To Be A Nurse

I think that so many people take for granted the nurses that go into work at all hours of the day and night.  It seems like an easy job, because well, so many people do it.  The hours aren't your typical 9-5 and it's rewarding to boot.  Well, I just want to explain a little what being a nurse and a mom means, because I'm just tired of people saying how lucky I am to have such a flexible schedule when they don't truly understand what that "flexible" schedule means. 

Being a pediatric nurse (or any healthcare worker) and a mom means.....

• Feeding a baby while thinking about how someone else is providing the meals for your own child.
• Crawling into bed after a long shift- alone, because you're going to bed too early or going to bed after everyone else has woken up.
• Sleeping with light blocking curtains covering your windows.
• Having to take Vitamin D supplements because you don't see the light of day enough.
• Singing the ABCs to a patient meanwhile thinking of how another person is teaching your child their ABCs.
• Knowing that cancer is in your future because working nights is a known carcinogen and praying that God will give you "enough" time with your family.
• Not being able to join anything because you have never have a regular schedule, no exercise classes, no story time, etc.
• Your child cries out at night for Daddy because Mommy isn't home enough to be reliable for nightmare comfort.
• When you say "Do you know what time it is" your child hangs their head and says in a sad tone "time for Mommy to go to work" even if it's not a day you have to work.
• Your child spends more time with another person than they do with you so that you can spend time "cuddling" with another child.
• You understand that schedules are an essential comfort to children, but just can't physically provide a normal schedule for your child.
• You literally don't remember the last time that you weren't exhausted, or that you actually got a reasonable amount of sleep for a week.
• With each patient you care for you send up a prayer of thanks for your own child, who isn't in the hospital.
• Wondering what it would be like to eat normal meals.
• Falling asleep in the middle of something when you have things to do and laying in bed awake for hours when you really want to sleep.
• Answering that last call bell to comfort a stressed out parent when what you really want to do is run away to be with your family.
• Changing another child's diaper and wondering what excuse will work for you to get out of diaper duty at home.
• Leaving your home before anyone is awake in the morning, and arriving home in just enough time to say goodnight.

•  Watching your daughter write the first letter of her name and realizing that someone saw her do this first.

• Not truly understanding what TGIF means because quite a few Fridays are the start of a stretch of shifts to work.
• Understanding that you don't have to leave your child every day of the week, but also knowing that your days off are recovering and preparing for your next day on.
• Trying to potty train your child while wishing that you were able to empty your own bladder on a regular schedule.
• You tell your active child that they better stop jumping on the bed because Mommy will not be going into work on her day off.
• You miss every other holiday with your family and pretend that it's just as exciting on another day. Or you take a quick nap and drink a lot of coffee so you can be a part of the holiday, wearing scrubs.
• Your child asks every day if you will be able to come to their birthday, because they know you can't make it to most fun things they do.

Healthier Traveling

There is absolutely nothing like traveling to put a complete tailspin on a healthy diet.  I decided to be prepared.  For the first time, I came prepared for myself.  Yes, I'm a mom, that means that there are responsibilities to those little monsters that are perfectly capable of creating disasters but incapable of caring for themselves.  Sometimes you get so caught up in cleaning those messes, keeping bellies full, clothes cleaned and hair combed that you forget that you have to take care of yourself first. 

A while ago I read something about this, taking care of yourself first.  I was reminded of this four times on our flights this weekend.  As each flight attendant came down the aisle, although Munchkie's Daddy was sitting right in the row with us, each one looked directly at me and reminded me to put the oxygen mask on myself first before placing it on my child.  Because you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of someone else.  I tell the mothers of my patients this all of the time.  Those mothers who can't for even a second leave the bedside of their sick child, who haven't slept, eaten or showered for days. If you don't take care of yourself there's nothing left to give to your child. 

I think of how difficult it is to stay on track with a diet, schedule or even something like potty training when traveling.  When you are stressed, kids can feel it, having meltdowns and accidents.  Something as simple as staying on track with healthy eating can make all the difference.  Taking care of yourself so that you can take care of others.  This trip I used my Itsy Ritsy snack bags that I've won free from a contest and a questionnaire I filled out.  The night before we left I cut up green and red peppers and put them, carrots and pistachios into my snack bags.  The next day on the airplane we were able to snack on this healthy assortment instead of the overly processed prepackaged stuff found in airports.  I can not tell you how many times we have fallen prey to the crap found in airports and travel plazas everywhere.  Whether it's driving a few hours away during a mealtime or spending the day traveling through airports the options are slim. 

I've read many blogs that talk about how a little preparedness can make a huge difference.  But it wasn't until this weekend that I truly understood.  Eating fresh vegetables instead of the other options really made a difference in our weekend.  It literally took just a few minutes to cut them up and throw them in a bag.  We were able to eat the vegetables on both flights because the snack bags kept them fresh all weekend and all of us felt better because of it.  Eating fresh and healthy makes you feel so much better than heavy, processed foods that weigh you down.  Also, starting a trip by eating healthy makes it just that much easier to keep eating healthy.  You don't have the excuse of, "well I already messed up, I'll just start over again when we get back."  You think, yeah I will have that huge salad before my dinner, knowing that you will be so full you won't eat very much of the other foods.

Now Mimi's gluten free oatmeal raisin cookies (my fav), that's another story.....

And PS we did not have a single accident in underwear this weekend while traveling, a first for us.  Amazing how that works.