Summer was coming to a close, and it was time to get back into a routine. But, fall didn't just mean a new school year for Alayna. It also meant a new position at work for me: in the NICU! August 1 was my first day training in the NICU, and February will conclude the intense 6-month training period. Although, in nursing, you're always learning and always growing and there will still be a ton more learn and new skills to achieve. I've concluded the "preceptorship" part of my program, which was 16 weeks. So, I'm "on my own" with babies, but will still need substantial training as our unit gets babies I don't have a lot of experience with (such as those under 28 weeks, those extremely small ones, those on an oscillator and I still need a lot more experience with those on a ventilator, because I've only trained with two of those babies so far). See? Still so much to learn!
Ok, enough about me.
Alayna started 11th grade, if you can believe it. She's all vaccinated and ready to return to in-person learning. She's grown up so much in this past year and a half. We are so proud of how she's handled the pandemic and, quite frankly, her response has been more mature than many of the adults out there....
Jeremiah is still in Texas, and we made plans to visit him in Texas in October. At this point, he is still working full time and learning about all the highs and lows of being "on your own" 1800 miles away from your family and most of your friends.
August and September brought many of our usual things: beach walks, wine tasting and a return to Disneyland for me. We also got to go see Steve Martin and Martin Short--our first return to anything concert-like in two years. Things almost seemed back to "normal". But, alas, THAT was too good to be true. Still shaking my head at all the people refusing to get vaccinated or wear masks. And, now, we're heading into a 5th wave. As a nurse, I'm tired. Frustrated. Sad. But, most of all, angry. However, I don't want to dwell on that. This blog isn't for that....stay tuned to Not in So Many Words for more of those rants. Meanwhile, enjoy the photos!
