It’s getting to be that time of year! I hope everyone’s Halloween was fun and safe – and trick or treaters brought home full bags of candy!  I enjoyed haunting my social media sites to see all the cool costumes. Have to say there were so many cute baby costumes this year! That is, cute little babes rocking the cutest costumes. So much fun! 

Now that today is November 1st, the end of the year really kicks off. Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years! So far I have some holiday plans… And as of this morning I have Nutcracker tickets! I’m very excited about it 🙂 

Also very excited about a holiday card crafting class that I’m signed up for with a friend. I guess now that I’m married it’s the thing to do 😉 so with an accountability partner at hand, I am looking forward to hand make our Christmas cards this season! I am also hopeful about getting a family pic with the furbabies. That would be nice, yeah? 

Hopefully I’ll be able to do some baking. Lately my oven hates me and burns everything. It’s not operator error, I promise! (Maybe too much hoping – but that’s what the season is all about ……. Hehe)

XOXO 

It’s embarrassing. Starting my third year in the PNW and I just now experienced SRW.

But – this time I had the best company. My husband.

We went to Il Bistro which is a fancy shmancy Italian restaurant. I don’t consider myself a foodie, but I can appreciate quality ingredients and the artwork of cooking which results in a glorious meal. And I like the fancy ambience of a refined institution. It was fun 🙂 We dressed up (duh I forgot to take pictures) and headed downtown! Ready to eat and enjoy the good deal that is restaurant week.

We were able to enjoy three courses: appetizer, main entrée, and dessert. All for a bargain of $30.  I am a bargain shopper so this was incredibly appealing. Our server informed us that these courses were smaller than their courses on the main menu. Even so, I thought it was size appropriate.  Was able to spritely walk to the bus in heels without a full, jostling tummy afterwards 😉

I had a cheese plate with two cheeses. One was especially mentioned because it was alllllll the way from northern Italy. My husband chose bruschetta and sort of ate around the tomatoes… He had me giggling. For our main entrées I had a yummy butternut squash tortellini dish with pine nuts and pancetta. The sauce was so delicious, I was sad I didn’t have a spoon to slurp it up. He had steak with couscous which was promptly devoured. For dessert he had tiramisu and I had a hazelnut chocolate torte. It was very strong and a teeny taste of my husband’s dessert calmed my palate 🙂 all very tasty!

Romantic package: rose petals and champagne 💟

It was fun! And served as a nice Monday night date night, too!  

Can I believe that Halloween is literally right around the corner, and 2016 just down the road a couple (short) months?

No.

Can I believe that in this year so much has happened?

This life has been a whirlwind!  It has also been full of blessings. He has big plans for me and I’m starting to feel that a) I’m not listening when he is sharing them with me or b) he likes to surprise me on the daily. I believe a is correct, but if it is b then I continue to practice my flexibility in life and my faith in my God.

This year has brought a ton of growth in many aspects of my personal life, my relationships and professionally.  I have so much to be thankful for everyday, and especially this during this Thanksgiving season.

Good luck to all those prepping for trick or treating and the holidays following!

I’m quite ready to celebrate the end of this year and the beginning of the next as a Lobaugh 😉

XOXO

This short stretch at work was lovely.  It eased me back to NOC life, and I was reminded how much I love the babies!

One of the highlights: a family member told me that I was one of the cleanest RNs she had met.

Big fat smile on my face 🙂  HUGE compliment!

I think CLEAN creates a better healing environment…in terms of lower infection risk as well as the atmosphere of the room.  And with our patient population, we appreciate all the positive healing vibes we can get!  If that means wiping down surfaces once or twice a shift, steam sterilizing bottles, changing out suction tubing, etc. then piece of cake 🙂 Who doesn’t feel good when they clean?  Oh…. just me? 😉 I think its very therapeutic!

I’ve also been thinking about what has happened lately on The View.  As a nurse, I was offended at first.  But I was more impressed and impacted by the #nursesunite response.  We are a strong group of people.  As nurses we have immense compassion, we want to make a positive difference.  When our image is misinterpreted, I guess you can confidently say that we are quick to educate.  Nurses on social media are on fire!

