It's been a whirlwind these last few weeks. Looking back, it's hard to believe where the time has gone, but in reality, the day to day has been more of a struggle. Jose started working the night shift in the ER (8pm-8am). For a small town, we envisioned maybe 4 or 5 patients a night, allowing Jose to perhaps get good sleep in (and spend more time with us at home during the day!) We had high hopes of some quality time together during normal hours. Boy, were we wrong!
For anyone who has worked the 3rd shift, you know you have to get into a rhythm of your own. Right away, Dr. V was only clocking in 1 hour of sleep at night. Poor guy, he would come home wanting so bad to hang out with Amaury and I, but we found him passed out on the floor. After 2 or 3 nights of no sleep, I put my hubs straight to bed after breakfast.
As soon as we got Jose on a sleep schedule, our little guy started teething big time. For those of you without kids, I'm sure you know this is not a happy time for little people. You know a fire truck siren? Think of that going off in your house off and on for like 4 hours a day. You do everything you can to help them through, but sometimes earplugs would help a mama get through as well. (note to self, bring back earplugs next time we fly out of Barrow). His first tooth popped out mid-December, and his 2nd tooth came in a couple of days ago. Whew, over that hump for about 5 minutes!
I am a creature of habit. I like routines and lists. These unexpected sleep interruptions have thrown me, but have also allowed me to stick to my guns on goals I've set for myself. I know I need to socialize and laugh with friends, I need a creative outlet, and I need to exercise. I've dragged Jose out of bed many days (and bribed him with Dominican coffee ready to go) for him to work out with me. It's been a struggle, but we are always proud of ourselves for our accomplishment.
I'm working diligently on finishing Amaury's quilt. I'm very happy how it's turning out, and I can't wait for him to use it. One thing I have a bad habit of doing is thinking about the next quilt while I'm working on my current project. I've promised myself (and my sweet boy) that I'm finishing this thing by Jan. 6th. My next project is on my mind, and I'm excited my creative juices are flowing!
The weather in Barrow is cold. But of course you know that already. We are starting to see wind chills of -30. I hear this will be the norm come January and February. All I have to say is - The Valerio's aren't scared! Seriously folks, it's cold, but who's outside for long periods of time? Not us! Ok, so my husband still walks to work (he is ridiculous). I'm not so much afraid of the cold and dangerous temps as I am a polar bear sneaking up on him. That is even more serious.
I believe we are in the final stretch without sun. The sunrise is Jan 23rd at around 1:30pm. Once it comes up, our friends here say light comes back pretty quickly. One thing is for sure, WE ARE READY!
What Barrow lacks in sun, it makes up for in the Aurora. I've seen the lights pretty regularly these last few weeks. The most amazing light shows were on Christmas Eve and Christmas day night. They were both around 11:30pm. Jose and I agreed that we would text one another if we saw them. With Amaury being up at random times, I was fortunate enough to catch them transform for over 30 minutes. Jose had a break in the ER and walked out into the tundra behind the hospital. He took some incredible pictures of a big sky filled with green light. He only stayed out about 10 minutes - because it was negative 24. I watched from the cozy confines of my bedroom window. It was 70 degrees.
As we begin a new year, I've taken a lot of time to reflect on what 2014 and beyond will bring. We continue to look forward to Australia. People keep asking me what's going on with Australia. Well, there's not much to report. We've done all the paperwork, and we are waiting....and waiting....and waiting. So while we wait, we are here in Barrow enjoying our time. I know there are new adventures to be had here and friendships to cherish. It's an opportunity not to be taken for granted. Jose, Amaury and I ate our black-eyed peas today, so we know there is good luck for us in the new year. Cheers!
