2010. Over and done. Never to be repeated again for the rest of time (thank God).
2011. It has a future-ish ring to it, doesn't it?
The new year brings with it so many new things. New hopes, new fears, new resolutions, new determination.
New reflection of the past year and the memories it holds, both good and bad.
New anticipation about what this new year will bring.
I am so excited for so many things this year!
I really can't wait to meet my classmates and teachers and start school..Because once I've started I'm just that much closer to being finished..To being a midwife!!
Three years from today, January 1st 2014, I will have caught multiple babies. I will have gotten up in the middle of the night to attend a woman in labour. I will have learned more about the anatomy and physiology of pregnancy and childbirth than I can even imagine at this point. I will have already loved and hated almost every aspect of my future job and life, probably often at the same time. I will feel confident and knowledgeable about current research and common obstetrical practices. I will be able to share this knowledge with new parents, and if I cannot answer their questions myself I will know where to look to find the answers. I will know the importance of nutrition for pregnancy and breastfeeding.
I do have a few very good memories from 2010. New friendships were grown, and a few very special old ones rekindled. We brought home our dear doggy, traveled to Belize and saw Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, and Carrie Underwood in concert. We watched hockey games, walked our dog, ate food. We loved and were loved by our wonderful families, who we have been so blessed to live close to.
Old year, we will miss you, but won't forget. New year, so much in store!
Friday, July 15, 2011
What would a girl do without her friends? (written mid January 2011)
I wrote this post in January, and really have no idea why it never got passed the "draft" stage!! I probably just forgot to hit 'publish':)
I am so richly blessed in the friend department..I felt honoured, sad, joyful, and teary this afternoon as I gathered with my lovely West Coast Doula ladies (www.westcoastdoulas.com) for a bit of a farewell party. Everyone brought such delicious. homey food to share, and we visited about life and birth and of course New Zealand and midwifery.
As we shared food and life, I couldn't help but think about what an amazing gift this year of West Coast Doulas has been to me. What a huge blessing and preparation-in-disguise it has been to be a founding member in such a dynamic and caring group of women! I have learned so much, and now feel so supported in my decision to follow my dreams. Support really is worth so much more than it is given credit for!
I had very few words this afternoon, and I still have little to say but thank you. It means so much more than I can say to know each one of these caring women.
Before my meeting with the ladies we spent some time in Nanaimo and attended our church out there early this morning (www.themeetingplace.org). Heard such a relevant message about fear..and about how our biggest fears in life are often based around what we feel is our reason for living... The fear of losing what we hold dearest and closest is what haunts most people. By placing those fears in God, by making him the thing we hold closest in life, the power of fear disappears as God will never leave, nor can He ever be taken away.
Quite relevant for me anyway, as I'm facing some of my biggest fears in leaving my precious family <3
I hope God can teach me to love him more, and to make him the thing that I hold nearest and dearest.
I am so richly blessed in the friend department..I felt honoured, sad, joyful, and teary this afternoon as I gathered with my lovely West Coast Doula ladies (www.westcoastdoulas.com) for a bit of a farewell party. Everyone brought such delicious. homey food to share, and we visited about life and birth and of course New Zealand and midwifery.
As we shared food and life, I couldn't help but think about what an amazing gift this year of West Coast Doulas has been to me. What a huge blessing and preparation-in-disguise it has been to be a founding member in such a dynamic and caring group of women! I have learned so much, and now feel so supported in my decision to follow my dreams. Support really is worth so much more than it is given credit for!
I had very few words this afternoon, and I still have little to say but thank you. It means so much more than I can say to know each one of these caring women.
Before my meeting with the ladies we spent some time in Nanaimo and attended our church out there early this morning (www.themeetingplace.org). Heard such a relevant message about fear..and about how our biggest fears in life are often based around what we feel is our reason for living... The fear of losing what we hold dearest and closest is what haunts most people. By placing those fears in God, by making him the thing we hold closest in life, the power of fear disappears as God will never leave, nor can He ever be taken away.
