Busy Week...

The last week has been insane. My husband's grandmother passed away on Sunday after a 3-year decline in health. Shiva ended this morning. My mother-in-law buried her mother in OH and sat shiva there for a while before coming home, where we set up the house for her to sit. His aunt and cousin are in from Israel until Wednesday, so they're keeping me busy 'till then.

On a lighter note, It seems bashert that I didn't get that job, because I was able to help get shabbos together, and get the house together so that my mother-in-law wouldn't have to worry about things getting done. On Friday I got a position that is even better than the one I interviewed for originally. It's on the neonatal intensive care unit, part time nights. It's a tough place to work - with all the tiny sick babies, but apparently - most of them get better, and that is very happy. So I'll work in the NICU first, and then they are going to train me on the pediatric unit as well - so that if I get pulled to fill a shift, I'll get pulled to peds, or to the healthy nursery. And it's only part time, which means I get to see my husband. I'm not sure yet when I'm starting - the next orientation is the week of shavuot, so they might make me wait 'till the end of June to start, which would be sad, but at least I know that I'll have the position. I REALLY hope I get to start sooner...

Oh, also - I got into the BSN (Bachelors of Science in Nursing) program that I wanted, I start in September.

:(

Didn't get the job.

Really sad about it, but know that it's really for the best - clearly this wasn't the right place for me to be at this time. Human resources is looking for another position for me, and I'm applying to other hospitals, so hopefully I'll find the place that is right for me.

I mean, maybe I'd be miserable working with a cold nurse manager? Maybe I'll get a day position on some other unit, or another hospital.

I'm mostly frustrated with being home. I mean, seriously, there's only so much time a person could spend at home without going complETEly insane.

Interview Part II

So, I'm not sure how it went. I met with the nurse manager, who is nice enough, but not a warm person, so I didn't really get any feedback from her. I spoke to my friend who works on the floor, she said that she's like that. That she'll walk past her and not say hello.
I should hear by the end of the week...

Update

So, since I passed the Boards, I've been looking for a job. Considering this huge nursing shortage, you'd think that employers would call a person who put in a resume. You'd be wrong. I've been chasing hospital's, and finally had an AWESOME interview with human resources last Wednesday at the local hospital. I have part two of the interview tomorrow with the nurse manager on the unit.
As you may recall, I want to be a midwife. There are no open positions on the Labor & Delivery Unit, but the unit that I'm interviewing for is a maternity/emergency overflow unit - so I should get great experience in maternity as well as emergency medicine. IF I get this job.

In the meantime, I've been working for my dad, typing dictation and doing his billing.

Pesach was beautiful. I'm so greatful that we live in the same community as our parents, because - let me tell you - I had enough family time for a while, I can only imagine what it's like for people who have to sleep at their parents/in-laws as well as eat there. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents and I love my in-laws... but it was like, "The Berenstein Bears and too much Yom Tov."

On Friday I baby sat for my (beautiful) niece, and gave her a bath - which was so cute, because she has this hooded towel, and around the hood is a flower, so it looks like she's a flower, and it's just SO sweet.

We went out to friends friday night for dinner, which was really nice, and had company shabbos lunch - we moved the table in to the living room so that my friend who's on bedrest could join us, and lie on the couch during lunch.

Weight Watchers is going well. I'm down 23.6 pounds, which is great... but now I'm looking at pictures of myself from the summer and they're making me nauseated.

That's all I can think of for now...

Yes...

Yes, it's been a long time.
Yes, a lot has happened.
Yes, I will post soon.

I DID IT!!!

I took, and passed the NCLEX-RN... my nursing boards! I am now a licensed nurse in New York State.

Whoo hoo!!!

Busy Week

So, Thursday morning, I get woken up at 6 AM by my sister, "Min, I think I'm in labor. Pack yourself some lunch."

So, that's what I did. I packed my lunck, and drove out to Queens. 8 (long) hours later, my sister had a baby girl, my new niece, Chaviva Batya.

My sister was great. She stood up and pushed against the wall (almost in a lunge position) during each contraction. The Dr. and the nurse were both amazing, they read her birthing plan and really tried to follow it - they didn't keep her attached to the monitors, no fluids, etc. And my sister got through it without an epidural. I was so pround of her. The three of us (my sis, her husband, and I) cried like babies when she was born. She didn't cry so much. She gave one big healthy cry and then totally chilled out.

It really was an amazing experience, I'm so glad I got to be there.

Oh, and I share a hebrew birthday with Chaviva. I love that name, by the way.

So - as you can guess, things are pretty exciting. They're coming to my parents today for the week, so I'm excited. YAY!!

Met my new niece on Monday, she's cute :) Her name is Devorah Tova, but we've decided to call her Dee Dee. We have to start now, because we started calling Tziporah "Po" and she keeps us, "No, my name is TZI-po-RAH!" Which is cute, but we're going to try to avoid that with Dee Dee.

Also, got to see baby Zevi this shabbos, and he's so cutely spherical. His head is like a basketball on a body of fat, it's just so CUTE!

Not much else going on...