What a week

Yesterday was my last day at work before taking my family leave. I am so glad that I was able to work this week, get to know my new students, and have them get to know me a bit. It was a fantastic week, really, and of course very busy. My mom stayed home with little A, so I felt good about that and they very much enjoyed their time together.

Yesterday my colleagues threw me a surprise shower. It was so great. I was really overwhelmed by it. In fact, I am continually overwhelmed by the reception that our little girl has received. Of course I expected the warm reception from (most of) my family, but people whom I have never even met have sent gifts and well wishes. A patient of my father's MADE (yes, made with her own hands) a quilt for A that we just received yesterday. (She was in to see my dad at the end of last week, made the quilt over the weekend, then brought it in to his office when she came back for a follow-up visit early this week.) The family of a colleague of my parents also sent us clothes for her. Especially given how fast this has all happened, I am so impressed with how much people have rallied around her. I couldn't believe that my colleagues pulled off a shower - a surprise shower no less - in just the 5 days that we were all back to work. I've never had any surprise party before! I was so touched.

My students also had a little going-away party for me, with flowers, cupcakes, juice and they all wrote well wishes on cards for me. I shared pictures of A with them, and they just ate it up. It was so sweet.

And now......

I start my tenure as a stay at home mom, if only for 12 weeks. I am really looking forward to it. Having my mom here was amazing and I am so, so grateful that we could share this amazing time together. But I am also so happy to have just the three of us (well, four, if you include our dog) at home.