No cartwheels at 9 months pregnant. (Student) nurse's orders.

It's been a while since I gave an update on 'how to be a nurse.' Sooooo, here's the low-down ...

While you'd be shocked that I never blogged about this, I did somewhat successfully give my first injections on a real person several weeks ago. I survived and most importantly: the patients survived. This is very good news.

Now obviously, we weren't supposed to let on to the patient that this was our first time giving an injection. However, I think the 'student nurse' title on our badges gives some indication, huh? So perhaps it wasn't the best idea to immediately follow up each injection by asking my patient, 'Did that hurt?' Yep. Definitely did that.

Since then, there hasn't been too much excitement. Unless you count sitting for hours in lecture during the summer invigorating. In that case, I would encourage you find another hobby ... just throwing it out there.

THIS week, however ... insanity has broken loose and this accelerated program is truly living up to its name. Exams. Projects. Care plans (aka, pointless torture). First week of OB clinical. It's a wonder that I've found time to breathe. The old adage 'one day at a time' has taken on a whole new meaning and to be honest, yesterday I could barely stand the thought of having to be a student for even one more day.

Thankfully, that attitude has for the most part completely changed. That's because today was my first day in the hospital. Everything started to look up when - at 6:30 am, when I was still barely awake - my clinical instructor informed me that she was 'giving me' a patient in labor & delivery .... yes, I was going to see a baby delivered on my first day. And my day gets a little better ...

I met my patient and her husband at 8 am and immediately knew I would absolutely. love. them. I was right. And while all of you moms out there who have gone through childbirth may want to hurl just hearing me say this ... I honestly could barely tell she was ever having contractions. She was laughing the ENTIRE time. I kid you not. And my day gets better ...

To give you just a little better indication of her personality, half way through the day she pulls out her camera to show us a picture of her doing a cartwheel-legs straight, toes perfectly pointed. Big deal, you say? The picture was taken LAST WEEK! 9 months pregnant and cartwheeling ... do NOT try this at home. Bad idea, but kinda funny in retrospect knowing that mom and baby both went unharmed. And my day gets even better ...

The day ended by assisting with the delivery of a beautiful, healthy baby girl. Having watched the birth of my nephew three years ago, this was not my first childbirth experience; however, the sense of awe about the whole experience was still the same. And although I completely disagree with the whole notion that childbirth is a 'beautiful' sight, there is no denying it's a beautiful miracle. And my day is ... the best.

All in all, confirmation was made: I think I'm going to love being this thing they call nurse :)

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Edited to add: This is random, but while we're on the topic of babies and little kiddos, I have to share two funny stories. The first comes from a nursing school friend:

• Her cousin (?) who was 5(ish) at the time, was sitting in the big bad ol' time out corner on a stool. In typical toddler fashion, he was crying when he all the sudden yelled out ... "I really could use a stool softener!" Laughing. Out. Loud. Apparently he had seen some commercials about said stool softeners and thought their purpose was to make his time out stool just a little more comfortable. And to that I say: What a logical and smart child :)

Story #2 comes from my favorite patient, aka, Cartwheeler:

• One of her friend's daughter was looking at her pregnant belly. The little girl's mom says, "Sweetie, 'Cartwheeler' (real name witheld, aka no HIPPA violations made) has a baby in her tummy!" The little girl gets a terrified look on her face and says, "She ate a baby?!"

How cute is that?