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Brianna McCarthy

McCarthy Family Christmas Letter

Seasons Greetings to All Our Dear Friends and Family

While I write this, the boys are busy cutting out items from the newspaper ads that they would like for Christmas! Such is the delightful part of this time of year where dreams of Santa Claus and presents fills the air. I think 5 and 8 are the perfect ages to appreciate and embrace the glorious insanity of the holidays. :)

We have much to celebrate this year. The most obvious being my graduation from nursing school in May, passing the NCLEX in June and starting my new job in July. We can’t believe our luck with m

y getting an awesome job (day shift, no less) at a hospital 8 minutes away in this economy. I am a “float” nurse which means that I work on a multitude of floors (surgery, medical, ortho-neuro, oncology, adult psychiatric, youth acute psychiatric, rehab and pediatrics). I love the variety and insanity of never knowing what is in store for me. I am learning a lot and truly becoming a jack-of-all trades master-of-none! For me, this is a dream job and I feel really blessed and fortunate to have the opportunity to explore so many types of nursing settings. I need to mention what a total joy it is not to have homework hanging over my head which has been the case since I went back to school in Jan 2008. I have more time for my family and this is the true reward.

The next most exciting thing this year has been the addition of Rocky to our family. Rocky is our Boxer which I got from a nursing school classmate. While early puppyhood was a bit maddening, we all have fallen in love with this vibrant and exuberant guy who adores all of us. Rocky is a “leaner” so some part of his body is forever leaning on some part of your body. He sleeps with Talan every night and crawls into our bed in the morning to wake us up if we try to sleep in! We all adore the Rockstar and he had added a whole new level of energy into our lives. We spoil him with lots of visits to the nearby dog parks and hikes. He motivates us to get out more, especially in the colder weather, so we all benefit from more activity.

We made the decision to send the boys to private Montessori school this year. It has been such a great fit for our boys, our family and is conveniently located within a mile of our home. The flexible hours works well for our crazy schedules. The boys are excelling and it is nice that they are on the same “campus” for the first time. They are learning French and Spanish. Talan came home the other day and said “Mom, ask me how I am”. So I did to which he replied with a huge grin “muy bien”. The size of the second grade class at the school Mason went to last year, is 28 kids. Mason’s current class has 18 kids and 2 full-time teachers. A far better ratio for our colorful guy! Talan’s teacher reminds us often how delightful it is to have Talan in her classroom and that he is a role-model for the other kids for listening and following rules.

We continue to live in our duplex, it’s been over four years. We never imagined we would live in it this long but with the economy, my going back to nursing school and now the boys’ private education it is the best fit for us for the time being. Our tenants/friends Scott and Michelle make fabulous next door neighbors. Their son Tyler is like our third child. :) The boys all play well together and we are so grateful to have a playmate so close. Scott and Michelle pitch in frequently to help out with the boys and the pets when Joe is out of town and I am working. It is truly a blessing to have them in our lives.

Joe continues to work on the race circuit. This year for the Indy car series. He is also starting his own “concept” which is in the very beginning stages so you’ll hear more about it next year! :) He is a FB junkie so you can always keep up with him there. The boys have adjusted to his absences but it is getting harder as they get older. We continue to explore ways to keep his time away from our family to a minimum.

We have had several trips this year. My best nursing school buddy Elizabeth and I spent Spring Break in our condo in Cabo (which we inherited from Joe’s father Fred). That was a much needed break during the last grueling semester of school. We enjoyed the sun, beaches and having no kids! As soon as summer started we did a couple of camping trips in the 5th wheel which is always a family favorite. In late July, I did a medical mission trip to Honduras through our church. It was an amazing experience working with people who live in a trash dump outside the capital of Tegucigalpa. I will continue to do mission trips and when the boys are old enough to participate I will bring them along as it gives a perspective on life like non other. The hospital I work at goes to Mexico and Haiti so I’d like to join them on their next mission. Joe and I had a few days alone in Vegas in October (on the back end of his race there) which was fabulous. It was our first time away from the boys since they were born. In November, we took the boys to San Antonio, Texas for a family vacation. We visited the Alamo, Sea World, the Children's’ Museum and crossed the border to Piedras Negras to visit Joe’s co-worker Alvaro for a day. We all had a blast. Next we will fly to CA on December 21st to spend the holidays with my parents (Joe is already in there catering for Melons which he has done the past nine years). I haven’t been to Marin since last Christmas so I am looking forward to catching up with everyone there.

