its been a LONG time coming.....

Wow what a slacker I have been.....But here I am again and I'm really going to try and be better...for lots of reasons.  So to the faithful that are even seeing this post after I haven't blogged in 10 months...thanks for sticking around.  Here we go......
January 2012....started the new year off with a bang.... Tony graduated in December and was feverishly looking for a permanent position.  In the meantime he was subbing and was at a different school and getting home and leaving at a different time everyday.  This was a scheduling nightmare.  So I continued to work every Sunday and my awesome MIL kept the kids when needed.  Dylan fell and busted his lip for the first time and Parker was rocking Kindergarten.

February 2012....for Valentine's Day I got the best gift ever....Tony was offered a full-time substitute position for the remainder of the school year! He started at North Paulding at the end of Feb and taught there and coached Lacrosse as a community coach at Etowah.  Still busy and crazy but at least he was going to the same place everyday.

March 2012...I decided I was going to start looking for a new job.  I was tired of the hours, the weekends, the holidays and being away from home...since quitting altogether wasn't an option I started exploring some others.  I thought about going back to school and working PT, I updated my resume and started applying for any job that I could find.  Dylan turned 15 months old...where was the time going.  he was 23 lbs 8 oz (63%) and 32.75 in (99 %).  The boys started daycare....I was so sad.  Dylan went on the days I worked and would be there from 650 in the morning til 6pm at night...Parker got on the bus at 650 and too was at daycare til 6pm.  Such a long day for such little people. My heart was breaking...more motivation to get the heck out of the hospital, even though that meant giving up the only job I have ever had and one that to this day I miss...

April 2012....I went on a bunch of interviews.  But wasn't in love with anything.  I applied for a transfer within NSH and was told not to call HR that they would call me.  Well anyone who knows me knows how patient I am.  I like to think that this time persistence paid off.  I made a phone call to the office that I  had applied for the transfer to.  the person who answered happened to be good friends with the hiring manager. She gave me her cell phone number, told me to call her and told me to tell her that she was the one who told me to call.  So I did....the rest sort of fell into place like the universe was at work all on its own.  Later this month my Grams was admitted to St Joes for a touch of pneumonia.  lots of trips across the street while working and lots of phone calls to the hiring manager consumed most of the month.

May 2012....The preemie reunion at NSH renewed my spirit for my work.  Seeing those tiny babies come back....walking, talking, eating.  Well it gave me a little fuel to keep doing the amazing work I did there even though the hours were keeping me from my own little miracles.  Things started to wind down with the end of school.  Soon my poor babies would be home with daddy all summer.  We could survive.  Was still calling the hiring manager every other week (per her request) she said she had a position for me, begged me not to interview outside NSH and to keep calling her.  So I did. My Grams was not getting better...she had now been in the hospital a month.  Now I was bringing the kids to see her on my days off...I swear I could drive down there with my eyes closed.

June 2012...I met with the hiring manager one morning while working.  My awesome amazing co-workers covered my babies so I could go.  She asked me a few things about my previous experience and then explained to me a little bit more about the position.  It seemed to be the perfect fit for me.  She said the final decision would be up to the physician but she thought I was perfect for it too.  Finally progress.  of course I was still pursuing other options...didn't know what was going to happen.  i interviewed in the OR at SRH and thought I would love it.  When I hated it I was devastated.  The other position I was actively pursuing was not offered to me and now I hated the OR.  This other job was my last hope before I had to start over the search.  My Grams was still in the hospital...2 months now of driving and calling and consulting.  Exhausted emotionally and physically.  And I had a birthday party to plan.

July 2012...Happy 6th Birthday Parker was over shadowed by my Grams refusal to seek anymore care.  The Monday before Parker's birthday she entered hospice.  We celebrated on the 4th, but it just wasn't the same.  There were gifts and cards from her, but she wasn't there.  Parker hadn't seen her in over a week and she couldn't call to talk to him.  It was rough.  Again my amazing friends to the rescue   On my dear friend Katie's 1st day off after resigning from the SCN I called her and asked her to keep my boys so I could go visit my Grams.  I didn't want the kids to see her like that and the hospice people said we should come.  She dropped everything  missed her beloved spin class, fed them dinner and hugged me when I came home in tears.  That was July 5th...on July 7th my Grams passed away.  I am tearing up now thinking about it.  i was so thankful it happened after Parker's birthday, but hated that she gave up.  Hated that Dylan will have no solid memory of her that is his own.  Hated saying goodbye.  Then the planning started.  Getting to NJ for the funeral, figuring out the dogs and kids, calling work to be off.  A mess.  On Tues July 10th my entire family boarded a plane to NJ, on Wed the 11th we said our final goodbyes and on Thursday we flew home. On Friday my same awesome friends came with dinner and treats and more hugs. While I was in NJ I received an email from the hiring manager asking me if I could meet the physician on the following Tuesday.  On July 15th I did just that.  I arrived at another office.  I walked in and the physician said "Hi I'm Dr.Rollins and you know my mom." Terror overwhelmed me.  Who could her mom be and gosh I hope she liked me....turns out my old manager in SCN was her mom, she gave me a glowing recommendation and I was offered the job of Practice Coordinator for the unnamed practice on the spot.  I was going to be free of my 12 hour shifts and holidays and weekend requirements.  Add to that Tony was also offered a full time teaching position at North Paulding the very same week.  Was this all really happening  On Monday July 30th at 4pm I turned in my notice to the SCN at NSH.....sad, happy, scared I was of all of these....

