NICU at the Zoo

Pretty Emily was taking it all in through her shades.


Marissa wasn't too happy to see me, but I still thought she was beautiful!





Every year the NICU has a reunion for its graduates. This year the reunion was held at the zoo. Over 3100 babies and their families came for the event. It was alot of fun and so refreshing to see all the kids that I had taken care of doing well. I've worked in the NICU for five years now, and of course all the babies are special. But there are some babies that grab hold of your heart. And you want only the best for them and their families. Working in an ICU is hard AND depressing AND very stressful. There are nights when I leave the hospital and think to myself taht I never want to go back. But then you see these babies, children now, that are thriving and you realize that maybe you had a small part in their development and their future. I would wish that every baby would be born healthy, but that doesn't happen. A healthy baby is a miracle, if only everybody would realize that. Of course all this sentimental reflection doesn't mean that I don't get frustrated at work and wish that the screaming babies could all be in sound proof isolettes at times.....! Anyway, it was a great day, and after the reunion Chris and I were able to walk around the zoo and just enjoy each other.

Loving my Hubby

It's hard to believe that we have been married for almost nine months. Some days it is much easier than other days. But when the sun has set and the moon is our only light, there is nobody else that I would want beside me!

Meet the Boys!

My good friend Katie met me at the mall the other day with her twin nephews, Jax and Jase. They are so huggable and kissable. I honestly don't know how any person could manage twins, I can barely manage myself. As you can see by me holding them....I was a little overwhelmed. My husband however, thought they were adorable and put them on his wish list...

Remembering Baylor

It has been two months since Baylor died. And I still miss her every day. All I have to do is close my eyes to remember what she felt like. The way her fur softened at the nape of her neck or the way her eyes glistened in the sunlight. Sometimes I can even hear her and the way her collar would jingle as she walked from room to room. Sometimes the sorrow is so great that I don't want to open my eyes. But then the sunlight streams into the bedroom through the slats of the blinds, and I roll over and look outside. And I think....this would be a Baylor Day. And I smile and get out of bed. I truly believe that I am who I have become simply because I loved and was loved by that dog. For the past two months I have been working on a tribute to her. I finally finished it and it was so healing for me. Every picture on the video brings a smile to my face, and floods my heart with memories. She was not only my dog, but my companion who guided me through the pathways of life. She never judged me, she accepted me simply because I loved her. I believe that I will see her again, but until then....Bless the Bear. And please check out the new video at the bottom of my blog.

A weekend Visit

This past weekend, my in laws came for a visit. We wish that they lived close; the time that they spend with us always seems to go by so quickly. (Of course, that's probably because we all get along and like each other)! Anyway this visit was like all the others. Poor Glenn....we always leave tasks for him to do around the house. This time, he painted the skylights hung the new kitchen lights, and repaired a window. Our house would not be up to par without his help. And the beauty of it all.... is that he likes doing it! Since our kitchen has been out of commission for awhile due to the remodeling, we went out to dinner every night. We always have such a great time. We are so blessed to have such great families. His parents get along with my parents and it just becomes one huge party. In a perfect world, I picture us all living within miles of each other and having huge chaotic dinners every night, solving the problems of the world. But for now, I just have to appreciate every moment that we have with them.

Adventures in Babysitting

Last Friday night, my sister and her husband took the two older girls to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! Obviously Abby was too little. So I volunteered to babysit. We started our evening out at Books A Million. I know it doesn't sound super fun, but believe me, when you become a princess hiding in a train, the fun is EVERYWHERE! After becoming exhausted with Make Believe, (that was only me, Abby could have played forever) we went to QDoba to eat Mexican. Abby ordered a cheese quesadilla. My friend Molly met us for dinner and then we all ventured outside to feed the ducks. Then it was off to the Wendy's Drive Thru to get a Frosty with M&M's. Once we got back to the house, it was bath time. Abby loved the bath, probably because she didn't have to share it with anyone AND I filled the water to the very top. Basically, she was swimming. Then we sat on the bed and read books, that is until she told me that she was "going to go to sleep now." What two year old says that? Never one to miss an opportunity, I scooped her up and laid her in her crib. She must have been tired, but Aunt WeWe was exhausted!

The Garland of Roses

Last night after a lovely dinner, I dragged my husband to see the Garland of Roses being created. It was something that I had always wanted to do. The Garland of Roses is a Derby tradition. It consists of 400 Freedom Roses hand sewn into green satin with the seal of the Commonwealth. There is a single rose in the "Crown" pointing upwards that symbolizes the heart and struggle necessary to make it to the winner's circle. It's pretty awesome. Kroger was packed and we had to stand in line for over 20 minutes to get an up close view of the garland. But it was worth it, not only was it beautiful, my husband actually enjoyed himself. Go Baby Go!