Barclay continues to live down the street from us. We don’t see her as much these days but we love having her close by. Her boyfriend Steve is a delight and we have embraced him into our lives. He has been a trooper accepting his new nickname “Deeb” which is Talan’s best pronunciation of his name! They will be joining us in Marin for the holidays so that we make for a fun and festive time for all of us.

Life is good to us up here in North Idaho. We love the quality of life and the pace that living in a small town affords us. We hope that the holidays treat you well and bring love and joy into your hearts. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years from all the McCarthys!

Love from,

Brianna, Joe, Mason, Talan, Rocky, Lucy, Penny and Millie

I'm off on my adventure to Honduras. Currently traveling by bus to Seattle. My roommate will be the gal I happened to sit next to on the bus which is good as we get along (so far). Exciting!

Precepting finished! Here are my thoughts....

Brianna McCarthy

Journal Entry #4

February 27, 2011

Pertaining to three 12 hour shifts (2/18, 2/23, 2/26) for a total of 36 hours.

​It is difficult to believe precepting is over. It turned out to be a fabulous experience. I now feel like I could really be a nurse. I have gained so much confidence and maturity in my thought process and correlating the diagnosis with my assessments. The first of the three shifts this journal pertains to started with four patients but then one discharged early in the day and the only other patient my preceptor had was not available to me as he was a stem-cell patient. I was disappointed and hoped to get involved with the next admit so that I could get my number back to four but it just so happened that I was busy with a patient when the admit came to the floor and so someone else did the admit paperwork and took that patient. My ninth shift I was dead set on having four patients and ended up having five as I knew one was going to discharge mid-morning and I didn’t want to get in the same boat again. I managed the five fine. My preceptor ended up doing the discharge paperwork which disappointed me but, in reality, I was too caught up in my other patients during the time the patient was trying to be discharged. My last shift I had four patients and end the shift with the same four patients! One I had worked with on my previous shift so that made my interactions with her a bit more meaningful as we already familiar with each other.

​I find that I really do enjoy taking the time to try to really talk with a patient, spend an extra 10 or so minutes getting to know them and building that trust. It helps me determine an approach that will work well with their personality. It also helps me assess and report to the next shift something that might make the next nurse find the patient more relatable. This can sometimes mess me up with my time management but usually I take the opportunity to spend some quality time with my patients when I am less busy.

​My time management has improved tremendously. My goal for my last day was to be on time with all my medications. That went out the window within the first two hours but I could see how it wasn’t my fault; pharmacy is sometimes behind, doctors write new orders, patients decide they want their pills crushed and it is an extended release and can’t be crushed so a different pill needs to be ordered and sent up. Patient’s leave the floor for dialysis and then the majority of their morning meds aren’t given until after lunchtime. So while I know why I had the goal, as a barometer of my time management, not fulfilling it doesn’t mean my time management is necessarily off target.

​I feel comfortable with a four patient case load and I can actually envision being competent to take five with more experience. There were times when I was able to be of help to the other nurses and times when I needed to delegate small tasks to other personnel. I checked in with my preceptor occasionally to see if I was way off mark or missing something major and she would always say “no” that I was doing fine. The nurses on the unit were all very supportive and reminded me that time management takes time to learn; that it is a skill like any other skill in nursing and that practice makes perfect.

​By the last couple of shifts, I definitely felt like part of the team. The nurses on this floor are all really nice and encouraging. What is really noticeable to me is that I now feel comfortable with the doctors and don’t shy away from them. I have a voice and a place in this picture of the patient’s care. Something new since my last journal entry is that I started writing notes in the front of the chart pertaining to issues either the patient or I needed clarified. Also, I answered the phone at the front desk if no one else was around. I answered the call light phone as well. So apparently, I can hear on the KMC phone system! If I had a spare moment, I would restock things that I noticed earlier were not there, like syringes or alcohol wipes. Things that I felt would benefit me or the other nurses. The last thing I need is to be out of basic supplies when I am scrambling to organize my care for a patient.

