Moving Forward ...

I've been back to the hell baby nursery twice now due to a period of slow down in the NICU so I'm guessing that I have no choice but to learn this role. I've been doing some breastfeeding research on the internet (remember, I've NEVER lactacted and no this isn't something that all women just "instinctively" know) and I signed up for a spanish class that starts in January. Even if I don't end up staying in Colorado, it will be helpful to be able to mutter at least a few words of Spanish (so there John!!). So perhaps by the end of this assignment I will be a confident well baby nurse and friend to all new mothers .... or maybe not.

I also realized that it has been a long time since I mentioned anything fitness minded which is likely due to the fact that I've become the epitome of sloth in the past few months. I know that I have a hard time with motivation so it's time to set some preliminary goals to get me going.

• 1. Train and complete an early spring half -marathon
• If I get in the lottery, I'm planning the Moab Canyonlands Half
• If that fails, the Virginia Beach Shamrock Sportsfest Half
• 2. Assemble the bike trainer that I purchased and actually get on the thing at least twice a week (remember, I'm not trying to work miracles ... yet)
• 3. Look around for a place to swim so that I can get back in the pool after the first of the year
• 4. Start thinking of summer races - I'm thinking two Sprint distances and *gulp* going Olympic distance late in the summer

finally, #5. Stay POSITIVE and seize the moment!!!

Jenn No Hablo Espanol

Last night at work I was floated to the well baby nursery (also known as the "Hell" baby nursery for us NICU nurses). I had to float a few times when I lived in Columbia so I felt up to the challenge of screaming babies, nervous parents and breastfeeding. When I walked into the unit, however, the first thing they asked was "do you speak Spanish?" It was at that point that I knew I was in for an interesting evening.

Many people aren't aware of the huge Hispanic population in Colorado. According to wikipidia (the source for all interesting facts on the web), 19% of Coloradoans speak Spanish. This makes Colorado #6 on the list of states with the greatest percentage of Spanish speakers (behind NM, CA, TX, AZ and NV respectively). I knew there were a lot of Spanish speakers in Colorado, specifically in Denver, but this was the first time as a nurse that I had to confront it head on.

My answer, was "Nope, I don't speak a word." which isn't true because I can say Hola and Buenos Dias and Me llamo Jenn, but in the world of nursing this isn't going to help me a lot with asking about how well the baby is eating or trying to answer their questions. I took 2 years of Latin in high school - a miserable experience with an ancient nun who hated me- so I've been very unprepared for the reality of our diversifying world and the fact that three of my patients only spoke Spanish.

I managed to make it through the night with the international language of hand gestures, pointing to my boob, the baby then the clock etc. trying to get across "when did the baby last eat" and for the most part it seemed to work. I was very stressed out though and I felt bad for the nice Moms who did make a valiant effort to use the few words that they knew to bridge the gap as well. Today, I signed up for an intensive Spanish class in January because even if I don't stick around here, it would be nice to start learning.

and the Moms who had trouble breastfeeding?? I don't even want to get started on how unprepared and clueless I am on assisting with that issue. By morning I just wanted an intubated, sedated, sick as snot baby so that I could get back to what I know!!

The Best Dog Bed EVER!!

Most of you know that I have two dogs, and if you've ever visited me they've likely jumped on you, licked you and tried to crawl in bed with you. Tosca (my Jack Russell terrier) is the worst about invading your personal space. She feels that it is her right to sleep in the people bed and she also prefers to burrow under the covers and curl up right in the crook of my knees. The only problem with this is that I occasionally like to change position ... you know roll over, move my legs etc ... and Tosca takes this as a personal attack on her slumber. When I roll over and am forced to move her, I'm rewarded with a menacing growl from beneath the covers. But I have FINALLY found the solution!! The burrow bed!!














I found this online at Fun Stuff For Dogs and ordered it after reading the testimonials from people - one specifically mentioning how it got her Jack out of the bed. Tosca immediately climbed into it and has been happily sleeping since :) This is the best money I've EVER spent!!