Sicko!

What started as a short trip to my Mom and Dad's to help friends get a new bed, turned into a disaster for J.R.  J.R. didn't feel well earlier in the day, but didn't think much of it.  After a Mexcian dinner, he felt horrible.  On our way back to Harrisburg, the hell began.  J.R. was literally throwing up out the window and on the side of the road.  He was sick all of that night and the next day.  I wasn't too far behind him.  I was sick only one day.  For the first time ever, J.R. had to call off two days in a row.  Unfortunately, Tommy had a smaller version of it.  We thought we were all in the clear, but literally as I began to write this post, my poor baby boy threw up all over himself and his crib.  So now that I have taken a break to help wash Tommy up, change him and his bed, I can say that the sickness has not yet left the Fisher household..BOOO!!

Work Update

A very common question posed to me in the past several weeks has been "How do you like your new job?"  My response.  " I LOVE IT!!"  The job challenges me every day, and it is so rewarding.  I have been working with patients with amazing stories of strength and recovery and learn something new every day.  I work with wonderful women who give me help and guidance each day.  It has definitely been a learning curve, but I am so much happier overall in this new position.  Today was the busiest day I have ever had as a speech therapist.  There were only 20 minutes of the close to 9 hours I was there that I was not with a patient.  This makes documentation hard, but it makes me feel like I am making a difference.  So, if anyone is wondering, the job is great, the people are wonderful, and I am more than happy in my new position!

Ok, ok, ok...

So I have had several requests to update my blog.  I will admit it, I have been neglecting the blog, but mostly because I have been pretty busy.  On Sunday, we returned from a weekend in Pittsburgh visiting J.R.'s family and friends.  It was a great time.  Thursday we spent the evening with Joan and got in a little Wheel of Fortune on the Wii.  Yes, we are that old.  It is more my obsession that J.R.'s but he goes along with it and plays the game with me.  He does much better sober, haha.  One or two beers and his reaction time is just seconds slower and beat him every time!! Joan enjoyed the game and we had a nice evening.  Friday we did a little shopping for a new Taggie blanket for Tommy.  Tommy's "softy" as we call it, is getting pretty gross.  It was a shower present from Sharon, and he LOVES it.  He sucks on the corners and rubs it on his face.  Needless to say the pale yellow is more a tan color and it is just smelly.  Joan and I called all over the Butler area and found only one.  It has some pink on it, but I am ok with Tom being in touch with his feminine side! Joan soaked the old softy in oxyclean and then washed it, and it looks a tad better.  Tom will hold the new softy, but it is nothing compared to old faithful! Friday evening we went to dinner with Andy and Aimee.  We are so excited that they are expecting their own little bundle of joy in July.  They will be amazing parents.  J.R. and I always have such a nice time with them.  I am confident that if we lived closer, we'd spend a good deal of time together.  For those of you who don't know, J.R. and Andy were roommates at Edinboro, and both love to talk about cars.  Aimee and I talk about the rest of life, and they talk about cars!! Saturday AM we took a trip to see Mark and Mel...They are the couple we went to Hawaii with two year ago.  It was so nice to catch up.  Saturday afternoon Jackie, Hannah and Michael came up to visit at Joan's.  We had a great time talking, or more like listening to Hannah talk.  She is HYSTERICAL these days and does not stop talking.  J.R. asked me if all kids are like this, haha.  Hannah spent the night, so she got some extra time with Baby PJ, as she calls Tommy.  After a long trip home on Sunday, I got to go to Houlihan's with Gayle and the other SLPs from her office.  We celebrated my 5 year anniversary with Goepfert Speech Associates.  Time sure does fly...

Time flies...

We just finished celebrating Tommy's first birthday (a week early).  I can't believe he is almost a year old already. Tommy's birthday is Christmas eve, so we celebrated on the 19th so Tommy could have his own special day.   Last year at this time, I was overdue and feeling ready to pop. Of course, I was still working full time up until the day I went into labor.  I actually started my contractions at work (at the hospital) and went home and came back later with J.R.  Tommy made his grand appearance approximately 24 hours after our arrival at the hospital. Most of you know about my challenging delivery, but now it is all a distant memory (Although I am sure J.R. and I will tease Tommy throughout his life that he practically killed me).