​I learned more about how to use the tubing system especially the protocol for ordering blood products. You have to enter a code to retrieve the tube with the blood product in it (it makes a special noise which I don’t hear to alert you to the need to enter the code). I took the opportunity to walk down to pharmacy for items. I walked down to the lab to turn in a special specimen. I watched my preceptor give medication to a patient inside the MRI room. I learned that you have to take EVERYTHING that is metal off - including my hearing aids or else they will be ruined my the magnetic forces. Very cool to see and experience.

​Most importantly I realized that there is still a whole lot of stuff to learn and that I will probably never feel like I know enough. But this is ok and how most nurses feel. It doesn’t mean that I can’t be a safe and effective nurse. I love to learn and that is part of what excited me about nursing: that there is ample opportunity to continue to learn and grown in a profession that offers an abundance of different pathways in which to practice.

​I think that I will truly enjoy and find beneficial the training program that will, hopefully, be part of my future job. I do best when I have observed how something is done. I am a fast learner and very observant. I know that I have to be careful, methodical and observant when working so that I don’t make mistakes or at least ones that aren’t life threatening.

​I appreciate the precepting opportunity and all the work that went into it, on every end involved. I am glad I saw what 12 hour shifts are like and now know that I can handle them just fine. I have a lot less fear and a lot more hope now. If nothing else, this is what I got out of precepting and I think that is huge in and of itself.

What is up?

Hello Friends and Family,

I can't believe I haven't blogged since September. First thing I'll say is those kittens are gone. We gave them away to some of Talan's teachers. We are down to one kitty as Luna ran away while we were in California for Christmas. That was a very sad discovery and we have had a multitude of discussions about it (usually ending up in tears). We have chased down some leads, the most recent being a sighting of Luna at the humane society, but that was erroneous and it was very difficult to leave that place empty handed.

I am now in my last semester of nursing school. I am currently wrapping up my precepting hours (96 out of 120 hours) in the Oncology/Nephrology unit at our local hospital. I work tomorrow and Saturday will be my last day. My shift starts at 7am and doesn't end until 7:30pm but I rarely get out before 8pm as there is too much to do. I love it but it is challenging to manage four patients which is what I will be required to do in the next two shifts. Wish me luck. :)

I will graduate May 11 at 7pm. This is a special ceremony just for the nursing students and it is where we get our pins, thus, it is called a pinning ceremony. I just ordered my pin, very simple design with my school logo, last week.

Joe has been home for awhile which has been absolutely fantastic. I don't know how I would have done these long clinical hours without him. Talan does not like it when I work "7 to 7" and he is very excited to hear I only have two more of "those days".

The boys will tell you that the most exciting thing that has happened recently is that we got a Wii. Talan loves to play it, Mason is more into the Netflick that comes with it. Totally congruent with their personalities.

I have been using an Apple laptop for the past 4 months and I am still learning how to use this platform. It has been a process and whenever I have a chance I take a lesson (as Joe bought me unlimited lessons and boy was that a good call!). Talan is sitting beside me right now playing on the iPad that Joe got for Christmas. Until the Wii, this was the hottest item in our home and lots of battles have occurred over "who's turn is it". I have seriously probably spent an entire hour with it myself. It is never "available". The boys will go into shock when Joe starts traveling again and takes it with him. This is probably one of the major factors into Joe's decision to get the Wii.

Two new developments in my world. First, I joined the Biggest Loser challenge at my gym. It is nine weeks long and is quite rigorous. I am determined to get into shape and lost the pounds I have put on since being in nursing school. Second, I just booked a seven day trip to Cabo with my nursing school pal Elizabeth. We will go during Spring Break. First Joe has to come home so that he can watch the boys while I go have a nice relaxing week away from it all. Elizabeth and I will be staying in the condo that Fred left us in his will. Joe is actually flying down there on Saturday for four days to make sure it is in tip top shape. We have started to rent it on VRBO and we have already received our first check! Now to make sure it has linens and things. It is possible that I take care of some stuff while I am down there which is fine with me because then I can write it off! :)

The boys are beautiful and well. Talan is now 5 and becoming a much louder presence in our home. Today Joe went into his classroom and make sushi for all the kids. I went along for moral support. Then Joe did some juggling and a couple magic tricks. The kids had a blast. It was really a good time. I told Talan he'll remember this day for a long time. I made Muesli for Talan's class last week. They loved that too. The class is currently on a Cooking Unit which is why they have asked for parental involvement. As food is right up our alley, we were happy to oblige.

