A while back Anna posted a little update on each of us and my section mentioned that I was moving out of state to continue my midwifery training. I have wanted to post something about my midwifery journey on here for a long time and never got around to it. There was always paperwork to be done which is most important thing to be done first. So I’m finally sitting down here at Starbucks to write something, and give you a “little” (or long….haha!) update on my life in Houston Texas.

I returned to clinic August 2018 after a 15 month break recovering from a car accident. I’m almost back to normal, but I definitely can’t miss my stretches and exercises every morning or my chiropractic visits every week or I’ll be in a lot more pain. I moved to Houston early November and have been busy delivering babies and doing a lot of office visits! I’m terribly homesick, but grateful for this opportunity to work in this busy practice and experience a lot more diversity than we see in Indiana. It’s a different life living near downtown having to buy my water and go to the laundromat to wash my laundry 🙂

So here is a little update with lots and lots of pictures. All pictures shared of babies were shared with parent’s permission. Also, some pictures are out of order and not necessarily in chronological order….so just roll with it 🙂

 

 

Right before I left Indiana I attended Indiana Midwives conference which I always enjoy.

My personal favorite was the suturing class all day (on my birthday!!!!!). I also got to catch a baby that morning as well which made my birthday extra special!!! Needless to say, I was really tired lol.  I love these midwives!! <3 <3 

 

 

After conference party with the midwives!!!

 

 

 

The office I worked at during my car accident recovery time (and where trained at under my first midwife preceptor) threw me a birthday/goodbye party. I love and miss them all dearly (so yes, there were tears)….

 

 

 

My family celebrated my birthday 11 days early since I was going to be at a conference on the weekend over my birthday (and had 3 babies due)…

 

 

All packed up and ready for this adventure! I packed for what I thought was going to be 3 months. And now it is going to be 7 months away! 

 

 

Of course I had to stop and hold a gator. I really didn’t want to touch him but I wasn’t going to let myself not hold him….

 

 

 

Finally after a loooooong drive, I arrived in Texas (although I still had 3 hours to go)! Naturally I arrived during rush hour so I had a good taste of Houston traffic…in the dark…for my first impression 🙂

 

 

This was quite an interesting birth….14+people there. Some people are party people I guess. #imdefinitelynot

 

 

 

My first few weeks down here I learned a lot of southern terminology I didn’t know existed. I’ll probably be talking southern when I get back home 🙂

 

 

 

In the beginning of January two of my friends from Indiana came to visit me for a weekend!!! That lifted my spirits so much!!! We had a blast going to Galveston, Houston Zoo, and eating lots of foods!

 

 

 

{I have a weird obsession with giraffes 🙂 }

 

 

 He did not appreciate my affection….how rude. 

 

 

 

 He was just asking for us to pose with him…how could we refuse? 😀

 

 

 

 My first month consisted of lots of coffee and lots of blood draws. That’s all 🙂 {probably lots of other things too but I don’t remember…}

 

 

 

 My fall research class was tough, but I finished with an A! My final project took sooo much more work than I thought it would but it was worth it in the end. Now I know a lot more about the MTHFR gene mutation!

 

 

 

This mom had the kind of labor every woman wants. So quick we walked in just in time to catch the baby….glove-less 😀 Big brother (2 years old) stood watching from the outside of the birth tub and within 5 minutes was asking to “hold it”. 

 

 

 

Right before Christmas (2 days before I think) I drove down to the Gulf for a day to just enjoy water and sunshine. I was incredibly homesick and depressed that I wasn’t able to be back home with my family for Christmas. I’m soooo thankful for technology so I could face-time them for most of the day!! <3

 

 

 

Chiropractors are a must for this life and career. Especially when doing water births because that wrecks a back!

 

 

 

 End of December/beginning of January (mostly over my Christmas break from book work) I explored several parks in the area. I’m looking forward to having some time to do that again soon instead of being stuck inside most of the time at my computer!

 

 

 I was sure traffic would be the death of me here…turns out I’m turning into one of them (minus the reckless driving…) :0 

Drive 5mph for 7 miles? Okay. Cut in front of me? Okay. Almost kill me with your reckless driving? Okay. Take an hour to get to a location only 20 miles from me? Okay. 

 

 

<3 I love postpartum check ups….see how much weight the baby is gaining and make sure the mom is doing well with nursing and coping (emotionally and physically!). 

 

 

I felt like death after this birth. It was an all-nighter and then I had to clean the birth center and get the laundry mostly done before going home to sleep. Every time I get home from a birth I struggle to decide which is more important: shower, sleep, or food?! I try to let all three win (especially shower) even if it means grabbing a burger on the way home 🙂 

{…can’t always eat healthy…}

 

 

We had a Valentine’s day baby!! Born early morning and then we went on to do a full day of office visits and managed to stay awake at a midwives meeting over lunch (my eyes might’ve closed a few times though…)

 

 

I hit my 3 month mark beginning of February, the month I was originally supposed to go home but was invited to stay until June. Little did I know coming up was going to be a full month of babies and little sleep. I pretty much lived in my scrubs most of the month lol!

 

 

 

Living near down town is very convenient and very stressful when I’m trying to drive somewhere. But I’ll never tire of this sight….I love it!! {Pictures don’t even begin to do it justice…} 

 

 

 

<3 <3 <3 This mom worked SO hard, and she did it naturally!

 

 

 

I was sure at the beginning of the semester I’d barely pass my business math class because high school was 9 years ago and who doesn’t use calculators for everything now? I put everything I had into that class and maintained an A so far, and am almost done with it! Oh, and coffee is my everything in this life now. 🙂 {spoiler alert, I was up all night at a birth after posting this:}

 

 

 

There are those births that are what we call “butter births” (“easy” and quick) and barely make it there on time. I’ll never forget when I walked in the room and she looked up at me between contractions and said with a huge sigh of relief, “Susannah! You’re HERE!!!!” and went right on to push that baby out not too long after. 

 

 

 

I just hit the four month mark of being here in Texas. It is finally back in the 75-85 degree range instead of 45-60 🙂 This last month was incredibly hard but there has always been someone at just the right time (random places too…Starbucks, Kroger…) who encouraged me where I am at and even though the process is really hard, I know I am where I am supposed to be at in my life. 

 

 

 

 

Follow me on IG @suzyq.joy for real time updates on my journey through midwifery and my final 3 months in Texas!

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