Reading and ranting and planning, oh my!

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a must-read.  I would advise any woman who is pregnant or wanting to have children to read this book WAY before they pick up "What to Expect When You're Expecting".  Any mother, any woman, anyone who gives a hoot about how a mother in labor is treated and how her baby makes its entrance into the world should read this.  Any birth advocate, medical professional or birth support person would benefit from reading this book.  It supplies the facts and statistics surrounding birth in America and evidence-based practice.  In my hospital there is a committee devoted to "best practice" (appropriately named the "Best Practice Committee"), based on the current medical evidence.  Why can "best practice" be applied to every other area of patient care except L&D?  I had a patient the other day who is an L&D nurse in the hospital where I work.  I talked with her about trying to get my foot in the door and get some experience while I'm in school for midwifery.  She thinks that I won't have any trouble getting onto the L&D floor, especially if I'm already in school.  I hope she's right!  Apparently I'll have to go to night shift, but that's O.K. with me if that's what I have to do.  I honestly feel that I can make a difference in the time that I'm there.  I want to be able to help those mommas out there.  I realize that there will be many who come in who want every intervention that we have to offer, and I'm going to have to learn to come to terms with that.  But I think it will be worth it, not only to get into that environment and get some experience, but also to help me solidify in my mind which direction I want to go after school.

I went to Bally's today and had my appointment with my personal trainer.  I almost passed out after 45 minutes with her.  Seriously.  I was lightheaded and dry heaving.  Yes, people, I am OUT OF SHAPE!  I already knew that, but I was a bit surprised to see exactly how bad of shape I am in.  My weight has actually been holding steady, but my endurance is in the crapper.  Well, on the bright side, it was a real wake-up call for me, and I'm committing myself to make some major changes for my health.  My trainer said that, if I work my tucchus off, I can meet my fitness goal in approximately 37 weeks.  That's better than I thought!  I figured it would take more than a year.  But seriously, that's about 9 months.  I can do that.  Nine months that will effect the rest of my life...

It's getting hot in Fresno.  It's hit the 100-degree mark already.  Yuck.

Well, it looks like we might have found a house to rent!  It's 1300 s.f., 3/1 with a detached garage, hardwood and tile floors, a chain-link and privacy-fenced backyard with a separately fenced garden area.  It has an orange tree, peach tree, the neighbor's lemon tree that hangs over the back end of the property, a kumquat tree, a walnut tree, and sage, mint, and lemon grass in a planter that's staying.  The garden area looks like it's been roughly tilled already, but needs some tending.  My grandfather got me interested in square-foot gardening, which I plan to use in my little yard, should we end up getting the house.  Also interesting, I found, was a Native American practice called Three Sisters gardening.  I may just do Three Sisters first, as we will be in the end of June once I start plant (again, hinging on whether or not we get the house) and it'll take less time to do that than to make a bunch of 4x4 boxes for my square-foot garden.  I don't know...I'll have to see how it goes.  It has a doggy-door (which Ziggy will LOVE), and appliances including washer and dryer come with it.  It has central heat and air, as well as a fireplace, furnace, and swamp cooler, so we could be a bit more energy efficient in days like these, where it's dry out and not yet stifling.  We have been able to keep the air off and windows open for most days that we've been out here, although central air is practically a must in the 110+ degree summer days  that the Valley experiences.  We are, after all, right next to the Mojave Desert.  Anyhoo, I'm really hoping that we get the house.  The rent is more than reasonable, and the neighborhood is nice.  Not ritzy or anything, just average, middle-class, well cared-for homes and people out mowing or working on their cars or landscaping on the weekends.  I cruised the area, up and down streets 3 ways in either direction, and it's consistently nice.  *fingers crossed*