I continue to work in Mason's classroom on Thursday afternoons. I really love all the kids in his class. Barclay and I helped the class with their Valentine's Day party and Mason felt so special. There was only one other parent who showed up so you can imagine how cool that was that B and I could both make it.

Mason is back in wrestling again. It is as agonizing as it was the first time. I don't know how Joe does it but he is determined to make Mason love it (or at least finish the season). I am trying to stay out of it.

At nighttime the kids and I read a couple chapters out of Junie B. Jones each evening. It is a really cute ritual that we all look forward to. I don't know what we will do when we are done with the series. My friend Fabienne says her boys really enjoy a series called Captain Underpants so that may be the direction we go in.

Well, a lot more than that has probably happened in our lives but that is all I can think to say right now. Talan desperately wants my attention so I am going to give it to him!

Goodnight all.

News

Wow so much is going on in our lives! I am in my sixth week of school and I am doing well. I have an 86 average so I am on track to pass third semester. I just finished my psych rotation which was very interesting.
Mason is thriving in first grade. He got a 100% on his first spelling test! We are very pleased. We joined boy scouts and so he is officially a tiger cub! They made marshmellow launching guns last night which was a huge hit as you can only imagine.
Talan is great as well. He continues to enjoy helping out around the house and doing "homework" with his big brother.
Our newest additions to the family are two baby kittens that the boys rescued from under Barclays front deck. We are bottle feeding them and they are using the litter box when we remember to put them in it! Lucy and Luna are not pleased. Nor are the rats as they have been neglected ever since the kittens arrived. We are not keeping them but have not
found homes yet either.
Joe will be home next Monday and finished with this years race schedule! We are estatic to have him back home.
My dear friend Fabienne just moved back to Idaho last night. I am so happy that she is back. I am with her right now helping her resettle in to her home.
Life is good. The weather is great. We are all healthy and well. Sweet!

July was a wonderful month

We traveled again, this time to Edmonton Canada for Joe's race and then for a little camping trip through Jasper National Park. It was so beautiful. We tent camped which the boys are a bit shocked by as we always have our 5th wheel. We had a few issues with the air mattress etc but got through it all just fine. The boys voted to get a hotel after two nights so we obliged by staying at the Fairmont Hot Springs Hotel which was a lot of fun although a bit pricey! Canada is not cheap but it sure is gorgeous. We took the gondola up Whisper Mt. in Jasper and then hiked to the summit. We paddled around in a boat on Emerald Lake in the Yoho National Forest. I also did a little shopping there and picked up a darling metal sculpture of a beaver who now resides on our front step!

I start my summer clinicals this Monday and then I will be in Marin on August 14th for a week before school officially starts on August 23rd. Joe and the boys will be in Marin too and stay a couple days longer than me. We look forward to seeing our family and friends in Marin and catching up as always.

Recent Events

We have been busy! We camped at Glacier National Park last weekend. We lost Talan's bicycle from the back of the trailer so he got a new bike which looks like a motorcycle. We had a wonderful playdate with Talan's classmates at his teacher Jessica's house. We went to Mason Paul's 5th bday party at the Fort Sherman park in CDA (where we had Mason's 1st bday party). Lots of fun and enjoying the summer weather which finally arrived in Northern Idaho! Oh and we tried to have our first sleep over with Tyler but he ended up wanting to go home at 10:30pm (thank God he lives next door)! Brianna McCarthy Sent from my iPhone

I am coming to visit next week

Surprise! The boys and I will be in Marin from the 16th to the 23rd. Hope to see everyone and enjoy lots of hiking, catching up and fun excursions. I'll be at my folks house enjoying some grandma and grandpa time!
Love to all of you,

Brianna McCarthy
Sent from my iPhone

Photo update

I just wanted to share some photos that were taken recently.

