school drama

Ok here is my school update. On Tuesday I went to ITT to speak with Financial Aid. After sitting there for 45 minutes she then informed me of the outrageous cost of just 3 quarters (which isn't even a full year) and how I would pay for it. The only way would be half in Stafford loans and the other half in private loans, I didn't qualify for any grants. I calculated the entire cost of the program and it would be about $55k! And then add onto that the loans I already have. I am not trying to pay on student loans until I die for an associates degree! So I was very bummed about the whole thing. I was SO excited about this program, being able to start it in September and graduate in 2011. But, as with everything in my life, things don't work out the way I want or plan, I just need to keep telling myself "everything happens for a reason"!

So back to Plan A. Which is TCC. I do have more faith in TCC as the program is not new like it is at ITT and it is WAY cheaper. About 1/3 of the cost! Crazy huh?! The only reason I wasn't going to go to TCC was because I still have some pre-reqs to take in order to even apply. I have to take Algebra and Microbiology. I did find out that I can be enrolled in those classes and apply to the program at the same time and my acceptance would be passed on my passing grade. So if I apply to it on September 1st, and by the love of God I get accepted, I will start the program NEXT fall, 2010. SO far away when compared to ITT. So that is a major bummer.

So of course there has to be a catch though, two actually. 1st, right now there are no Micro labs open. There are some lectures but not labs and you have to have both to pass the class. So I will check back online daily to see if someone dropped it and PRAY someone does before it's too late to add it and pray I get to it before someone else does. The 2nd and most detrimental catch, when I first attended TCC in 2002 I was stupid and failed several classes and therefore dropped my GPA very low. In order to get into the program I have to have a cumulative GPA of 2.5. To most that's not very high but since I did so poorly in the past it has been hard for me to raise it only taking 1 class a semester. I have gotten either an A or B in my classes since I've gone back so that is good, but not good enough. So in order to apply and successfully raise my GPA I have to enroll in 4 classes and get an A in every single one! I have not taken that many classes since 2002 but I HAVE to do it. Right now I am enrolled in Anatomy & Physiology II, Algebra, English and Child Psychology. My hope is that a Micro class becomes available and I will switch Anatomy for that. If one does not open I will not be able to apply to the program on September 1st and I will have to wait until the spring to apply once I am enrolled in Micro. Fun stuff. So much crap. I just hope that I'm not over doing it with being in 4 classes. 2 are online and should be easier but I'm just nervous. Thank God I don't have a job other than Haylee or I wouldn't be able to do it.

So anyone who is reading this PLEASE PRAY FOR ME!! Please pray that someone drops the class so I can apply and please pray that I can get an A in every class. Thank you!

Videos!

Here are three cute videos of Haylee I wanted to share. She's such a trip =)

knocked over her fruit when Mommy turned around
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOqSxEz1On8

eating watermelon all by herself for the first time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gktNHehps3A

big girl drinking from a juice cup
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD5oW9lc2nQ

8 months old!

I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!! Haylee is 8 months old... that means in only 4 months she'll be 1 year old!! It's just so sad and unbelievable. I mean these 8 months flew by so I just know the next 4 months will. Ugh, I know I'm going to cry on her birthday because I get teary-eyed just thinking about it!

I don't really have much updating since I just updated on her a few days ago. She is just the most beautiful and happy little girl. She is always smiling and so laid back. Everyone loves her company and I sure hope she continues to grow up that way. You can ask anyone, when you see her you can't help but smile. She will lift anyone's spirits. That smile just gets you every time! She still hasn't started crawling and still hasn't said her first word (other than dadadadadadada). But I don't care, I want her to stay a baby forever! Plus I have witnessed first hand with Kylie what a talking child does... haha "MAMA, MAMA, MAMA!!!" haha so I'm content with her squeling and babble. We were lucky enough to get 2 big girl toys for her, one from Kimberly and one from a lady Dave works with. She loves them, they are toys where she can stand up next to and play with. She's not real strong on standing alone but this will help. We are so blessed with great family and friends! Here are a few pictures of her on the 13th when she turned 8 months old!

peaking at herself

what a big girl!
hanging out with her cousin

very happy to be 8 months old!

haha her famous face

weekend update

We had another busy weekend. On Saturday Haylee and me went out to my parents house around noon to work on the wedding invitations. Haylee took a nice long nap soon after we got there so we were able to focus on the invites. It took a LONG time to do them all, I was not expecting it to take so long! Dave and the Payne's got there for dinner around 4. Kimberly some what helped us on the invites. LOL. Some time in between working on them we actually ate dinner. We didn't leave there until around 9pm. Long and tiring day!

