It Has Been A While

I know, it has been a couple of weeks since we last updated the blog. So, we will try and get you caught up on what has been going on with the Mills Family.

Denise and I are both back to work. I went back to Lakewood Health System on October 6th and Denise went back to Verizon (formerly Unicel) on October 15th. It has been going fairly well as we have been doing a rotation on the night time feedings. So far, I have been working later shifts in Staples, so I have been getting up a half hour early to get Elizabeth fed and changed so that Denise can get ready at a less rushed pace. We have not quite decided how it is going to work when I work the early shift at Staples since that means I have to be out of the house a little after 6 in the morning. But we will only have to do that for one week because...........

I have landed a job in Alexandria. During my paternity leave, I had an interview with a company called Prime West (www.primewest.org). They are a non-profit medical assistance provider for the residents of 13 counties in western Minnesota. They focus on education and prevention as ways to help keep health care costs down for their customers. My position is a Utilization Management Specialist, kind of a catch all since I will be the bottom rung on the ladder, but a majority of my duties will be working on prior authorizations in their growing dental division. I will also be helping out in the pharmaceutical and medical prior authorization areas also since the UMS unit is all one area. I will be starting there on November 3rd.

What this means for us as a family is that I will be 10 minutes from home instead of an hour and fifteen minutes. It also means a little bit of a pay raise, which always is nice, and no weekend work. It is also considered a government position as everything is run through the county from a benefits standpoint. Denise will be able to drop Libby off at daycare in the morning and I will be able to pick her up in the evening. It may cut into our hockey travels some since I can't take vacation days during my six month probation period. But that is a sacrifice we will make for this excellent opportunity.

As for Libby, she has been spending the days with Grandma Rosemary and Grampa Curtis and it seems to be going well. We will be getting her pictures back from Grace Park Photography here soon and will get them up on the blog shortly there after. This upcoming weekend will be a big one for her as she will attend her first Bemidji State Hockey games. Those will take place on Friday and Saturday night and then Sunday morning, she will be baptized in Verndale at the United Methodist Church by Pastor Jill (the same one as our wedding).

So, that is about it from here. Libby is a little over six weeks old now and as close as we can tell, between 13 and 14 pounds. She is growing well and getting stronger in the neck, arms and legs. She hasn't quite rolled over yet since the accidental one early on, but if she ever figured out how to work her hips and shoulders at the same time, she would have it.

Hope all is well with everyone!

Denise, Troy and Libby