5: 00 AM // My alarm goes off and I get up immediately. I have been restless for awhile because I have a headache, so it’s not hard. Although I try not to overmedicate myself, there are some headaches I just need help with so I take some ibuprofen. I know that if I sit down to do Bible reading right away I won’t be able to focus, so instead I make breakfast and coffee while listening to the pray-as-you-go podcast.

5:15 AM // I sit down to eat my breakfast and do my daily Bible reading and say a few prayers.

5:46 AM // Read a canto of Dante’s Inferno.

6:00 AM // I tidy up the kitchen and the kids come out. Liam starts coloring and Meredith cuddles with Ziggy on the couch. I give her some cereal and they choose to watch Goldie & Bear. Meanwhile I pack lunches and get myself dressed and ready.

6:35 AM // Back out in the kitchen, I make Liam toast and start the dishwasher. I get the kids dressed pretty quickly.

6:55 AM // Say goodbye to David, and the kids and I leave.

7:10 AM // Daycare dropoff is easy. Liam brought a coloring book with him so he gets right into that, and Meredith sits down to second breakfast. On my commute I listen to the Sorta Awesome podcast.

7:30 AM // Arrive at work. I’m much earlier than usual today, which is nice. I stop by the infusion center to say hi to Susan, but then I head up to the pre-op department where I am working today. Since the clinic doesn’t open until 8 AM, I chat with the other early nurse and check email.

8:15 AM // First patient is ready, and I take her back. The pre-op department involves updating all medical records in the computer system, signing consent forms, giving instructions, determining which tests or medical clearances are needed, and doing those tests or obtaining clearances from doctor’s offices. This first patient is healthy and it’s a low-risk surgery, so I don’t need anything additional.

8:45 AM // The patient leaves and I finish prepping the chart.

9:00 AM // It’s a slow morning in pre-op as well, so I have some time. I deal with some emails and pace around the unit.

10:20 AM // My coworker Susan in infusion needs some help, so I go downstairs. I pick up platelets for her, check chemo, and help prep some patients for blood transfusions.

11:00 AM // I’m back in pre-op and I take another patient. This case is similar to the one I did earlier, but I draw blood this time.

11:45 AM // Susan needs more help in infusion, so I go pick up blood and check it with her.

12:05 PM // Back in pre-op and I finish prepping my chart from my last patient.

12:20 PM // Eat lunch while reading my book. Another Lean Cuisine with a banana because I haven’t cooked yet this week.

1:05 PM // There are no patients, so I do a phone interview. These are for lower-risk surgeries who don’t need to come into the clinic for pre-op.

1:45 PM // I leave to go to a doctor’s appointment that is just down the road. I have to wait quite awhile to see her, which is really fine with me because it’s extra time to read. I finally see her and it only takes a few minutes to check in. This is my first follow-up appointment with the psychiatrist, from whom I’ve been prescribed anti-depressants six weeks ago. They are working wonderfully and I’m very pleased, so I will see her back in three months. On my way back to work I call my mom to see if she can pick up the kids from school, and she can.

3:05 PM // I’m back at work and there is a patient ready. I’m excited because it’s a patient I know from infusion who I used to give chemo to. I do her pre-op and we talk awhile too.

4:05 PM // The patient leaves and I finish up her chart.

4:20 PM // I leave work. Since my mom has picked up the kids and is taking them to her house for a bit, I go to Kroger, the closest grocery store. I pick up some things we need at home along with bread and fruit to take to small group tonight.

5:00 PM // At home I put away groceries, clean up, change clothes, and make a fruit salad.

5:30 PM // My mom arrives with the kids. Meredith again has a meltdown over having to do her homework. My mom helps me gets the kids fed (chicken nuggets for Liam and a sandwich for Meredith) while I clean the bathroom super quick.

6:00 PM // Our new babysitter Jennifer arrives. We made the decision to hire her for every Tuesday night while we go to small group because we need babysitting so often and we don’t want to burn out our families. She is awesome and a preschool teacher so it’s a natural fit. The kids are immediately well-behaved and barely look at me when I say goodbye.

6:30 PM // I arrive at the home of one of our small group members who has been hosting us. Her poor baby boy has just been throwing up but they let us all stay because he seems happy other than that. We spend about thirty minutes eating (usually the best meal I have every week) and socializing, then we do a Bible study. There are four couples total, and tonight we finished up studying the book of Ephesians.

8:10 PM // We get home and the kids are in their PJ’s and they all had a great time. Meredith even did some of her homework while we were gone! Jennifer leaves and I get myself ready for bed. Then I spend about ten minutes doing my Write the Word journal before gathering the kids for bed. Meredith wants to sleep with me again tonight which is fine.

8:47 PM // I sing “Down in the Valley” while rubbing Mereidth’s back, say prayers, and then lights out!

P.S. – Tuesday two years ago and three years ago.