Little big things

Remember how I said in my previous Valentines post how it is the little things that are “big” to me in a marriage?

Today I came home from an SNA fundraiser to my husband and a card on the counter with a big “m” shaped bird on it- this means it is for me. :)

(Forrest’s nickname for me is Bird- I hardly ever hear him call me Megan…it is always Bird. And, anytime he addresses me somehow on paper like leaving me a note,  gift tags, cards, etc he will draw a little bird on it instead of writing it out).

Okay might seem like too much information- but you will understand why I had to explain that later in the blog. So, I open the envelope and pull out an “I’m Proud of You” kind of card with the sweetest, most encouraging things written in it about me being in nursing school. He did this because I made an “A” on my test today which means I made all “A”s on my first round of tests this semester. It really made me want to keep working harder- I love knowing that I am making him a proud husband because I am so proud of him too.

Anyways, I was pretty excited when I found out about my grade today, so I emailed him in class right away to share the good news. My test experience usually goes like this: study, spend time with Forrest, study, study, study, then off to take my test and Forrest ALWAYS wishes me good luck, sometimes even twice if he calls beforehand, take test, call or email Forrest right after to talk about the test or tell him my grade if I know it already.

So now, time to brag on Forrest: he completed a 20 mile bike ride this past Sunday with his brother in law. He is doing a half-marathon(Armadillo Dash) in two weeks. He ran 10 miles for the first time ever last week and did it in 94 minutes. We practiced flip turns in the water on Sunday so he can get used to swimming continuously. O, and he got me some new running shoes. :)

Food for Thought

A few weeks ago, Forrest and I were at Barnes & Noble when I came across this neat book called “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.” I was attracted to title and the cover (I think I have a growing passion for food) but the way it is written is so easy to read and it has really interesting facts. I had to get it! Anyways, I thought I would share some good facts straight from the book.

On the subject of ORGANIC: the author is very “pro-organic.” He states that he buys it whenever he can. I have not completely converted, but after reading what this author has to say, I might make a few changes in the way I grocery shop.

So what exactly does the term mean? Well, it is meant to describe where the food comes from and how it is grown. The whole movement began to go against the marketplace and go back to a time when animals were not fed growth hormones, steroids, and antibiotics and crops were not treated with artificial chemicals to make them look more appealing.

Consider this quote from the author, “The quality of the food we eat comes from the quality of the food our food eats.” 

And here is a tip from the author: since organic can be expensive and inconvenient, check out a local farmers market if you have one and if you can, get to know the people that grow and raise it.

I think I might try this out, especially when the weather gets nice. It just gives me a good excuse to get outside and maybe even get a cute, fun shopping bag!

And while we are on the subject of food, if you like meatloaf, here is a good “good for you” recipe from Rachel Ray:

Tex-Mex Meatloaves

L.O.V.E.

Promise I will keep the mush talk to a minimum but I just want to say that God has truly blessed me with a husband who shows me all the time how much he loves me and a marriage filled with love and joy. I know it is not always rose petals and chocolate, but it is the little things everyday that matter most. I love you Forrest, and Happy Valentine's Day!!

Our Valentine’s day holiday was celebrated a little early this year. I have a lot to study for tonight so we celebrated last night. I say celebrate but we really do not do anything too out of the ordinary… I mean that in a good way. Forrest and I love to cook at the house, turn up music, and have a little drink on the weekends. To us, it is the ideal night. Kind of like playing “host” to ourselves (and the dogs) Ha! We did however make it a little extra special by cooking something extra nice- steak and lobster. We drank beer margaritas while we cooked and then later had dessert- brownies and chocolate strawberries.

After dinner, we exchanged cards. I know I have said this before but Forrest always gets and writes me the best cards. I cannot measure up so instead, I use my creativity to make him a card. This year, his card was a heart shaped piece of cardstock that was part of a little decoration I made and hung from the light fixture above our dinner table. I know, sounds a little elementary but it was cute and Forrest liked it!

Forrest got me a sweet card and my favorite perfume- Amazing Grace by Philosophy.

Then the night was spent loving on our other Valentines- Honey and LG, who is so fun to cuddle with. She is so sweet and will just let you love all over her. Honey was quite comfy having the couch to himself so I don’t think he minded too much. :)

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!

What a mess!

One of the pre-clinical paperwork assignments we have to do for Med/Surg is a concept map or “patho tree.” These are quite complex diagrams or maps of our client’s case. I know it sounds confusing, but just imagine trying to draw one and on top of that, keep it nice and organized as you critically think! Mine today was over a case involving cholelithiasis (presence of gallstones in gallbladder) that lead to choledolithiasis (obstruction of gallstone in common duct) with subsequent open cholecystectomy (surgery to remove gallbladder).

Today was my first surgical floor clinical rotation and first day at the CS Medical Center. I have been in OB the first few weeks of this semester. I guess I didn’t talk much about my experiences but I thoroughly enjoyed OB. I had L&D for two days and the postpartum the next week for two days. They have been my favorite so far. I also did a L&D simulation performance type thing in our sim lab for some juniors in high school participating in the Junior Leadership Brazos program- which ironically I used to coordinate when I worked for the B/CS Chamber of Commerce. It was really neat- my old boss got to see me in action!! Then yesterday, I was at the prenatal clinic in Bryan which was pretty neat as well.

