Things these past few weekends have been quite hectic, as I may have mentioned in the last post. Nic is currently at Lackland AFB in San Antonio for the Nurse Transition Program, and I've been going to see him pretty much every chance I've gotten. San Antonio is only about 6 hours away, and the drive is actually quite scenic (at least during the half closest to San Antonio). The first time I drove all the way by myself was particularly eventful. I was embarrassed and shameful to talk about it at the time, but it could really happen to anyone, so I'm ready to write about it now.
It was toward the beginning of this month, I was leaving on a Thursday afternoon since we had Good Friday off from school. I was hoping to hit the road around 4:45, but I had a doctor's appt at 4:15 and they happened to be running behind (not usually the case), so it was shortly after 5 by the time I hit the highway.
Things were going really well there for quite a while. I was stopping to use the restroom when I felt like I needed; I was jamming to my jams, talking [using hands free] to my peeps... I was really focused on the directions Nic had given me. I knew that coming up very shortly would be a highway change. It wasn't just a highway change; it was the change that basically meant I was getting really close and it wouldn't be too much longer until I got to him. By this time, I'd been driving for over 4 hours and I felt good! I was almost to my man, and we'd be spending the WHOLE WEEKEND together! Shortly after I made the highway switch, a little light came on... ya... the GAS LIGHT. But no biggie... Nic and I had been (unfortunately) in the habit of letting that happen in the past (in the city though, not on road trips), so I knew that I could drive a while and get to a gas station. As the light caught my eye, I took notice that I was passing a gas station, but I wasn't too concerned; I knew I had quite a while before I ran out. Right? Wrong. I'm sure as smart as you are, you've already figured out that I ran out of gas. Seriously, I went over 40 miles with NO GAS STATIONS. WHAT KIND OF HIGHWAY PLANNER DOES THAT? Anyway, the speed limit was a whopping 80 mph, so my 1st concern was just getting off the highway before someone plowed me from behind. So I got off the highway very quickly, and then realized I should have gotten even further off the highway. I'm feelin' pretty nervous about how close I am to the white line (I had about 3 or so feet between me and the line), but of course I can't move since I have no gas.
I call Nic to come rescue me (which he was very sweet about, considering I was more than an hour from him) and he advises me to stay in the car. The last thing he wanted was his little pregnant wife to be standing on the side of the highway in the dark. So I stay in my car, all the while it's rocking as semi's are passing and I'm thinking, man... I'm pretty freakin' close to the road; PLEASE GOD KEEP ME SAFE!!! I called my parents to update them (since I would not be arriving at my ETA). (Anyone else STILL have to call their parents on long road trips? Yes, I think it's a little silly, too, but to them I'm still small I guess. Even though I'm 27.) Being on the phone with my parents was just bad timing, because I think the following event would have been less dramatic if I were just able to tell them about it. But we happened to be on the phone when this happened: a semi came so close to me it knocked of my driver side mirror. I mean GONE; pieces in the road. Of course it scared the bejeezus out of me so I screamed, and my parents probably thought I'd been hit in a much more major way. Of course it wasn't that bad... but it's scary to think how darn close I kind of came to it! Just a few more feet over and that would have been it for me and little Audra. But God obviously has other plans.
So my parents insisted that I call 911 and get a policeman out there so the flashing lights could help with visibility. I'm not sure why I didn't think of that before. So I called, and they came, and Nic finally came and gave me some gas and we were on our way to finally arrive in San Antonio for bed around 1:30.
The rest of the weekend I was quite shaken by the whole ordeal. Just, you know, frazzled from a semi being feet away from taking my life. And with the whole broken mirror thing came the fact that I got to drive all over San Antonio (a quite large and unfamiliar city to me) to get my mirror replaced (you know, since I don't want to drive 6 hours back home without a mirror). But in the end, the mirror was fixed, I was with Nic, I was fine, Audra was fine and we were able to just count our blessings that it wasn't worse.
