May I Use Your Baby for a Game of Dominos?

I went to a house-show last night, starring Darlene (http://www.myspace.com/moteldarlene). The host of this event, David (http://www.davidwiewel.com/), is a family oriented guy who also invites children to his parties. One thing I like about my Sudbury community is that the young families aren't segregated into some sort of idealized suburbian isolation. Everybody is integral in this community, and I am so grateful to be a part of and learn from this model, as I have seen other communities where community as I know it, is an unthought of concept.

As a midwifery student I have an interesting position amongst my friends, particularly the women, and especially the mothers. Women tell me their birth-stories, ask me for advice, and so on. Interpersonal relationships with women outside of the constraints of the Midwifery Program (http://www.midwifery.laurentian.ca/Laurentian/Home/Departments/Midwifery/Midwifery+Homepage.htm?Laurentian_Lang=en-CA) are really grounding for me. As a student I must behave a certain way and I am under the pressure of watchful eyes, which evaluate my performance. To be amongnst friends and aquaintences who grant me an almost automatic level of respect for choosing midwifery as a profession makes me feel confident in my ability to be a good midwife in the future. I sometimes wonder whom of the young women I now know, will deliver a baby into my hands and under my protection, in the future.

Five weeks ago my friends Trek (my hairdresser) and Jenny had a baby. I met baby Audrey last night for the first time. It was so nice to hold a baby again, as since school ended for the summer, my baby-holding practice has been reduced by about 99%. It becomes addictive (I am also addicted to palpating mamas' bellys). When the moment felt right, I made a b-line across David's kitchen to where Trek was standing beside Audrey in her car seat. I asked if I could pick her up and Trek agreed. I removed her little pink blanket and picked up her loosely swaddled body. As I turned around, my elbow hit my beer bottle*, which was sitting on the counter. My bottle knocked over two others in a chain reaction, resulting in beer falling to the floor. There was nothing I could do about it-- I had a baby in my arms. I turned to the room and shrugged my shoulders as somebody said, "It's okay guys, she's a midwife."

* For the record, I had only had one beer to drink. This was no more than another one of God's divine jokes.

xo!