MOUSE!

We're not talking about Mickey or Minnie or for that matter Mighty. We're talking about a real live squeaking fuzzy mouse!! Last night, Steve and I were downstairs finishing up a movie, when out of the corner of our eyes, we saw a very scary mouse scampering along the bottom stairs and sneaking underneath the crack of the door leading to the closet. Amaya was in bed already, and it took nearly all the strength I could muster NOT TO SCREAM! Steve had to be quite convincing to get me off of the couch to go upstairs and "CALM DOWN." (I guess I was a little excited and was shaking so much - who me?) Steve's mom and dad came over to help out with the situation. His mom gave me moral support while Steve and his dad "hunted" for the mouse. Unfortunately, they weren't able to find him, so I'm hoping that he's gone for good. I'm just hoping that he won't bring his friends and family for a visit!
-Jan

Itty Bitty Sheet of Paper

So last night I received my official diploma on parchment paper announcing that I, Steven Gatzke, have met the requirements to be awarded an undergraduated degree in Counseling as dictated by Crossroads College.

It is amazing the difference a single sheet of paper makes!

-Steve

Stomach Sleeper

Amaya learned a new skill yesterday during her nap time! Typically, Amaya will sleep on her right side (closest to her best friend in the whole world - her Leap Frog worm). When I put her down for her afternoon nap, somehow she managed to get on her stomach, but her right arm was trapped causing her quite a bit of grief. Last night, she decided that she was going to sleep on her stomach again! Overly concerned, protective mom that I am, I asked Steve to flip her back onto her side. And AGAIN - Amaya decided that she was going to be a stomach sleeper whether we wanted her to be or not. I wasn't feeling very good - (still not feeling well, but not sick enough to stay home) - so Steve spent the night in Amaya's room making sure she was okay and giving me a break from the baby monitor. (I've got the greatest husband!) Why she decides to do these exciting new tricks at night (especially when I have to work at 6am the next morning), I'll never figure out why.
-Jan

Ow!

June 22nd, 2008

1:15 p.m. - Jan, Amaya and I were almost ready to leave Pender, Nebraska where we had been for a few days visiting Jan's sister Carol and her family. I realized I forgot our sunglasses in the house and so I ran back to the house to get them.

1:17 p.m. - I tripped on the stairs to the house and gashed open the bottom of my big toe on my left foot.

1:18 p.m. - OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

1:19 p.m. - Sitting in the bathroom, bleeding on the carpet, trying to not cry like a girl.

1:20 p.m. - Jan drives off to get medical supplies, while Carol leaves the bathroom so she doesn't pass out from the sight of blood.

1:25 p.m. - Jan returns with the medical supplies and bandages my poor toe.

1:45 p.m. - Leave Pender, NE for Rochester, MN. The pain won't let me fall asleep while driving (there is a silver lining in every cloud).

8:00 p.m. - Arrive in Rochester.

11:00 p.m. - After some thought and discussion, my wife decided that just to be safe, she should call Mayo Clinic's Nurse Line for advice about my toe. The nurse said we should go to the ER.

11:10 My parents arrived to watch Amaya while we went to the hospital.

11:21 p.m. - We arrived at the ER, and surprisingly enough, were seen right away.

11:25 p.m. - The X-Ray showed that nothing was broken, which I knew already. Duh!

2:00 a.m. - After nearly dying from the shot they gave me in my toe (Jan said I was turning red and shaking) and enduring a tetanus shot, they let us go home.

2:15 a.m. - We arrived home with a fancy new shoe to wear on my left foot.

2:30 a.m. - After I took a prescribed painkiller and antibiotic, we went to bed.

2:30 a.m. to today - Hobble everywhere!

Celebration!

Check out the two new links over on the right-hand side of this page under the category heading "Interesting Things".

One is a link to Minnesota's 150th anniversary celebration, the other is a link to Rochester's annual city-wide celebration.

The End of Busyness

I'm almost done with my undergraduate program at Crossroads College - I have one more CLEP test on Thursday night - after that I'm finished. My internship is finished June 30th.

I'm looking forward to the months of July and August. My internship will be over, school will be done, so the only thing I'll be doing is working at my day job - Mayo Clinic - and hanging out with my wife and daughter and extended family.

I have been going to school non-stop since the fall of 2005. It will be nice to have a break before grad school starts in the fall. I know that my wife and daughter miss me very much when I am gone, and lately it seems like I have been gone all the time.

My family is my highest priority, and I intend to spend as much time with them as possible over the next couple of months.
-Steve

Almost done with school! (For now...)

I turned in my resignation letter for my internship (it was also a paid part-time position) yesterday. I also completed the first of two CLEP tests that are needed to meet the 120-credit requirement for graduation.

You are probably thinking - didn't Steve already graduate? Well, yes and no. I participated in the Honors Convocation and Commencement, but technically I didn't have enough credits to graduate. Instead of making me wait to graduate until May of 2009, it was decided that I could graduate this year, even though I hadn't "officially" completed all the requirements.

I am required to turn in a completed transcript with degree posted to Bethel by the 26th of June to be accepted into their grad program without provisions. I have sent the required fee to hold my spot in the cohort, and have been notified about orientation... so it seems that I'm all set!
-Steve

Whodunit?

For the past four or five nights, someone has been mysteriously sneaking into Amaya's bedroom and rearranging her diaper in such a way that the contents manage to not only soak through her onesie, jammies, sleep sack, and sheets, but the contents also manage to creep their way up her back and even into her hair! DISASTER! We're offering a reward for any clues as to the culprit's identity - either that or we're buying stock in laundry detergent.
-Jan

Gulp... Turning the BIG 3-0!

Today marks the last day of being in my twenties. I've really grown fond of this past decade - graduating from college, becoming a nurse, buying my first home, getting married, selling our first home and buying another, and becoming a parent! I can't even imagine what the next decade holds!
-Jan

Grad School!!!

I received an acceptance letter to Bethel University's Graduate School yesterday. I've tentatively decided to attend Bethel, instead of Adler. I will attend an orientation session at Bethel in August, then school begins in September.

At one point in my life I never really expected to finish college, so this is a pretty huge step for me!

Top Ten Things I Love About Amaya

Shortly after coming home from the hospital, we had a public health nurse from Olmsted County visit us and check up on Amaya. Since then, we receive forms to fill out regarding her development, etc. One of the questions on her four month questionnaire was, "What do you enjoy most about your baby?" Hence, the topic for this blog entry.

10. I love her chubby leg rolls (Yay, no more chicken legs!)
9. I love the way she burps and toots just like her daddy (sorry Steve).
8. I love the way she is constantly wiggling her arms and legs. She has some great Pilate and yoga moves!
7. I love it when I change her diaper and three seconds later she gives me this great big smile and poops shortly thereafter! Sixteen cents right down the drain!
6. I love watching her splash around in the tub and try to drink the water.
5. I love it when she "talks" to her stuffed animals and dolls.
4. I love watching her sleep, especially when she's curled up on her side holding her hands.
3. I love it when she holds my hand while I'm nursing her - okay, I just love nursing her.
2. I love snuggling with her. I especially love holding her after she's just woken up.
1. I love her smile! Nothing warms my heart more than one of her mouth-open-wide-where-have-you-been-I-missed-you-I-love-you-don't-leave-my-sight smiles.