Master Mama!

Today was the Commencement ceremony for my Masters Degree. Even though I did not attend (my actual degree came in the mail in September so it seemed a little silly to me and it would have been quite the challenge with the babies), I thought I'd give myself a little congratulatory post as this was not an easy achievement by any means. Going to school while being a wife, full-time teacher, Young Women President to the teenage girls at church and pregnant with triplets is exhausting just thinking about it. It's hard for me to fathom that I actually lived it!

Actually, there were times up until the very end that I thought I would not even finish! When I first found out that I was pregnant in November of '07, the timing could not have been more perfect (or so I thought) because that put my due date at mid-August. My last graduate course was supposed to be in June so I figured I'd finish up before the baby arrived. Of course, when baby turned into babies - plural and I was told I'd probably be delivering in late June or early July, I really had my doubts.

At the beginning of 2008, my classmates and I found out there would be 2 sessions of our final course offered: one in late June and one in early July. I decided then and there that I would have to play it by ear but if there was any way possible that I could finish, I was determined to do so. I chose to register for the July class figuring if I hadn't had the babies by the start date of the June session, I would most definitely be on bedrest and not able to attend anyway. This ended up being a wise decision on my part because of course, I had the babies JUNE 18th at 32 weeks gestation. Even up to this point, I was not sure if I was going to be able to make the July class work because I didn't have a clue how long the babies would remain in the NICU.

Fortunately, the class began when they were still in the hospital so I was able to take the class while they were being taken care of by the NICU's sweet doctors and nurses. Looking back, it's pretty amazing that I was able to do this. I totally forgot about how I:

• read my textbooks in the lobby of the hospital while I waited for the staff change to take place in the NICU
• got up every 3 hours to pump milk around the clock in the morning hours before going to class each day
• would drive to the hospital before my class each morning to drop off the expressed breastmilk so that my babies would have the "good stuff" to drink while I was away
• had to painfully sit in class each day (and even on my birthday) for half the day thinking of how much I'd rather be with my sweeties
• had to go hide in some dusty computer closet in the middle of my class to pump in order to keep up my supply
• immediately returned to the hospital to visit the babies as soon as my class was over
• returned to the hospital again later in the evening to breastfeed the trio
• was still recovering from my C-section and had just cleared my 2 weeks past delivery allowing me to drive

Believe it or not, I was still taking the class when the babies came home from the NICU. Krista came home on Saturday while Jamison and Kiera came home on Sunday. Somewhere during all of this, I managed to create a PowerPoint for a group project and had to go back to class first thing Monday morning for our presentation! Fortunately, the instructors were very understanding to my unique situation and I was excused from the remaining 3 days of the course.

I have no doubt that I was supposed to have my babies when I did and that the Lord was mindful of me throughout the entire journey. Even though my little ones were born 2 months prematurely, their early arrival allowed me to finish this degree. Of course, I finished the degree just in time to stop teaching and become a full-time SAHM, but honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. And besides, I figure having a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education will help me, if nothing else, to be a better mom to my children. I truly am blessed!