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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Milestones


Our niece Annabel celebrates her 1st birthday on Aug. 28, and we had a birthday party for her on Sunday. She was very excited and absolutely adorable as she blew out candles and opened gifts with her family and friends. It sure doesn't feel like a whole year has gone by since she was born, and Ted and I were marveling at the little girl tottering around the house that looks more like a sassy young lady than the baby she was just 5 minutes ago, in our minds! Jude is going to have a lot of fun--and some mischief, I imagine--with his cousin in the future:)


We also went to our "Bradley reunion," a cookout with the other people in our Bradley childbirth class. It was fun to catch up and play with each other's babies, and we managed to get through dinner AND dessert without too many meltdowns! I get tickled that Jude has so many "friends" that he hangs out with, but has never really seen......all the time spent with his buddies involves looking up at the sky from his carseat. I suppose he'll just have to take my word that he hung out with other kids his age, strolling side by side and napping in adjacent car seats.
Today was my last official day as a state employee. I'm now officially unemployed. I've technically been on maternity leave since the end of May, and this was my last day of leave so I had to go into work for some final paperwork and to turn in my keys and parking pass. Even though I've been gone for 3 months, it definitely felt weird to walk away from my desk for the very last time. My co-workers treated me to a cookie cake and a Resolution. It's a tradition among House staff to put together a sort of mock Resolution when someone leaves, that mostly consists of inside jokes acquired over the years. I thought I had already faced all my feelings about leaving work to stay home with Jude, but it still felt a little sad today when I left. The end always makes you think about the beginning, and while this wasn't exactly a 30 year career or anything, I feel like my time there was so good for me...I learned so much and made so many memories, made a lot of great friends and took away some good life lessons. I suppose you'll find that with any job, but I really feel that this was a unique experience and a unique opportunity, and for that I'm thankful. I feel confident about my decision to raise Jude full time for now, and incredibly lucky that we're in a position for that to be possible. Before he was born, I worried that I would be lonely or bored at home, but I'm not! Jude is the man, and I love hanging out with him every day. We're forming a friendship, and its the coolest thing in the world.
I'm trying to do some freelance writing in my down time. If you had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up at any time during my childhood, I would have said a writer. It just makes me really happy, and I've found myself at a point in my life where I have time to try it. What I would really love is to be able to write and sell articles to magazines someday, but it takes a lot of hard work and experience to get to that point. I'm taking baby steps and trying to write for local publications right now. It's a little tough to focus for any extended period of time with a baby in the house, and I have no idea if my hobby is something I could eventually turn into a job, but I'd like to try. It's something I can pursue at my own pace and still be at home with Jude, which is what's important. I'm just excited to start this new chapter of our lives. Change sure is scary, but its what keeps life interesting. Helen Keller said "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." It's late and I'm too tired to tie that in, but you see where I'm going...
xoxoxo





1 comments:

Lauren said...

Hurray for all the Chicco carseats in that one picture! They are the best:) Welcome to your new full time job. I know it is so different from office life, but it is so much fun:) You are a great mom and Jude is lucky to have you at home with him. I love you!