Around 6:00 on Oct. 8, English teacher Natasha Ritchie gave birth to her first baby at Sutter Maternity Center in Santa Cruz. The boy, Cooper Riley, weighed in at about 7 pounds.

“The baby is doing just fine, growing stronger each day,” said Ritchie.

According to Ritchie, the transition from teaching to caring for the baby went relatively smoothly.

“It is hard to let go of my teaching responsibilities for the time being,” said Ritchie, “but caring for a newborn is certainly a full-time job and then some.”

Ritchie felt she was well prepared for the birth of the baby and his arrival at her home. Prior to the birth Ritchie and her husband took birth and infant care classes, prepared the nursery and purchased “baby gear.”

“Preparing for the birth is hard to do, but I think we did a good job,” said Ritchie.

Ritchie plans to return to SHS and resume teaching after Thanksgiving Break. Her English classes and four sections of honors mean that she will have a large amount of grading to complete upon her return, a task she knows “will be tough.” To lighten the amount of work she will have upon her return, Ritchie wrote all her letters of recommendation over the summer—a task that took many hours.

The biggest obstacle for Ritchie now that her baby is born is trying not to be an anxious parent, according to Ritchie. However, she feels that she is quickly becoming more accustomed to life with a baby.

“Cooper is so small; it’s easy to worry about him,” said Ritchie. “However, we are adjusting and feeling more comfortable already.”