In which I receive the book

The book! The curriculum! This is IT!


Okay it doesn't really look like that, but you get the idea. I received my curriculum in the mail. It came later than I expected, but that was fine because, like I said, I've been sick and not up to it.

AAMI is awesome because it's a self-paced program; the state of South Carolina, on the other hand, wants me graduated within three years of starting my apprenticeship, which is around May of 2012. On one hand I have this lovely "take all the time you need" thing coming from AAMI (although you have to purchase curriculum extensions), and that makes me feel confident. I want to finish in three years, I can finish in three years, but if Life or something gets in the way, I can take a bit longer. On the other hand, I have the three year handcuffs in my head with South Carolina. However, I can always ask them for an extension. At this point, SC DHEC takes things on a case-by-case basis. AAMI is a difficult program. It's rigorous, it's thorough, it's intense. I plan to graduate in three years, but I can argue that I may need an extra month to finish the program. Christine, my mentor, nearly killed herself finishing on time.

But this is all moot because right now, this minute, my priority is getting started with the curriculum. I'll worry about the months and years later. Right now I'm reading Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Dr. Sarah Buckley, and Misconceptions by Naomi Wolf. I'm thinking about my specialties: EFT will be one, and maybe newborn safety or care for the other one? I'd like to incorporate what I've learned from becoming a CPST, and maybe combine that with other attachment parenting choices.