Brianna McCarthy
Sent from my iPhone
I just wanted to share some photos that were taken recently.

Brianna McCarthy
Sent from my iPhone

Happy Anniversary - 8 years today!

Eight years ago, we tied the knot in beautiful Mill Valley. It is amazing to both of us that it has only been 8 years as it feels much longer. We celebrated a little early as Joe leaves today for 3 weeks on the road. We took the kids camping for 4 nights in central Idaho. We had a fabulous time. The boys caught trout and are now hooked (literally) on fishing. :) We made a lot of smores (my personal favorite) and hiked and biked our little hearts out. The weather could not have been better and we really enjoyed some quality family time. I am done with my first year of nursing school. I ended up with a B for the second semester. I am happy that all that stress and chaos is over for the next three months.
Talan and I are out of school while Mason has three more weeks. I just helped his class take a field trip to the fire station and that was cute and fun. I am helping out on a couple more field trips which they are trying to cram in before the end of the year. Mason has been "invited" to summer school to improve his reading. That will start in late July. Of course, our vacation arrangements will have to work around that. I am opting to do a two week intensive clinical class at the beginning of August to help me prepare for next year as I will be expected to be able to handle 3 or 4 patients per shift by the end of the third semester. I am barely able to handle two now, usually I check in on one and then devote my time to the other one! Not very fair or safe! Lots to learn especially in time management and excusing oneself when the patient is in the middle of a long involved story that isn't relevant to anything I can do for them.
If anyone wants to visit we would love to have you. :) Lots of love to everyone.

Goodbye Grandma Fred

Some of you may know that Joe's dad passed away last week. He is finally out of his suffering but we miss him terribly. Fortunately, Joe was there visiting and was able to spend some quality time with his dad before he died. There is a memorial on the Marin IJ website to view if you are interested. I just wrote a quick note saying goodbye on it. My poor husband has lost all three of his parents in the last 29 months. Thankfully a lot of family was around visiting Fred, his sister Beth, Greg, Katrina and Kevin, Joe and Candy. The lesson we are learning is to live and appreciate life now. There are no guarantees.
I have less than two weeks of school left and then a three month summer break awaits me. I plan to spend lots of time with my boys and perhaps take a trip or two. I can't believe the first year of nursing school is coming to a close. It has been a lot of work and I have learned so much. I feel blessed to have this opportunity to be in this fabulous field and I am excited to continue with it in the fall.
I will hopefully write more and post more as I have "free" time. Not even sure what that is anymore! :)

Mason just lost his 2nd tooth!

We are anxiously awaiting a visit from the tooth fairy. I need to
rustle up some money. Thank goodness Joe is still here to witness this
exciting milestone. He leaves tomorrow for three weeks in Florida. The
next time we see him will be in Hawaii!!!

Brianna McCarthy
Sent from my iPhone

Back in School

Well, the first week of school is underway. I am already drowning in homework and material to read, memorize and all that fun stuff. Talan claims he now hates school but his teachers tell us he is having a great time there. Mason went back to school a week before Talan and I started. He has a big screening test coming up at the end of the month so we are really working on our recognition of letters (upper and lower case) as well as the sounds associated with them. He thinks lower case "l"s look like "i"s and he thinks a lower case q is really a p. It is confusing, I can only imagine. When he sees a "Y" he says yellow instead of "Y" and for "W" he says water. Close but no cigar!
I love having Joe home. It is so wonderful to jointly care for the kids and all the responsibilities at home. Joe has been making wonderful meals for me since I started the food addicts diet (no sugar, no flour, no snacking). I am taking it one day at a time although I have lost three pounds which is exciting. :)
The weather is cold but not snowing. We've actually had some rain. In some places there is still snow on the ground but for the most part it melts almost right away. I am reminded of the bumper sticker Barclay had on her car when she was a teenagers "The weather is here wish we were beautiful". I look forward to beautiful weather and Hawaii at the end of March to celebrate my father's 70th birthday.
Lucy and Luna got spayed last week which was quite dramatic for the boys even though they were only gone half a day. You would not believe the tears that were shed for "my baby kitties". Joe is convinced Lucy thinks she is a dog. She begs for food like you wouldn't believe. She sits on top of the garbage can which is just slightly lower than the kitchen counter (which she knows she is not allowed on) and waits for scraps. We have taken to calling her "garbage can kitty". She is not offended in the least. :) She is where the food is, at all times.
I haven't been blogging as much as usual but you will find me on Facebook which is just so quick I can't resist being on that site.

