Almost Back to School

Since Nora turned three months old, I have been working on savoring my last week at home with her while also getting ready for my return to work.  This means we've continued working on helping her learn to nap, and she has even been successful at self-soothing several times.  She is making good progress, but I wouldn't call it steady-- she'll sleep well for several days in a row before having a setback of a day or two.  I'm hoping that as we keep with it, and as she grows older, she'll get better and better at falling asleep and staying asleep.

We've also managed to watch a little bit of the Australian Open, though not nearly as much as I normally manage to see.  I was disappointed for Andy Roddick when an injury forced him to retire from his match against Lleyton Hewitt, and I'm also disappointed that for the first time in a long time, there are no American men around for week two of a Grand Slam tournament.

We have also been preparing to leave Nora under others' care.  Vickie babysat her last week so I could go in for a check-up with my doctor, and Patti, Chuck, and Brian watched her on Monday so Billy and I could have a few hours to ourselves.  We had a good time getting lunch together, and then we had no idea what to do with ourselves!  I finally decided to make the leap to a smartphone, though, so we ended up doing some phone shopping.  My phone has an app that puts cool "artsy" looking filters on photos, so here are a few pictures I've taken since I got it.

As you can see, Nora is getting very good at bringing her hands to her mouth! : )  She was relatively well behaved during her time away from us, both with Vickie and with her grandparents, so I am hoping my transition back to work will not be too difficult.  It is a big comfort to know she will be in such good hands while I am away-- Patti will be watching her for a few hours on Mondays and Fridays, and Billy will have her for a few hours on Wednesdays.  It makes me nervous to leave her because I worry about leaving other people to deal with her more difficult moods.  I know that in the long run, she will probably have an easier time with the transition than I will, it will be good for both of us to have some time apart, and I will enjoy getting back to my own work.  But if I think too much about how much is going to change in the next few weeks, I start to feel very overwhelmed, so I am trying to promise myself I will just try to take it one day at a time.

Though I wish I had a few more weeks at home, I am looking forward to getting back to campus.  I get to return under pretty ideal circumstances, so I think that will help me make the transition.  As I continue preparing for my comprehensive exams, I'll get to work as a teaching assistant for the professor who co-directed my Master's project and is directing my exam committee.  I am looking forward to the course, which is in my research area, and I've been working with this professor for a long time, so I am really excited to be back in the classroom.  He has two young children, he's been very encouraging about my decision to have a baby, and he can't wait to meet Nora, so I am very appreciative for that support, too.

There are a few mantras that have kept me going as I've worked my way through particularly difficult semesters and long runs in the past.  I hope these phrases will continue to serve me well in the next few weeks...

Nothing to it but to do it.

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

The only way out is through.


That's where you are going to know yourself.  On the other side of tired.

Just Keep Playing.