I just got off the phone with my mom. I have yet to post about our first fun road trip to Utah as a family of 5. The kids are all asleep, and it is fairly early. Husband is at a church basketball and then off to a friends house to watch the fights. I finally have some piece and quiet to myself. I should finish the laundry. Or print out some primary material for church tomorrow. I could swiffer the floors. Maybe I should read. Or watch a movie... with popcorn... uninterrupted. Have a bowl of ice cream? Or finish paying bills. What is a busy girl, mother/wife, to do with a little free time? Hmmmmmm.... I can not resist.... I choose this..... Sweet dreams! Check back later for details on our "We are a happy family" vacation.

WOW!!!!!!!!!

Californian woman gives birth to octuplets

Posted 1 hour 57 minutes ago -ABC News A Californian woman shocked doctors by giving birth on Monday to octuplets, believed to be only the second set of eight babies born in the United States.

The six boys and two girls were doing well and were in stable condition in the neonatal intensive care unit, said Dr Karen Maples at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Centre in the Los Angeles suburb of Bellflower.

But two needed some help to breath with ventilators, she told a press conference.

The eight babies were born nine weeks prematurely by Caesarean section over a five-minute period, stunning a 46-member medical team that was expecting only seven babies. They weighed between 1 pound 8 ounces (680 grams) and 3 pounds 4 ounces (1.47 kilograms) and doctors initially identified them by the letters A through H as they were born.

"We decided to proceed with the delivery in anticipation of seven babies. We had done some drills, some preliminary dry runs," Dr Maples said."Lo and behold, after we got to Baby G, which is what we expected, we were surprised by Baby H."

Dr Maples said she had been following the mother, who was not identified, since the first trimester of her pregnancy.

Citing patient confidentiality rules, the hospital declined to say whether the mother had become pregnant through fertility treatments, which can raise the likelihood of multiple births. "It was a shock, especially with the eighth baby. They are all doing the best they can." Dr Maples said.

My initial thought...

That is "amazing and wonderful!"

Which was quickly replaced by my second thought...

a bit of a scary one...

(Which looked something like this)

Having EIGHT 2 and a half year olds, all at once!

Need I say more!!

A Moment of Reflection

For some reason I have not "blogged" much about what I do for work, and honestly, I'm not really sure why. I have to say that I love my job as an Intensive Care Nurse. I truly believe that I was one of the best decisions I ever made. I love to learn something new. I am fascinated how the human body works and operates. I love the opportunity to challenge my brain. Don't get me wrong now, it does take amazing skill to figure out how to get a 9 month old to eat meats(which he won't) or how to talk a 2 year old out of a tantrum in the middle of the store or how to teach a 4yr old that homework is a good thing. However I love that I have to opportunity to throw something new into the mix every now and again. I realize that it may sound a bit disturbing to some, I'm sure, but I love to be involved in a "Code" situation. Yes, I am referring to the infamous "Code Blue". I know what you are thinking... weird right? Maybe it is something only a critical care nurse can understand, I'm not sure. It's not because a life is at risk but because I have the chance to try and figure out what could be the cause and fix it. (Critical thinking can be exhilarating!) I get asked frequently if it is hard to do what I do or if it is sad. To that I would say yes... and I would say no. I have been thinking a lot over the last month or so about my job and how it effects me. When I first began working in the ICU, after a particular sad event, I had another nurse tell me that it takes a special person to bring a life into this world and it takes a very special person to be there to let one go. I like to believe this is true. Do not get me wrong however. Although I experience great loss I also have the greatest opportunity to witness miracles. I have the chance to care for and recover people who have the greatest of odds against them. I have the chance to see lives changed forever, in a blink of a second, without warning, and people fight and overcome adversity. I have the opportunity to be a shoulder to cry on and a support to a family in limbo. It can be unbelievably rewarding. Just imagine how it must feel to night after night care for a patient and a family who have been dealt the smallest of odds. To care for a patient, as he is kept in a deep sleep, for days to allow his precious head to heal. To night after night experience the imaginable as he slowly begins to move a finger, then two and then lift an arm and follow commands. It is magical. To be able to see him wheeled out to the patio for the feel of fresh air after months of lying in a hospital bed and to see the tears in his young wife's eyes as she expresses her thanks for your care. To hear that he is fighting his way back to "normalcy"... It is unbelievable. (Read here for more of "his" story). In my six years as a nurse I have seen much. I have cared for the elderly, I have cared for the young, I have cared for brand new mothers, the wealthy, the poor, the happy and the saddest of people. I have held a 28week old baby in my arms as a woman cried for the loss of her first born son. I swaddled the sweet sacred infant and carried him to the morgue. I have sat and held hands with a man who woke from his sleep with a breathing tube and machine, no recollection of what happened and what his future foretold. I cherish every moment. So as I sit and reflect for a moment, I think about myself, my family, friends and loved ones. My job has made me a better person, a stronger person. It has taught me not to take advantage of anything nor anyone for anything can happen. I don't usually make New Year's resolutions but I hope that in 2009 I will remember to take just a minute each day to think about what I am so grateful for and to appreciate others and life just a little bit more.

