Peterson Family Update #7490-3

Taking a deep breath--had a break for Thanksgiving from classes last week, then one more week of classes this week, and then finals.  Mostly, I've so far taken a moment or two to define what some of my goals are going to be for the longer break this week and otherwise tried to wrap my head around the idea that I don't have to be cramming my readings into every gap that I had been.  

So I'm taking a specific moment to pause, assess, and sort out what the hell just happened these last few months.

Deploy the bulleted list!

• Clinicals are my favorite thing about nursing school.  Finding that I can apply some of the concepts that I'm learning and otherwise get a general feeling for what the job is actually like, well, it's been quite validating.  I've been wondering how much experience in clinicals I needed before I could start talking about the general "oh, once I had a patient that did X" kinds of stories, when there's enough distance and vague-ary to know that I am not going to breech their privacy in any way but still allow for my feelings and interpretations about events to be expressed.  For example, I have now witnessed three births, and I have a lot of thoughts on how they were different from one another, even the general feeling in the room.  I want to share my experience, and I have a lot of thoughts there to process.  More on that later.
• We're continuing to adjust to Luna, and there are places where I find myself looking forward to seeing her--this is good progress in my eyes.  It's still about finding a rhythm, and different interventions and ideas simply take time to test properly.  As a household, we're testing some different boundaries, trying to see what makes sense for all of our needs and meet the places where our communication needs refinement.  She's getting used to us, too, acting much less skittish around the house and greeting us with a dopey grin and ear perks rather than barks.  We have been holding "Potty Parties," where every time we have a successful communication between us and her AND subsequent successful excursion to the yard there are immediate treats and showering of praise and attention.  So the way it works, someone takes Luna out and when she comes back in there's either a call throughout the house or a text of "Potty Party!" and whomsoever is available joins in the kitchen to love on her, rile her up, and whatever else.  She definitely notices the difference when she comes inside without a successful excursion, where we're all comparatively cold in reception--not cruel or scolding, just not enthusiastic.  It's been a brilliant part of our household culture and a such a bright spot to add the day.  

  

• I'm starting to get to know a few of my peers in the program better now, now that we've gotten some of the initial groundwork done in meeting people that honesty and personality can eek out from underneath more filters.  Plus, there's something special about those relationships that form around mutual suffering, like the true bond of a group of persons hating the same coworker.  
• We've stayed--so far--pretty healthy in this home.  There have been a couple of places where we have been exposed to someone who was exposed, but on the whole are keeping a good "alert but not anxious" bent.  I have few places where I will go off on someone--threatening my bodily autonomy by exposing me to something against my choice or wishes, that's a hell of a way to go about it.  
• Our bathroom project has had a handful of setbacks (as home improvement does), but we're still moving forward and getting to a point now where we can see the end.  In the picture, the ostomy toilet is placed (right side middle).  I'm very much looking forward to that piece, to have a space for me.  It was far and away the biggest hurdle of the project.  We've started moving things into the newly created closet space, too.  As far as other projects, we're working on a better carport situation for Andy's project car, which has required a fair bit of digging clearing out space under our deck.  

• I've been compiling different ideas of things I want to do over break.  Some are house projects, some are personal projects, and some are an interesting kind of in between.  At least part of that is going to be working toward a bit of a blog post stockpile, so we don't have any more gaps this next term.  Otherwise, I'm aiming to draw another family portrait and brush up on some sign language.  Having no structure for a couple of days is fine, but I feel very anxious with no structure for a longer period--it's too reminiscent of times where I was convalescing, literal months of nothing because I didn't have the energy or the ability.  

I've never really tried to draw a dog before.
Getting some practice in before attempting a family portrait.

And that's the short version of things.  Knuckling down for a little bit longer for the term before I can allow myself to relax.  Hope everyone had a safe and brilliant Thanksgiving.