Now onto the fun stuff...the PARTY!! J.R. kept telling me I better UNinvite people because that many people could not fit in our house.  I am not gonna lie, it was tight, but it was great.  So wonderful to see how many people Tommy has touched in his one year of life.  We had to set up tables in the garage and a heater (yes I know it is the middle of December) to handle the overflow.  We had tons of food and lots of fun.  Tommy's favorite part was the cake.  Being a child that loves food, this was a dream come true.  Enjoy the pics!!

   The cake, post Tommy attack!

I can't believe a whole year has passed.  Tommy is no longer just a baby, he is a little boy.  He has so quickly stolen our hearts and made our lives complete.  J.R. and I can't get over how much we love him.  Until you have that child in your arms, there is no way to comprehend the love. 

Change can be good...

As some of you know, I am changing jobs.  I love my career as a speech pathologist, but my job was not what it used to be.  I have been with Pinnacle Health for 6.5 years, and Monday is my last day.  I can't believe it has been that long, time sure does fly when you are having fun.  I have learned so much from all of the staff at Harrisburg Hospital and will miss many of them dearly.  I would never be where I am today without the help of the nurses, doctors, and other therapy staff.  I haven't ruled out returning to Pinnacle at some point, but for now, I am looking for a change.  I am looking for a challenge, for something new.  I love to learn and feel that there are opportunities out there for me to explore.  Those opportunities are starting at Hershey Medical Center.  I sort of fell into a Per Diem position there, which turns out to be working the same schedule I was working at Pinnacle.  I am starting in outpatient therapy.  I am excited for something new and different, a new staff, and new management.  I think this will be good for me.  Change is not easy for anyone, especially me.  I like to know what I am doing, and do it well.  I am confident that I will easily pick up on a new system and excited to start something new!! Here's to positive change!

11 months old and Thanksgiving

Tommy turned 11 months old on the 24th.  I can't believe he will be one year old in a few short weeks.  While we were out in Pittsburgh, Tommy figured out how to army crawl with speed.  He now follows me down the hall and into the kitchen, etc.  Of course, this meant that we had to install a baby gate.  Tommy also inherited cousin Hannah's walker.  He gets some speed in that baby!! Watch out! He will run you over and thinks nothing of smashing your toes!  Growing up too fast!! 

We made the trek out to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving.  Michael (my brother-in-law) made an AMAZING dinner.  Tom, J.R. and I ate a ton.  Tommy, of course, loved it all, including the pumpkin pie with whipped cream.  Cousin Hannah had a great time playing with Baby P.J. (aka Tommy).  For some reason, we can't convince her to call him Tommy.  When you ask her what "Baby P.J.'s" name is she always responds "Tommy," but still hasn't gotten around to calling him that.  She is at the most adorable age right now, 3 and a half.  She has the best comments and never stops talking.  She reminds me of an auctioneer.  If you listen really closely, you know what she says, but otherwise you hear the first and last words.  She loved showing Tommy all of her toys and didn't quite understand that he wasn't big enough to play the way she wanted to play.  She would say "No Baby P.J., not yet" or something of the sort, every time he knocked over her tower.  By the end of the weekend she would tell him "you aren't big enough yet to do ..."  She was gentle and kind, and more than once asked if he was a brother.  Cousin isn't quite comprehensible to her yet.  We hung out at Joan's Friday and then went to dinner with the Smith's.  After putting Tommy to bed, we went back and hung out with Jess and Chris for awhile.  J.R. and Chris could talk for hours about cars, tractors, etc.  Jessica and I have a good time just chit chatting about daily life.  Saturday was uneventful until Hannah came to Joan's for a sleepover.  She and Tommy played until he went to bed, and she was up waiting for him in the morning.  She was so sad to see Tommy head home with us.  I wish we were closer so they could grow up knowing each other a little better.  We promised to be out again soon to visit for Christmas and so that she could have another play date with "Baby P.J."  The only downside to the weekend was that we all came home with colds, which are still lingering around.  Oh well... Now time to prep for Christmas!

Aunt Leigh's visit

We had a great time with Aunt Leigh's visit.  Leigh is my college roommate from both Bloom and Emerson.  During her visit we spent some quality time with Tommy and then enjoyed our Speech Pathology convention.  The best part of the convention was the FOOD!! YUMMMM... Chinese, Indian, Greek, cheesesteaks and fondue! We enjoyed it all! Last Tuesday was Tommy's last swim lesson, so here are a few pics of him showing his stuff!  He did so well and now thinks nothing of going under water.  If he could walk, I am positive he would have been jumping in!  As it was, I would sit him on the edge and he would throw himself in ASAP.  He will live up to the nickname of "little Fish."