I really feel like the worst part of it all is how incapable it made me seem. I have never NEVER run out of gas in my entire life! Between Nic and I, I'm always the one to say that we need to get gas. I like to think of myself as pretty responsible, confident and capable of doing what I want and need to do. Which is why running out of gas on the side of the highway and then stopping close to the white line seems like such an idiot thing to do. Of course, the rest of the weekend my parents and Nic's parents are calling to check on me (particularly on the drive home) and are asking about my gas levels and how everything was working, etc. I felt the need to iterate to all who were concerned that it was just a really REALLY dumb thing that happened. Because dumb things of that magnitude aren't so typical of me. Now dumb things of a smaller magnitude (like losing my keys in my own classroom or forgetting whether I printed something so I print it 4 times) I am more than fine with owning up to. But that time... that was just embarrassing. SO, moral of the story: pay attention to your gas, and even smart people run out of gas. And it doesn't make you less smart or less capable if you DO run out of gas; it just makes you feel dumb.
So it was a big, sincere "ooops" moment. Glad things are finally getting back to normal. :-)
A QUICK UPDATE:
How far along: 34 weeks
How big is baby: weighs about 4.75 lbs. now (about as much as a cantaloupe)!
Sleep: I wake up 1-2 times a night to use the bathroom, but many more from discomfort. My hips are the main problem; they fall asleep and seem to stay asleep, even after I've taken the pressure off. Grrrr!
Movement: She's quite the little mover! The kids can even see my belly move when I'm teaching in front of the class, which is kind of funny. I had read about baby hiccups, but hadn't experienced them until these last few weeks. Now I feel like she gets them almost daily. I can tell they're hiccups because she doesn't really move all that much if I try to feel her except when I feel her hiccup. It feels just like a little bump, very rhythmic and constant. I was surprised at how quick they are. I'd say she hiccups once every 5-10 seconds. I feel like as a grown human, I hiccup once every 20-30 seconds. It's fun to feel her move. I'm loving this part!
Belly-button: Still an innie that's squishy feeling- what I would think an outtie would feel like. Someday I'll take a picture and post it, but not today.
Exercise: Only 2 times last week, but 3 times the week before and this week will be 3 or 4 as well. I'm still doing crossfitmom (from crossfitmom.com) and am now doing the "Beginner" workouts so I'm sure to give little Audra enough of what she needs to keep growing and moving.
What I'm loving: The countdown! The movements! That most people are SO nice to pregnant ladies! I feel like I'm getting waited on hand and food quite often; but I'm not so used to that. It still feels kind of awkward to me to just have people doing all these things for me. But I'll take it!
What I'm NOT loving: That things are seriously getting a bit hard around here. Even just sitting. My stomach kind of rests on my legs, which is not comfortable for breathing. But I don't want to be nasty and spread my legs to let my stomach hang through... (sigh) Standing, particularly standing still, and also walking-- especially in heat-- are all pretty difficult.
I'm also not loving all the sweets I'm craving. I've never been a sweets fanatic till Audra and now I just can't get enough. Anyone who knows me well knows I have a thing about teeth, and I always want my teeth to feel clean... and all of these sweets just make my mouth feel pretty gross. I hope this trend goes away after birth.
What I miss: Life as I knew it: 1) working out like I mean it, 2) eating hot dogs whenever I want, 3) bending over comfortably, 4) sitting comfortably, 5) filling my lungs all the way up when I breath, 6) recognizing the body in the mirror, 7) laying out without concern of overheating the baby and concern for strange tan/burns due to pregnancy-related skin sensitivity, 8) iced tea without worries...
I think that may be it for now. ;-)
As always, thanks for reading! Please let me know if you did so I know to keep up with these things! Love you all, and hope you're well!
Showing posts with label Nurse Transition Program. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nurse Transition Program. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Off we go into the wild blue yonder...
Well, I've alluded to this post many times, but was unable to really spill until now. I did say something way back during the summer, before Nic graduated nursing school, but since he got hired at the Heart Hospital we've kept things pretty mum.