Haylee after she woke up from her nap with finger marks on her face

On Sunday around 1 Haylee and I went to the Capps house to visit with Kelly and let Haylee go swimming with Kailyn. I think she had a good time. She had some watermelon too, which she loves. She also went into the actual big pool for the first time but did not like it, it was cold and she probably got submersed too much for her liking! She ended up taking her nap there and so we didn't leave until after her nap around 5. Here are a few pictures from there.

all ready to go in the pool

yummy watermelon

yes, she is silly

such a happy girl!

sleeping...

I just LOVE the way Haylee sleeps. She cracks me up. Ever since she got to sleep with out her wedge (once Daddy finally let it go) she sleeps in the strangest and most cute positions! I just have to take a picture every time I see one, poor baby. Here are a few of my favorites from since she was born...

in the hospital

1 day old November '08

November '08

November '08

Christmas '08

December '08

December '08

February '09 February '09

March '09

April '09
April '09

May '09
May '09

July '09

July '09

July '09

YAY!

I took my test today for the nursing program and I passed!!! Woo hoo!! That was all I needed to be able to get into the program. No additional classes or anything so basically I'm in the program. Next I meet with the director of the program on Wednesday just to discuss it and make sure it's really what I want and all. I will talk to her then about missing the 2nd and 3rd classes and see if that will be ok or not. So that's the next "hurdle" to get over. Of course if it's not ok I will just start it in December instead. After I meet with her I will then meet with financial aid and see what kind of financing we can get and what not. I'm just so excited I passed it and don't have to worry about it anymore! What a relief! Thanks for all your prayers =)

Not much has happened this week other than school stuff and lunch with my Mom. We also went to my friend Kelly's house yesterday to visit with her and Lily and Kailyn. We brought all three girls out there in one vehicle, it was a tight squeeze. It was nice though and the kids had fun. Dave has been on evenings (4p-midnight) so we've just been home alone all week not doing anything really.

Last night Haylee learned something new. When I am holding her hands she will stand herself up! She's such a big girl! I also tested it out on the coffee table and she did the same thing. I just have to actually put her hands on there haha. I really want to get a new toy that she can stand up next to and play with it. She is definitely bored of all her "baby" toys and wants something new. Maybe I'll check out the baby consignment shop by my house for some things. She hasn't started crawling yet but she does push up her butt more and acts like she might soon. I'm still not ready for it though! She's slowed down on her teething it looks like, she hasn't sprouted anymore since her 6th one. Now that I said something she probably will LOL. She's growing just as much as always. She now fits very well into 12 month bottoms. She wears a 12 month bathing suit. She's just too big, I don't know what I'm going to do with her!

Tonight my friend Angie is coming over and she's going to order Papa John's then we're going to order a movie on TV. I've been feeling cooped up this week at night so it's nice to have someone come over for some company.

Tomorrow we're all going out to my parents. They've invited us over for ribs. Haylee and I are going out there in the morning after her nap so we can work on the invites. We have to print them all off and put them together. We also have to figure out how we're going to do all that! It should be interesting. We're going to need an assembly line to do it all. We need to mail those out in the next week or so to get them out to everyone. So be expecting them!

Haylee's awake now, gotta go!

thought this was cool...

Today at 5 mins and 6 seconds after 4 it will be 04:05:06: 07/08/09. This will never happen again in our life.

Nursing Program

I went to the information seminar at ITT Tech today. I'm glad I went to it. The lady did a power point of different things explaining nursing and ITT's program and all. I've had my reservations about ITT because here in Norfolk it is a new associates degree program and with any new program they still have a lot of things to figure out. But they seemed really organized and I was impressed. We had the seminar in the lab room where the nursing classes were taught. It is a small program. Only 25 people start each quarter. They start in March, June, September or December. I know the program is new though so it's not as competitive as say TCC or Sentara and so there's no wait. I found out that they only have class twice a week and so they meet Monday and Wednesday from like 8:30am - 3/3:30pm. That will be nice so we won't have to pay a ton in child care when I still won't have a job. After about 10 months we will start clinicals so the number of days will go up. The only down fall about the program is that it is 2 years 3 months long. I thought it was only 15 months, I swear someone told me that! But again, with it being a longer program it's not a fast paced and so it should be easier. So I have my exam on Friday and then we'll see where to go from there. Like I said yesterday, please pray that I do well! I did get a study guide book today for it so I can study. If I start it in September I will graduate at the end of 2011 I believe and be able to take the NCLEX exam and be an RN! Whoo hooo!