Quite relevant for me anyway, as I'm facing some of my biggest fears in leaving my precious family <3
I hope God can teach me to love him more, and to make him the thing that I hold nearest and dearest.
Ok...
So, I sounded kind of full of myself and my opinions in that last post.
It was really not meant to come across that way.
It's not my intention to offend or insult anyone else's choices..I am just seeing and learning and doing so much new stuff on a daily basis that I feel like I need a place to vent my (albeit ethnocentric, slightly outrageous, one-sided and yes even egotistical) opinions!
..Maybe I need to include a warning in the blog heading!
Or maybe I just need to keep my observations to myself.
It was really not meant to come across that way.
It's not my intention to offend or insult anyone else's choices..I am just seeing and learning and doing so much new stuff on a daily basis that I feel like I need a place to vent my (albeit ethnocentric, slightly outrageous, one-sided and yes even egotistical) opinions!
..Maybe I need to include a warning in the blog heading!
Or maybe I just need to keep my observations to myself.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Long overdue.
Clearly the best way to start a new blog post would be to apologize for the length of time it's been since the last one. But, knowing how much you all love me and have long ago forgiven my horrible blogging skills, I'm going to skip that part.
It's nearly mid-July. It's been 21 weeks (147 days), 6 hours and 57 minutes since I watched my husbands plane fly out of Dunedin airport.
Not that I want you to feel sorry for me or anything ..........
......
...........nah. I'm not one for sympathy:)
Honestly, these past 5 months have felt like the longest and the shortest of my life, combined. I know that sounds impossible but it isn't, trust me.
I've spent time mostly on school, sometimes on fun, and every now and then on something completely random like wasting time on facebook;)
I've learned many clinical skills (was the last one I wrote about really donning rubber gloves? That almost feels embarrassing!) such as blood pressure auscultation, intermuscular and subcutaneous injections, IV medication administration and venepuncture (yes, that means taking bloods).
I have also written several assigments and two exams, and have spent nearly 200 hours in the maternity ward of the city hospital. I know more about breastfeeding than I thought was possible without experiencing it, and have now perfected the art of folding cloth 'nappies'.
Apparently I say 'chups' instead of 'chips' (although I still can't hear the difference) and my 'awesome' has a definite kiwi ring to it.
...I even like vegemite! (shh. don't tell my husband.)
Yes, it's been an experience. I watched the epic rise and fall of the Canucks 2011 season from a litte sports bar called the 'baa'. yes. The Baa Bar...The two words sound exactly the same coming from a kiwi...just like 'Bear' and 'Beer'.....Anyway...
I've been to a steam-punk gala in a cute little town called Oamaru, and have been a tourist in the well-known Queenstown for Winterfest, although much to our disappointment the snow didn't turn up to meet us there.
Speaking of snow, it came blustering down out of a giant dark cloud for the first time in Dunedin, today. Well, the first time this year, anyway. It's the first time in my life that I've seen it snow in July...and to be honest, it wasn't that much more remarkable than when it snows in January!
Basically, every day Ive been trying to focus on every day, and having been trying not to get too ahead of myself thinking about the fact that there are still 2.5 years left between me and midwifery. Each day has enough trouble of it's own, I have discovered over and over again.
God is faithful. Even when I am the most sleep deprived and the most stressed and the most just missing my family more than anything in the world, He is still here, still caring for me in ways that make me laugh out loud and just shake my head at His amazing provision and continued guidance and support.
I would not still be here without Him, I can tell you that much with absolute certainty.
At the moment I am looking forward to getting a few major projects behind me (if anyone is interested in the Mechanism of Normal Labour, let me tell you a story....) because I am going HOME for three weeks on August 13th!!!! I will be attending a wedding of some very dear friends, saying a MUCH needed hello to my amazing family and sweet puppy dog, and will be returning to NZ on September 2nd..HUSBAND IN TOW....Thank you Jesus, his work visa has finally come through. Steven will be joining (and STAYING WITH) me after the summer (/winter) and I simply cannot wait to share my life with him again. Living on your own is quite a funny thing after nearly 4 years of marriage..I can't imagine the adjustment that separation of any kind must be for people who have been together for even longer than that. NO FUN, let me tell you! Lots of growth, change, strengthening, and reliance on God, but not very much fun at all!
