Hand Washing 101

Today we completed a lab in my microbiology class on Hand Washing. On Tuesday I worked with my lab bench (3 other girls) and we each did a different hand washing technique...

• Just Water
• Soap & Water WITHOUT drying *I did this one*
• Soap & Water WITH drying
• Surgical Scrub

We 'stamped' our fingers at the 0, 1, 2, and 3 minute mark of hand washing then put it in the incubator to cook until today. I assumed that my hand washing (soap and water without drying) would have an obvious result...at 0 minutes there would be a lot of bacteria and then progressively less each time. However I was SOOOO wrong. My results were opposite of that, I had the least amount of bacteria at 0 minutes and the most bacteria at 3. I initially assumed I had done something wrong, and asked my professor if that was the case...she said no I had done it correctly and we'd soon discuss it.

Turns out that when you wash your hands with soap, the soap acts as a detergent and 'pulls' the bacteria from your hands and into the suds. You then rinse it with the water, and a lot of bacteria comes off but not all. Normally if you use a paper towel to dry your hands that will remove the remaining bacteria, however when you DON'T dry your hands the bacteria just sits on your hands...EWWWW!! If you think about it, if you use a hand dryer you are just HEATING and ADHERING the bacteria back on to your hands!!

I am learning a lot in my micro lab this year and really enjoying it. I was a germaphobe before and this class is just making it even worse LOL!

Happy 2nd Birthday Jack, Nate & Gabrielle and Our Story Together

I cannot believe it, ‘my’ babies are 2-years-old today!!  The past 2 years have just flown by!!  While I have watched LOTS and LOTS of babies/multiples over the years, these are the first set that I have been with from day one (or technically before).  So I feel honored to have been with them their whole lives, that’s really special!! 

I was hired to be their nanny in January, four months before they were even born.  We were neighbors, and had been for almost 10 years, and yet we hadn’t ever met.  So out of the blue one night Kim calls me and introduces herself and we talked, she basically offered me a job right there on the phone – without meeting and our just one phone conversation.  It took me a while to accept the offer, because at the time I was happy with my job I had.  But the more I thought about it the more exciting the idea of working for newborn/preemie triplets excited me.  Plus it would really help with me being able to attend SPU and eventually get into nursing school.  So I took the plunge, and left the family I had been with for almost 4 years to work the Harrington’s.

Over the next several months, I spent time with the Harrington’s getting to know them, helping them figure out what they would need for the babies and getting excited for the pending arrival of the babies!  That day finally arrived on April 29th, 2007 just shy of 34 weeks gestation.  The babies then spent a month in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) before they got to return home to Duvall.  During their 4 weeks in the NICU, I had the honor of visiting them, holding and cuddling with them!!  They were so little.  I remember the first time I held Gabbi when she was about a week old, when I was handed her all wrapped in a blanket I thought my mom still had a hold of her…she weighed nothing!

Pictures of the Triplets right after they were born
(stolen from their blog Harrington Triplets)

 

“Baby A”
Jack Douglas Harrington
4#7 oz

 

 

 

 

“Baby B”
Nate Michael Harrington
3#1 oz

 

 

 

 

“Baby C”
Gabrielle Hope Harrington
4#1 oz

 

 
 

Triplets first photo together

 

 


Over the next year we did a lot of fun things together like…

Going to HAWAII

Going to the Children’s Museum  

Playing in the Snow!
 

Going out to lunch!


Having play dates


Then the FIRST BIRTHDAY!

The Second Year we ….

Swam in the pool
  

Played with toys & friends
 




Went to the park
 

Visited the zoo
 

Puddin’ Painted

Went to the Pumpkin Patch

Went to Lake Chelan

Tonight we headed to Ixtapa for their birthday dinner!  There were about 15 of us including myself, Jaime & the girls.  Let’s just say they weren’t overly impressed.  They REFUSED to wear the sombreros and Jack then screamed bloody murder when we tried to get him to eat the sopapilla’s!  Nate and Gabbi enjoyed them once we left them alone!  Here are a handful of pictures from tonight.

   

Their party is being held on Sunday afternoon, so it’ll be interesting to see how that goes.  I think they (Jack especially) just gets very overwhelmed with a lot of people around and all the attention on him.  Their birthday party is a small gathering of just family and close friends.  So hopefully that helps and the babies feel more comfortable.  Plus it’ll be in their own home, so that should help!

Happy Birthday Jack, Nate and Gabbi, I love you guys!!  XOXO

Movin' On Up -- part III

On April 9th, I was spot #6 and then on April 15th, I was spot #5 and today, April 29th, I am now spot #4 on the SPU Nursing Waitlist! I am sooooo excited, I can do this only 4 more people need to not go. May 1st is a BIG day for the wait list (I believe), it was the deadline for other people on the wait list to confirm they want to remain on it. If they don't reply, I assume they automatically will be dropped moving me up even more!! Wahoooo!!

