Updates...

My grandmother is home from rehabilitation and doing well walking around with the assistance of a walker.

Audrey weighed in at 9 pounds 4 ounces at her check-up on Wednesday and is still doing very well with breastfeeding.

Kyle is still expirimenting with tasting by licking foods but that's a good step for him to get to eating.

We got the certificate of eligibility for Hannah to attend the voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) program starting in September. Now we just need to choose a site and sign her up. The VPK program is a government-paid program for children to attend a childcare center or school's pre-kindergarten program to prepare them for kindergarten. All families are eligible regardless of income as long as the child lives in Florida and is four years old as of September 1st. I was surprised to see such a good selection of sites including a few Montessori schools, even!

I've gotten word that I am all set to start my full-time externship June 2nd at St. Petersburg General Hospital. I will need 32 hours a week for 6 months before completing my program.

I checked with my friend Kristin, who used to work as a nurse at that hospital and found out that they do have a nursing mothers room where I can pump milk on my lunch breaks. A growing number of companies (not just hospitals) are starting to provide a "corporate lactation program", including a private room with electrical outlets, a comfortable chair and a sink. Some places even provide a fridge or even a hospital grade pump! It's a growing trend because even the corporate world has come to acknowledge that nursing mothers are happier, have shorter maternity leaves and have fewer absences for child illness, among other benefits.

Chris went to the Health Department for his vasectomy last Friday morning. The government actually pays a portion of the cost based on income and family size and his insurance is paying the remaining cost. They actually let me stay in the room and watch the procedure being done. It was definitely unusual to watch. A student nurse came in to observe, too, but she had to leave shortly after the cauterization because she was a little queasy. He had to stay in bed Friday and take it easy Saturday and no sports for one week.