<div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;color:black;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Although the episode in this piece holds a
lot of dramma, it is primarily a teaching based piece. <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Many aspects of the narratife could have
and would have been<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">drawn out</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3"> </font></span><font size="3">if the purpose was to put the emphasis on
drama.</font><font size="3"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">For example, the counselors<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">dialogue with Lorrie</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3"> </font></span><font size="3">would have been much longer and detailed<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></font><font size="3">As it was, the counselor asked a number of questions in rapid fire</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3"> </font></span><font size="3">without Lorrie being able to respond</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3"> </font></span><font size="3">to any one of them individually. <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">This is not a problem, given the
instructive<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">nature of the writing. <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">The writer’s points are being described. <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">The piece works well, and <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">it certainly held my attention. <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">The end was purely instructional and
explanatory. <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">It was done in an effective, efficient
manner.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">words.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Alone<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">By
DeAnna Quietwater Noriega<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">
(I can’t do this!) Thought Laurie as tears streamed down her face mingling with
the hot water cascading over her from the shower head. She had walked the floor
until she had stumbled in to the walls and furniture. She had rocked Lindsay in
the rocking chair bought by her parents to celebrate the new grandchild until
her legs cramped with charley horses. Still the baby wailed and drew her legs
up in agony. <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Good hook first parragraph.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Brad was working two jobs to support their little
family so Laurie could be at home with Lindsay. Each morning he left before
five and didn’t return until ten at night. <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">All day Laurie was alone with their tiny daughter
five hours away from her mom or older sisters.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Ten minutes ago, Laurie had finally snapped. She
screamed at the baby and had to put her down in the crib because she was afraid
she would shake her or fling her against the wall. She had fled out of the
nursery closing the door, dashing across the hall to the bedroom she shared
with Brad; she closed that door and rushed in to the bathroom beyond. Closing
that door too, she had stripped off her clothes and jumped in to the cramped
shower stall. With three closed doors and the pounding of the water, she
couldn’t hear the wailing baby. Slowly, Laurie calmed down. When the water
began to get cold, she turned it off and stepped back in to sanity. <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">I would start a new
parragraph here. <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Quickly, she toweled herself off and pulled on her
sweat-shirt and jeans. She opened the bathroom door and listened to the
silence. She hurried to open the next two closed doors and anxiously looked in
to the crib. Lindsay lay curled where she had finally fallen in to an exhausted
sleep.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">A horrible thought occurred to Laurie. Was the
baby too still? Was Lindsay breathing? The overwrought young mother
darted back to her own room and snatched an antique silver backed hand mirror
her grandmother had given her. She crept back to stand over the crib. With a
trembling hand, she lowered the mirror close to her daughter’s tear stained
face. She watched intently until a faint mist formed on the surface of the
glass. <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">I went through the panic
of a baby being too still myself. There is nothing like it.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Thank
God! The baby was asleep.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Laurie moved quietly out of the room and padded on
bare feet in to the kitchenette. She shuffled through the papers in the drawer
under the shelf that held the phone. Yes! Here it was. The simply printed
business card the nurse had given her when she left the hospital read: (Erin
Ellis, La Leche League Leader, mother to mother, Breastfeeding and childcare
Consultant for new mothers. Shakily she dialed the number listed on the card.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">“Hello, I need help! I think I am a terrible
mother,” she sobbed.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">A
soft voice replied, “Take a deep breath. Tell me what is going on. Where is
your baby? Tell me what is happening and why you think you are a bad mother.” <o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Laurie
hiccupped through her explanation of frustration and fear.<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">“Sweetheart,
of course you aren’t a bad mother. You did exactly the right thing when you made
sure Lindsay was safe and took yourself off until you were calmer. You have
excellent instincts. You are tired and inexperienced. New babies are a lot of
work. You are still recovering from childbirth. Take a minute to get a glass of
water, blow your nose and tell me what you have tried so far to help Lindsay
with her colic.”<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv6495490147msonormal" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">
<st1:place w:st="on">Erin</st1:place></font><font size="3"> stretched, yawned and slipped her cell
phone back into the holster clipped to her waistband. She might have a half an
hour before her 18 month old twins woke from their afternoon naps. She could
probably get a load of wash started and get a pan of lasagna out of the freezer
and into the oven. She placed her notepad back on the nightstand. She hoped
Caroline Franklin would be at the next meeting on Thursday. Laurie’s address
was a few blocks from the </font><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size="3">Franklins</font></st1:place></st1:city><font size="3">’
home. It would be good if the two could get acquainted. Laurie needed a friend
more than breastfeeding advice. New mothers were so isolated these days.
They often lacked the support network of relatives and neighbors to fall back
on that their own mothers had to help them weather those post pregnancy
days.
<o:p></o:p></font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font></div>