In less than two weeks, my restful summer will come to an end. I'm currently in graduate school and studying to become a nurse practitioner at Samuel Merritt College. I've had the benefit of resting during the pregnancy so far because I only had one online class and wasn't working. I actually did have a job as a registered nurse at Berkeley Primary Care (a local community clinic) but stopped working there early on after becoming pregnant. I knew that once my full school schedule hit this Fall, it would be too much to juggle a first-time pregnancy, full-time school, and a job as a first-time RN.

I've spent much of the summer doing housewife duties like cooking, cleaning, running errands, and doing the grocery shopping. Gene's enjoyed the daily homecooked meals but yesterday I warned him that in less than two weeks my schedule would gear up again and I probably wouldn't be able to manage the house like I had been.

This Fall I'll be taking Advanced Pathophysiology (the study of disease processes), Advanced Health Assessment (learning how to take a patient's history and physical examination), and Family Nursing (providing family-centered care). I've been trying to complete the reading my instructors have assigned for the first day. I'm starting the second half of my program (the nurse practitioner portion) and the reality has set in that I'll be responsible for diagnosing, treating, and managing patients' care. Doubts run through my mind...will I be able to do it? Am I smart enough? Will I be able to handle the pressure? But other times I feel confident that even though it'll be hard, I can do it if I put my mind to it.

I know it's going to be a challenge to study while raising an infant but Gene and I are a good team. We're pretty good at helping each other out so I think everything will work out fine.

On a side note, my brother is getting married this February in Hawaii! I did some research on traveling with newborns because Marley will be a little over 1 month old at that time. The risk for traveling relates to a newborn's developing immune system. It's preferable to wait until 2 or 3 months of age to fly, but if that isn't possible a baby that checks out okay at their 2 week checkup and was delivered at full term should be okay to fly. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Traveling with a baby is sure to be a fiasco but I'm sure my family and relatives will be happy to see him at the wedding.

I can sense Marley's presence in my belly more and more these days. The idea of carrying him has developed from an abstract idea to a definite reality. He reacts to our voices with little kicks and movements. Gene often puts his head on my lap to talk to him. I can tell when Marley's sleeping and when he's awake. And I never feel alone. He's already keeping me company. I haven't had many discomforts recently but the most significant would have to be the back pain. It's hard for me to stay in one position for too long whether it be laying down, sitting, or standing. It's amazing to me how women can endure 9 months of pregnancy and sometimes days of labor. We are so strong!