodontology, Dental Materials, Pharmacology, Dental Hygiene II, and our clinic. We were certainly busy that semester! I remember spending most of that semester listening to the second year students and wishing I was where they were. Clinic scared most of us to death, but we were learning a lot of neat stuff. This was the semester that we learned the basics of our instrumentation and began working on each other. It was during this time that I first felt calculus and learned to explore a mouth without causing my patient excruciating pain. We also learned the basics of probing and calculus removal. I was amazed at how difficult it was to control the polisher! In Dental Materials we were learning how to take impressions, and it was here that I actually burned my throat by taking so many impressions on myself. At the end of this semester we saw our first real, live, non-student patients. I was extremely nervous, but did well.
As we prepared for our summer semester we were all exstatic that no one had been kicked out of the program yet! Our class started with 18 students, but right before summer semester started, one of our classmates decided to drop out. She gave birth to a baby girl and decided that she wanted to spend more time with her kids. Here's some pictures of our class shower for her.
So, we began our summer semester with 17 students instead of 18. We were sad, but we knew Karyn had made the right decision for her family. Summer was a great time for us. We were able to learn a lot from being in clinic, and we had a lot of extra attention from our teachers since we were the only students at school. We were still seeing some pretty easy patients at this point, but we were definitely expanding our skills. Unfortunately, we lost another two students at the end of this semester, Anne and Tanya.We started our third semester down three students, but, we had gained one girl, Shelley, that had been kicked out previously and had decided to try again. This semester was a stresser for all of us. We were seeing difficult patients and now had the added stress of needing to meet requirements in order to continue on to our last semester. Rarely did a clinic day pass by without our teachers informing us, again, that we would not be allowed to continue unless we met ALL of our semester requirements. This was also the semester that we learned how unrealible patients can be! There were many times that patients would simply not show up, even after confirming their appointment. This is very stressful, because if our chair is empty for any reason we would loose 100 points and an opportunity to meet another requirement.
However, our class really grew closer to one another throughout this time. We took a trip up to Tan-tar-a for our annual Dental Hygiene session. Though the hotel and actual meetings sucked, we had a good time hanging out together. Here's some pictures from our trip.
However, our class really grew closer to one another throughout this time. We took a trip up to Tan-tar-a for our annual Dental Hygiene session. Though the hotel and actual meetings sucked, we had a good time hanging out together. Here's some pictures from our trip.
We really enjoyed the time away from school! Unfortunately, we were back at school all too soon. About halfway through the semester, we lost another student from our class. Shelley was once again kicked out of the program. It reminded us all to work hard and just keep our heads down till it was over! For me, the semester went by so fast! Before I knew it we were taking finals and looking forward to Christmas break. Sadly, at the end of this semester we lost another student. Deb was not allowed to continue on to our last semester. I think the loss of her hit all of us the hardest. Deb was a great person and would have made a wonderful hygienist. I wish her the best in life and hope she keeps in touch with us! We came back from Christmas break with only 14 students. All together, we lost 5 students from our program. We all sincerely hope that will be all that we lose. We are all hoping that this semester goes by as fast as the last one did. We're all focused on passing our board examinations. We are in clinic now more than ever. We are seeing very difficult patients and we're honing our skills. There's not much left for our teachers to formally teach us, so life seems pretty easy. Here's some pictures of us in clinic on the day we cleaned each other's teeth.
So, we continue on.....pressing forward until we reach our goal. We are so close now we can almost taste it! I still look forward to the day that I can post my graduation pictures and sign my name with RDH following it. I know my classmates all feel the same! Here's one last picture of all of us in clinic.
From the back left: Carrie, Cheri, Alex, Alicia, Sarah, me, Rachel, Danielle, Melissa, Nikki, Mallory, Autumn, Kecia and Amber. The Dental Hygiene class of 2010
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