Easter

I got really excited about the girls Easter baskets this year.

I spent all this time thinking we wouldn't do much for Easter.  I then changed my mind, which I do frequently.  

Emmalyn's goodies: aqua circa hoodie, Chicco rainbow sphere rattle, Minnie Mouse bib,  Goodnight Moon with bunny rattle,  I Love You, Hunny Bunny, Duck and Goose Here Comes the Easter Bummy, and Duck and Goose Goose Needs a Hug.

Hadley's goodies: circo grey striped shirt,  Dora Superstar ribbon, 2 bracelets, munchkin wonder waterway bath toys, Melissa and Doug Switch and Spin Magnetic Gear Box, and a broom and dust pan.  That girl really likes to clean.  She does not get it from her momma. 

Hope you guys have a wonderful Sunday!

You can't make this stuff up...

It's probably the single-handedly most awesome thing about my job.

I definitely had a patient tell me that his wife was and awesome bookkeeper, cook, maid and sex toy. He said she was hard worker even though he wore her out.

Friends in Low Places

Fact: in grad school, a group of my friends went to a bar, took shots, sang above mentioned song karaoke, and my BFF ripped the butt out of her $200 jeans.   I then proceeded to give her a big ole kiss.  We also laid in bed together and used electrolarynxes for communication.  The next morning we got up and got to see TEP Valves in action.  I wanted to die. 

As we get older, I find it more and more difficult to make friends.  Crazy right?  I'm not talking about making Facebook friends, but more about friends you call when your kids/husband is driving you insane. 

People get busy!  Work, households, husbands, and kids all come before friends.     I think that's one of the reasons that I started blogging.  I needed a sounding board.

I signed up to participate in this month's carabox match up in an effort to make friends even if they're not a hop, skip, and a jump from my house.   I sent a box to Lauren over at SLP Sooner or Later Y'all, this girl is my blogging soulmate. 1st off, she has an awesome name. Secondly, she is an SLP. She's OCD like me and super friendly!

I got paired up with Lauren over at Our Hiding Place to receive a box.  Lauren is also super cool. She's got a fun blog, and is all kinds of health conscious. She's also pregnant with her first baby.

You guys should check these ladies out ASAP and check out wifessionals for more info about carabox and other fun things with Kaitlyn!! 

DD Day

That was today.

Drastically Dreaded Back to Work Day

I didn't want too.

But I did and it wasn't *that* bad.  

I've been blessed with amazing co-workers at both my jobs.  I was welcomed back to the therapy department with open arms and a full schedule.   

I love to work and I love my job.  I love being able to help people and getting to know my patients.  While I was gone, some of our patients died and some got really sick.  On the plus side, some got better and went home.

I learned quickly with this maternity leave that I was not designed to be a stay at home mom.  I know there are people that wish they could stay at home, but have to work.  

I don't have the desire to stay at home.

I LOVE  my children with all of my heart and soul.  I honestly believe that I am a better parent because I don't spend all my time with them, and I have a life outside of them.

This realization has really come with two children.  At the end of my first maternity leave, I wasn't ready to back to work.  I wanted to stay home.  I loved snuggling with my child and making crazy dinners off Pinterest.  

This time I know that I don't want to stay home permanently, but I'm not sure WHEN you decide it's time to go back.  If I wait until I feel ready, will I ever be ready to leave her?   I have days that I could drop my kids off and not think twice about it, but then there are days where I don't want to let them go.

This is what makes this day bittersweet.    I love working and it will be good to be back but I also love my children and want to spend time with them.

The ideal solution would probably be to work part-time, but this is difficult for 2 reasons.  The first being childcare.  Here in a rural area, there is no such thing as part-time daycare.  That means that I have to pay for full-time whether my kids are there or not.  The second is health insurance.  My husband does have health insurance so it's not like my coverage is our only option, but his health insurance is expensive.  Very expensive and I would have to work more than 2 days a week to cover the cost difference.

Here I sit, blessed with this amazing, accommodating full-time job, but still torn about spending more time with my family.  

The arrangement we have now is definitely the best arrangement for us, so I'm going to take it one day at a time and be thankful for what I have.

There's a contest....or 2....

And I feel the need to tell you all about it.

Lisette over at Northern Belle Diaries and a ton of her sponsors (my phone just changed that to spinsters! Hah) are giving away a ton of ad space to help grow your blog! Check it out here.

Also, I've been reading some of her older blog posts. She is hilarious!

And then I read that Rachel over at Postcards from Rachel and her sponsors are giving away a Clarisonic Mia, so yes, check it out!!

Yes, this is a shameless plug to get more contest entries.

It's Friday, y'all.

{St. Patrick's Day} I'm not sure if y'all know this, but St. Patrick's day is my FAVORITE day of the year.  It's also the day I turned....twenty-something.  Early last week, my mother and I had a 15 minute arguement about how twenty something I am.  I was off by a year.  Boo!  But because it's my favorite day of the year, of course my girls had to dress the part.

