Hi...Ho!! Hi...Ho!!

IT'S BACK TO THE HOSPITAL I GO!!!

Yes, I'm going back to work in the NICU at Harris Methodist. First of all, let me tell all of you that I am NOT a job hopper. My husband likes to tease and call me that.

I left the hospital because I wanted a job with good hours where I could enjoy the regularity of a routine schedule and no weekends or holidays. Plus the summer off wasn't a bad idea either. This experience has been FANTASTIC and I wouldn't trade it for the world!!! If anything, this year has just proven to me that my passion and ministry truly lie within the Neonatal ICU. This year has been a positive, trying, eye-opening, and self-confidence building year. I have learned so much about myself as a nurse, wife, and mother. I feel truly blessed to have had my mother to watch Lafe and Joseph. I am so thankful for her and all that she did for us this year. However, I have had a HUGE internal struggle all year long wanting to stay at home more with my kids. David and I both went from working shift work to working 5 days a week. We have not ever fully adjusted and my house has been a wreck. I don't feel like I've been able to organize anything, sometimes I feel like I live in a world of chaos. I truly believe that this decision is what God will's for our lives at this time.

This will be long so read on if you care to find out how this all came about:

David knew that I had been struggling with wanting to stay home, but knew that I wanted to help financially in order for us to be completely debt free and be able to move to a bigger home. So, he encouraged me to call my manager, Sandy, at the hospital and just see what she had available. I explained to him that if I went back to the hospital, I would probably have to work full-time night shifts. I would see the family even less than I do now. He kept encouraging me to call her. So, a couple of weeks ago I e-mailed her and explained that I had not made my mind up that I wanted to leave the school, but I was just interested to know what positions she had available because I was trying to find a way to stay home more. She wrote me back the same day and basically asked me what I wanted. (Jaw dropped to the floor) Right then, I told David we needed to start praying that God would make whatever His will is for us OBVIOUS!!! So, I decided I would be very specific in what I wanted, and if she said "no" to any of it, I would just continue on at the school. I wrote her back and told her that I wanted to go back at a 0.4 which is three 12 hours shifts every two weeks. I would work two 12 hour shifts one week (one day shift, and one night shift) and then one 12 hour shift the next week (one night shift). I wanted an orientation back into the unit (considering I've never worked nights and it's been over a year). I also told her that I didn't want to start until the middle of August or beginning of September because I wanted my paid summer off. She wrote back again and said that would all be fine. She gave me four start dates (two in August, two in September) and told me to let her know when I wanted to start and she would post the position for 48 hours (long enough for me to get online and apply). I then, asked her if I would have any weekend or holiday requirements and she said that I wouldn't. OH MY GOODNESS!!! This is crazy! Therefore, I couldn't pass this opportunity up. You want to know what the craziest part of all of this is???? Minus the childcare that I'm paying right now, I'll be bringing home around $600 more a month. Of course, some of that will go to putting Lafe in Sonshine Bible school in order to prepare for Kindergarten, but WOW!!! God is soooooooooooo good!

I would just ask that you all pray for me as I finish out this year and as I say goodbye to people who have quickly become friends/family. I am SOOOOO excited to be going back to my family in the NICU, but it is a bittersweet time. I hope that you all will rejoice with me and my family at this time in our lives when we are feeling blessed over and over and over again in so many different ways.