Summer Heat

Year one term 3. Almost a junior!!

Today I finally asked one of my beast friends Sunni to be my maid of honor. I've been wanting to ask her for a few weeks, but just haven't been able to get to see her in person. I finally decided to ask her over the phone, and I am so happy that I did!! We cried together over the phone and it was just a beautiful moment. The wedding party is almost completely chosen now, we're just waiting on one of the potential bridesmaids to confirm that she can come.

Right now we're on summer break, and this break I have a ton to do. I have to clean, do a ton of homework, be on call, and still try to enjoy myself and Jereme for the holiday weekend. We'll see how it goes.

My repro research paper is on the antepartal risk factors associated with incidence of cerebral palsy. My antepartum paper is on hyperemesis gravidarum. My antepartum paper is due before the repro paper, but the repro paper is way more interesting and therefore is almost done, even though my antepartum paper is sitting in my head bouncing around.

My kids are in Ohio for the summer having fun with their great grandparents and cousins and such. I miss them so much. They have never been up there without me, it's definitely been a difficult experience for me, less so for them. But they are having a blast, so that's good.

Jereme started his new job and loves it. I am so proud of him and happy that he is doing something he likes and is good at. Our lives are really coming together.

Ready or Not, Here We Go!

So many things to update, I have gotten so behind on my blog. I completed my first term at FSTM successfully with a fairly decent GPA, and I am content with that. This week I start Year 1 Term 2, and my apprenticeship is once again underway. I am excited to be moving along in this journey!!

We went to get our stuff from Tennessee a few weeks ago. Though we didn't fit it all in the trailer we did get most of the big stuff. My boys are now sleeping in their own beds and we have places to put all the clothes!! I am happy to have most of our stuff here, but feeling overwhelmed with a lack of space to put it all. I am in the process of downsizing and minimizing, and have a feeling a garage sale is in my near future.

We went to Ohio for Christmas, the weather was very cold and snowy but we had a good time. My children were of course spoiled, though more spoiled by Jereme than by my family this year.

Speaking of Jereme, so now we've been dating nearly 4 months, I can't believe it. I went ahead and canceled my eHarmony account, as I don't think I am going to need that anymore.

Nearer the End than the Beginning

All things have a beginning and an end. Several things in my life right now are nearer the end than the beginning. My time in Tennessee/Alabama (at least, this time) is nearer the end than the beginning. My (and the kids!) summer is nearer the end than the beginning. My midwifery training is nearer the end than the beginning (though it might not seem so to some, as I have three more years to go, I still feel nearer the end than the beginning...I have learned so much already). Now that my oldest son has turned that magical age of 9 years old I am now nearer the end than the beginning of his childhood and my role as supervising parent for him. Yes he and I still have 8 years and 11 months where he is still the "child" and I am still supervising him...but I can't believe half of my work with him is almost over :(

This summer I accomplished some things that I wanted to. First, I took my children to meet their great-grandma McGovern and see New Jersey, where their grandpa McGovern is from. While there we spent a lot of time with their aunts, uncles, and cousins that they wouldn't have known otherwise. We also had a special treat....we went to see the statue of Liberty!! Well, we saw her from afar...but it was better than not at all!! My father in law says if we come up to New Jersey again to see family that perhaps we will try to spend the better part of a day and go into the Statue of Liberty. I know that *I* will love that, and I think my kiddos will too!!

We also came to Ohio to spend time with my grandparents and cousins here. This is always a special time for everyone and I am so glad that I was able to do it again this year for and with my children. Next year will probably be a little less likely as I will have school all summer, but we will see.

The move back to Florida is proving to be very stressful for me, and I am trying to spend the least amount of time as possible thinking about it. While we were in New Jersey it was hard for me *not* to think about Tom, and everything that has happened in my life the last 9 years, because his family (though all very apologetic - as if his behavior is somehow their fault...which it isn't) either brought it up frequently, or just reminded me of him by simply being around them. Tom definitely has some physical features in common with the McGovern side of his family.

We're leaving Ohio soon, and I have a feeling my stress level will decrease once I get settled into new routines in Florida. Once the kids are registered for school (and me too for that matter!) and we're settled into our temporary living space (until I find something else).

I am also spending some time looking for a part time job. I am hoping to pick something up that will help me pay bills while I am in school. I have a goal to get rid of the van by July of 2011, and would love to see that actually happen. I am thinking about maybe getting a station wagon style car instead. Something that is better on gas, has a lower car payment, and isn't going to break down on me (hopefully!) every 10000 miles like this P.O.S. van has.

So, that is an update on me and the kids!

Fireflies, butterflies, fireworks, fairy lands, ice cream cones, cook outs, and all things summer

This summer I have been trying to soak it all in with my children. As I don't anticipate having this much time off again for a very long time, reveling in the time that I do have has become my number one priority. Though I had grande plans of learning Spanish and relearning french this summer, I have done neither. Instead my summer has been filled with spending time with my best friend, helping care for my paternal grandparents, then driving to Ohio so that my children could have a fun and relaxing summer playing with all of their cousins and visiting with all of my family.

In a few days the children and I leave to drive to New Jersey, a state I have never been to, to visit my father-in-law as well as his mother and other family. My children have never met their Great-Grandma McGovern, and I think they are really looking forward to it. They will see their cousin Matt this trip too, which they are excited about. They are also excited about seeing their Grandpa McGovern, whom they haven't seen in over a year now.

After our weekend trip to NJ we will come back here to Ohio and spend a few more days with family here. Once we leave here we will head to the Carolina's where we'll stop over night and then head back to Florida. Wow, that's a lot of travel time!!

I know I haven't been blogging as much as I normally do, but I promise once we get into new routines in Florida, the blogs will follow!!

BC's Due Date!

Today is one of our clients due dates. We had a busy clinic day that included seeing her as well. She is just glowing, however she is feeling very pregnant and ready to have a baby. We are expecting her to go into labor within the next few days.

My guy took me out last night for steak dinner. I had a really good time, but didn't get to spend nearly long enough with him. He had to get home to pack for a trip to Texas. He'll be gone until Monday or Tuesday, and I am opting for a mid-week lunch date.

My kids are leaving in a few weeks to go visit their cousins in Ohio. I am staying behind because we have too many women due for me to leave. They are excited to be going, and honestly their mommy is a bit excited for a quiet house for a long weekend.

The Blessed Care skills workshops have been indefinitely cancelled due to the fact that we have shaky job situations here (the men in our lives, not our jobs..). One of the greatest benefits to being a midwife is that there will *always* be babies to deliver, even in the Millenial Kingdom!

I am sure that next time I blog, it will include pictures of a beautiful new Blessed Care baby!