Finding a Balance in the Chaos

December 10, 2018

She sits in the brown overstuffed armchair surrounded by papers and books with a computer on her lap. On the couch next to her and all across the floor are a variety of plastic toys, mostly superhero themed. Old fast-food bags sit on the coffee table with crumbs and food spilling out. Her short blond hair falls in front of her eyes as she concentrates on the screen. She’s in sweatpants and a shirt that says “World’s Okayest Mom.”

Soon a red-headed toddler runs screaming into the room dressed only in superhero underpants. He climbs on her chair, begging to sit in her lap. She yells “Jaxson stop! I’m studying!” before relenting to the small child’s demands.

Lauryn Norton is a 29-year-old family nurse practitioner and a registered nurse in labor and delivery. This is just a small part of her daily hectic schedule.

Lauryn’s life has been full of ups and downs, from her father’s death at an early age to an unexpected pregnancy three years ago. Despite the many challenges of juggling motherhood, work, and school, Norton finds a balance.

Nursing wasn’t always her first choice. Like many kids, she wanted one of the “fun” careers. She says, “I wanted to be a dancer. From a young age, I was always in dance like ballet, jazz, tap, competitive teams, and I danced all through high school.”

As she grew she felt more passionate about nursing. “I had many reasons I wanted to go into nursing. My mom was a nurse and my dad died when I was five so I knew I wanted to help people.”

Her dad’s passing has been a large part of Norton’s life. “When I was younger I was bitter because I didn’t know why any God would take him away from me. I was angry and acted out more.”

Even as she grows and gains more success, Norton still remembers her father. “Losing my dad was very unfair, but now I realize that I have an amazing family to rely on and tell me how proud he would be of me, especially now that I’m only a year younger than he was when he died.”

Lauryn was only 25 years old when she learned she was pregnant. She was in the middle of nursing school, not exactly ready for a child. She says, “I was a complete wreck. I remember breaking down crying, almost hyperventilating when I told my mom about my pregnancy. Jaxson was a big surprise and I wasn’t prepared. Even then I knew I didn’t have a right to run and hide. Jaxson’s father left. It was difficult to know I was completely alone as a parent. Now that Jaxson is three I think we’re lucky he doesn’t have to go to anybody’s house that doesn’t care about him.”

Austin Norton, a senior at Morningside College and Lauryn’s sister, remembers the day she revealed her pregnancy. “It was during my senior year of high school. She came home a complete mess. My mom was mostly just shocked it was happening, but she started to make a plan for the rest of the pregnancy to keep Lauryn from freaking out.”

Nowadays Lauryn can’t be happier to have the life she has. Even though her days are usually anywhere from 12 to 16 hours long, she does it for Jaxson. She says, “Beyond school, my only goal is to raise Jaxson to be a good, decent human being who is always honest with me.”

A Hectic Life

December 3, 2018

She sits in the brown overstuffed armchair surrounded by papers and books with a computer on her lap. On the couch next to her and all across the floor are a variety of plastic toys, mostly superhero themed. Old fast-food bags sit on the coffee table with crumbs and food spilling out. Her short blond hair falls in front of her eyes as she concentrates on the screen. She’s in sweatpants and a shirt that says “World’s Okayest Mom.”

Soon a red-headed toddler runs screaming into the room dressed only in superhero underpants. He climbs on her chair, begging to sit in her lap. She yells “Jaxson stop! I’m studying!” before relenting to the small child’s demands.

Lauryn Norton is a 29-year-old family nurse practitioner and a registered nurse in labor and delivery. This is just a small part of her daily hectic schedule.

Nursing wasn’t always her first choice. Like many kids, she wanted one of the “fun” careers. She says, “I wanted to be a dancer. From a young age, I was always in dance like ballet, jazz, tap, competitive teams, and I danced all through high school.”

As she grew she felt more passionate about nursing. “I had many reasons I wanted to go into nursing. My mom was a nurse and my dad died when I was five so I knew I wanted to help people.”

Her dad’s passing has been a large part of Norton’s life. “When I was younger I was bigger because I didn’t know why any God would take him away from me. I was angry and acted out more.”

Even as she grows and gains more success, Norton still remembers her father. “Losing my dad was very unfair, but now I realize that I have an amazing family to rely on and tell me how proud he would be of me, especially now that I’m only a year younger than he was when he died.”

Lauryn was only 25 years old when she learned she was pregnant. She was in the middle of nursing school, not exactly ready for a child. She says, “I was a complete wreck. I remember breaking down crying, almost hyperventilating when I told my mom about my pregnancy. Jaxson was a big surprise and I wasn’t prepared. Even then I knew I didn’t have a right to run and hide. Jaxson’s father left. It was difficult to know I was completely alone as a parent. Now that Jaxson is three I think we’re lucky he doesn’t have to go to anybody’s house that doesn’t care about him.”

Austin Norton, a senior at Morningside College and Lauryn’s sister, remembers the day she revealed her pregnancy. “It was during my senior year of high school. She came home a complete mess. My mom was mostly just shocked it was happening, but she started to make a plan for the rest of the pregnancy to keep Lauryn from freaking out.”

Nowadays Lauryn can’t be happier to have the life she has. Even though her days are usually anywhere from 12 to 16 hours long, she does it for Jaxson. She says, “Beyond school, my only goal is to raise Jaxson to be a good, decent human being who is always honest with me.”