Back to work

Tomorrow morning I go back to work for my first full day since March. It's been a long time and I hope I remember everything I need to remember at work so I can do a good job. Ryan is staying home with Addie and is planning to bring her to me at my lunchtime so I can nurse her and see her halfway through the day. That'll be something to look forward to!
I spent the second half of today briefing Ryan on what Addie's routine is and what things I've figured out that she likes/dislikes and how to soothe her when she's gassy/fussy/hungry (obviously, feed her, but you know what I mean...) and he was very receptive, which made me feel much better. Knowing that he's in tune to what works for her and wants to spend this time with her makes ALL the difference to me.

On another note, Kathy suggested a new weekly post where I put up a bunch of pictures of Addie in all the cute clothes she has worn the previous week... like a "Picture Wednesday" or something like that. Any votes for what day and a name to call it? Knowing that some of her outfits in the closet will only get worn one time, it's probably a smart idea to take pictures of her in each of them. We've started already this weekend and what fun it is dressing her up and doing our little photo-shoot each morning!

Baby Shower #2

Today my dear friend Kathy and some of my coworkers put together a baby shower at work to honor this little boxer-girl who has set up camp right under my ribs (yikes she's kicking a lot tonight, it seems!). They had about 5 different kinds of pizza and a full ice cream sundae station set up, lots of thoughtful gifts, and Kathy took lots of pictures. Since she already posted her pictures from the event, I'll send you there to see them. About 20+ people were there, which was a pretty awesome turnout for a baby shower. Maybe it was the pizza and ice cream luring them in, but I'd like to think they came at least in part to see me (and perhaps sneak a peek at how big I've gotten in the past 2 1/2 months)...

It was a fun afternoon and I feel blessed to have such sweet and supportive coworkers.

Thanks Kathy for all you did in making us feel special today (me and baby)!

A Mad Scientist

What it looks like when Dylan and I go to meet Ryan for lunch at work:



Note the sounds of Dylan in the background, watching a Thomas the Tank Engine episode on Ryan's computer.

Guarding Our Hearts

A beloved co-worker left today to go back to Boston, leaving quite a number of us sad. It got me thinking about something that Kathy said about protecting ourselves from loss and hurt. It goes without saying that the choice between opening our hearts or guarding them from hurt is worth it, is a hard one to make. I remember when I was in high school, working at Baskin Robbins. A co-worker of mine told me that I needed to toughen up more. Famous last words.

I tend to open myself up more often than not and it at times I regret it, wishing I could have more of a rock for a heart, protecting my emotions from loss and hurt. But for the most part it means I get to know people who are wholesome and motivate me to grow and be a better person.

On a side note, I had my performance appraisal at work today. It went well. If I worked fulltime, I would have gotten a nice raise, but as a per diem worker, the raise criteria doesn't apply to me. As such, I'll just keep hoping that the per diem rate gets an increase later this year.