Jaime ROCKS!

Yep...it's true, Jaime is awesome! She came over yesterday morning and helped me get motivated to clean my bedroom! According to Brandi, it was the messiest it had ever been...I'm not so sure that's the case but it was bad!!

Might as well make this a Jaime post - she'll like that!! Hmmm...what else to say ;)

Jaime is an amazing friend and momma! I enjoy her company and spending time with her (and her girls - haha!). Lately we've become addicted to Phase 10. Phase 10 is a really fun card game and for the life of me I cannot beat her!! We've played at least 4 games, and Jaime has won all of them....not fair! We're gonna play again tonight and hopefully I can win!!

Thanks Jaime for helping me clean my room (it looks and feels so much better now!), I really needed the motivation and help to do it and I greatly appreciate it! Thanks for also being a great friend, and sharing your adorable girls with me!! XOXO

Lake Chelan Video & Mom's AWESOME Talk

Okay I got it done ... here is our Lake Chelan trip ... don't forget volume!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My mom also gave an AMAZING talk in church today...kudos for her!! She had to speak in front of the entire congregation for 15minutes! She did awesome, and the rest of the day I was stopped by people saying what a great job she did! Way to go MOM!!

Game Night with the Harrington's

This evening when we got home from the mall, the Harrington's were also just getting home - Nate's "Coe-ee" melted my heart and I went and snatched him up for the evening! He came back and hung out with everyone while we had dinner. Alex and I took him home around 9:45pm (yes late, and way past his bedtime) and then hung out to play a game of RACKO.

I just gotta say, I ROCK AT RACKO!! And to make things even better, Mark cannot beat me at it!! Kim beat me once, but I still am the all time RACKO queen! My family has owned RACKO for years, but it's been a long time since we've played it. But Mark & I found it at the "Dollar Store" (ha ha nothing was cheaper then like $10) while we were in Chelan. We played it non-stop on vacation! I had forgotten how much fun it is!

I'll leave you with one adorable picture of Emmalee, that was taken today for her 3-month pictures. Check out Jaime's Blog for more pictures of Emma and a couple of both girls together! I gotta say I have the cutest nieces in the world!!

Why Am I Awake??

Why am I awake when I should be asleep mentally preparing for my exam tomorrow in Microbiology?? I still have to memorize 1/2 of my flash cards (I have about 125 total) and then re-go over everything...I should be asleep or studying, instead I am once again wasting time online. Hope I don't regret it tomorrow :(

Parallel Parking Protégé

Yep, that’s me!! I’ve gotten really good at parallel parking since attending SPU. Many of the best spots are ones you have to parallel park in. Today, I was extremely proud of my parking. When I drove by this spot, my first thought was “there’s no way, I can get my car in that spot”. But I decided to try anyway…worse case I’d hit the car behind me (LOL). And check out the results…

I’m very proud of my parking skills!!!

Lake Chelan – Days 2 & 3

We had a lot of fun in Chelan, the internet service was touch and go so I didn’t get an opportunity to get post again!  But here are several pictures from Saturday and Sunday!

Saturday

We started out by heading the park.  This park at the biggest slide I’d ever seen!!  The babies LOVED it!!  But unfortunately they were to little to climb it themselves, so that meant Mark & I had to carry them up and then slide down with them!  I must have climbed that slide 25 times!!  My arms were very SORE by the end!

After being warn out from the slide climbing, we headed back to the beach.  This trip to the beach we let the kids go down to the water.  They really enjoyed throwing rocks in the water and splashing with sticks!

        

After a day of playing, the triplets were DIRTY!  So they got a bath!  With no toys to play with in the tub, the splashing was extraordinary!  The entire floor of the bathroom was covered in water, as was I!  But I still managed to snap a few pictures of the chaos!

Sunday

We once again headed down to the beach to let the triplets play in the water again!  Here are just a picture of each of the babies…Sophia was playing with the Spell girls so she wasn’t around for these pictures.

  

 

 

 

 

Nate Michael Harrington

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gabrielle Hope Harrington

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack Douglas Harrington

 

 

 

 

 

Then Gabbi decided to take a ‘swim’ (aka falling in)….don’t worry we were right there and she was able to stand herself up since it was only like 3” of water! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thought I’d conclude my post and trip to Lake Chelan with a funny video of the real reason triplets are given a bad name!  By the time I grabbed my video camera Jack had calmed down…but imagine all three babies freaking out like this!  Kim, Mark & I were laughing so hard watching the kids just freak out!!

Thanks again Kim and Mark for inviting and taking me along!!  I had a lot of fun!!  Hope we go back this summer :)