5 times...FIVE

Some of you out there, including the nurses I work with, may think I'm a little too worried about this. But I'm getting really freaked out about this whole phlebotomy thing. My class starts this Wednesday and I'm trying to prepare for it...I even started Yoga so I can maybe start to manage my breathing thinking that might help me not pass out so much. Anyway, tonight just before I left work, one of my residents required a few viles of blood to be drawn for routine testing for medication she's on. Third times a charm? I think not. It took FIVE needle sticks to get 3 viles of blood. Not only that, but 3 nurses. I tried to watch, really I did, but I got too queasy and had to leave. One of the nurses was digging around in her arm with the needle to try and find a vein. Needless to say, I'm just that much more nervous about Wednesday. Oh man...

The 24th always sucks!

Here we go again: the 24th of the month is upon us for the fourth time. It's funny that a mere number can hold such an important place in our hearts. The 23rd doesn't phase me and usually the 25th doesn't either. But that one day smack dab in between them carries such a daunting significance. I've been unlucky enough to have to work on the 24th in January, February and now I'm scheduled in March. I think I'll start taking it off. I usually don't get out of bed til really late, hardly eat anything all day because I have this crazy sickness in the pit of my stomach, cry so much that I end up with an insane headache, and become unnaturally introverted and quiet. All because 4 months ago today my little boy died. I don't mean to lay my crazy emotions out there for everybody to read about, but on this particular 24th, I'm really mad! I'm mad that my little boy never got to take a breath. I'm mad that he's not counted as a "real person". I'm mad that people around me say I'm strong (because I'm not). I'm mad that I have to wait until I die to hold him, and I'm mad that I'm mad. I do have a testimony, and I'm grateful for the reassuring truths of the gospel. But for now I just need to get through the day until the 25th comes and clears the clouds away and brings the sunshine back into my life. Mommy loves you Scotty!

POOPY DUCKS!!!

So, one of my nurses at work saw a blanket that I was in the middle of crocheting and mentioned that she just learned to crochet and was working on making -poopy ducks- for her grandkids. I thought, "This is the perfect project for me!" (Partly because it's a beginner project and partly because my profession seems to revolve around poo).

I asked her for the pattern which she obliged me with and now I have my very own poopy duck! The rear end is tied with a drawstring and the whole duck is filled with jelly beans. Attached is a poem that reads,

I am your little poopy duck
And this is what I do:
Just squeeze my sides together
And I'll drop a treat for you"

It's super easy to make and so adorable you could eat it...well, eat what comes out of it! If you are inclined to crochet and would like the pattern, I'd gladly email it to you. Just comment with your email address!

Phlebotomy = Blood= Whitney passing out

I am soon-to-be enrolled in a phlebotomy class here in Logan so that I can increase my chances of finding a better job. While the prospect of a new job is extremely appealing to me, taking people's blood is not. BUT...it is a skill that it necessary for my advancement in my chosen field so I have to grin and bear it. The course is offered at Bridgerland Applied Technology College and is supposedly their most popular course. The doors open at 5:00am and I will have to be there by 4:00 in order to be in the running to register. It's gonna cost about $500 to enroll, but we're hoping it will be worth it in the end by my getting a new job. I'm especially not excited about the part where students practice on each other. Please pray for me!

Misery...I mean Missouri

Yeah yeah, I'm really excited that Evan got accepted but it's far away and it was -25 when he went there in January...not my kind of weather. But the newest news in the lives of Evan and Whitney: Evan's not starting medical school til August 2011. We decided to stay in Logan for another year so that I can finish my degree in Exercise Science to help my chances of getting a job once we move. It's the smart decision, we think, and it's been a long process deciding what's going to take place in our near future. We're always willing to bend and manipulate our plans to accommodate what Heavenly Father has in store for us (whether we like it or not), so if something else comes up, we'll change our plans again.
I just want to say again how blessed we are. We have an angel for a son and the most amazing family and friends to support us; we have an extremely happy marriage and a nice apartment; we're both able to work and get an education (a lot of people can't)and we have a knowledge of the gospel that helps us get out of bed every morning and want to keep on living. I love my life!

ACCEPTANCE!!!

I don't have a lot of time, but I wanted to post really quick about Evan's acceptance to A. T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri!!! This just happens to be the same school that my OBGYN, Dr. Horsley graduated from, as well as the doctor that Evan job-shadowed. He interviewed at the beginning of January and we found out this last week that they wanted him. A.T. Still is a private university (which means tuition is expensive) and the campus in Missouri is called the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. The interesting thing about this school is that it's in a really small town, so their students move away for the 3rd and 4th years to do rotations, and we'd be able to move back to Logan in 2012. If everything works out, I'll be taking two years off from school and when we move back, I'll finish my last semester at USU. We are still waiting to hear back from other schools, so nothing's set in stone yet, but I just had to share the news!

Medical School? We shall see!

Many of you know that Evan has been applying and interviewing for admittance to medical school. He's attended two interviews: one at USUHS in Bethesda, Maryland and the other at A.T. Still in Kirksville, Missouri . This week should be the week of promise. He can find out as soon as today and tomorrow if he's been accepted! We're excited and hopeful. He's worked SO hard for SO long and we're praying that his hard work will pay off in the form of ACCEPTANCES!!!

School's in for the semester (finally). For some reason Utah State started a week later than everyone else, so this is our first week back. Evan and I only have classes Tuesday and Thursday, so we've been able to spend lots of time together as well as be more flexible with our work schedule. That means more hours at work, which keeps us extra busy. We're taking a tennis class together as well as Anatomy, so that gives us even MORE time to spend together. The only other class I'm taking is Aerobics, which is proving to be an intense workout. I like it because I sleep better at night when I exercise. So, life is busy, but our days are packed with fun and we've gotten this semester off to a great start.

Oh, I forgot to mention our newest activity: babysitting!!! Some of our best friends, Bobby and Morgan had a baby last September, little Robert. Ev and I are privileged enough to get to babysit a couple hours each day while Morgan's in class and Bobby's at work. We're loving it so far and it's a HUGE help in the healing process for us! Thanks go to Bob and Mo for trusting us with their baby! :)

As always, my prayers and love go out to all of you. Especially Sarah B, Sara J, and Jenna K. I've been thinking about you three a lot lately as well as your precious Benton, Carter and Brynn who are friends with Scotlin in Heaven. I hope you're doing well and I pray for you every night!