currently. {11}

Thinking about | how long it has been since I blogged! Man, life has got busy. With being on fieldwork, living at my parents, and Greta moving and grooving faster than I can keep up - I just haven't found the time. This household is busy, and quite hectic! Never thought being back at my parents would be this tough. But it is. With it being seeding time around here there is a high level of stress that seems to filter down to everyone here, Greta included. The transition has not gone as smoothly as I had hoped. We are entering week 4 of being here and she is still fighting going down for bed, and not sleeping through the night.  By now I figured things would have become more familiar and more routine but to my dismay that has not happened.  Greta originally began with sleeping in the room downstairs with my in a playpen but after 2 plus weeks of multiple night time wakings (leaving me extremely exhausted at a demanding placement) something HAD to change. I think that she heard me toss in bed (or potentially snore) leading to her waking and not going back down easily. Therefore we moved her upstairs to the room with a crib (where she naps in the daytime), brought my video monitor from home and hoped for some sleep! She is still waking once per night, but it is a whole lot better than multiple times so fingers crossed she finally gets comfortable, and maybe by the end of placement I'll have at least one full night sleep (seriously, working mama's how do we do it!? So much easier dealing with lack of sleep when I was just at home!), now just to get her to go to bed with out a scream fest of having to stand in the room for an hour....

Reading | this birth story post. Wow! The similarities to Greta's birth story is crazy. Cynthia reached out to me after my birth diaries post on Hand and the Heart and I am so glad she did! It was so nice to hear from someone else who experienced what we did and I also love following along on her Instagram to see how her little guy is growing. We are both (along with many others I'm sure) so lucky to have healthy little ones after their early start. Although she is many miles away, it's nice to feel connected by similar life experience - another reason this blogging community amazes me!

Listening to | silence. Well, there are birds chirping outside the window which makes it even better. In this house it is hard to come by as either the two way radios are bellowing out commands, the phone is ringing, or someone is moving about doing something. I'm enjoying this quiet until the guys get in from the field, my younger sister tramps about the kitchen, and Greta potentially wakes with a cry. Yes, lately any moment of silence is welcomed and makes we appreciate how quiet it is in my own house with just us three, can't wait for Fridays to get back there! LOL.

Watching | nothing. I haven't sat down to watch much TV as in the evenings I do some prep for fieldwork or reflect on my day. Most of the season finales are done and I enjoy TV-free evenings in the summers where I go for walks and mainly watch sunsets. We live in the country but I have to tell you the sunsets here on my parents farm are far better, one little perk!

Thankful for | passion. I am truly passionate about my chosen field in occupational therapy and if I didn't have that passion and it wasn't reignited on the first day of placement I don't think I'd be leaving Greta everyday. I love how I can help others and I really truly believe I was chosen for this field. It's amazing doing something that fires you up and makes you want to be better, I love being a mom, but I also know that I was born to help others too!

But seriously are the views around my parents farm not truly amazing??!?!?

Love this link-up!