That's Lt. Baby Catcher!

Applause, cheering, jumping with exitement...keep it coming ladies and gentlemen, because I got the scholarship!!!! The USAF picked me. In a few weeks, I will be 2nd Lt. Harris. Then in 6 semesters, I will be a midwife. I have to keep reminding myself of these things so that I can keep a positive attitude even when I think what I am doing is dumb. Okay, off to study! Just thought I would let you know.

Bring It On...and keep it movin!

Sometimes I feel like there is so much to do that it just really doesn't matter anymore. Another paper, another test...sure, bring it on. Tomorrow I have an 8 hour orientation on my floor. What could we possibly be doing for eight hours? Good thing my PDA has solitaire, lol! The only thing that annoys me is that we have a super, big, bad skills test on Friday. There is a lot, I mean a lot of information to cover. Whine, whine, whine...okay I feel much better now...off to study.

I thought I was being sensitive...

My husband lovingly jokes that I am very militant. I wouldn't say militant, I would say sensitive. I am very sensitive to the fact that there are only 14 black students in my class. I do feel a slight tightening in my stomach when we talk about African Americans in class. I do not know if that is a simple reaction to listening to a person talk so authoritatively about a culture that they have never been a part of or that I feel like they are making subliminal messages that are creating bias in the minds of my classmates. I sometimes wonder if it would be better if to have lived back in the '40s or '50s at least racism was overt and not subliminal or whispered about amongst friends. I like knowing where people stand. If you have issues with me because I am black, or certain preconceptions about me because I am as tan as you try and get at the salon/beach, let me know. And please do not insult my intelligence and tell me that racism does not exist. Somedays it is just more conspicuous than others. I see it everyday. I feel it everyday. I can't talk about it because then I might be misunderstood and become isolated from my peers. I feel like I have to be on time and I have to be top of my class because I don't want to be the token black that is always late and struggling to keep up with the material. So no matter what people try to close their eyes to, or insist does not exist, I see it. I see and I feel racism every moment of every day.

This laugh was just in time...

My advisor sent this to me...it is too cute!

The "Middle Wife" by an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher

I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself,
but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second-grade
classroom a few years back.
When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions
with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually,
show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model
airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that.

And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they
want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.


Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid,
takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow
stuffed under her sweater. She holds up a snapshot of an infant. "This
is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday."

"First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put
a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there.
He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord."
She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to
laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her
in amazement.


"Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, 'Oh, Oh,
Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. "She walked
around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' Now this kid is
doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.


"My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't
have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie
down in bed like this." Then Erica lies down with her back against the
wall.


"And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case
he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like
psshhheew!" This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming
water flowing away. It was too much!


"Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe.
They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a
sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they
all said it was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot of toys
inside there."


Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.

I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's
show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another "Middle
Wife" comes along.

Just Breathe...

Every day I feel like I am barely holding on to my sanity. What paper is due this week? Exam next week, no oh good, wait, two exams next week. Oh and don't forget that you are a wife, too. That means: laundry, bills, clean house. Just breathe, right? Nobody died from grad school, they just wanted to every day of it. P.S. if I hear one more damn lecture about what stress does to my body I will scream...here's an idea "STOP STRESSING ME OUT!"

Sad News...

My husband's grandmother past away this weekend. Lillie B. Yuille. The sweetest old lady on the block. The woman that had her engagement ring reset into a necklace so that I would have something old to wear on my wedding day. The woman that is the epitome of a village raising a child. We will love and miss you dearly, but Q and I are so happy that you get to be back with Grandpa and get to watch all your babies from a better place.

I got my clinical grade back. 87=B+. Not horrible, but I could have and will do much better. This semester is flying by. I have a midterm due Tuesday and hospital clinicals are in 2wks!!! In 25 months, I will be a midwife!!! Hopefully in Italy, or Japan, of Panama City, good ol' USAF. (Pick me, pick me!!!).

I would love to get an extern position on an OB floor over the holiday break. That would be huge, but I am not sure where to find info, I think I am going to pick some of my wonderful professors' brains to see if they have any connections. If anyone else is in middle TN and has any opening please let me know.

Well I am headed back to Chattanooga after class today. The services are on Friday, so I will post sometime next week. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers.