AAP

The american academy of pediatrics announced today that their new guideline for car seats is that children should be in rear-facing car seats until age 2, and in a booster seat until age 8, or until they're 4' 9" tall. Not even lying... Go here if you don't believe me. Don't get me wrong, I understand that the AAP's only intentions are to keep kids safe and healthy, and I advise most of their guidelines to the patients I work with every day, but seriously, doesn't this look a little bit ridiculous?

(Thanks to aimee4frogs' on flickr for this pic that so perfectly illustrates my point)

Also, a booster seat until your kid is 8, or 4' 9'' (whichever comes first)? I have married friends who would still be in a booster seat by that guideline. And don't you think it would be slightly embarrassing for you to pull up to a friend's birthday party in your mom's minivan and then have to unbuckle your car seat in front of all your friends? I mean, really... c'mon.

For all you worried moms out there, in the words of one of the pediatricians I work for, "On the record, we follow the standards of the AAP, off the record, as long as the car seat fits them and doesn't constrict their neck in any way, it is okay to face forward." I'd double check with your own doctor before doing anything, but I just thought I'd comment on this strange new guideline. I have to wonder if anyone in the American Academy of Pediatrics actually has children...

Brain defrag

Researchers (or cracked.com, I'm not really sure which) say the only reason we sleep is so our subconscious can defrag and be refreshed to take on our next challenge. That's why we dream. Our brain is just spewing out the random events/things we've been thinking about. Well, I'm considering this my "conscious brain defrag."

I have a lot in my head right now. That's not a new thing, but I've been thinking a lot about life in general so I decided now is a good time to just write it all out. I'm sure it's going to be a rambled mess of run-on sentences, but feel free to keep reading if you wish.

So first of all, a bit of exciting news. After going back and forth for months and coming to a clear conclusion that I am a terrible decision maker, I finally decided that I'm going to brave the cockroaches and the mold this summer in Corpus Christi, TX. Ian's going to be selling alarm systems for Vivint (formerly A-P-X alarm, individual letters pronounced. Before that: APX alarm, like apex. Seriously? Make up your mind on your company's name. You're confusing everyone.) and I'll be doing... pretty much everything else. They have a children's hospital there and, after really coming to love pediatrics over the past year, I'm thinking I'll be spending a lot of time there volunteering. There's also like 8 other hospitals there so I'm sure I'll have some good experience to add to my resume. Also, did I mention there's a beach there. Yeah. PS this is the image that came up when I googled it.

Doesn't that look amazing? I think so.

The biggest obstacle in this decision-making process has been deciding whether or not to leave my job. I really have the best job in the world. I work with amazing women, and doctors who care about their patients and employees, and from whom I've learned so much, there is ZERO drama, and we all work so well together and learn so much from each other. I really hate the thought of leaving, because I'm 100% positive that there is no better workplace in the entire world.

Also a little sidenote: this job has really taught me a lot more about what it is to be a mom. How it really is a 24/7 job that you get little, if any, breaks from. It's RSV season, and I've seen mom's going on 2 days of no sleep with their little tiny babies who are completely inconsolable, and somehow they just keep going, all for the sake of that baby. Or another example is a mom that I've spent a lot of time talking to. She found out she was pregnant with her 2nd baby when her oldest was 6 weeks old. Add to that, her husband travels for weeks at a time on business. Her 2nd baby is now 6 months old, and at his checkup appointment the other day, I told her how much I admired her and asked her how she does it. She said, "Well, I either do it, or my kids die. So I guess I just have to be tired." I don't know why that struck such a chord with me, but I was really impressed with her answer. Motherhood is really the most selfless thing on the earth. I'm sure of it.

Anyway, back to what we were talking about. I feel like we're moving in the right direction. I think back to times in my life where I thought I was in the best place I could possibly be, but then when I took that next step into the unknown, a whole world opened up that I didn't even know existed. And when I look back to that place I thought I would be devastated to leave, of course there are certain aspects of it that I will always miss, but it doesn't feel as bad as I thought it would. That's what I'm hoping to gain from this experience. I've always been a person who needs a set-in-stone plan, but I don't have that here. To tell you the truth, I kind of like it. It a little bit makes me want to freak out, but I know I'll be okay and so I'll just move forward.

What all this will hopefully lead me toward is more guidance about what the heck I'm supposed to be doing for school. I feel like this is life right now:

I did that in Paint. Do you like it?

Anyway, I just have no idea how to climb this stinkin' mountain. It's not enough just to become an RN anymore. You have to pick the right program, have the right grades, have previous experience in the medical field, all these wild cards that somehow say to a prospective employer, "Hire me!" I know it sounds like I'm complaining, and, I won't lie, I'm getting a little frustrated with the whole process in general, but it's really more of an observation. Because, really, who's not in this position? (If you're not, you will be very soon. I assure you.) So I guess I just get to be like everyone else and figure this whole thing out one step at a time, which really gets in the way of my set-in-stone planning mentality. Maybe that's what this is supposed to teach me. Set-in-stone plans are for people who never plan on getting anywhere in life. Because it changes in the blink of an eye, and if you can't adapt, life will pass you by.

For some reason, I'm drawn to the U right now. Ian and I were up there last night with some friends, and we're both really liking that idea after talking about it. They have a great nursing program and they have the hospital there that sees all kinds of interesting cases. I would learn a lot. So I'm gonna let that thought simmer for awhile, and see where it takes me. Who knows, maybe I'll look like these guys come fall:

Go Utes! haha

xoxo, Cori

Happy New Year!

2011 is here! I had a moment of surreality a few minutes before midnight last night as I realized 2010 is over. Usually it's not such a big deal, I mean, I have survived 22 new years just famously, but for some reason it felt a little weird watching the ball drop and knowing 2010 is just another one for the memory books. What a great year it was! I finished my medical assisting program, my missionary came home, I married him, I got a new job that I love, decided once and for all that I'm going to nursing school, traveled (even if it was just to Vegas...) made new friends, and so much more. New years really feels like a fresh start this year, a year where I start to make things happen instead of just wishing. So, I'm not making resolutions this year, because resolutions are made to be forgotten in a matter of weeks. I'm making a new year's decree. It just sounds better because the only other time I've ever heard that word used is when royalty or someone very important makes a decision that they want others to pay attention to.

1. Change my exercise and eating habits

I'll admit after 6 months of marriage I've definitely put on a few pounds. But my goal this year is do more than just lose weight. I want my diet to consist of more than just white carbs, to actually enjoy fruits and vegetables of all kinds and find some sort of exercise that doesn't feel so mundane to me. I want to become a person who takes pride in being healthy instead of just eating TV dinners and settling for the walk up and down the stairs to my apartment as my workout for the day.

2. Pay all my bills on time

This one goes without much explanation. Bills suck. I think everyone will agree when I say it's much more fun to go spend on entertainment. So I'm going to work very hard and prioritize much more to make sure I get no late notices (or fees...) for any of my bills.

3. Get into nursing school

This one may have to be part of my decrees for 2012, because I'm not sure of the specifics of this one yet. But in the words of Mabel Newcomber, "It is more important to know where you are going than to get there quickly." I know where I'm going now, so I'll just take it step by step until I figure out how to get there.

4. Record the events of my life

It seems like this is one of those goals I make every year. The time passes so quickly and suddenly I find myself at another January 1 and I can't remember half of what has happened. So I'm going to start small and say I'm going to write at least 1 sentence every day of this year, documenting what happened.

There are many more I want to accomplish but I'll just start here. Hope you all had a great 2010. On to new beginnings and new adventures!

The people who care don't matter, and the people who matter don't care.

3 months

Wow, I can't believe I've been married for 1/4 of a year already! Time has gone by so fast! One thing we've been realizing lately is that we have such a FUN life! Of course, it's filled with the normal work and bills and not-so-fun adult stuff, but we really try to fill our weekends with fun things. This summer has been the best of my whole life. Here are just a few of the things we've done:

There was of course, our fabulous honeymoon in Vegas!

A family reunion with Ian's family up at Pineview reservoir. (My first time on a water weenie)

(That's all the pictures you get because, well, we didn't take any...)

Swiss days up in Midway for Mom's birthday.

A weekend in Pocatello/Blackfoot ID, for the fair. Another first: demolition derby. So. Much. Fun!

Mom and Dad giving us an AWESOME suite up at Snowbird for our birthdays and making us want to snowboard SO BAD!

So that's life in a nutshell for us. It really is so great to be married to my best friend, and to know that what we have will last forever. Every day he proves to me how amazing he is and what a great decision I made in marrying him. I can't wait to see what crazy adventures life brings us next!

Just a thought

I got off work early the other day, and rather than going home to my empty apartment for half an hour before I had to go pick Ian up from work, I decided to go spend a beautiful afternoon sitting in the park. With this spur of the moment decision in mind, I realized all I had with me to keep busy was my crochet hook and some yarn. So, I sat down on a bench in the shade and started to crochet. A few people kind of gave me some funny looks. (I imagine a twenty-something girl sitting by herself in the park crocheting would look rather odd.) Some just kind of smiled and went on their way. There was one lady who stopped however, and with a big smile on her face, asked what I was making. I told her it was a beanie, showed her a couple of the ones I had already finished, and she excitedly responded by telling me how beautiful she thought they were, and that the recipients would be very lucky. I smiled and thanked her, and she went on her way. I don't think it really even occurred to her how that simple compliment made me feel. To be appreciated by a complete stranger. I contemplated it even more that day, and wondered what would happen if we all tried a little bit harder to be kinder to strangers. Even if it's as simple as thanking someone for holding a door open for you. I think it could go a long way...

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Happy birthday!

Cori: I have the best mom ever. It seems like the older I get, the more I understand how much you love us and how many sacrifices you made (and still make every day) so that we could be the best and have the best. You have taught me how to be a better wife and homemaker, and made this crazy transition in my life so much easier. I think the reason the four of us are such great friends as well as siblings is because of your influence. You will always be remembered in my mind as someone who loves her husband, and her kids. Thanks so much for being such a great example. I love you!

Megan: I've realized what a great job Mom has done teaching her kids how to be good people. One memory I have of my mom is when she took me to see Hairspray. On the drive home, we just talked and joked and laughed about life. Mom has always been my rock, even when I wasn't quite ready to hear what she had to say. Even when we disagree, I know she's still there. Happy Birthday Mom! I love you!

Ian: She knows how to make Taco Ring.

Jillian: When I was about 3 mom and I were in her room watching ice skaters on TV. I told mom I thought all the skaters were really thin. And then, being the little whipper snapper that I was, I told her that the only thing thin on her was her lips! We've laughed about that ever since. Thanks for being such a great mom and having a sense of humor with us. Happy Birthday! I love you!

Hope you have a great day today! We love you!!

love, Your kiddos