Away Message

I apologize for the inconvenience, but I will be away from my desk until Thursday. Leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible. 

...oh and did I mention where I will be away to???!

New York City!!!!

Ohhhhhhhh the excitement! I've never been and have always wanted to go and now it's finally here! We (myself, 2 other nurses and a midwife) leave bright and early (715 am!) in the morning and are scheduled to come back to reality on Wednesday night. You'd better believe I'll take a ton of pictures, stroll around the park, shop to my hearts content, go to the conference(blah.), buy some knock-off purses and bootleg dvds. There's another group of girls from Baylor who are already in NYC and we're having dinner together tomorrow night! How fun! I am a little nervous- traveling without Jordan is something I haven't done since .... high school? (with the exception of small overnight-ers) If it's as wonderful as I expect it will be,  maybe we can plan our own trip (that doesnt include 2 days worth of an OB conference!) in the future. Please keep us and our safety in your prayers!!!

And while you're on your knees in prayer, keep these other folks in mind:

• Jalissa (www.lowryplace.blogspot.com) had several medical tests run this past week for a problem she's been dealing with for a long time. I pray that not only they find out the cause, but that it's easily treatable!
• Nancy (www.rebekahgraceellis.blogspot.com) is pregnant and her baby has been diagnosed with Truncus Arteriosus. This hits me a little close to home, as Jordan has the same defect (among others...)! Pray that she and her family will have peace through their pregnancy and that baby Rebekah will have a milder form of this congenital heart defect.
• Baby Catherine (www.letterstocatherine.blogspot.com) was born with a diaphragmatic hernia and was recently readmitted to the hospital. 
• And last but certainly nowhere near least, my sweet hubby who is supa stressed about graduating in 2 weeks and who I know will just be beside himself with grief while I am gone! k-i-d-d-i-n-g! I know he's got a touch of senioritis and will probably chain himself to the computer this weekend so he can finish up all of his papers and classwork before this whole seminary gig comes to a close. 

Sneaky Preview

I love the FW Botanic Gardens, but apparently my body does not! As a kid, I was an allergic mess. Every season, something would come around that I was allergic to and I would be a walking snot ball for weeks. This all changed after a surgery on my sinuses and 4 years worth of allergy desensitization shots. Miraculously, I could make it through the spring in Augusta with a minute case of the sniffles-  not the month long plague that often ended with an infected sinus or bronchitis. It was wonderful! Gone were the days of Claritin (which then required a rx), nasal sprays and gargling with hot salt water (the cure for anything, I'm now convinced.).

And then I moved to Texas.

Welcome to a land where everything is allergen-inducing, because it's a whole new set of trees, grasses, molds, flowers, etc. Lets just undo all those years of injections by bombarding my body with 1,000 new allergens. Sheesh. Anyway - enough whining - back to the gardens, which were beautiful. We got some great pictures with Joel, Stacy & baby-to-be Noah, which I'm really thrilled about. Here's a sneaky-sneak preview of a few:

And we capped the day off with a trip to Zaxby's! What could be better!?

More to come soon...

Ode to my favorite spring Vegetable

After writing a much-too-long post about how irritated I am with people's misuse of the words your/you're and their/there/they're, I decided it was boring. And what have I decided to replace my boring grammar-related post with? An ode to my favorite spring vegetable: Asparagus!

Here's a disclaimer: I am a picky eater. I can narrow my picky eating habits down to basically disliking most vegetables with the exception of a select list. Jordan is f-o-r-e-v-e-r getting onto me for not having a more open minded palate. I dont eat mushrooms (it's a texture thing), onions (especially raw- gag! If they're chopped up really small and cooked in something, that's alright), squash, broccoli, sometimes zucchini, mushy carrots, avocado (although I think it's technically a fruit), cooked bell pepper, olives. Like I said, picky.

But despite allllll my vegetable hang-ups, I LOVE Asparagus! Roasted, grilled, steamed... as long as it doesnt come out of a can, i'll cook it & chow down! So what's my newest favorite asparagus recipe? It's so easy, it's hard to say it's a recipe... 400 degree oven, cookie sheet, asparagus, olive oil, salt & pepper. Coat the stalks with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Spread it out on a cookie sheet and throw it in the oven for 10 minutes. Just 10 minutes!!! Something magical happens, and the asparagus comes out having a little bite to it, with some delicious browning. The very top even gets a little crispy. I could eat it all day long. Oh, and not to beat a dead horse, but the picture isn't mine... it's PW's. 