First things first,

For one... No this is not my house,

and secondly... No I did not do this to someone else's house.

But as I drove home from work the other day and saw this house covered in a bunch of good ol' fashion, bum wiping, toilet paper. I couldn't help but to laugh a little inside.

(Not to mention smile from ear to ear)

I mean really...

What IS IT that is so amusing about seeing SOMEONE ELSE'S HOME draped in a soft paper product used to maintain personal hygiene?

Is it the memories that come flashing back to my adolensce?

Is it the fact that someone sneakily got away with such a task?

Is it the way the toilet paper flows so beautifully from the trees? I don't really know but it is funny as heck!

Until maybe it is YOUR house I suppose and your crazy husband goes running out of the house with random weapons to fight off the those crazy "T P" bandits.

(Which I'm SURE mine would do!)

I found these toilet papering tips on line and they seriously crack me up. Probably because I am picturing a young, nameless teenage girl with a few fun friends doing these exact things! Feel free to read and "re- live"!

1. Get lots of toilet paper. Buy your stash before dusk, as you will look pretty suspicious buying toilet paper at 10:00 at night.

2. The best kind of toilet paper to get is double rolls. It lasts much longer, so you can usually get 4 or 5 throws over a moderately sized tree, while a single cheap roll of toilet paper will only get 2 or 3 throws over a tree.

3. Pick a time. The time should be one where people are not still up and walking their dogs. Be sure to get information on how late the neighborhood usually stays up. This can be very useful, and sometimes not knowing how late to go can be very embarrassing when you show up somewhere with a bunch of bags. Don't go too late, though! If you wait too long, you will get sleepy, and possibly fall asleep, which will ruin the night!

4. Consider what time of year it is. If it is during summer, weekdays are a must, as most adults will go to bed pretty early. During the rest of the year, it is good to pick a night when you have the following day off (such as the day before Spring Break, or days during Presidents' Weekend are very good days to hit). Remember that during Summer you will have to stay up extra late, because many people wait until it is very late to go to bed. A lot of choosing where and when depends on where you live, so make smart decisions!

5. Don't freak out if you make noise when you arrive at the house. If someone sneezes, or you trip over a stick, don't worry. No one is going to get up in the middle of the night for a minor noise. They will, however, wake up and look out the window if the noise persists. So stop the noise ASAP, but don't run away.

6. Pull a long arm's width of toilet paper from the roll when you go for trees. Hold the roll like you would hold a bike handle, but vertical. Throw the roll into the tree. it should trail up and over beautifully, and plunk on the ground on the other side. Walk to the other side, and repeat as necessary. For bushes, trail the toilet paper all over them, and push wads of toilet paper deep into bushes, to make it toilet papered inside, and out.

7. Rip small pieces of toilet paper off the roll and scatter them all over the lawn. Lots and lots of small pieces are very good.

8. Make sure to throw the rolls over high branches in the trees. If you only get the lower branches, it can easily be taken down, you want your hard work to stay for a couple days. 9. Wear running shoes. If you need to run on pavement you are not going to be able to out run a person with something protecting their foot. You should train yourself prior to go time to run quietly on all surfaces. Stealth is a must when escaping someone in the dark.

Oh.... The Memories!

Hope you too, found something FUN to do today!

I Am Amazed

That THESE TWO things can happen ...

at the same time,

in the same room,

only feet from each other.

(once again, I apologize for the crappy video and pictures. We are still using the cell phone camera and video. But if you turn up the volume I think you will get the picture.)

I suppose nothing is impossible!