Monday, December 28, 2009
Our Florida Vacation: December 18 -19
We left Michigan at 3 pm Friday at 35 degrees and had safe travels the first half of our drive. We hit some rain in the mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee (the same storm that dumped over a foot of snow on the east coast the next day). We got a couple hours of sleep at a rest stop in southeastern TN that was not more than 5 miles from Alabama and 5 miles from Georgia. Unfortunately our phones (which we use as alarm clocks) reset to central time zone and so we unknowingly got an extra hour of much needed sleep. The rest of the trip went smoothly and we safely arrived at Daytona Beach at 3 pm Saturday at 65 degrees. We spent the rest of Saturday getting settled into our timeshare condo, skyping with family to let them know we arrived safely, and taking a walk on the beach.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Graduation 12-12-09
Graduation! We have been waiting for this day for a long time. Could not believe that it was finally here. Kate's family and Andrew's parents made the trip to Grandville, through a blizzard, to celebrate the triumph of many years of hard work. The day started with stuffed french toast, made specially by Chef Andrew. Then we all headed to the VanAndel Arena for the commencement ceremony. Andrew was so proud of Kate that tears filled his eyes when he saw her march in behind the Kirkhof College of Nursing banner. Kate was so excited and proud to walk across the stage and receive her nursing degree. She could not stop smiling.
It was then a mad dash to the pinning ceremony. All plans went out the window, fortunately though we were all able to eat a few pieces of pizza. The pinning ceremony was so special for Kate to celebrate the culmination of all the hard work of nursing school, especially with all of her nursing school friends by her side as they each were pinned. She will never forget these friends that she made during this part of her journey.
Kate was just super excited all day, even though she was sick with a bad cold. It is hard to believe that it is finally done, and Kate has her nursing degree. We were so thankful to have Mom and Dad Schneider, Mom and Dad Dodd, G, Kevin, Angela, Kyle, and Elizabeth there to celebrate the day with us. Kate says that she could not have made it through nursing school without the encouragement and support of Andrew and her family. They helped pick her up during the very tough days when the end goal was hard to see. She is so glad to have finished this part of the Dodd Journey, and looking forward to the next thing that God has for our family.
-Katelynn Dodd, BSN-
It was then a mad dash to the pinning ceremony. All plans went out the window, fortunately though we were all able to eat a few pieces of pizza. The pinning ceremony was so special for Kate to celebrate the culmination of all the hard work of nursing school, especially with all of her nursing school friends by her side as they each were pinned. She will never forget these friends that she made during this part of her journey.
Kate was just super excited all day, even though she was sick with a bad cold. It is hard to believe that it is finally done, and Kate has her nursing degree. We were so thankful to have Mom and Dad Schneider, Mom and Dad Dodd, G, Kevin, Angela, Kyle, and Elizabeth there to celebrate the day with us. Kate says that she could not have made it through nursing school without the encouragement and support of Andrew and her family. They helped pick her up during the very tough days when the end goal was hard to see. She is so glad to have finished this part of the Dodd Journey, and looking forward to the next thing that God has for our family.
-Katelynn Dodd, BSN-
Thanksgiving
With all the craziness of the last few weeks of school and the promotion that Andrew was going for at work, we stayed home for Thanksgiving for the first time. It was really fun to make our first thanksgiving feast. Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and pumpkin pie. It was a feast for at least 8 people, that the two of us ended up enjoying for the next week. The best part of the day was bringing our warm pumpkin pie to the hospital to share with our friends Dan and Emily (and her family too). She is now recovering from brain surgery and will get out of the hospital tomorrow. Thanking God that she will be able to go home to celebrate Christmas after 39 days in the hospital. Andrew rushed off to the mission to spend the rest of the day with the homeless men while Kate worked on at least one of her many projects (see previous post).
We are thankful for all the ways that God has blessed us this year, how He has stretched us and grown us in good times and tough times. We are so thankful for God's provision in getting Kate through nursing school. We also are thankful for the addition to the Dodd family that will be arriving this spring and for godly friends and family that push us to be more like Him.
We are thankful for all the ways that God has blessed us this year, how He has stretched us and grown us in good times and tough times. We are so thankful for God's provision in getting Kate through nursing school. We also are thankful for the addition to the Dodd family that will be arriving this spring and for godly friends and family that push us to be more like Him.
Final Projects of Nursing School
To finish off the last semester of college, I had to do many large assignments. I finished my LEI (longitudinal elder initative) project, with my elderly client. I will miss spending time with my client, after a year and half of visits we had grown close and it was hard to "break up" with her. The final project for her was a timeline posterboard that I made that showcased her history and the things that had occurred in her life. Another project I worked on was a group presentation on H1N1 for college students at GVSU in the dorms (it was also presented to my peers and profs). I also presented a group presentation on Infant Circumcision Pain and how nurses can decrease the pain that the babies experience. The last presentation I created was a poster on the Ketogenic Diet for the pediatric nurses that I worked alongside in my leadership clinical. All of these presentations was all in addition to class time, 24 hours a week (at the least) of clinical time, clinical paperwork, working 20 hours a week in the emergency department, being pregnant, and taking care of Doddy. Needless to say there was many late nights, early mornings, and lots of tears the last 2 months of nursing school.