busy week and weekend

We've had another busy week this week. On Tuesday morning Kimberly, the girls, my friend Angie, Jacob's sisters Carolanne and Nicole and I went to Ocean Breeze. We had a lot of fun. Kylie loves this new slide in the big area. I think she's too cool for the kiddie area now haha. Marty even went on a few slides! After Ocean Breeze we went home and Haylee took a nap. My friend Kelly was being induced that day so I wanted to go up to the hospital to be there when her baby was born. I had to wait until Haylee woke up though and she wasn't moving very fast so I was waiting. My Mom ended up taking off early and came to my house and watched her. So I left home around 4/4:30 to go to the hospital. When I got there she was still moving very slowly and we were just waiting around. Around 6pm she picked up all the sudden and Lily was born around 7:45pm. I ended up staying at the hospital until 9ish. My poor Mom had a long drive home too but thank God for Grandma's!

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Wednesday we did our normal lunch routine with Mom and the girls in Chesapeake. After lunch (which didn't end to good because Kylie was being bad) my Mom and I went to see this lady to discuss renting chair covers and table linens from her for the "wedding." Once that was done we dropped my Mom off at work then Haylee and I went to the hospital again to visit with Kelly and Lily. We stayed there for about an hour and then went home.
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Friday was the 3rd and everyone was off due to the holiday (except Dave, he had to take off) so we all decided to go to Busch Gardens. We thought we were very crazy to do that because a lot of people we talked to said they were going to go there so we thought it'd be packed. We got there right when they opened at 10am and it's wasn't bad at all. We were able to ride our favorite rides right away, eat at our favorite lunch place and then let Kylie ride her rides and play in Elmo land. Both girls did really good again and we had a great time! We left there about 4pm. On the way home we stopped at Kelly's to see her and Lily. Mom, Dad and Dave hadn't seen Lily yet and we passed their house on the way home so stopped for about 15 minutes just to say "Hi".

Saturday was the 4th. We had another fun day! We went to the Capps for the normal BBQ with family friends. The girls swam in the pools and really enjoyed that. They also swung in the swings. Kylie got knocked over by a moving swing and that was bad. She basically did a cartwheel! Then right after that a little girl about 20 months old decided to follow her older sisters into the pool! It was an eventful 10 minutes! Both girls were fine in the end though, thank God. Seems that there's always something eventful on the 4th! haha! The 4th ended with fireworks that my parents got and my Dad shot off at Kimberly and Jacobs. There were some really good ones too! Their neighbors also shot off a lot of them so we got to watch a few shows. Kylie stayed up for them but Haylee went to bed before they started. I was surprised they didn't wake her up at all. Then after the fireworks Grandma and Grandpa took the girls to their home to spend the night. We had such a great 4th!

such a big girl! swimming in the poolpretty fireworks!

It's so hard to believe that last year I was pregnant with Haylee and this year she was 7 1/2 months old!! Time is just flying by way too fast =( I know I've said this before, I love watching her learn new things and grow and get her little personality but I just want her to stay my baby forever!

Kylie and me last year...Kylie and me this year...
I thought this was funny because Kylie is doing the same thing with her finger (last year)...

Sunday was a relaxing day and then we decided to go register at Bed, Bath and Beyond. That took a lot longer than we expected! We're still going to register at Target too. Dave loves Target. Wedding plans are coming together good. We're pretty much about done with the decisions and ordering things. It's so nice to have everything come together!

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Tomorrow I'm going to ITT for an information seminar on the nursing program. It's a 15 month program to get an associates degree to become an RN. And then on Friday I am going to take the entrance exam for the program (which has to be taken before even applying to the program). It has Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, Math and English on it. I am a little nervous but hoping I will do fine. I plan on trying to take it without going to the prep class. If I don't pass it I am able to take it one more time and then I would have to wait 12 months to take it again. I'm hoping to knock it out after one time though. I don't have much extra time to go to the prep classes. I'll just try to review basic stuff here at home. If I pass the test then I will go forward with applying to the program and then hopefully starting it in September. The only thing about starting it in September is that it starts on the 7th and the "wedding" is the 11th then the honeymoon is the 13th through the 20th. So in that case I would miss at least a week of school. So I am going to have to discuss that with them and see what they say and if it will be ok to miss a week. If not I would start the program in December, which thankfully isn't too long after the September class! Please pray for me to be able to pass the exam and get in the program!