Sorry this has been quite bland and to the point, but it is well past my bedtime and I have an overly-full day of presentations, prayer meetings and yoga to look forward to tomorrow!
I will try to include some fun stories or other interesting elements in the next update:)
Love to you all and I hope you are enjoying the summer sunshine as much as you possibly can.
Warmest Blessings,
Kait.
It's nearly mid-July. It's been 21 weeks (147 days), 6 hours and 57 minutes since I watched my husbands plane fly out of Dunedin airport.
Not that I want you to feel sorry for me or anything ..........
......
...........nah. I'm not one for sympathy:)
Honestly, these past 5 months have felt like the longest and the shortest of my life, combined. I know that sounds impossible but it isn't, trust me.
I've spent time mostly on school, sometimes on fun, and every now and then on something completely random like wasting time on facebook;)
I've learned many clinical skills (was the last one I wrote about really donning rubber gloves? That almost feels embarrassing!) such as blood pressure auscultation, intermuscular and subcutaneous injections, IV medication administration and venepuncture (yes, that means taking bloods).
I have also written several assigments and two exams, and have spent nearly 200 hours in the maternity ward of the city hospital. I know more about breastfeeding than I thought was possible without experiencing it, and have now perfected the art of folding cloth 'nappies'.
Apparently I say 'chups' instead of 'chips' (although I still can't hear the difference) and my 'awesome' has a definite kiwi ring to it.
...I even like vegemite! (shh. don't tell my husband.)
Yes, it's been an experience. I watched the epic rise and fall of the Canucks 2011 season from a litte sports bar called the 'baa'. yes. The Baa Bar...The two words sound exactly the same coming from a kiwi...just like 'Bear' and 'Beer'.....Anyway...
I've been to a steam-punk gala in a cute little town called Oamaru, and have been a tourist in the well-known Queenstown for Winterfest, although much to our disappointment the snow didn't turn up to meet us there.
Speaking of snow, it came blustering down out of a giant dark cloud for the first time in Dunedin, today. Well, the first time this year, anyway. It's the first time in my life that I've seen it snow in July...and to be honest, it wasn't that much more remarkable than when it snows in January!
Basically, every day Ive been trying to focus on every day, and having been trying not to get too ahead of myself thinking about the fact that there are still 2.5 years left between me and midwifery. Each day has enough trouble of it's own, I have discovered over and over again.
God is faithful. Even when I am the most sleep deprived and the most stressed and the most just missing my family more than anything in the world, He is still here, still caring for me in ways that make me laugh out loud and just shake my head at His amazing provision and continued guidance and support.
I would not still be here without Him, I can tell you that much with absolute certainty.
At the moment I am looking forward to getting a few major projects behind me (if anyone is interested in the Mechanism of Normal Labour, let me tell you a story....) because I am going HOME for three weeks on August 13th!!!! I will be attending a wedding of some very dear friends, saying a MUCH needed hello to my amazing family and sweet puppy dog, and will be returning to NZ on September 2nd..HUSBAND IN TOW....Thank you Jesus, his work visa has finally come through. Steven will be joining (and STAYING WITH) me after the summer (/winter) and I simply cannot wait to share my life with him again. Living on your own is quite a funny thing after nearly 4 years of marriage..I can't imagine the adjustment that separation of any kind must be for people who have been together for even longer than that. NO FUN, let me tell you! Lots of growth, change, strengthening, and reliance on God, but not very much fun at all!
Sorry this has been quite bland and to the point, but it is well past my bedtime and I have an overly-full day of presentations, prayer meetings and yoga to look forward to tomorrow!
I will try to include some fun stories or other interesting elements in the next update:)
Love to you all and I hope you are enjoying the summer sunshine as much as you possibly can.
Warmest Blessings,
Kait.
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