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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

My life in a nutshell

Dear blog family and friends-
I've been preoccupied for the past couple of days with last minute preparations to take my board exam for nursing licensure. I would sure appreciate it if you could take just a moment tomorrow, July 14, 2010, to join me in praying that I pass the first time around.
All of my life I dreamt of being married with children. I wanted to stay home and raise my kiddoes and love them unconditionally and be the model wife who keeps a "Better Homes and Gardens"-neat home (complete with daily scrumptious home-made meals and desserts and fresh cut flowers on the dining room table) and wears sexy clothes and is active with all sorts of volunteer organizations, etc...I think you get the picture. Up until now, I have worked only part time, and still been there to serve on the PTA, teach Sunday school and drop off and pick up kids from school and extracurricular activities. My husband has been a real trooper and advocate for my staying home; however, our financial situation is rather grim. Hubby picks up extra shifts and signs up for overtime hours as often as he can, but he simply can't do it all by himself. I have a bachelor's degree in Family Studies from Texas Women's University from some time ago, and I loved all of the coursework. As my advisor liked to say, it entails human development from womb to tomb. I took classes in child development, sociology, psychology, nutrition, human development, etc. As the name suggests, though, there's only so much you can do with an undergraduate degree in that field. I selected Social Work as my minor thinking I could always get a Masters in Social Work and go into counseling if need be. Meanwhile, I figured the degree in Family Studies would help me since my main agenda was to be a stay at home mom anyway. Right?
Well, after college (the first time around) I ran off and joined the Peace Corps and spent 2 1/2 years in Honduras, Central America. I worked with local nurses and midwives as a rural health educator. One of my few material possessions was a copy of Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin. I marveled at the birth stories and the lives of the midwives. I wanted a piece of that natural childbirth world!
After I returned home, I met my husband through a mutual friend and married him and worked full time and had my kiddoes (both at home with a midwife) then quit my job and attempted to settle in to my life as wife and mama. I thought about pursuing a "direct entry midwife" certification. This is where you apprentice yourself with a practicing midwife, take courses, attend a certain number of births as an assistant and then a certain number of births as primary caretaker. Finally, you take a certification exam. The downfall to that approach was that your schedule has to be such that you're available to attend births around the clock. With small children at home and a husband who works from sun-up to sundown at times, that didn't seem to be the best option for me (not to mention you have to build up a clientele, so steady income was not a sure thing either).
From a financial standpoint, it has been an uphill struggle ever since I quit working full time after my daughter was born. Even though my Hubby and I are both very frugal, and we try to live within our means there just never seems to be enough money in the bank. I do not regret the sacrifices we choose to make everyday, but I do wish there was "a little extra" to do fun stuff with the kids and with each other.
So, for a while I floundered between education and nursing, with nursing being a means to get to the wonderful world of midwifery eventually. I decided that nursing entails quite a bit of education, too, and there's always the option to teach nursing courses somewhere down the line. Three years ago I dusted off my backpack and enrolled in nursing school. I had to take all of my science courses and a couple of other prerequisites-chemistry, microbiology, anatomy & physiology I and II, speech and P.E.--before I could apply to the 2-year program. I just graduated May 18, 2010.
Now, here I am about to take my board exam. I need to pass because I need a job. I thank God for the past 12 years of being able to be home with my kids. I also thank Him for helping me make it through nursing school. Now, I'm just praying for the faith to "believe and receive" the blessings God has in store for me. Won't you join me? Thanks! Until next time...

9 comments:

  1. I wish you well with your board exam Eastlyn! I will say a prayer for you! Thank you for sharing your journey! You are such an amazing woman! I know you will do great! :)

    Mama Hen

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  2. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mama Hen. I'm off to the races! -EW

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  3. Eastlyn, you are such a wonderful writer! I always enjoy reading your comments. I am a lot like you in wanting stay home for my daughter and be the great wife and keep a Better Homes and Gardens home. I try to volunteer with things and contribute where I can. You really are such an amazing woman and I really hope you do well on the board exam!

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  4. I noticed the comment you left for Mama Hen today and came over to read your blog. You are spiritual, intellectual, gifted, are so articulate. I have a feeling you will excel at your exam just as you have in other areas of your life. I will pray.

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  5. I am not going to sit here and tell you how I feel about you, you already know that. I am not going to sit here and tell you how proud of you I am, youalready know that too. What I will say is this "TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL THY HEART, IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE SHALL DIRECT THY PATH." I know this to be true because our "Ruthie Dear and our Grandmother have told us so, and they would never ever lead us astray.

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  6. How did your exam go? I've been praying and thinking about you!!

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  7. I forgot to say..I hope the test went well, although i am a day late. My husband is an RN. He works in the OR. I always said if I was a nurse it would be in the maternity ward!! Hope everything went well.

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  8. Hey Eastlyn, I hope you did great! I know you did! Thank you for your nice comment today! I always love your comments! I would love to ask if you could visit a blog friend of mine(http://lovecommaashlee.blogspot.com/) who stopped blogging a little while ago because she went through a tough time. I would love to see some of my sweet blog buddies show her some blog love! She just wrote her first post in a long time and it would be great if we could give her some support! I hope you have a great night!

    Mama Hen

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  9. You bet, Mama Hen. I saw her comment on your blog and was curious when she said she was "back to blogging." Will definitely stop by and pay her a visit. I'll let you know about the exam results as soon as I know something (hopefully in the morning). -EW

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