Happy Birthday Mom.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

Wishing my wonderful, awesome, beautiful, amazing, and PERFECT Mother a very Happy Birthday today! I love you so much, Mom! You are my hero!!

Earth Hour

Don't forget to turn your lights off from 8:30-930pm tonight! Respect mother earth :)

Click HERE for more info.

nat's turkey hunting experience

So Natalie..37 weeks prego decided to go on a little turkey hunt on her way to work this morning!! Seriously...as she was buzzing down the highway to school a HUGE turkey flew into her windshield!! She said that she knew she was going to hit it, so she just gripped on tight to the wheel and took it on full force...check out the damage!! She is really lucky that the only thing damaged was the windshield...could have been bad! Unfortunately, for the turkey, well let's just say he flew off to turkey heaven. Seriously, this could only happen in Southern Illinois! Check out the pics below.
After she pulled off to the side of the road, a few IDOT workers noticed she was pregnant and came to the rescue. They found the turkey and once the cops arrived to file a police report, everyone wanted to take pics. The cops thought it was hilarious. While it's a funny story, Nat & Ethan are very lucky to be OK! Everyone talked her into going to the doctor, so she did. They monitored Ethan for about 30mins and everything is A-OK. Watch out for the wild turkeys people!! Scary.

Now that I think about it, Amanda and I saw a wild rooster off the 101 in downtown LA hiding out in the brush....where are these wild birds coming from??? Weird!

a word from the wise.

"I believe that uncertainty is really my spirit's way of whispering, "I'm in flux. I can't decide for you. Something is off-balance here"." -Oprah Winfrey

I saw this quote and I think it's so true! Nothing is more important than trusting your own instinct, I've learned.

A picture I took one evening in Venice Beach, California.

rewarding.

As I was leaving work today, something pushed me to check my work mailbox (something which I never do). Part of the reason I was probably wanting to check it was in hopes to see that little white sheet of paper decorated with palm trees around the edges (my vacation request form)...hoping it would be signed and approved by my manager. Well, I got the paper back and my vacation is approved! I also got 3 other surprises. One, an evaluation on CHLA from a student nurse at West Coast University who had clinicals on my floor. She complimented me specifically and I guess my manager made me a copy and stuck it in my box so I could see it. Another, a thank you note and school picture from the single mom and her 15 year old son (who has cystic fibrosis) that my friend Laurel and I "adopted" through our "Holiday's From the Heart" program. It was a heart felt letter thanking my friend Laurel and I for the warm clothes we provided them at Christmas time. And last, a letter from "R's" family -- the boy I wrote about a couple of posts down, the boy who bit me and whose brain shunt failed on my shift. I thought I would share the note with you, since I shared the details and experiences of my nights caring for him.

"Sydney,
We can't imagine how difficult & frightening it must have been trying to care for R. After all the clawing & biting, you stood firmly beside him. We really appreciate what you have done for R. You truly have made our experience much easier & gratifying for all of us. My wife wants to thank you especially for your effort trying to advocate for us. Thanks a mil!!!
- R's Family"

How awesome is that?! It brought me to tears, and then I felt a little guilty for secretly getting really mad at R when he bit me during the CT scan. I'm so glad they felt like I was a good nurse to their child. What a great feeling!!

I also won some really beautiful flowers at work last night. It was "Mary Duque Day" so the hospital held an ice cream social and I put my name in a drawing for one of the prizes. Mary Duque played a pivotal role in the hospital's history by greatly enlarging the support of CHLA, so they have a day honoring her every year. Here's a picture of my flowers!

So, my vacay got approved and I plan on coming home May 3rd-10th, so mark your calendars! 7 nights in Illinois, folks. I can't wait to meet the 2 new male additions to our family!!

my pseudo spring break.

