7 Weeks

I'm 7 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 7 Weeks 5 Days
Size of baby: the size of a raspberry.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Nothing
Maternity Clothes: Not yet. Still wearing my regular stuff.
Gender: Don't know. I'm hoping for a girl, daddy is hoping for a boy.
Movement: None yet.
Sleep: I wake up everynight to pee. Otherwise, not bad.
What I miss: Drinking Soda and not worrying at work about what I'm being exposed to.
Cravings: Anything salty. Especially Salt and Vinegar Chips
Symptoms: Nauseated, just feeling gross
Best Moment this week: Putting the News on Facebook

A Once in a Lifetime Family Newsletter

Dear Family and Friends,
I know, shocking. Me writing a family newsletter. Must mean there is something really important to share. And in fact that is true. There are a LOT of important things to share. I update my life on facebook via status updates and occasionally on my blog (which I plan to do more of in the future.), however I rarely sit down and write an actual letter reviewing many important things at one time. So here it is, and it is probably the only one for about another 5 years so enjoy! haha Anyway, the past two years have been incredibly exciting and life changing. A timeline of events.

May 8, 2009- Graduated from Maranatha with a 4 year Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (even though actually
graduating means nothing for getting a job)
June 9, 2009- Took the NCLEX state nursing boards for the first time
June 11, 2009- Found out I didn't pass and still couldn't work as a nurse (MAJOR LET DOWN) Decided to give that
a few months (90 days to be exact, seeing as that is how long I had to wait to retake boards) and focus
on other things.
June 20, 2009- Married my BestFriend
June 21-28, 2009- Found out Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Mays died via Mexican TV on the only day
we watched tv on our honeymoon. (But I guess this wasn't really an important detail of our lives
seeing as we had no emotional attachment to any of these people. Back to the good stuff.
July 10, 2009- Celebrated my 23 Birthday
August something, 2009- Bought our first puppy. A two year old Husky/Australian Shepard named Coda
September 2, 2009-Took the NCLEX again feeling more prepared and less distracted by small details as an
upcoming wedding.
September 4, 2009- Found out I PASSED boards and could now actually work as an RN.
November 2, 2009- Got my first job working as an actual nurse. (In October I worked as an "RN" but really an MA
while i continued to search for a job that would hire me without experience.)
The rest of 2009 and beginning of 2010- Celebrated a lot of things for the first time as a married couple.
June 20, 2010- Celebrated the first year of survival as a married couple.
November 23, 2010- Signed all of the papers and received the keys to our first house!
January something 2011- My car decided to bite the dust and the clutch went out. Which is only ONE of the many
issues that faithful little neon has had.
March 2, 2011- We bought our first car as a married couple and my first car to buy and actually have to pay for. A
2007 Chevy Trailblazer. LOVE IT
March 23, 2011-November 9, 2011- Only God knows.
November 10, 2011- Or sometime around that date we will be welcoming our first BABY into the world!!!!! Lord Willing.

We couldn't be more excited!!! Joe is really hoping for an 11-11-11 baby so that he can remember the baby's birthday. haha I am hoping for a girl and of course daddy is hoping for a boy, but like any parents will be totally content with what God gives us. We should find out in July what we are having then the shopping can really begin! Right Grandma????
We realize we are incredibly blessed and definitely don't deserve God's awesomeness but we will take it and do everything to his glory!
Love Always,
Abi, Joe, and Baby Struska

Nurse

The last few works at work have been pretty miserable long days. The worst feeling as a nurse is going home at night feeling like I haven't done anything for my patients all day, yet I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off all day. The patient load seems to be growing as well as the acuity of the patients. I hate days like that. However, days like that make me SO thankful for days like today in which the day went at a good pace. Busy but not ridiculously busy playing catch up all day, and to top it off a patient that seems to be hard to please let me know that they appreciated me and gave me a cup full of flowers. Things like that remind me that I am making a difference and there are still some people out there who appreciate it. Another thing that makes a HUGE difference in my attitude to help patients is the use of the words please and thank you. Some people have completely forgotten their manners and the worst patients of all can seem nice if they just say please and thank you. I realize a lot of our patients can't do a lot of things for themselves, but I am SO much more willing to help and go above and beyond if they are just grateful for helping them. Something I really hope to remember as I age and anyplace I go. Restaurants, hospital, bank. Any of those people I'm sure would appreciate a touch of kindness. Sorry about my rant but this is what's on my mind tonight as I get ready to go to bed and get up and go to work again in the morning.