Later I'll post pictures from Stacy & Joel's maternity "shoot."

Random Factoids

The Story of My Name & Birth

(recently told to me- yes 24 years later- by my momma)

Ok, I know a few posts ago, I revealed the origin of my name, but there's a little extra back story that I think is fun. Just bear with it, ok? So being that I hear a lot of names, both odd and routine at my job, I asked my dear momma one day over our Christmas visit where they got the idea for my name. My momma, being a verbose woman (sorry mom, it's true.), told me a surprising story. Later, I prodded for a little more information about my delivery. I knew bits and pieces, but was again surprised by some interesting details. And by the way, I have always known my middle name, Marie, was in honor of my dad's Aunt Marie, who apparently played a big role in his life though I never met her. 

Anyway, here's the scoop:

My parents had decided early on to leave the sex of their baby a mystery (which we all know I love). My mom had an ultrasound somewhere during Master's week and the sonographer who happened to be a friend of hers, slipped up and told her I would be a girl. She still wanted it to be a surprise for my dad, so she never (even to this day- apparently) told him she knew. Sorry dad, I guess it's not going to drive any kind of animosity between you & mom considering you're divorced now. Awkward breakup talk aside, my mom started plugging lots of girl names. And being that it was Masters week, they settled on Hollie; named after the 18th hole but the "y" was replaced with an "ie" which matched my middle and last names resulting in years of playful torment. Not only because I always have to correct people's spelling of my name, but also because of the "ie" thing. 

Fast forward 2 months and my mom is in labor. I'm 2 weeks late at this point and she has an epidural. For some strange reason, each time they try to dose her epidural with the medicine that makes you numb, she passes out. No one can figure out why it happens with every dose (it happened again with Casey's delivery, so mom considers it some strange allergy), so they take out her epidural and allow her to continue laboring naturally. She makes it all the way to 10cm totally on her own. She said she was talking and laughing between her contractions and really surprising the staff with her tolerance. So her doc comes by and after what she calls "the longest cervical check of my life" which lasted "7 or 8 minutes" the doctor looks up and goes, "I've got it!" He proceeds to tell her that while she is 10cm, I have not even started to descend into her pelvis, which is probably the reason why she was tolerating her contractions so well. And the reason I wasnt descending?? Because both of my arms were over my head! That's right, my presenting part was an elbow. Obviously, a baby cannot be born with it's arms over it's head (and for the record, i've NEVER had a patient whose baby was in this position and it apparently happens in less than 1% of all deliveries), so my mom had a c-section. And because she couldn't tolerate an epidural, they had to put her to sleep. 

So there you have it. That's me in a nutshell... with my arms over my head.

Cold Shower

Ok, I'm officially scary obsessed with The Pioneer Woman! I learned about it from some friends at work who are avid readers, which at the time, from a distance that it looked alright (translation: I thought it looked like something I'd never get into- even after listening to Amanda rave about how hilarious she is and how good her recipes are). But my goodness, have you checked out this woman's blog/website? It's funny & practical & full of good stories and yummy recipes.  Seriously, if you havent checked it out- GO Now! I took it upon myself yesterday to read the story between PW and Marlboro Man ("Black Heels to Tractor Wheels"). It's a 30+ part love story with a warning to have a cold shower handy (and it was no understatement).... and I read it start to finish! It's hilarious and romantic and exciting and should be made into a movie. See what I said? Scary obsessed! You may not HAVE to read her love story (although it's worth the time), but you should at least go for the recipes. I've tried a few already and they're awesome- and have pictures of every step so even those of us who need a little extra assistance are well covered. One day soon I want to make her Chicken Spaghetti and Cinnamon Rolls (but not in the same meal of course). 

So the question on everyone's mind is about Rockport. And here's my answer:

We'll know something May 17.

Sorry friends, no news is good news, right? We'll officially go in view of a call on May 17 and we'll find out then whether or not the job is ours. So until then, it's wait & pray time. Yes that's over a month of wait & pray time! And considering all of what's going on between now & then, it'll go by at lightning speed. Which is good, considering i'm impatient. 

