Back to School

I am starting school (again) on Tuesday. I have an Associate Degree in Nursing, but I would like to get my Bachelor's Degree in Nursing. I wish I would have known that I wanted this degree--like seven-years ago.

When I was 20-years-old I found out I was pregnant. I was living at home with my mom, dad, and brother when I found out I was going to be a mother. I remember the day I found out I was expecting. I was too embarrassed to buy a pregnancy test, a good friend of mine, went to the store and purchased one for me. I took the test knowing that one line meant no baby, two lines meant baby. After taking the pregnancy test, I brought the test out of the bathroom and there was was one dramatic line and there was indeed a second line, although the second line was much lighter the first line. I remember saying to my friends, "Well, I can't be pregnant because there is only one dark line.", I remember my friends faces, which read "Um, yes, but there are TWO lines!" After I had a chance to take in this new life development, I went back to my parent's house where my mom was home sick. I sat on her bed, I told her I needed to tell her something, I went on and on, I actually made her think I was dying. I told her about the pregnancy test. I didn't however tell my father (my mom told him-- I was scared). I told Jesse the news, when we were out driving. I said," I took a pregnancy test, and it was positive." Jesse continued to drive, but suddenly the car was going really slow. He didn't say anything but, "Huh, oh, huh?" Anyways, it was a surprise that I found out I was pregnant. The last person who wanted to be pregnant on her 21st birthday was me. I remember sitting in a hotel room on my 21st birthday with a big belly, we were in Bismarck for my mom and grandam's teacher's convention. Looking back at that turn of events, I understand (now) that is was for the best--I mean technically the judge in Fargo ordered me not to drink for two years, which would have meant that I wasn't legally supposed to drink until I was 22. So, being the pregnant girl I was, I decided it was time to figure out my future--dah. I come from a long, long, long line of teachers-- it was obvious that teaching was what my future held. I decided to work at a school as a teacher's aide to get my foot in the door. I worked through out my pregnancy, which was not easy, the kids always asked me about the baby in my tummy, if I was married, and why I was so huge, Anyways, I had Keyton in January, right in the middle of the school year. After Keyton was born he had some complications, which required him to spend two weeks in the NICU in Fargo, ND. I remember sitting with my baby (who was 8 lbs and looked like a giant next to all those tiny preemies) and I was awe struck by the nurses. I actually remember sitting in the NICU's rocking chair, and I was hit by the notion that I was supposed to be a nurse. It is strange how clear this memory is to me. When Keyton was released from the hospital I decided to resign from my position at the school to stay home with my fragile baby. I enrolled in school that summer to start classes that would get me into the nursing program. I completed my classes with the best grades that I have ever gotten, and was excepted in to the nursing program. My last year in the LPN nursing program, I found out I was expecting Hal. I delivered Halee one week before my nursing finals. I worked as a LPN at a women's clinic for nine months. Jesse had gotten another job so we had to move. After we moved to Minnesota, I was excepted in to a RN program. That was no easy task, going back to school, again. In 2008, I graduated with my Associate degree in Nursing. I passed my boards ( that is a whole story in itself) soon after graduation I begun working as an RN at a hospital in Minneapolis. The week after I started work, I found out I was expecting Owen. I worked until I was put in the hospital. After the early arrival of Owen, I couldn't go back to work, at least for awhile. Owen spent two months in the NICU in Minnesota--soon after O was released from the hospital, the nurse manager from the unit I worked on, called and said that the floor I was working on was so slow that they didn't need me to come back...ever. So what did I do? I went back to school. I started an online program--which really kicked my butt, especially since Jesse had to take a different job, and had to be gone a lot more...I mean A LOT more. I had a new baby, a preschooler and kindergartner. A few months and five classes after I began my BSN program, it was clear that we needed to move back to Williston. I put my classes on hold, I mean really, there was no way I was going to keep my house clean for showings, while I was going to school and taking care of three children...no way.
So that leads me where I am today. I am back in school--again picking up where I left off. I hope that I actually can start working as a nurse again someday...like soon.

While this is post is boring...I needed to remind myself how I have gotten to where I am today. Who knows maybe one day, I will be like the queen of nurses.