He had done his clinicals at one hospital here in town, and initially interviewed to work there- as they'd encouraged- as graduation approached. The outcome of the interview was that they absolutely LOVED him... but he wasn't in the best interest of the hospital since he'd told them about leaving for the Air Force. They openly said that the job would have been his if they didn't know he was going to leave. He interviewed at a second hospital here in town, and literally the exact same conversation took place. I guess he was hoping that they'd still take a chance on him and would be happy for his loyalty to our country by rewarding him with the job. But no such luck. They said they loved him, but wouldn't risk taking on someone who would be leaving within the year. They advised him to not tell those with whom he next applied. So that's what he did. The honest guy I married had a real moral issue with this, not to mention was dying inside from a) keeping a secret, b) not being able to share his excitement about that secret and c) being afraid that somone would find out and he'd have to come clean before he was ready. Needless to say, we aren't the secret-keeping type. But alas, his departure date is approaching and he had the conversation and put in his two weeks. They weren't exactly thrilled, but in the end they wished him the best and things are going smoothly. He has only one more week left there and then he's all mine for about 3 weeks until he leaves.
People have asked if I'm getting sad and bummed that he'll be gone, and the answer is OF COURSE! He's my husband and I love every second I spend with him and I actually MISS HIM when he's gone! BUT I also know that he's going to be right in his element and I think he'll really love what he's getting himself in to. He'll have cell phone and internet access and I'm sure we'll talk daily or at least every other day, so it won't be the end of the world. AND it'll be less than a month before I see him again, and then we can see each other a bit more regularly.
Each time I talk about him leaving, I get the standard, "Where is he going again?" and "How long will he be gone?" In general, people are easily confused by our timeline (and I would be too) so I'll tell you as much as I know. He hasn't officially gotten his orders yet (which is why he waited so long to put in his two weeks) so there' still a teensy chance this timeline could change, but I'll update you below on as much as I know. Since the arrival of Little Miss Audra is clearly intermixed in there, I'll add that too, because most people eventually get to the question, "So what does that mean for you and the baby?"
May 2011:
Nic is 1 out of 30ish to be accepted into the United States Air Force Nurse Corps that year. He gets a heads up of this probable timeline in advance.
October 2011:
We find out WE'RE PREGNANT! His first concern is leaving me during this exciting and predictably difficult time.
December 2011:
My dad (a retired Army Colonel) comes to Lubbock and swears Nic in as a military officer. This makes Nic an officer on 'reserve' status since he hasn't officially started his training and full-time employment. This ceremony took place at the World War II Memorial, next to Nic's grandpa's brick and was quite a special day.
End of February 2012:
Nic leaves for Commissioned Officer Training (COT) in Montgomery, AL. This is a one month deal where he learns the ins and outs of being a military officer. He can't leave the base nor can he have visitors (until graduation). But like I mentioned before, he'll have phone and internet access, when he has time (which will be minimal).
End of March 2012:
Nic graduates as a Commissioned Air Force Officer. This is the beginning of a long and adventurous road! His parents, my parents and myself will be joining to celebrate the event and also to see how cute he looks in those uniforms. ;)
Beginning of April 2012:
He'll have about one week at home, and then Nic will leave to San Antonio for the Air Force Nurse Transition Program (NTP). This is where he'll learn what it means to be a nurse in the Air Force. He's already received his degree in nursing (an obvious pre-requisite) and this is his step into Air Force nursing. This will be more like his clinicals in that he'll follow an Air Force Nurse and will be able to come and go from the base as he pleases (& have visitors as often as he wants). This will allow us to see each other while he's there. San Antonio is about 8 hours from home.
June 2012:
Audra is due to come around the 4th! Nic's NTP doesn't officially get over until the 21st. This is the part that initially had us worried. He's done some research and is comforted by the information he's found: he'll be able to come home for the birth and will possibly be allowed to stay home and not return to the program without consequence. Staying home depends on whether his commanders feel that he's excelled enough and learned what he needs to know, and if it's near enough to the end of the program. This month holds the major question mark. We'll just have to put it in God's hands and see how it goes!