One such goings on will be Jordan's graduation! His handy-dandy homemade announcement is proudly displayed above- who would've thought: when we came here I had a box of random scrapbooking stuff that my aunt gave me for christmas which I never thought i'd ever be interested in. And now I'm making my husband's graduation announcements! And this may be my own biases talking, but I think they look.... oh.... a TON better than the ones we could have bought a few weeks ago! Only problem? I only made 2 dozen, so if you dont get a handy-dandy homemade announcement in the mail, consider the picture above your official invite. And dont be offended. 

What else is in the works? Howabout another baby shower? I love love love the way the invite turned out! It's a little hard to read the wording because it's on pearly paper which doesnt mix well with a flash, but it all came together supa-dupa cute! Our sweet friends Joel & Stacy are expecting their first boy in about 6ish weeks and all of us mutual gal pals thought it befitting to have a couple's shower out to eat, considering we (used to) routinely meet up and grill out/pot luck in each other's apartments. 

Boy will I miss my pot-lucking-knock-on-the-door-at-4-am-for-something-always-has-a-cup-of-sugar/milk/flour/egg/lettuce/canned tomatoes/etc-to-loan-out neighbors. They're the best. I can say Joel & Stacy are probably our oldest (meaning longest, not age-related old) seminary friends. We met them at the very first church we tried  after moving here. And then it took us 2 years to say much more than "hello" to our literally next door neighbors and in a short time, we've come to really love them & enjoy being friends with them. I could kick myself for not establishing a friendship with them sooner!

aaaaaanyway. 

And next week is the much anticipated, cant believe it's finally here trip to NYC! Woohoo!! A few hours worth of OB nursing conference is the only price I'll pay for 5 days in glorious New York. It'll be my first trip ever and I want to see & do everything! Central Park, Times Square, Chicago on Broadway (already have tickets!), the fold-y genuine NYC pizza, and shopping galore. Only problem? I am leaving my sweet husband at home (and my plane leaves at 0640... that's am.). I cant remember the last time traveling someplace new & exciting without him. We both love to travel and have been some pretty amazing places since we've been together (Hawaii, San Diego, Champaign IL [that's for you sam ;)], Italy, France, Germany, Honduras...) By day 5 I will be seriously homesick (with lots of grrrrrreeat pics! I've already picked out some neat-o scrap stuff to do my pages with! heehee)

What a fantastic day! Good Friday is here and Easter is just around the corner. Isnt it wonderful to know that God's plan wasn't completed on the cross, but that we have the miracle and incredible mystery of Easter morning. The veil was torn and death was defeated! 

 "Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him." Romans 6:8-10

Work today was so much fun! My patients were so sweet, and guess what? We had triplets today!! This sweet lady was the most fun patient to care for! She was thrilled to meet her babies and you would never know she was pregnant with triplets. She had tons of energy, could get around better than most of our singleton moms and was all around easy to work with. Her babies were super super cute and did great! I've done twins several times, but never triples and was super thrilled to be circulating the case. Later, the afternoon was easy and relaxed. All in all, it was a great recipe for a day I dont see too often: Not too slow moving, not too busy, not too boring, not too stressed. 

No. 13 "Azalea"

This is the time of year I really miss Augusta. Those of you Augustans who are in the throes of Master's week just dont understand what it's like to live like an "outsider!" For 22 years I dreaded the traffic, crowds and complete inability to get a table at ANY restaurant in the CSRA. And now, I'm not there and I miss the action. Who can argue- Augusta National in April is so wildly beautiful, and for a week it's what everyone is talking about. And here's a tidbit for you: I just found out last year that my parents got the idea for my name from the 18th hole! (all the holes are named after flowering trees and #18 is Holly) Isnt that funny? Maybe if you know my dad, it's not so surprising!  

Super Easy & Delicious!

I've looked high & low for an easy italian recipes. I think Jordan and I could both have italian almost everyday- aside from Tex-Mex, it's probably one of my favorite food "types." Does anyone remember Prego Pasta Bake? I couldn't even get a google image of the stuff, which is sad. J & I used to make it once a week or so! It was so easy & delicious, despite being chock full of preservatives and sodium. Oh, who are we kidding? I loved it, sodium and all.

