living simply: February 2011

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

NICU

I've mentioned before that my preceptorship for this semester ended up being in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which was my dream come true! I have now worked with my nurse for 7 days and thought I should give an update!

It is absolutely wonderful being in the NICU. I love it and I think I'll really like it if I get a job there. It doesn't scare me and I actually look forward to going. I miss the babies when I'm home, or I wonder about them. That doesn't happen as much as it did when I first started but every now and then I'll just want to call and make sure they're ok. Don't worry--no attachment problems. After my first day, I did fall in love with one of the babies but it's been long enough to where I've gotten over that and I've realized I can't do that with all of them! This particular baby is still in the NICU and we've taken care of her/him (not supposed to say, HIPPA and all that jazz) every day I've been there. Hopefully this little one will be going home soon, and until then we get to love on it!

Everyone asks me what will I do if one of the babies dies. You would think with them being so small that would be a thought always going through your mind, but it's not. You're very much aware of the ones who will be ok and the ones who are really, really sick. We've just had intermediate babies so no worries unless something just came up which I pray does not. The more common thought is, "What will the baby's life be like?" Some of them will have developmental delays and developmental problems and their quality of life will be undeterminable, but the parents still want everything done. And can you blame them? Technology is so marvelous now-a-days that we can save a baby born at 22 weeks old. They may not be able to function on their own, but they are alive. Some of me wonders if what we do to them is beneficial or just making them suffer through life.

Ultimately, it is God's will. God is sovereign and His word shows it. My life shows that God is sovereign. I go in every day and pray that God will use my hands to show the baby and their family Jesus. I love on the babies hoping that one day Jesus will be their Lord. I hold them and swaddle them hoping that when they have a bad day when they're older or when their family goes through a hard time or even if they fail a test at school, that they will remember they are a child of God, and there is a better Kingdom coming than this earth we live on.

I have learned so much more than skills and knowledge about tiny babies than I ever thought. The hours may be long and it may exhaust me, but for right now I think the NICU is where I'm supposed to be. Thanks be to God!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Valentine's Day

I have to brag...I made a sweet dinner for Alex last Friday night when we celebrated Valentine's Day. I have yet to cook this big since we've been married and I'm still pumped about it.

I grilled steaks on our George Foreman, made honey balsamic green beans, garlic mashed potatoes, and chocolate covered strawberries. I had some cocktail shrimp out because we both love it so much. It turned out really well. We were both impressed!

The past two years (this year makes 3) we've gone to the Big Band Fever that the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra does every year for Valentine's Day. They create a "big band" from members of the symphony orchestra and they play big band hits, while you dance on the stage. It is a blast and we love going! I'm really glad we got to go this year, and there weren't any conflicts with the SMB. If you live in Chattanooga, you should check it out next year.

We were treated by our newly engaged friends, Drew and Addie! Drew proposed prior to coming to Big Band Fever and since that was the night we were going (by coincidence) we got to see them. Lucky us! That time after you get proposed is so precious and we're special to have been able to see them while they were floating on Cloud 9! Too cute!