Amanda & I had a really great time! We explored Hollywood, got a tour of the universal stuido's backlots, had fancy LA dinners at Sky Bar & Geisha House, did lots of shopping, and got to catch up :) Although dissapointed that we didn't get to see Andy Samberg & Jimmy Kimmel, we made up for it. I guess they oversell the tickets online for the show (they are free but you have to make reservations) in order to insure that enough people show up. LA is packed with spring breakers right now, and I guess everyone and more decided to show up for the taping. We were 5 people away from entering the studio when they announced that the house was full. We'll just have to do it next time! Here's some pictures from the weekend. I'd write more but I'm super exhausted and am heading to bed! Back to the real world tomorrow.
Also, I put in a vacation request at work for may 2nd-10th, so once it gets approved I am gonna book a flight home! I'll keep you updated.

happy st.patty's day.

I declare this my unofficial spring break! I have the next 5 days off and will be spending them with my best friend and old roomate, Amanda! She is on spring break from teaching and headed out to visit. I am picking her up at LAX tomorrow morning at 9am. First on the adgenda is shopping in fashion district, then we are heading to see Jimmy Kimmel. I cannot wait to see Any Samberg! He is so cute I can hardly stand it. Maybe he will pick me out of the audience and fall in love with me?? Hey...a girl can dream! It airs at 11pm back home, so watch for us in the audience (I'm not sure if they will even pan over us or not)...but at least you know I'm there! Hope everyone had a fantastic St.Patricks day!

And now, I will leave you with this live news clip (from Mobile, Alabama circa 2006) for your St.Patty's Day viewing pleasure...

work & play & showers.

Lastnight was probably one of the most stressful nights at work that I've had thusfar. I had 4 patients, one of which I had the 2 previous nights before. He was a pretty critical case and a lot of work to take care of. Needless to say, the shunt draining the fluid in his brain decided to stop working on my shift, causing all sorts of problems. Before finding out that this was the case, we needed a CT scan, so my assistant & I took him down to radiology. He wouldn't stay still and 3 people couldn't hold him down to get it done (usually with these kids we give sedation meds, but sedation meds make this kid more agitated). He bit my finger so hard I almost cried! Then the rad tech told me to leave the room because she ASSUMED that I was pregnant. OMG! RUDE! I don't even look pregnant, in fact I've lost 5 lbs in the past 2 weeks! Whatever. So we take the kid back upstairs and I let the doc know that the CT scan was unsuccessful. I was informed to give some benadryl & zyprexa (an antipsychotic med that relaxes). I did so, and took the kid back down about an hour later. We got the scan done, and the results came back indicating shunt failure (the ventricles in his brain were swelling). NOT a good thing, obviously. From then on I was pushing meds, hanging fluids, giving boluses, and monitoring vitals. I did really well and kept everything under control. The doc that I was working with was great and we made a good team. The other nurses helped out with my other kids while I was busy in my other room. We ended up taking the kid to emergency surgery when the on-call neurosurgeons arrived and I think everything will be fine. I overheard the charge nurse saying "Sydney takes her challenges and doesn't cry, works hard". That made me feel good. I know it's overwhelming at times. I've seen nurses cry before on my floor when overwhelmed. I just take everything one step at a time and prioritize, it's what you've gotta do. The doctor (hospitalist) that I was working with called me at the end of my shift and thanked me for all my help, she said that I was awesome to work with and she hoped that everytime she has kids like that, that I would be the nurse she was working with. That felt really awesome because doctors hardly ever take the time to call just to thank you and tell you how much they appreciate you. I felt really good about my night, and then when I was giving the day shift nurse report, she was incredibly rude to me which sort of sent me over the edge. I held it in until I got to my car and then just let it out. It was a long 3 nights! I got some good sleep and I have tonight off (thank god) so I'm relaxing!

On to more exciting things....

Amanda is coming to visit in 3 days!! I can't wait! We are going to see Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday night. Andy Samberg is one of the guests- I love him! For those of you who don't know, he is one of the newer additions to Saturday Night Live. He wrote/co-performed the "D*ick in a Box" skit with Justin Timberlake. He's hilarious! Watch the video below. It'll air on TV on the Wed night that it's taped (the 18th). I think it comes on in Illinois around 11 or 11:30? It's on after the news, I think.



