We just got back a little while ago from our Nurturing Parenting class. It's held at a hospital nearby and it's for new parents to learn parenting skills. First we all eat lunch together and then the parents go to one room while the babies stay in another room playing. I didn't think you'd go for that since you're very into your separation anxiety phase at the moment but you did just fine. I think it helped that there were about 6 adults smiling and playing with you for the whole time but you know. You kept saying backa-backa-backa like you had tourette's syndrome so I had to explain what that was to everyone. Anyhoo, there were 3 other mommies but their babies are teeny tiny. One has a 6 week old and the other two have 8 week olds. They were so little and cute. I couldn't believe you had been that little. I mean look at you when you were that age...
Crazy! The mommies kept talking about how sleep deprived they were and I just shook my head not wanting to remember how exhausted I was those first few months. It's torture, Mister O!
Anyhoo, in other news, I saw a flyer in our local library about The Birth Survey. If you've given birth in the last 3 years go fill it out! It's a long survey and they ask you a bunch of questions about your doctor/midwife, and how you were treated at the hospital (if you birthed outside of the home), and also how you were treated post-partum. It's very comprehensive. Anyhoo, one of the reason they're doing it is so that mommies-to-be can be informed about their provider's practices. Filling out the survey made me realize again how lucky we were in our birth experience. I have no doubt that in most American hospitals I would have gotten a c-section or been induced or who knows what else especially since you were past full-term. My water broke spotaneously as they say in the shower at home around 4:30pm on Sunday (Mother's Day) and you didn't pop out into the world until 21 hours later on Monday at 11:21am. Many ob/gyns don't like to see a woman in labor for more than 12 hours after her water has broken before suggesting a c-section. I also wasn't forced to be induced or get an epidural. In many hospitals both would have probably been suggested and/or forced. They also completely respected our birth plan and respected the place of our doula and let me labor or birth in any position I wanted although for some reason all I wanted to do was lay in bed. We were very very lucky Mister O! We also had good health insurance that let us all stay in the hospital for 5 days while you were treated for jaundice. I didn't get discharged like a lot of mommies do. Crazyness! Hopefully this survey will make policies better though.
Oh and I also wanted to tell you that Daddy & I both applied for Teac h for Ame rica. It's a program where college grads without an education background are sent to teach in low income schools across the country. Daddy applied because he's been interested in teaching for a bit (along with 1 million other things) and actually got into a teaching certification program at UMass a few months before you were born. I applied as well but I didn't think I would have any chance since they get so many applications but we both filled out our applications which included a few essays and a bunch of questions and then were both selected for a phone interview which we did and then now we have been invited for a final interview on October 28th. We have to do a five minute lesson, a group interview, a problem solving activity, and then a one-on-one interview. It's an all day thing so Lela Mayela is graciously going to take care of you that day. Thank you Lela Mayela! Before the interview though we have to select our top regions where we would like to teach. There are 29 regions all over the country from Hawaii to Misssissippi so we're trying to narrow those down at the moment. Here are the choices:
- Atlanta
- Baltimore
- Bay Area, California
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Connecticut
- DC
- Denver
- Eastern North Carolina
- New Orleans
- Philadelphia-Camden
- Hawaii
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Jacksonville
- Kansas City
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Memphis
- Miami-Dade
- Mississippi Delta
- New Mexico
- New York City
- Newark
- Phoenix
- Rio Grande Valley, Texas
- South Dakota
- South Louisiana
- St. Louis
If we were accepted, where would you like to live, Mister O? We've been thinking of a rural area but we'll see. Anyhoo, it's time to go pick up Daddy so I'll write to you later. I love you my little snookie wookie.
-Mama
