Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson is playing on the iPod. This particular playlist is labeled as "Hospital Remix."

I'm counting to 10 over & over again... The nurse asks "Do you have any John Mayer?" I laugh, thinking to myself that my coworker saw him at a restaurant, wearing a jacket with "Mayer" written across the back, just in case no one knew who he was. Loser.com for sure.

I feel like I've been counting to 10 for hours...it was really only been about 90 minutes. I'm the first to announce "I see his hair!" Dad is so excited, he forgets to count to 10 - I take over, reminding him to keep counting, without having to say anything to him.

Before I know it, the baby is out. Dad immediately has tears streaming down his cheeks. I grab the camera, so that they have a picture of him cutting the baby's cord. & so that they can have a picture of the nurse giving Mom the baby. & so that Dad can hold the video camera, without having to worry about someone taking pictures. & so that they have a couple of pictures of their first moments of being a family. (Don't worry - they were all G-rated!)

Before I know it, Mom tells Dad to get a picture of the baby & me. It was such a great moment. I congratulate the parents & tell them what a fabulous job they did. I also thank them for allowing me to help them throughout the delivery. Dad asks me how many deliveries I've assisted in. I tell him "This was my first one."

& from that moment on, it is a memory that I will never be able to forget.

The End....already?

I can't believe it's here already - the end of my 8 week rotation in pediatrics.

I never thought that I was going to enjoy this rotation as much as I did. Let's face it, everyone says I'm great with kids, so naturally, that would mean that I would be horrible with kids at the hospital.

Much to my surprise, I LOVED every second of this rotation - even when it meant waking up a 3 year old who just started bawling his eyes out when he saw me. Even when it meant that it was just me and a young, new mom trying to get her baby a bath.

I enjoyed getting to know my patients & their parents. Learning that singing the ABCs helps to comfort a 4 year old was quite the experience & just thinking about it brings a smile to my face - especially considering I am tone deaf.

Who knows? Maybe being a pediatric nurse is in my near future!