Natalies Baby Shower was a success, I wish I could of been there to celebrate! I got her a growth chart to hang on the baby's wall, an American Red Cross health kit for baby, a baby vintage tee (elmers glue), and a cute hoodie from American Apparel. Ethan will look so cute in it! Here's a pic of the growth chart, with Mal helping open gifts.

dg.

Abby and I had a really good time while she was here. It was really great to catch up and fill eachother in on our lives. She fell in love with LA and didn't want to leave. I can't blame her!

My LA "bucket list"

I'm working all weekend, then on Monday I get to see my little sister from my sorority at SLU. SLU is on spring break, and she's out visiting me & a friend of hers that attends UCLA. I'm so excited to see her, we haven't seen each other since I graduated from SLU last May. It'll be so nice to catch up with her and hang out like old times. We've still kept in pretty good touch... she is just one of those people that I will be friends with and remember forever. We don't have set plans, but I think hiking up to the Hollywood sign is one of them. It's slightly illegal to walk up there and touch it, but people do it a lot! I will be sure to take pics if we manage to do it. It's on my "LA Bucket List" of things to do while I'm living here (which I guess I could post on here so you all could see it). I hope the weather is nice while she's here! From what I've heard it's been really nice back home...70degrees?? Crazy!

Ok, let's start the betting for Nat's due date!!! I'm gonna go ahead an guess April 11th. Winner gets a prize!! Add a comment to my post and take a guess at when you think baby Ethan will enter the world. Her official estimated due date is April 18th.

So I'll leave you all with my "LA Bucket List". Things I want/will do while I am living in LA. An asterick* means that I have checked it off the list and already done it! Of course, there are new things that I learn about and add to the list quite often....and there are things that I've done and didn't add. If you have a suggestion for me, let me know.

List of thing to do while living in LA:
-See a movie at Mann’s Chinese Theatre
-Go to a movie premiere
-Be a fan outside the red carpet at either The Grammy’s or The Academy Awards
-Go to the Hollywood Wax museum*
-Go to Griffith Observatory*
-Hike in Griffith Park*
-Go to Disneyland
-Go to Universal Studio’s
-Go to Knott’s Berry Farm
-Go to Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach*
-Get bottle service at a Hollywood club*
-Be an extra in a TV show or movie
-Walk the boardwalk in Venice Beach*
-Ride my bike on the bike path in Venice
-Go surfing
-Go skiing in the mountains
-Meet a celebrity*
-Walk the Santa Monica pier*
-Ride the ferris wheel on the Santa Monica pier
-Go to the Farmers Market in Hollywood on Sunday
-Go shopping in Fashion District*
-Go shopping on Melrose*
-Go shopping on Robertson
-Go shopping on Rodeo Drive
-Go to the Getty Museum
-Explore Catalina Island
-Drive to Vegas*
-Drive to Mexico
-Go to a taping of “The Price is Right”
-Go to a taping of “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
-Go to the LA Zoo
-Go see the La Brea Tar Pits
-Go to a Laker’s game
-Go to a Dodger’s game
-Go to the California Science Center
-Go to the San Antonio Winery in downtown LA
-Drive to to Northern Cal and visit the wineries
-Go to “The Magic Castle” in Hollywood
-Go shopping in “The Grove” at Christmas time
-Go to “Hollywood Forever Cemetery”*-Go horse back riding on the beach
-See a show at “Pantage’s Theatre”
-Touch the 'Hollywood' sign
-Visit Chinatown*
-Visit Little Tokyo
-Go on a studio tour of Paramount Studio's
-See a movie at El Capitan theatre
-Go skydiving in San Diego or Santa Barbara
-Go sailing/boating & fishing in the Pacific

Happy 1st Birthday Ben!!

My beautiful nephew, Benjamin George Barton is 1 year old today!! Happy Birthday B-Man!! Love you so much!

A pink dolphin!!

You have to check this out...it's so interesting! A PINK dolphin was spotted in a lake north of the gulf in Louisiana. It's actually an albino dolphin, and has reddish eyes. So neat!

CLICK this link to read the full article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4927224/Pink-dolphin-appears-in-US-lake.html