What a Semester!

I must say that of all the semesters I have been glad to be done with, this was the one I was most glad to see go! This has been the hardest semester of any school I have ever done. I feel like every weekend I was having to spend in front of my computer doing research or writing papers or doing clinical write-ups. I feel like I didn't spend as much time with the kids as I should have and I know that this was hard on Will because if I wasn't with them, then he was.

He was having to put them to bed a lot of nights without me and that made me sad to hear them out there crying and just wanting me to hold them. This semester was just full of a lot of stress.

But I am happy to report that it is over and I made it! The last two weeks of school I had my Rearch final, my clinical notebook due, my Pediatrics final, and my poster presentation.

This is how my poster turned out. I was proud of it and made a 99 on it. Will thinks I am crazy because I wanted to email my instructors and ask them why I made a 99 and not a 100. I just wanted to know what it was that I did wrong so that I can do it better next time. He told me that is neurotic. So I didn't email them...but I am still curious what they counted off 1 point for!

My research presentation (as you can tell from the title) was about a mother's perspective of breastfeeding. I was focusing on first time mothers and what causes them to discontinue exclusive breastfeeding before a child is 6 months old. And why they don't continue breastfeeding until a child is 12 months old. I am very interested in breastfeeding and think that it is the best option for every baby. I understand that there are medical reasons why some women cannot breastfeed. But I am interested in knowing what causes women who can breastfeed choose to stop. I did a MASSIVE amount of research in this area and feel like I have gained a lot of knowledge and insight into this. I am excited to do my 30 hours of clinical with a lactation consultant at a pediatric office and talk with some mothers and find out what kind of difficulties they are encountering. I am hoping this will all make me a better nurse practitioner and someone who can understand what challenges women are facing so that I can help them better.

Anyways...kinda got off of subject there. But that is what I was working on all semester! I am choosing not to do a thesis to finish out my Master's degree. So instead of carrying out my research project, I will write a journal article about mothers and breastfeeding and how Nurse Practitioners can support women and help them fight the challenges that they face.

I enjoyed my pediatric clinicals this semester even though I am still not sure if pediatrics is for me! I was at a great office with a great doctor and nurse practitioners. I learned a lot and became more comfortable working with parents and their children.

So I made it through this difficult semester, and I will brag on myself just a little bit and say that I did it and have maintained my 4.0 average in graduate school! I know grades aren't everything, but it is hard for me not to care so much about my grades! I am looking forward to this break and spending more time with the kids. My house is a disaster area and I have not even started decorating for Christmas! So I have a lot to do in a short amount of time! Me and Kimberly are supposed to be going and getting massages tomorrow and I am very much looking forward to that! It will be a much needed rest and break!