July 2012:
They give him about a month from the end date of his NTP to his official start date at Langley. Yup, that's the Langley you may have heard of in movies. It's on the east coast in Hampton, Virginia, about 30 minutes north of Virginia Beach. Needless to say, we're quite pumped about being on the ocean and away from all of this dry DUST! What we're nervous about: having only about a month and a half (or so) between giving birth, recovering, showing her off to everyone, getting our house packed up, and then moving 27 hours across the country to a new home. OH and somewhere in there, finding a place to live. Just thinking about it gets my heart racing. WOWZA that is a LOT of things to do with not a lot of time! AND what we'll REALLY be wanting to do is just stay home and be a family! That will definitely happen, but maybe not for as long as we'd like. Duty calls!
August 2012:
Nic will now be working daily as a full-time Air Force Nurse, and I"ll be staying home (at least for a bit) with the baby. We'll be in our new home on the east coast, and *hopefully* things will be coming together quite nicely.
And there you have it! Now I say all of that like it's set in stone and that's just the way it'll be. But I know as well as anyone that sometimes God has a plan that's different (and ultimately better!) from our own. I'm just saying that as of now, that's what we're predicting to happen if all goes according to plan. You'll definitely be updated as time goes on!
Now that he's put in his two weeks, we can talk a lot more about the Air Force and how excited we are to be starting a new adventure in our lives. Well... technically, a couple of new adventures will be starting at about the same time! He's quite pumped about this, so if you're reading and have questions or want to chat with him about it, just shoot him a message & he'd be happy to talk with you. :-)
As always, I hope this update finds you and yours happy and well!
~*Stefanie*~
He had done his clinicals at one hospital here in town, and initially interviewed to work there- as they'd encouraged- as graduation approached. The outcome of the interview was that they absolutely LOVED him... but he wasn't in the best interest of the hospital since he'd told them about leaving for the Air Force. They openly said that the job would have been his if they didn't know he was going to leave. He interviewed at a second hospital here in town, and literally the exact same conversation took place. I guess he was hoping that they'd still take a chance on him and would be happy for his loyalty to our country by rewarding him with the job. But no such luck. They said they loved him, but wouldn't risk taking on someone who would be leaving within the year. They advised him to not tell those with whom he next applied. So that's what he did. The honest guy I married had a real moral issue with this, not to mention was dying inside from a) keeping a secret, b) not being able to share his excitement about that secret and c) being afraid that somone would find out and he'd have to come clean before he was ready. Needless to say, we aren't the secret-keeping type. But alas, his departure date is approaching and he had the conversation and put in his two weeks. They weren't exactly thrilled, but in the end they wished him the best and things are going smoothly. He has only one more week left there and then he's all mine for about 3 weeks until he leaves.
People have asked if I'm getting sad and bummed that he'll be gone, and the answer is OF COURSE! He's my husband and I love every second I spend with him and I actually MISS HIM when he's gone! BUT I also know that he's going to be right in his element and I think he'll really love what he's getting himself in to. He'll have cell phone and internet access and I'm sure we'll talk daily or at least every other day, so it won't be the end of the world. AND it'll be less than a month before I see him again, and then we can see each other a bit more regularly.
Each time I talk about him leaving, I get the standard, "Where is he going again?" and "How long will he be gone?" In general, people are easily confused by our timeline (and I would be too) so I'll tell you as much as I know. He hasn't officially gotten his orders yet (which is why he waited so long to put in his two weeks) so there' still a teensy chance this timeline could change, but I'll update you below on as much as I know. Since the arrival of Little Miss Audra is clearly intermixed in there, I'll add that too, because most people eventually get to the question, "So what does that mean for you and the baby?"