August 2012...The first day of school was August 1st.  Just 2 days after turning in my resignation I was putting my Peanut on the bus again and he was headed to first grade.  August 2nd I went to work and stared the last of 6 shifts in the SCN.  It was weird.  People were very supportive and had many very nice things to say, but it was weird...how was I going to leave this other family.  The people I had spent the last 10+ years of my life with. I got engaged there, married there, had both my children there, lost both my grandparents there.  We had held each others hands during sad days and hugged each other on happy ones.  I had mentored people there and been mentored there.  How was I going to say goodbye? On August 15th I did exactly that...said goodbye.  It was a crazy day. First I was late to work...for 2 reasons one I had to drop off Parker who was sick with strep and a fever at my dad's house on the way in unexpectedly, then I missed the exit...seriously this happened.  Then we had a no show and all the assignments got rearranged as we were walking in the door.  Then I got a super sick transport.  I spoke to no one for 12 hours as I scrambled to work on the baby.  I said goodbye to no one, chatted with no one and barely ate lunch.  Pretty typical and my favorite kind of assignment   That night after work we went out to Taco Mac and said our goodbyes.  It was bittersweet. My first day of my new position was just 5 days later.  No rest for the weary....

September 2012....after weeks of trying to get an email address and a temporary place to work from while the very delayed construction was finishing up on our new office...now known as Northside Cherokee Pediatrics...I finally started to get to work.  First up hire some staff.  Dr. Rollins and I interviewed about 11 people...on the last day before we HAD to decide we interviewed the 2 people we hired.  Pickyness pays off sometimes.  I also headed to the beach with the boys and without Tony....a vacation it was not.  Dylan hated the beach, slept poorly and it rained for nearly 30 straight hours.  But it was rime away with my babies.  The worst part of my new job was having to put Dylan in dayacre 5 days a week.  the best part was since we weren't open yet my hours were totally flexible.   Some days I worked for 8 hours, some days I worked for none and was paid my salary regardless.  Oh yeah my new job...no clocking in and out.  Its awesome.  We were told October 1st was opening day...only it wasn't.

October 2012...so here we are.  On October 5th...just 5 days late of the third projected opening date we got the keys to the castle.  Only I wasn't there.  I was driving to SC to take Parker to his first Carolina game. I scored amazing tickets to a sold out UGA/SC game.  Too bad we never made it to the game.  On the way to the stadium to tailgate just 7 hours prior to kick off Parker vomited in my car.  He continued vomiting until 6pm that night.  he only wanted his mommy and even though my awesome friend's husband offered to stay with so i could at least go to the game i did not.  So my friends didn't either.   We got in our jammies, opened a bottle of wine and watched from the couch.  I seriously have the most amazing friends ever.  Really I do.  SC beat the crap out of UGA...we rose to number 3 in the polls.  All in all could've been a lot worse of a weekend...but I'm still sick that I missed that game.  The life of a mommy I suppose.  ROX if you are reading this....I LOVE YOU!!!  On October 8th the deliveries began...office furniture, waiting room furniture, alcohol swabs, syringes, needles, vaccines, fridges, pens...you get the idea. Dr. Rollins and I worked like mad women...8 hours each and everyday that week...moving boxes, taking out the trash, setting up. Friday the 12th I went to a practice managers conference leaving Dr. Rollins to accept the last few deliveries.  Sunday the 14th was my birthday....when did I get so old?!?! By the following Monday we looked like a pediatricians office....and we saw our first patient!

Today is October 23rd....we have been open 2 weeks.  We have seen 5 patients in the office and 8 babies at the hospital. Not too shabby I think.  My front office assistant started and she is awesome.  My LPN starts November 5th...until then I am playing manager and nurse.  I have realized my skills are not what they used to be....10 years taking care of tiny babies...makes taking care of a 4 year old seem strange, but I'm getting my groove back and relearning old skills.  Dylan has made an amazing adjustment to school...he LOVES it and goes now without crying.  He won't eat lunch there, but they let me pack him one and he eats that.  Parker is rocking the 1st grade.  he is both the highest reading group and the math group.  he has been reading a lot of books lately. He should be reading at about an AR (accelerated reading) level of 1.3 (1st grade 3rd month) but is consistently reading 2.8.-3.8 and right now the book he is reading is a 5.8! Insane, but he enjoys it and that's all that matters.  He started playing basketball...in fact tonight was his first practice. He says he loves it.  He needs a little work ;)  Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch.  Dylan LOVED the pumpkins.

So here it is....you know after reading all this maybe I haven't been such a slacker....we've been kinda busy.  But I am going to try better...really.
Thanks for sticking around :)
Janna