Midwifery School - Trimester 1

Celebration lunch with my classmates after our Finals

This last Friday was my last class of my first semester of midwifery school. I can't even begin to tell all the things I've learned in these first few months. As comfortable as I am in the "birth world", I have never participated in any of the medical side other than observation. So, this has been a huge learning curve for me. Everything from learning how to take a blood pressure and pulse to drawing blood and learning how to operate an oxygen machine have been brand new for me. And, I have learned so much so quickly. It's weird to think how comfortable I am now sticking a needle in someone's arm when only 2 months ago I would have broken out in a sweat at the thought.
I also underestimated how busy I would be going to school. No matter how much Jennie tried to warn us, I still didn't have a clue of what to expect. I am interning at the birth center 2 full days a week and school is all day on Friday. Plus, I am attending 1-2 births a week almost every week. This averages out to almost 40 hours a week. I really expected it to be closer to a 20 hour week. But, there are some of my classmates that are having a hard time getting any hours so I guess I should be thankful for that part :) But, trying to get all this done at the same time as homeschooling my kids and going to our co-op 1 day a week has been challenging to say the least. And, not just challenging for me. This has brought a new level of independence and initiative to my kids that I didn't know was in them.
I do miss being at home and I do miss spending time with my family. Family time has become very precious and something I look forward to. Keeping the house clean and in some type of order is now almost impossible. My kids and husband are such great help and I couldn't do what I am doing without them, but there just isn't the time to get all the things done that I usually would do.  There is the constant battle I struggle through of requiring my kids to be part of the team of our family and helping each other out and feeling like I am asking too much of them in order to follow my own dream. It's a constant conversation as a family and a balancing act that will continue to mold and change as the needs of everyone does the same.
I love learning from my midwife and I love my classmates! If there are a couple things I know for sure, the next 8 terms will challenge me to do things I didn't even know I could do, will stretch my family to new limits and will allow me to pursue a dream that I have wanted for so long. So, it's 1 term down and 8 more to go. I am so excited to see what I will learn in this next term and I am so thankful for the support of such an amazing family!