May 2011:
Nic is 1 out of 30ish to be accepted into the United States Air Force Nurse Corps that year. He gets a heads up of this probable timeline in advance.
c
(Sorry for the blurry pic.)
He notified me of this exciting news by bringing me my own Air Force shirt to school. It was quite an exciting day!
October 2011:
We find out WE'RE PREGNANT! His first concern is leaving me during this exciting and predictably difficult time.
He's not fond of this photo, but I like the classic look on his face, when he starts to think of all the things to come...
This was a still shot taken from the video I had running when I told him the news.
December 2011:
My dad (a retired Army Colonel) comes to Lubbock and swears Nic in as a military officer. This makes Nic an officer on 'reserve' status since he hasn't officially started his training and full-time employment. This ceremony took place at the World War II Memorial, next to Nic's grandpa's brick and was quite a special day.
Making it legal... signing the documents!
[See one of our FB accounts for more pictures.]
End of February 2012:
Nic leaves for Commissioned Officer Training (COT) in Montgomery, AL. This is a one month deal where he learns the ins and outs of being a military officer. He can't leave the base nor can he have visitors (until graduation). But like I mentioned before, he'll have phone and internet access, when he has time (which will be minimal).
End of March 2012:
Nic graduates as a Commissioned Air Force Officer. This is the beginning of a long and adventurous road! His parents, my parents and myself will be joining to celebrate the event and also to see how cute he looks in those uniforms. ;)
Beginning of April 2012:
He'll have about one week at home, and then Nic will leave to San Antonio for the Air Force Nurse Transition Program (NTP). This is where he'll learn what it means to be a nurse in the Air Force. He's already received his degree in nursing (an obvious pre-requisite) and this is his step into Air Force nursing. This will be more like his clinicals in that he'll follow an Air Force Nurse and will be able to come and go from the base as he pleases (& have visitors as often as he wants). This will allow us to see each other while he's there. San Antonio is about 8 hours from home.
June 2012:
Audra is due to come around the 4th! Nic's NTP doesn't officially get over until the 21st. This is the part that initially had us worried. He's done some research and is comforted by the information he's found: he'll be able to come home for the birth and will possibly be allowed to stay home and not return to the program without consequence. Staying home depends on whether his commanders feel that he's excelled enough and learned what he needs to know, and if it's near enough to the end of the program. This month holds the major question mark. We'll just have to put it in God's hands and see how it goes!
July 2012:
They give him about a month from the end date of his NTP to his official start date at Langley. Yup, that's the Langley you may have heard of in movies. It's on the east coast in Hampton, Virginia, about 30 minutes north of Virginia Beach. Needless to say, we're quite pumped about being on the ocean and away from all of this dry DUST! What we're nervous about: having only about a month and a half (or so) between giving birth, recovering, showing her off to everyone, getting our house packed up, and then moving 27 hours across the country to a new home. OH and somewhere in there, finding a place to live. Just thinking about it gets my heart racing. WOWZA that is a LOT of things to do with not a lot of time! AND what we'll REALLY be wanting to do is just stay home and be a family! That will definitely happen, but maybe not for as long as we'd like. Duty calls!
August 2012:
Nic will now be working daily as a full-time Air Force Nurse, and I"ll be staying home (at least for a bit) with the baby. We'll be in our new home on the east coast, and *hopefully* things will be coming together quite nicely.
And there you have it! Now I say all of that like it's set in stone and that's just the way it'll be. But I know as well as anyone that sometimes God has a plan that's different (and ultimately better!) from our own. I'm just saying that as of now, that's what we're predicting to happen if all goes according to plan. You'll definitely be updated as time goes on!
Now that he's put in his two weeks, we can talk a lot more about the Air Force and how excited we are to be starting a new adventure in our lives. Well... technically, a couple of new adventures will be starting at about the same time! He's quite pumped about this, so if you're reading and have questions or want to chat with him about it, just shoot him a message & he'd be happy to talk with you. :-)
As always, I hope this update finds you and yours happy and well!
~*Stefanie*~
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