As for today, I know this is probably a boring blog to most of you, but it is mainly for me to look back at one day. The hardest thing I saw today was a 41 yo female post mastectomy- I watched wound care change her dressing. It was the most graphic thing I have seen yet in the hospital and very hard to watch, especially knowing that she had a terminal prognosis. I will probably never forget this woman and her case- it made me realize a few things about the reality that nurses face on a day to day basis.

I few skills I performed today: I hung an IV piggyback, administered IV push, dealt with IV central line, saw a bad case of jaundice, pitting edema, caught a critical lab value (albumin at 1.5 g/dL) and reported it to my professor, witnessed an ethical dilemma b/w another patient and his doctor. O, and last but not least, cleaned up a large bowel movement mess. Isn’t nursing so glamorous?! Ha!

Overall, a pretty educational day. Happy Friday everyone!

A girl can dream!

I know the weather lately has not been very reminding that the spring season is right around the corner, but today it hit me- we are already in February! Which means all I have on my mind is spring break and cute spring clothes/items to keep an eye out for! Here are a few things on my wish list!

Green Striped Cardigan- Forever 21

Black Romper- Old Navy

Boyfriend Denim Shorts- Old Navy

Fossil Espadrilles

Shawl Vest- Gap

I LOVE JCrew jewelry but it is so expensive! I like to browse theirs and then find the knockoff elsewhere!

Raindrop Ribbon Necklace- JCrew

Cascade Tee- JCrew

Linea Pelle white bag- Piperlime

 

Distressed Skinny Jeans- 7 For All Mankind

 

Drawstring Warm-up Jacket- Gap

Striped Jersey Dress- Old Navy

Mossimo Engineer Boots- Target

I am still on the look out for some cute sandals or flip flops. I have tons of flats so I definitely do not need anymore of those! I have seen these types of shoes in a few places but think they are kind of odd! Who knows they might grow on me like the gladiators did!! :)

Joan & David 'Zena' Flat- Nordstrom

Weekend Recap

This weekend was so nice and much needed. Forrest and I seem to have something going on every weekend which means I have to get things done during the week when I have school commitments. I do NOT like to get behind (on reading, cleaning, laundry, groceries, etc). I love to be organized and stay on top of things but man is it hard! I have class Mon & Tues from 8am-4pm and clinical 6:30am- 3pm Wed through Fri, then I come home to change and go to gym from 4:30/5 to 6/6:30pm, then head back home and make dinner, eat, clean kitchen, then read or do class assignments, then off to bed hopefully by 10-11pm. It just seems like there is never enough time to run errands, clean, or even just relax!

So this weekend, we stayed in town. Friday night we went out for dinner to Roadhouse and I treated myself to a margarita and filet. The weather was cold and rainy so it was nice to come home and get comfortable in the house. We ended up going to bed at 8:30 that night haha!! Saturday we woke up, ate breakfast, Forrest went to Bellville to meet his uncle, and I did some cleaning, laundry, and GOOD grocery shopping (new recipes, new snacks with pretty labels since I am a sucker). It was so nice to just go up and down each isle and not be in a hurry. Then Forrest came home, went swimming, and then we went to the gym and I again, was not in a hurry- ran my two miles. Forrest ran 6 miles which makes a total of 26 miles that he has ran this week. For dinner, I made a new recipe from Rachel Ray for turkey chili- kinda spicy with a kick to it- we liked it!

Then today, we went out to eat for breakfast. There is a new IHOP in town so we thought we would try it out (since it will not stay new and clean for long if you know what I mean). And, just FYI: there is a menu on the very back that has meals for under 600 cal that are just as good and without the guilt. Afterwards, we went to Barns & Noble for a couple of hours- Forrest read Triathlon books and I read nursing and healthy eating books. Then we went up to the mall to get Forrest a couple of new pairs of jeans and use his Sears gift card. We came home, I made some paninis and fruit salad for lunch and we watched some tv shows that we had recorded from the previous week. Then Forrest took Lil Girl to the park while I started my reading for tomorrow.

Now, we are home, I took a quick study break to blog, and Forrest is reading the book he got to day. It feels so good to be prepared for the week ahead! Happy Sunday everyone and have a great week!

O and one more thing. I found a good recipe for a breakfast smoothie. It does have quite a bit of ingredients but it is so good and you could probably skip a few. Here it is: (it makes two large servings)

1 banana

1/2 apple

1 kiwi

1/2 cup frozen berries

1 cup OJ

1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt (I used vanilla)

3 tbs peanut butter

2 tbs flaxseed oil

1/2 cup tofu (I skipped this)

2 tbs aloe vera juice

I also added a little bit of ice to make it a little more icy.

