Fall Fun!

We've had a good October so far. It's hard to believe Elliotte will be 3 months old on Halloween! Time is flying. She is awake much more these days and is smiling and taking in everything. It's so much fun to watch. I'll save more details for her 3 month post this weekend!

We went to Gentry's Farm for my b'day b/c I wanted to have a family outing. That night E went to my parent's house for an overnight visit. It was great to have a date night and get a little sleep. Not much more sleep b/c I did have to work the next day at 6:15am. Yuck! I think E had a great time with Nonna and Pops. Thank you!

Enjoy the pics!

Chillin with Drennon. I love her laid back pose. Drennon says she's a future cheerleader since she's already posing!

Family pic at Gentry's Farm. Can't wait for next year!

"How tall this fall?" at Gentry's Farm. Hopefully next year she'll be able to stand beside it.

Couldn't resist the tee pee.

Going on an outing to Babies r Us. Lovin on her lovey.

Big yawn!

Elliotte's First Destin Trip

Mom and I took Elliotte down to Destin for a week for her first beach trip. Well, she never made it to the beach, but she knew it was there! Normally, October is nice and mild in Destin. This year, it was super hot and humid. We didn't get Elliotte out during the day except once because it was just too hot for her. This was a much different beach trip with a baby! They will never be the same again. Elliotte did so well. I can't wait to take her back next summer so she can enjoy the sand and water. I just didn't feel comfortable getting her 10 week old skin in the pool water or taking her out in the hot sun. There's plenty of time for that next year. She was great in the car and only fussed a little. I was worried about the car ride, but she surprised me. Mom and I took turns sitting in the back with her to make sure she was as comfortable as possible being strapped in an uncomfortable seat. We only made it out to eat once, and Elliotte was great again. The staff at Bonefish even commented on how well she did. Shopping was a different story...
Enjoy the pics!

Playing on the floor in the condo. She found a friend in the mirror. Check out her rolls!

Swinging outside on the balcony.

Waking up happy from a nap.

Going strolling in her sun hat.

Standing up. Elliotte is loving using her legs. She is very strong!

Out to eat at Bonefish Grill.

Bathing beauty! You can see she was very excited to be at the pool.

She was there all of 15 minutes.

Matching pink swimwear!

Claire and Olivia drove over from Gulf Shores. They were there for Olivia's fall break. We went to eat at Pompano Joe's and swam in the pool.

Nonna, Elliotte, and me.

Olivia and baby Elliotte. Can't believe she's 6 and in first grade! We made Olivia tell us things only first graders know to prove she was that old!

Aunt C and Elliotte.

New Job

Many of you already know that I have accepted a new position with St. Thomas Health Services. I will no longer be working on the Oncology floor at Baptist as of the first week of November. I will be the System Educator for St. T, Baptist and MTMC in Murfreesboro. I have really been wanting to use my MSN degree, and now I'm getting to do it! I will be in charge of the Nurse Residency program, some training for the unit clerks and patient care techs, the Explorer program for high school students interested in health care careers, and will be a Cerner superuser (our computer charting system). It's a big job, but I'm excited about it. I wasn't really looking to be working quite so much, but this kind of happened at just the right time, so I took it as a sign that this was for me. I prayed that I would not be offered the position unless I was supposed to take it. I'll be working 40 hours over 4 days, so I'll have one day off each week to be with Elliotte and teach the lab at Belmont. Not sure where my office will be yet (either St. T or Baptist), but I'll be working at all three hospitals. I have the option of doing some work from home if I'm going to have an office day. I was told that there probably would not be many of those days. :( So, I'm about to start a new journey and am nervous and excited. My sweet baby is only 11 weeks old but will be staying with her Nonna while I work. Hopefully the transition will be smooth with as few tears (from me) as possible. Thanks for all the encouragement and prayers as I interviewed for this job! Now I need some more as I start the job...