Academy of Sciences visit

Baba took the boys and me to the Academy of Sciences to enjoy Claude the albino alligator and the planetarium. Joe met up with us which made it extra special.

Sent from my iPhone

Baba took the boys and me to the Academy of Sciences to enjoy Claude the albino alligator and the planetarium. Joe met up with us which made it extra special.
Sent from my iPhone

Multimedia message

Talan got dominos so we played a round. Fun fun. 

Posting to blog from iPhone

I am studying, again, all day with my lab partner for our final exam tomorrow. Wish us luck.

Sent from my iPhone

Final Stretch

My last final is Monday. I have pulled off two great test scores (90 and 83) to put myself at a 78% average. So, I have a little breathing room for the final but still need to do well. My mom has been here over a week now and she has been a godsend. I am having so much fun with her, when I am not studying. I am so glad she is here. We will all fly to Marin on the 16th so that is a very tantalizing carrot at the end of this grueling journey. I can't wait to see my dad, Joe and Fred and all my friends! We haven't booked a flight back to Idaho yet but we will be there through Christmas.
Yesterday, I got to volunteer to greet the incoming class of nursing students. What a trip! In the audience I saw my lab partner in A&P, my first semester back in college, who was so patient with me while I learned how to be a student again. I like being involved with the RN program and it probably earns me a few kudos with my professors. I had my last clinical on Thursday and so I finally put my nose pierce back in as I haven't been allowed to wear it all semester, one of the many small sacrifices for nursing school. :)
It has been an amazing journey and I trust I will pass my course and progress on to the second semester. Being so close to not passing is just going to make it all the sweeter. :)

Black Friday

We are laying low avoiding all the crazy shoppers out there this morning. Unlike last year when Barclay and Joe went and got smoking deals on a flat screen TV. There is nothing that we really want or need this year so we are skipping the chaos. Instead, the boys are having tons of fun playing with the gigantic box that my new office chair came in. They have made it into a fort and all sorts of other things. Amazing how much fun a big box can be. :)

We had a wonderful time up at Luke and Casey's new home in Rathdrum yesterday for Thanksgiving. Luke is Mr. Matt's brother. We had Easter Dinner at their house earlier in the year but that was before they moved so we were excited to see what they had built. It was gorgeous and comfy! They are great hosts and it was a really relaxed atmosphere. Despite Mason accidentally giving Zachary a bloody nose, the boys all got along great. It is so nice to have friends that have boys of similar ages. I got to sneak in a few sweet moments with baby Riley who just turned one last week. Keira and Barclay and I (and Zachary) played a game of Yahtzee. It was the longest game ever as all kids kept interrupting and wanting to know what we were doing.

We were home by 6pm and I managed to do about three hours of homework which is great as that has been my goal to do some work every day. Yesterday morning I volunteered at the hospital to hand out blankets to patients to fulfill some of my community service hours that my program requires. When I got home the kids were telling their neighborhood friends that I had gone to donate blood! Crazy rumors.

So anyhow, Joe finally figured out how to download my iphone photos onto my laptop so I can now post them onto my blog. My one and only attempt to blog from my iphone was unsuccessful. It takes a lot of time to get familiar with all these new tools.

My mom is flying out next week to help me with the boys while I finish the last two weeks of my nursing program. Then we will all fly out to Marin on the 16th to catch up with Joe who will be out there catering. Barclay is flying out on the 23rd for four days so that we can all spend Christmas together. I am exciting to have something to look forward to. It's been a very long semester to say the least. Mason is counting down the days to Christmas. FYI 28 days to go!

Blogging from my iPhone in bed