Growing Up...

Really sucks.


Pretty much every day I say how much I can't wait to grow up.... graduate... get married.... have babies... blah blah blah.

Well, today, I would like to say that growing up royally sucks. You know why? It's happening too fast!!! I am having one of those weeks when I realize how quickly time flies by. Its terrifying.

If time is flying this fast during college, I'm horrified to think how quickly it will fly by when I start working full time, have kids, pay bills, etc.

I am also using this as my excuse for not blogging over the past couple of weeks. You know it's bad when my mother even notices I haven't been blogging! I promise I have been up to lots of fun & exciting things to update you about.

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The MOST exciting thing that happened recently was going to the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Chicago. This thing is a BIG DEAL. Check out the website to see just what a big deal it is: http://www.nobelforpeace-summits.org/

This was SUCH a big deal that it deserves a post of its own. I will update you all with pictures, quotes, inspiration and a full recounting of the day later tonight or tomorrow.

Teaser Photo: Can you guess who the man on the screen is?

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Being in clinical the second half of this semester has been pretty awesome! I have seen some pretty awesome things:

1. A Vaginal Delivery: I actually assisted with the vaginal delivery. I was up close and personal, let me tell you! It all happened so quickly that I didn't have much time to react emotionally to the "miracle of life" that just occurred. After everything calmed down, the mom kept telling ME congratulations on seeing my first vaginal delivery. What a sweet woman! This is when I first go the idea to become a doula.
2. A C-Section Delivery: I was pretty nervous to go into the OR to see a c-section. The surgery can be pretty intense and I didn't fare too well in my other OR observation experiences. This time, though, I made sure to drink lots of water and I snuck in a snack before heading into the OR. I think this really helped. I didn't feel woozy at all during the procedure. Again, there was so much commotion that I didn't have time to marvel at the miracle of birth. After seeing the procedure, though, I hope to avoid a c-section when I have children. I totally understand why these moms have a long and difficult recovery period. 
3. A Day in the NICU: I can't talk about details of what I saw but I can tell you that my experience in the NICU was AWESOME! I loved it :) The nurses taught me so much and working with the little babies was so amazing. I just wanted to stare at them all day. 

After these awesome experiences, I think I want to work in pediatrics and the NICU while being a doula on the side.... Totally do-able, right?!

Check out this (poor quality) video!

Dwight from The Office helps Michael to prepare for the birth of Jan's baby...

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Last Friday night I went to a dinner at the NIU Alumni Association. I was under the impression that this was an event to honor scholarship recipients. I was a bit surprised when I realized that the scholarship recipients were actually just invited to be recognized at an event that was really aimed at honoring ten very successful alumni. Luckily, a good friend of mine was my date for the night! Dinner was pretty good, even though they gave me fish for my "vegetarian" dinner. Four hours later, I left the evening impressed with how long-winded people can be, but I was also inspired to be a successful alumna.

Fancy, schmancy table settings. I didn't know which fork to use first!

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Last week, I had to take an exam called HESI. This exam is like a practice NCLEX and predicts student success on the NCLEX. For those of you who don't know, NCLEX is the licensing exam nurses take after graduation. Our entire education in the nursing program is aimed at passing this exam. Our degree is pretty much useless without passing this exam. Therefore, the HESI was pretty stressful and not to mention difficult. Luckily, my test predicted I would do well on the NCLEX :)

My friends and I have a habit of going to Aspen Leaf for frozen yogurt after every nursing exam. HESI last week was no exception. It was even a bit more exciting when I realized I had a full punch card to cash in. This meant 16 oz of FREE FROZEN YOGURT! You don't believe me? Check out the pictures below...

Right on the money!

Totally FREE!

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This past weekend, I went to Peoria to visit Ross. While I was there, I had an awesome time as usual. I'm pretty darn excited to move down there for the summer. It'll be here before I know it. While I was there, I managed to snap a couple of pictures. Check them out!

Idea from Pinterest.com - Fried eggs inside of a ring of bell pepper!
It was a little difficult to eat, but absolutely delicious!

Kevin (Ross's roommate) and I buddied up to drink Starbucks and do
 homework together while everyone else was at the show Saturday night. 

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This week has actually been pretty relaxing. I have been busy and productive but, I feel like I have had a little bit more time to breathe than usual. A couple of the highlights of the week so far were....

Finishing a year long devotional book with Ross!

Going home and eating eskimo cookies!
They're so good, I didn't even have time to
snap a picture until the plate was almost empty!

Stay tuned for a post about going to the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates! I have been incredibly blessed with so many amazing opportunities. PTL (Praise The Lord)!!! 

Much Love <3