So much to do so little time

It's crazy that I feel this way. With 36 weeks to plan it has hit me that it is crunch time and I am a little overwhelmed. Praying I can rest and get thinkg done that I need to before little man gets here.
I have to remind myself to REST! It is just so hard to do with so much to mark off my list. I have tried to deligate, but it truly is stuff only I can do.
  So as I elevate my swollen feet I think of how much there is to do and how exhausted I am and most of all how incredibly blessed I am to be the life support of this little miracle inside me!  I know he is getting squished in there, but I love to feel his little squirms and hiccups. It won't be long!

My cup runneth over

Wow is all I can say!  We were given an incredible shower yesterday for Eli.  I kept thinking all these people are here for Eli and us.  It was humbling to be the receiver of gifts. I am always the "Martha" of the shower so it was a different role for me. I was glad J decided to join me and sit with me as we opened all of the wonderful gifts. He actually gave up watching the game last night to be there! That in itself  speaks mountains of how excited he is over this baby.
  We are so incredibly blessed beyond measure. It was like a never ending shower. We literally opened gifts for an hour and a half!  I just tear up walking into his room with all the gifts happily waiting to be tucked away for Eli. Now the excitement elevates for sure!

10 year HS class reunion

10 years oh my! Can't believe it has been that long since I have seen some of these guys. I was goo to catch up and talk about fun days. We were all a pretty good crowd and we always knew how to have fun and laugh alot. It was an unusual day if no one spewed milk out of their nose from getting caught with a mouth full when someone said something hillarious. I don't miss it for sure. Glad those days are past, but it was good to bring up old memories like us putting a bolagna smiley face on Mr. Barrett's car that is still there on his gold cutless supreme. A few of our senior teachers showed up and that was fun too. If your wondering... I attended a small private school and their were only 39 in our graduating class. So we all knew each others grandmas! Most of us went to school together since 5 th grade. The one picture of me and Josh and Julie is a classic, we atended school from K-5 to 12th grade and we have had this pose taken several times of us. It was funny that when we were finished taking the pic Julie's Hubs, Noah, told Josh, "did I say you could put your arm around my wife's waiste?" Josh just chuckled. We always took care of our "Joshua" he was born with hydrocephalis and several other things. Interesting that I became a nurse and Julie is a PA huh?

Well it was nice looking back, but ready to look forward to what God has for our little family of 5 and J reminds me ;)

Happy Friday!

Jen

Praising God for this day... and my sweet Mother

  The past few days have been ones that I never dreamed of living. Tuesday I phoned my mom to ask her a question about the nursery to find her completely out of breath.  I asked her if she had been working out because I knew with the holidays being over she probably started back working out at home. She said she was just walking down the stairs, which she does 40 times a day.  I said, "mom, what's going on." She proceeded to confess that she had been experiencing shortness of breath for 2 weeks and some chest pain when she walked to the mail box. I asked her to come up to my office where I could get an ekg to see what was going on, she didn't argue and met me at my office around 3:45. It was a rare coincidence that the MD i work with happened to work in one afternoon patient at that time so it was about 4:30 before he went in to see my mom. He convinced her that he wanted her to stay overnight at the hospital and have a heart catherization the next morning. Her only argument was, I need my make-up and I would really like to take a shower... next clue my mom wasn't feeling well, she would NEVER go to an MD office without a shower and fresh makeup. So they compromised and he said she could take a shower at the hospital with someone in the room & I had my dad bring her make-up and hair products... us women ;)
  I knew mom would probably need a stent placed, her symptoms were too strong and the ekg was pretty ugly.  Dr. L whom is a dear friend and the MD I work with daily, pulled me, my dad & brother into the film reading room and showed us the blockage. It was 99% blocked... THE MAIN ARTERY!  My mom could have collapsed at any minute and missed out on the birth of her grandson... yes I said MISSED OUT!  Can I tell you how incredibly scared that made me?
  This is my job this is what I do day in and day out. I screen patients for the tell tell signs of heart blockages and here my mom had the largest one!  How did I miss it?  She didn't tell a soul until Sunday she mentioned it to my dad. He tried to convince her to go the MD and she refused. It wasn't until I {Caught} her in the act that she confessed. I think she was scared at that point. She knew it wasn't "being out of shape" or "just stress".
  I am just praising God that he allowed everything to fall into place where the outcome was to His Glory. I truly saw His hand work in all of this. I am so humbled that he placed me with and incredible MD to work with 3 1/2 years ago and I knew what to look for. Let me tell you, it wouldn't have been so evident or obvious to me if I was still in the pediatric world of nursing.
  She and my precious Dad came by the office to Thursday when she was released and she looked so good! I did not realize that even her skin color looked bad, it just happens so gradual. I was talking to Dr. L as he was asking about her yesterday and I told him how I just didn't obviously see it happen.  We discussed how gradual the symptoms can come and how the stress test she had 2 years ago should have showed something more and how he didn't put a lot of trust in them, they are good for some screening, but He relies on the "story" and mom had a good one this time. He of course is my hero... he saved my mom's life. You can never repay someone for that kind of impact on your life.
  So what kind of nurse would I be without giving you resources to go to when a heart attack may be in someones future... the American Heart Association has a great screening questionnaire on their site. They also have stroke signs and symptoms on their too. Seriously, it says call 911 and it means exactly that!
  I am truly counting my blessings in the beginning of 2011!

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;

 let them ever sing for joy. 

Spread your protection over them, 

that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Psalm 5:11

EWO,
Jennifer