{a little pampering} This week I took a little time to work on myself. My awesome sister-in-law took a new job and at her new job they have a stand-up spray tanning booth.  Considering I've been pasty white and terrified of sun my whole life, this thing is awesome.

{pizza} I LOVE CARBS, but the hubs and I have quit eating carbs at dinner.  It's made us both feel so much better in the mornings!  One thing that we really miss is pizza, so last night I made cauliflower pizza crust.  It was pretty good.  It's getting added to our rotation.

{snuggles} I found out Tuesday that this was going to be my last week of maternity leave so I've been trying to enjoy all the time I can with my girl....Even at 4:00 A.M.

{purging} Even though we're planning on having another baby (in 4-5 years), we really don't have the space to store clothing, so I've been hanging it up to get ready for my first venture into consignment sales.  Also, I've got tons of scrubs.  I've been wearing scrubs on and off since 2006 for work/clinicals.  My weight has changed, I've had 2 pregnancies, and now I work in a job where I can only wear a certain color, so I've been posting scrubs on ebay!

 

Find + Follow Friday

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There has been a lot of buzz in the blog world recently about google doing away with google reader.

 Never fear, bloglovin' is here.

 Make sure you follow me!

Mamarazzi Mondays

Sleep is for the weak.

Ask my mom about my childhood. I'm pretty sure she may still have a grudge against me.

That, my friends, is because I would not sleep. In fact, I remember not sleeping through the night.

Growing up, my parents would put me to bed. I would toss and turn and toss and turn. Eventually, I would slip out of bed quietly and find something to entertain me.

Early on, it was Barbie dolls and later it became books. I also remember laying in bed fake coughing until my mom would give me dime-a-tap.

As I've grown up, I have realized that I come by this trait honestly. I get it from my dad. At family reunions, the party doesn't start until 2:00 A.M. On Facebook in the middle of the night? My relatives will see you there.

I've also come to realize that this condition gets worse with stress/anxiety. Since I've had Emmalyn, my anxiety levels have been through the roof. Hands down, this is the most anxious I've ever been in my life. It comes and goes, to an extent, but I can always feel it bubbling beneath the surface. I'm starting to feel like I may have some PPA.

With my new found anxiety levels, I've also found new levels of sleeplessness. I go to bed with my husband at night. Within a few minutes, he is snoring away, and I'm left to my own devices. These include tv and my iPhone. I google super random stuff in the middle of the night, and I warn you, the search history will scar you for life. The last 5 searches on my phone include things like: hereditary sleep disorders (may not be so random), Jase Robertson's wife (does anyone else think the Duck Dynasty wives all look related?) and also (has anyone ever noticed that the word dynasty has nasty in it?), sex after IUD insertion (does it hurt?), banishing birth control bloat (make it go away!), and best BB creams (I want a better one).

My husband and I have lucked out when it comes to our children. They have both been amazing sleepers from a very young age. I'm pretty sure they get that from his family.

Emmalyn: 2 Month Update

At 2 months, Emmalyn:

• finally weighs 8 pounds (8lbs 13oz)
• is 21.25 inches long (This is a joke with me and the nurse at the pediatrician's office, because the hospital had her at 21 inches at birth.  The nurse measured her 3 times at her first check up and she was only 19.25, so she's finally back at birth length.)
• Smiles

• is starting to make some noise. 
• drinks 5 4 oz bottles a day.  We do have to increase the concentration of her formula though.  
• holds her head up pretty well. 
• loves her momma. 
• loves nuk pacifiers. 
• is drinking from Mead Johnson Cleft Lip/Palate bottles with orthodontic nipples with the tip cross-cut.

Can You Pay My Bills? Can You Pay My Medical Bills?

Courtesy of Google Images

I'm sorry I'm channeling Destiny's Child today.   

I have a very long, involved vent about the healthcare system.  Specifically, I work my butt off to provide health insurance for my family.  I could work way less hours and make more money, but I require the full-time status needed to get health insurance. 

When I had Hadley, I had expensive, BAD health insurance.  My plan covered 70% of billed costs, and I had a $950 deductible.  Furthermore, with that company, my plan ran from October 1 to September 30.   Hadley was born October 3rd.  Oh yeah, her deductible was $1450.  I calculated that I paid about $5000.00 out of pocket for her. 

During my pregnancy, I took a new job.  This job had many perks, but number one was it was about 35 minutes less commute time each way.  Number two was that the health insurance was WAY better.  Now, knowing about Emmalyn's cleft palate and knowing that she'll require surgery and many years of follow-up with medical professionals,  I honestly believe that God put this job in my life at the perfect time. 

That doesn't stop the bills....

So far, I've paid my OB office $500 (and then some), the anesthesiologist $50,  and I prepaid the hospital $888.00 before my hospitalization.  Well, they just called and want another $222.00.

After awhile, the numbers start to make my head spin. 

And I'm still waiting on the specialty pharmacy to call me back. 

And I'm waiting on a bill from the pediatrician Emmalyn saw in the hospital.

And I haven't gotten anything from the pathology group.