Last, but certainly not least, throughout the semester I had to write a 15 page capstone paper. I wrote on the topic of decreasing second hand smoke exposure in children through a community nursing intervention that taught parents about the health risks exposure can cause and the importance of parental cessation. It is the longest paper that I have ever written and I am proud of the accomplishment of capping off my college writings :). If you'd like to read it (or skim it!) click on this link:
https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AfJc-JGIpqiwZGhnYzVmOThfNWRtNGNjd2hx&hl=en
Enjoy!
Last, but certainly not least, throughout the semester I had to write a 15 page capstone paper. I wrote on the topic of decreasing second hand smoke exposure in children through a community nursing intervention that taught parents about the health risks exposure can cause and the importance of parental cessation. It is the longest paper that I have ever written and I am proud of the accomplishment of capping off my college writings :). If you'd like to read it (or skim it!) click on this link:
https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AfJc-JGIpqiwZGhnYzVmOThfNWRtNGNjd2hx&hl=en
Enjoy!
Andrew turns the BIG 3-0
On November 22, Andrew turned 30 years old!! It was a sad sad day, now he can start stories with, "I remember when..." We had a fun day celebrating even though Kate was very busy with schoolwork. We went to church in the morning, then we went out to dinner at Red Robin's and got some yummy garlic parmesan french fries and a three alarm burger, one of the best he had ever eaten! We had chocolate peanut butter pie later on and buffalo chicken pizza. We ate so much that day that he had to get a new belt, and so for that day he got a stylish new belt. :) Kate got the Eagles to play on Sunday Night Football for the big day too. Andrew says, "It was a great day with my wife, and wouldn't have had it any other way!"
Baby Dodd's First Pictures
We are on our vacation, and thought we would take the time to update happenings from this fall. On November 9th, we got to see the first pictures of our baby. Kate was just about at the midway point of pregnancy and the pictures turned out great. The baby is doing wonderful and was just the right size. King David said it the best, "How you made is amazing and wonderful" (Psalms 139), and he didn't even get to see any of his babies before they were born! :)
Monday, October 26, 2009
56 minutes and 6 seconds
I promised an update after the 10k race I participated in this past weekend and I feel I have recovered enough to give that update tonight. I got out to a very quick, possibly too quick first two miles. The middle two miles I honestly don't remember, but to say that they happened. The final two miles stretched uphill quite a bit. The finish line was a welcome sight and I turned in a time of 56:06. I did it under an hour at a 9 minute clip. It was cold and rainy and very sore the next day but worth it in the end!
Here is a video that was made about the race. They show me at the beginning of the race. I am at 50 seconds on the left of the screen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mypk-LEaAw
Here is a video that was made about the race. They show me at the beginning of the race. I am at 50 seconds on the left of the screen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Baby Dodd
We just realized that we never posted on our blog that we are pregnant! Baby Dodd is due April 1st, 2010. We are so excited for this precious blessing that God has given us and we cannot wait to meet him/her. We found out that we were expecting July 25th and kept the secret from all of our family until the end of August. Andrew grew a beard to "hide" his baby face and shaved his beard when we told our families. Everyone is very excited about the new addition to the Dodds and Schneiders.
Kate was really sick for most of the first trimester. She was vomiting 4 or 5 times a day and lost 10-15 pounds. The doctor gave her some anti-nausea medications, and she has done significantly better since then. She is now able to go without taking the medication on most days and actually enjoys eating again! We have had two doctor's appointments so far, and he says that the baby is doing great, healthy, and is the right size. We were so amazed at our first visit, on Sept.11, to hear the baby's heart beat. It is so fast and strong!
We are now 17 weeks along and looking forward to our ultrasound on November 9th. This past weekend, on October 24, Kate was able to feel the baby move for the first time. It was one of the most amazing things she has ever felt. Her belly is growing and starting to show that there is someone hiding inside. We cannot wait to hold him/her in our arms in a few short months.
17 weeks 
Kate was really sick for most of the first trimester. She was vomiting 4 or 5 times a day and lost 10-15 pounds. The doctor gave her some anti-nausea medications, and she has done significantly better since then. She is now able to go without taking the medication on most days and actually enjoys eating again! We have had two doctor's appointments so far, and he says that the baby is doing great, healthy, and is the right size. We were so amazed at our first visit, on Sept.11, to hear the baby's heart beat. It is so fast and strong!
We are now 17 weeks along and looking forward to our ultrasound on November 9th. This past weekend, on October 24, Kate was able to feel the baby move for the first time. It was one of the most amazing things she has ever felt. Her belly is growing and starting to show that there is someone hiding inside. We cannot wait to hold him/her in our arms in a few short months.
17 weeks 
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