last semester ever.

[my first day of my last clinical in the spud room with a content little spud brewing]

I just want to share my excitement with all of you...this is my last semester of college...ever. I am beyond thrilled. This being my last semester of nursing school, it means that I will be a nurse soon. I have been working so hard at this, that I can't wait to just be working full time. Going to school full time and working full time is exhausting. Oh yeah, then throw pregnancy in there. I asked for all of it, it was my choice...but seriously. I. am. exhausted. I can't help but smile each time I think about graduating. 

[my grandma's nursing pin- her name is even engraved in the back how amazing is that?! in the top it says "non nobis solum" which means not for us, but for everyone... that people should contribute to the general greater good of humanity, apart from their own interests... pretty wonderful]

I don't actually think I will go to my graduation...they aren't all that special to me (I've already graduated college once before mind you- it wasn't too moving, although my sister's graduation I felt was perfectly tailored for me, in the audience, and I was balling throughout the whole thing). However, my pinning ceremony is a little more unique. Nurses get "pinned" as a sign of leaving the student realm and becoming a colleague. What makes it even more special is that right before my grandma passed away she gave me her pin, from 1939. Crazy right? She went to nursing school in Tacoma, Washington forever ago. It was a huge deal for her to pass it on to me (my little sister is already an RN and becoming a nurse practitioner this May also...talk about over-achiever, a real one-upper...I'm so proud of her). Anyways, I feel obligated to go to my pinning ceremony to honor my grandma's legacy and my future. We will have spud that will be only a couple of weeks old though, perhaps we can bring a gallon of hand sanitizer with us. That's reasonable right?

So here is my timeline of the upcoming months in case you're wondering where I'm at:

January 

 Yay! 3rd trimester begins!

 start up last semester of school

-this month DONE!-

February

start applying for nursing jobs

most intense clinical/preceptor days on labor and delivery unit. Super exciting, I get to pretend to be a nurse!

two nights a week of 12 hour clinicals, then three days a week of working 12 hours, and one day of class. Yikes. Is that even possible being huge?! I guess it has to be.

March

 ditto from February, if I can make it through

take some fun birthing classes

April

Spud is due!!!

maternity leave from work 

still in class, preceptorship completed

family visiting

May

finals, pinning ceremony, & graduate

matt on summer break from school

study for the NCLEX

family visiting

oh yeah and have a newborn

June

take NLCEX

get my first job as a nurse!

July

just work full time

and

be a mom full time

Yay!! It will be amazing.