Your Mom Goes to College

When I learned there was a Frank growing in my belly, I was partway through the spring '12 semester. I thought I'd be able to continue classes throughout my pregnancy. Boy, was I dead wrong. I can just imagine myself hauling ass across campus, stopping to puke every twenty feet (in the bushes, on the sidewalk, in parking spots, on some poor someone's shoes..), strategically seating myself near doors in labs and lectures, with my lovely gags echoing down main hallways. Fortunately, none of these things managed to occur (at school, anyway). After spending a few days in bed, I dragged my feet into my organic chemistry II class, only to learn that I missed a test. It was time to pull the plug.  

Since then, I've been out of school. I started out as a music major, switched over to art major, then took a 180 and dove headfirst into biology. When I started the trek through the sciences, I was headed toward veterinary medicine. I was educating myself in order to procure a career. Along the way, I found other things I liked more within biology and let go of becoming a veterinarian. I am too squeamish around blood anyway. After a few semesters of banging textbooks against my forehead hoping to just absorb the information, it started to click. I fell in love with ecology, and all things pertaining to biodiversity and evolution. Mountain Man and I found ourselves in a lot of the same classes (he was the chemistry to my biology). I have around four semesters of advanced electives and labs left, plus or minus a stray English class or so until I have a shiny degree under my belt. However, while away, I ended up with ample time for some soul searching. 

During said ample, soul-searching-time, I rediscovered some old loves that I let fall by the wayside. I decided it was time to be honest with myself. If I were to choose a major without the influence of what job I would have once I finished, I would be back in art, focusing on photography- hands down. (You can look at some old photography of mine here, keep in mind that I was a sceenie-weenie teenager at the time). In the meantime, I've been taking trillions of photos of baby Frank, but my card reader is broken and my camera's USB walked out on us, so the pictures are locked away in several compact flash cards until I get my hands on some replacements.

Earlier this week, Mountain Man and I took baby Frank with us back up to campus so I could re-enroll for the fall semester. For (hopefully) the final time, I will be changing my major back to art. I can easily complete the degree in around the same time as it will take to complete my former degree, but with a less strenuous workload (and hey, maybe I already have a biology minor). I can't see myself having fun or focusing (at all) in cell biology or organic chemistry labs while my baby is in daycare. Education is important, and always has been for me. I want to graduate.

The one thing I dread the most about going back to school, is taking Frank to daycare. I am also worried about my time management, or how high the dishes will pile up when I am back in class. Or how backed up the laundry will be. How much extra gas will it take to run all over town everyday? When, exactly, will I be able to study or do homework? Will I get enough sleep? Will Frank be sick all of the time from his little friends? What if Frank doesn't get into the daycare I want? Will he be happy? Can I trust his teachers? How much is daycare going to cost? What if we don't get the child care grant? 

Baby Frank and I have been in our own little world for the last (almost) five months, and I am not sure I will be ready to reinsert myself into society come August. As for now, we will be getting the most out of our exclusive time together until then. (We'll also be trying to figure out how to afford Adobe PS).

Bonus Frank picture :D