a surprise visit...

Today while at work at the hospital, I got a very sweet surprise visit from a former patient who was back for her 3-month check ups and scans. I hadn't seen Izzy since she left after her last chemo treatment well over 3 months ago and I was not expecting to see her sweet and sassy self! When she was first diagnosed, Izzy didn't take it very well at all and was terrified of anyone and everyone who walked into her room, and rightly so for only being four years old! She refused to come to activity and didn't want any of us to hang out with her in her room to play a game or do a craft. She wanted her normal four year old life back and to spend time at home with her parents and newborn baby brother. And all I wanted was to make a difference in her stay at the hospital and her course of treatment. So every single day, I went to her room and knocked on the door, knowing she would get upset and tell me no and send me on my way just like she did to everyone else. Until one day, that all changed. Izzy finally said, "well I like princess books and puzzles." So I brought some in and together we read some books and worked on some puzzles. It only lasted maybe a half an hour until she got upset when her pole started beeping and she was snapped back to the reality of still being in her hospital room and undergoing cancer treatment. But that one day of books and puzzles was all it took. I returned the next day, and she greeted me with a smile and invited me into her room to play Barbies and princess with her. I guess you could say the rest is history...

We hit it off and she was always quick to give me a hug or snuggle onto my lap. My heart was overwhelmed and I think it was the first time her mom finally breathed a sigh of relief. Izzy then always referred to me as "her best friend" and rarely let any of the other child life assistants do the 1:1 activities with her like she let me. There will always be those adults, kids and patients that I will form different relationships with and a bond with in different ways but I'm so thankful for the bond I formed with Izzy. She trusted only me to chase her around the hospital while she rode the tricycle as we went from floor to floor. And the day she left the hospital after her last chemo treatment, she gave me a sign she had made and decorated that said, "i luv child life and katie. xxxoooooxxoxoxo" and she drew stick people giving hugs to each other. Straight from the mouth and mind of babes...so precious. And I was so beyond happy to see her today as she walked into the playroom healthy with a head full of hair this time, a smile on her face that no one or anything could wipe off, and a big hug waiting for me full of love. Nothing makes my heart happier than a surprise visit from a special kiddo who no longer fears the hospital and I know I made a difference in her life. I'm thankful for my job and the miracles I get to witness day in and day out!

He's officially MR. EASTON!

As of today, Jordan is half-way done with his student teaching! Eeek! So happy and excited for him but more importantly, so happy and excited that he already has a full-time substitute teaching position lined up for the Spring!!!! Whoo whoo!! There is a teacher that teaches 11th grade Earth Science and she just happens to be pregnant and going on maternity leave right around the time he will be finishing his J-term class which means....he was offered the position for her maternity leave and officially accepted it!! YAYYYY!!! He is pretty stoked for it as he should be and I'm super pumped for him! It'll be a great thing to add to his resume and it will be a nice way to ease him into the teaching field without feeling really overwhelmed by taking on a whole year right off the bat! And the neighboring teacher to his room is the head baseball coach so he's hoping to get to know that teacher even more so he can hopefully get in on coaching any level of baseball for the school. Double score! We celebrated tonight by going to dinner at Red's, a local restaurant here in North Lib, which has awesome food and an even better beer selection. We couldn't let his first big payroll job go by without a little celebrating of course! And I made some pumpkin bread this afternoon for Jordan so we're going to test that out and call it a night! Congrats Mr. Easton, your Mrs. is so proud of you and happy for you! Those students are lucky to have you as their teacher and I can't wait to be part of your first teaching adventure!