Housewarming Party

Saturday night, Forrest and I drove to Houston for Amberly and Aaron's "New year, New house" party to celebrate their new gorgeous home in Bellaire. Amberly's 30th birthday happened to be around the same time so Aaron surprised her with a big cake and made a little announcement to honor her. The event and their house was extremely nice- in fact, every time I would turn around there was a waiter/waitress there to hand me a drink or h'orderve (and yes, I had to google to make sure I spelled that right!)

I was so surprised and excited to see Ashley and Danny there. Danny is Forrest's old college roommate and Ashley is his girlfriend of several years- she actually lived right next door to them. We all hung out a lot in college but they live in Houston now so we don't get to see them very often. I didn't get many pics during the party, mainly just the "after party" when there were only a few of us left- so much fun!!

#1 Fan

I wish I would've started blogging from the very beginning, but the holidays kind of consumed my time. So a little over a month ago Forrest started to train for a triathlon. He signed up for the sprint in Galveston this April and plans to complete the Ironman 70.3 in Austin this October. He might do a few other events in between for practice, but for now these are the two he is registered for.

As of today, he is running between 3-6 miles about 4 days a week. He just started swimming about a week ago. He is swimming about 1/4 mile taking breaks in between- this is the hardest part for him so far because he is having to figure out good form, breathing, etc. I went with him this past weekend to watch him and offer any advice although it was many years ago that I swam. I might not be able to get in the water and swim like I used to but I remember a lot of the things I was taught. He enjoyed my company and coaching tips and by the end of his practice, he had already improved so much.

So lastly, he is going to start cycling now that he has a bike. We shopped around this weekend and found one he liked for a good deal at Aggieland Cycling. He of course had to buy a few accessories like some apparel, shoes, and a helmet. We had to order the shoes because apparently his feet are bigger than the average triathlete, but they are the kind that clip onto the pedals. Fancy, I know! I didn't even know this kind of stuff existed until now. It is like a whole new world when you get into these kinds of events.

I am just so proud of him and really enjoy being a part of this whole process. He is so dedicated and I know at times he is thinking "what the heck did I sign up for" but he has really stuck with it. I know this training takes so much time and patience to get to where you want to be and I am just so proud that he has come as far as he has in just one month. I can already see changes in his body (which is nice!) but really the most important thing to me is his health and accomplishment.

I will continue to blog about where he is at as far as training and most definitely post pictures in a few months of his very first triathlon. For now, here are some pics of his new things!

He has lost about 10 lbs and I have really noticed a difference in his muscle mass.

I liked this picture of him!

Gotta Look Professional!

Yesterday we had an all day event, the HSC Luncheon & Convocation. All of the Texas A&M Health Science Center schools got together including Baylor College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, SRPH (School of Rural Public Health), College of Pharmacy, and of course the youngest of them all- the College of Nursing!

And, don't ask why they make us wear white coats...it is just plain silly if you ask me!

O, and one more thing: IV CHECK OFF's TOMORROW! Which means after tomorrow, we are "qualified" to start IV's during clinical as long as our patients consent to it. So nerve racking but BIG milestone for us nursing students!

Last Night of Freedom

Tomorrow is a big day! FIRST DAY OF SPRING SEMESTER! We are taking Adult Health I (Med/Surg) which is a biggie, Mental Health, Nursing & the Aged, and last but not least, the one I think might be my favorite- Nursing Care of Women, Families, & Newborns. We will spend most of our time in simulation or in the hospital, having only 1 1/2 days a week spent in the classroom.

Also, starting this year, I am on the class council serving as the Accelerated Class Representative. Which means, this Tuesday I will be a part of a student panel held for the new class. This is a chance for them to ask us any questions that might help them prepare for their first semester. Then on Wednesday we are required to attend the HSC student luncheon which means guess what, no class that day! Don't worry, they aren't letting us off the hook that easy on our first week. We have already been assigned readings and videos for the first day which I finished so that I could watch the Bachelor with Forrest!

Anyways, our class is going to be pretty busy this semester but I am sure by the end we will all say it went fast.

That's it for now...off to watch our show. We are rooting for Tenley!

Slumber Night

This is my last post for my Ca trip and then I will be all caught up with blogging...phew! Like I mentioned on an earlier post, one of my favorite things about going to visit my sister is being able to lounge around with her and Reagan. That is why I stay for so long when I go...I want to have time to do NOTHING with them. It makes me feel like I am not in from out of town which is the way I want it to feel like when I go.

So on my last day in Ca, us girls had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen and that night we slumbered in our p.j.'s with popcorn and a movie. It was so fun and just the best way to end the trip for me. The next morning, we headed to the airport, I jumped on a plane headed for Dallas, my dad picked me up, I ate dinner with my parents, then I drove to College Station to see my husband who I missed INCREDIBLY.

So now I am home sweet home but of course back to skyping and talking on the phone with my sis and Reagan before starting school on Tuesday! ;)




I know my sister reads my blog so I want to say to her and my very giving brother-in-law:

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for inviting me into your home for 10 days, showing me some of the most beautiful places, and most of all, letting me spend time with Reagan that I will cherish for the rest of my life. She is the most special little girl to me, and I miss her to pieces when we are apart. I love you all so much and am grateful more than you know for the time with your little family.

Love,
Sister