I miss Grampa and Gramma

So cute, yet so sad when she doesn't get her way. She needs her pappa and mamma.

Breaking News: A new species?

CENTERVILLE Breaking News: A new species is discovered.

What is being called the Braden is seen in his natural habitat. The discoverer has caged the animal when he began to bear his teeth, as shown in this photo, menacingly.
The Spencer sits contently with only a small warning signal.
The female, which is called Sydney sits in her cage. At this age only a few teeth are in, but she tries to bare them. And it is frightening.


The animals appear to be sitting on an egg-like ball.. is possible the male in this species guards the egg and serves as incubator? Or a form of play?
The Braden, with its stringly legs and skinny arms has no problem dominating the ball.
It must be more effective to lay on the ball rather than simply sit. Some individual animals have less balance than others, such as the Spencer who is stockier and shorter in length than the Braden.
The Spencer looks on in what looks like boredom as the Braden hunts non-dangerous bugs.

They seem to be territorial, two males face off, this species throws soft objects at each other not especially to hurt one another, but as a tool to annoy until the one breaks down to tell its mother.
The Sydney attempts to escape over the top of the cage.
She tastes the cage to test the sturdiness of the materials.

She is found trying to fit her body through the bars, when only her legs fit. It is a wonder that she doesn't get stuck.
The female, Sydney escapes. It is concluded that the female species is more intelligent than the male .

NeuroScience Trauma Unit

Today was my first day! I have a headache. ;) Well. As I said before today was my first, I had a sit down with one of the unit educators. . . This new unit is going to be welcoming and challenging, I think. It is a very 'tight knit' unit and busy busy busy. Besides the PICU (which we are just a step down from) we have the highest acuities (I don't know how to spell that). The Nurse:Patient ratio is 3:1, which it will be alittle while before they will trust with that many! We care for anything that has to do with the CNS whether it be injury, tumor, defect or trauma..Meaning, shunts, surgeries, vertebral fusions, seizures..etc. Now when I say seizures, this is kinda cool..They have two rooms that are devoted with 24hour videotaping, the patient has electrodes for an EEG feed and they actually induce seizures to diagnose the area of the brain that is causing the anomaly, but this is just the first step, the area of the brain is then removed..Yes I said removed!. Is that not totally sweet? From a nurse's standpoint anyway. We also care for all traumas (ortho, abuse -grrr-..). There is a rehab gym that has all sorts of 'toys' for rehabilitation (especially with the brain injuries), and because children are so resilient, they improve amazingly well. Can you hear my excitement??

She said that there is a ton of opportunity for learning because there is soo much to learn (smile). Sounds like I will be geting to know families and will be in a position to help heal! I'm thrilled, but I nervous as well. I was told that if you see it on the news, most likely we will have it on our unit. I am stoked to be part of this unit, I think it will be a good change for me. Not that life wasn't good at DRMC (I love you guys), but this really is tremendous for me and I will grow grow grow! YeAAAH. But my heart will always belong to you West1!!

a NEW ADDition the the FAMILY..

Ok..ok. We got a kitty- Before you judge me, listen to my story.
For Spence's Birthday we went petshop hopping looking to get a lizard of some kind (I accidentally said they could have a lizard when we moved to the new place..oops). Well what better time then his Bday, right? WRONG! They didn't really have the kind of lizard we wanted (um, the kind that doesn't eat filthy infesting crickets and that wouldn't bite or have any desire to escape out of the cage..or um repulse me), anyway instead we fell in love with the kitties. Since it was Spence's Bday we decided to let him pick it, then since Spence picked it we decided Braden would name it..Well meet Lamb Chop (I call her LC). She is a frisky little thing, loves people and is super cute. Welcome LC!

July 31st Spencer's Birthday

Here is my Spencer. We just celebrated Spencers 5th Birthday!! Oh my he is getting OLD, or maybe thats just me. Spence here wanted chocolate EVERYTHING, chocolate browny ice cream and the cake was delicious with fudge icing and moist, plush cake inside..MMmmm. He requested his own cake decorations, and of course it HAD to be lego star wars! Goodness..I hope there aren't any Geek conventions in the future. jk- I love it! I should have taken more pictures but I think once the cake was cut and divvied I just completely forgot about everything else.

Spence is soo cute here. As you can see in the background (Great) Aunt Peggy came with Brittany and Cali! My boys love those girls. And Syd is completely attached to Brit! WOW that was fun!! Happy Birthday Spence! Enjoy your Indiana Jones Lego game!

You ask..I Do- House Pix

Drum roll Please..........


This is the house. As you have probably very cleverly have deducted the first two shots are the front of the house.
The last photos are the inside of the house, yes I said the inside! The first lovely shot presented here is the front room, it is unfurnished but quite frankly still wonderous. The next is a picture of our dining room.
I then present to you my kitchen (before we moved in) complete with people in it (btw that is Grandma checking out our pantry), granted there are things on the counter, but disregard those.. they are mere things.
The last photo here is my living room, its alittle dim in the shot and I'm sorry but there you go.

We have three bedrooms upstairs (via the front room) then we have a bedroom in the basement which belongs to my rugrat boys, the other large area in the basement is unfinished (aka future project). I have a laundry room! YEAAAH..finally, 3 bathrooms (plus one prospective- unfinished). And there you have it. It is a 4 bed, 3bath multilevel home.

And it is like a breath of fresh air!