11 weeks....

Only one more week left until we get to hear our baby's heartbeat! I can't wait! This past week has been gradually getting better for me. I've been able to clean and cook a few things. Standing up for longer than 5 minutes isn't making me feel sick anymore, so that's good. I made my ever healthy oven fried chicken, and topped it off with green beans. It's Raun's day to cook today since I don't get home until around 8:00, but I'll try again tomorrow. It feels so good to be eating healthy again.

I'm still working out and it feels so wonderful. It feels weird to run (don't worry...I don't do it for more than 10 minutes and I got an okay from my doctor) because I can feel things bouncing. It's such a huge stress reliever and it helps me not to feel so sick. I've done slight weights, but nothing like I used to do. That's just another something for me to look forward to a few months after the baby's born.

Work has been fairly interesting. At my Knoxville place, we had to place an emergency letter to a judge on a particular boy who is 19. He offended apparently a few days before turning 18, so we have the joy of having him. He's a nightmare. He is so inappropriate and likes to talk and do inappropriate things. Yesterday topped it off because he had carried his IPOD into the session (which he wasn't allowed to have). I documented it and showed it to the principal and they took it away. But from then on, he threatened to put a pencil in my eye, hurt me, and constantly tries to walk behind me, stand behind me, or grab my legs. The scary thing is that we keep telling the judge he'll reoffend or kill someone if they don't put him in prison, but the judge is still thinking of letting him on the streets. We put in a stalker form yesterday as a protection for me, as well as 6 other Sexual harrassment forms that we are hoping will sway the judge. He needs some prison experience and let them whip his butt into shape...if they don't kill him first for being a sexual predator. He's very antisocial, which is you typical serial killers. He's awful. He's the first one I've come around (and I come around many and far worse, like gang members, etc.) that I feel so uncomfortable. I haven't told them that I am pregnant yet because I want to wait until we go to the doctor and my risk for miscarriage drops, so I'll tell them in 2 weeks. I think after that, the principal will forbid him to come near me without one-on-one protection. For the most part, they are fun and I know that if anything were to happen, the boys would protect me, since they all hate the one boy. I love my work, despite it's risks, because we're influencing lives. I actually have some boys in my forensic unit (they are court-ordered there for 30 days for committing crimes and to see how they should stand trial) who want to completely change their lives. We've been making goals and one has really taken a lot of heat from another black peer because he thinks that this particular black peer wants to do "white man's work" since he wants to go to college. We've been trying to impress upon the other guy that just because he's from what he calls "the hood" that he can still go to college and make something of himself and that getting a real job isn't "white man's work." We'll see if we make any difference on him. I did get him to come to the realization of all that it had cost him for the crime he committed and he did say he wouldn't have done it if he could do things over. Slight progress!

I had my meeting at the Alzheimer's unit on Monday and we're set to start working with them on next Friday. I'm so excited! I got a chance to talk to some of them, and I can't wait to find out their stories and to get the to have a purpose in life. I'm making a stop by one gentleman's room during the last 5-10 minutes to ease the pain of his passing away. He is quickly deteriorating, but he loves music. Hopefully just singing to him will relax him and help him to not be so scared. The family is a Christian family and are so excited that I'm coming! There's one lady there whose husband was a fighter pilot for Hitler. She's from Germany, but doesn't speak German or English to anyone. She just likes to touch you or sleep. What a story that would be if she could only tell it! I have my challenges, but it's going to lead to some enormous possibilities with other facilities and within the one I'm working at. The doctors and nurses are even on board with it and are willing to write prescriptions for it for their patients! Have I mentioned that I absolutely love my work and I am so happy that Raun allows me to do what I love and has been so patient as it keeps growing and growing. I mean, my work doesn't even feel like work....well, that is, until I have to do paperwork!

I'll write more after we hear the heartbeat next Thursday!