I haven’t responded – because those women on the television can’t take away what I chose to do for a career.  As I care for the miracle babies and tend to their families fears and needs, my heart is full.  I am making a positive difference and helping individuals that are in what may be the most vulnerable phase of their life.  As nurses, we know that our role is imperative to health care.  To people’s lives.  And how much difference we can make in one twelve hour shift.

XOXO

I am home with my husband.

Married life has been blessed.  I fall asleep next to my best friend.  We laugh together.  We support one another.  I happily do his laundry 😉  We were always meant to be this.  And so much more.

Our wedding was perfect, and my heart is so full!  Thank you to everyone for all of your support and help with preparations for our big day.  EXTRAORDINARY work by my beautiful Maid Of Honor, you ROCK!

On to working on my domestics and loving Jesus.  And my husband!

XOXO The New Mrs. Lobaugh

Today we had a staff education day.  Yes, it was 8 hours.  Yes, that part was a little challenging since yesterday I did some optimal (and early) day functioning.  And my body is not used to sitting for that long!

………..  Besides on the couch in my jammies.  I’ve mastered that kind of sitting 😉

I was looking forward to it – and as I’m sitting at home, in my jammies, I relish in all of the new information, education, knowledge, and also refreshers, lovely encouragement, and support that was experienced in those 8 hours.  It was really great!  I’m excited for all the standardization and awesome plans for our care and more importantly, our patients.

Today was a huge reminder that as a NICU nurse, we have so much to do with the development and well being of these tiny humans.  I am so grateful and in love with what I do, and today highlighted that it will get even better!

I am also able to work with some really great nurses – since we do have private patient rooms we don’t always see the awesome care each other delivers, but this evening was great.  We had intelligent discourse, humor, wonderful questions about the current standards we have, how to make our care overall better and safer.  While I don’t wish for more 8 hour days of sitting, I do enjoy the company of my fellow RNs.

Inspired to care for some babies and hopefully integrate a thing or two that I learned today!

This is my real life pinterest project! I’ve always wanted to do these mason jar salads, they seem so convenient and easy. As my wedding date approaches I am doing my best to eat healthy 😊 

I didn’t really follow any recipe for my salads, just put together ingredients I had that sounded yummy together. But boy does pinterest have some neat salad recipes! 

As I put them together I was a little nervous that something would go array and it would be a soggy mess later. Last night I took my first mason jar salad to work and it was great! No sogginess, fresh and filling. A little different eating it out of the jar but I managed just fine 😉 

Today my fiancé and I took a long walk in the unexpected sunshine. Our furbabies trotted like silly girls beside us. I wanted to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, hold my sweetheart’s hand and admire the magnificent magnolias.  Success! 💗🌸 

Magnolias are my favorite. If I could have one in my front yard I would be a happy little lady! 

 And of course I took these pics with my fiancé’s new iPhone 6! Wowza! 

I so enjoyed today! PNW is best 💗

I have been back home from vacation for a while now ☺️ it was lovely and so much needed! Although I miss the sandy beaches of Maui and my family and friends, getting back into the swing of things has been great. 

It’s been very mild and (dare I say it?!) sunny for late Feb/early March in the beautiful PNW. I’m not complaining, it’s been so nice to go on walks everyday without having to completely bathe my blondie. 

Speaking of, she’s doing well ☺️ loved staying with her auntie and grandparents while we were gone. Right now we’re all snuggling in my bed (Bella too!) and loving life. Happy Monday morning to us! 

Lots of things on the agenda for this week, then back to work for a stretch. Then wedding dress shopping with my momma! ❤️



Beautiful North Lake Tahoe



A beautiful sandy, lava rock beach on Maui



What better way to celebrate February than going to Maui with my fiancé?  And then to Tahoe for one of my best gal’s wedding!?

And I’m on vacation, which I’m very excited about.  Maybe a little too giddy that I don’t have to take my engagement ring off for 12+ hrs at a time 🙂

Off to packing – who else is a procrastinator packer?  Totally raising my little hand!  I hate hate hate packing and I always do it last minute 😦 this should be interesting, since we have to pack summer and winter clothes!  Girls worst nightmare!  Hehe being a little dramatic ……. XOXO