So here's the closest I've come to an easy Baked Ziti recipe. Serve it up with a bowl of fresh salad and garlic bread and you've got a stick-to-your-ribs yummy meal.

Baked Ziti

1lb Ziti (I used penne rigate, but whatev!)

1 small container Ricotta Cheese

1 egg

1/2 block mozzarella cheese cut into little cubes

1/4 cup romano or parmesan cheese

1 qt homemade marinara sauce (or about 1 jar of the store variety)

A handful of shredded mozzarella

Preheat to 350 degrees. Boil pasta according to pkg directions, but remember, you'll bake it with sauce later, so make sure you boil it to al dente or you'll end up with mush at the end! Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, cubed mozzarella and romano/parm cheeses (and salt & pepper to taste) until combined. Once the pasta is finished cooking, drain, rinse and mix the pasta in with the cheese mixture. Ladle some sauce into a greased baking dish (I used leftover spaghetti sauce, which is always yummier after it sits in the fridge a day or so!). Next layer is the cheese mixture. Make sure you layer these ingredients instead of mixing them together or you'll end up with lumpy pink ziti. Just imagine taking a lovely bite and appreciating the pockets of gooey cheese... not lumpy pink goo. And I digress... Keep layering sauce & cheese/pasta mix until you're out of pasta. You may have sauce left over, depends on how liberal you are with your sauce layers! Save a little for the top then sprinkle your leftover mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes with some greased aluminum foil on top, and when the 30 minutes is up, pull off the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes to get the top all bubbly & brown. It'll look something like this:

Doesnt it look wonderful??? Its tasty too! Spoon up a hearty helping onto your plate and dig in! It should look something like this:

I would have taken an after shot, but there was nothing left. Yum!

Still no recipe...

Ok, so I know I've put off this recipe for too long already (it's yummy!!!), but I've just GOT to share some side splitting things I heard from my patient today. When her doc called over to give orders, he warned us she was a little ... vapid. And vapid was an understatement. She was a total idiot bimbo head. Seriously. I have proof. Here are a few random statements, starting from the beginning:

-Upon entering the room, the patient was in her gown standing at the mirror putting on makeup. There was a puddle around her feet, which just so happened to be amniotic fluid. She came in because her water broke. I ... still dont understand why she wasnt wearing a pad or towel or something. She was oblivious.

-"I need to talk to somebody about getting insurance"

-While filling out her admit paperwork, she points to the sheet where it says *street address*: "Uhh, does that mean MY house? Like do I put my HOME address there?" 

-Then: "Oh my gosh, what in the WORLD is a next of kin?" 

-After learning she could list her mother as a next of kin she turns to her mom: "umm, How do you spell your name again??" 

-"What's a bowel movement?"

-Before putting in her foley: " (panicked)HOW am I going to have a baby with THAT thing in there?!?!!!"

Me: "well, first off, we take the catheter out before you start pushing"

Her: "But what if you're not here when I'm pushing?"

Me: "I'll be here."

Her: "But what if it's too late?!!"

Me: "Well you could have a baby around a foley, but we'll make sure and take it out before you deliver, dont worry."

Her: "But...."

Me: "Let me ask you a question... can you pee with a tampon in?"

Her: "well, yeah."

Me:  "Then this is the same principle. The catheter goes in a different hole."

Her: "OHHHHHHHHHH Ok!"

- (from her mom, also a few cents short of a dollar): "When she was little, I'd give her robitussin, and it would kill her platelets and she would have a nosebleed. I'd probably consider that a drug allergy."

- (also from mom): "She would have such gushing nosebleeds when she was little. I think she has Von Willebrands! (a complex disease characterized by a deficiency of a protein that is used for platelet adhesion)

Me, to the patient: "Well, all of your labwork looks fine, but have you been tested for Von Willebrands?"

Mom: "Oh she never got tested, they didnt have tests for that way back when she was born. (She was born in the 90s. That's 1990s, not 1890s.) But I think you need to know, just to be on the safe side, if something happens, her platelets will stop working, so maybe you should have some blood on hold. (Blood? What about platelets?)

This person procreated.