First Day of School!

Monday marked the start of the 2017-2018 school year for Mommy! Here are a few pictures from our morning before the big day!

Date: Monday, August 28th

School: East Surry High School

Year: 9

(Emmy: 9 months old)

Today, on the second day of school, I got a phone call from the daycare saying that Emmy had pinkeye in both eyes. Grammy picked her up, and then we met at the doctor's office. We were prescribed eye drops, and tomorrow our little girl will spend the day with Daddy until she can return to daycare on Thursday. Even though it means taking a sick day himself, Daddy is really looking forward to spending time with his girl. Mommy is a bit jealous!

Hoping our little Emmy is healthy again soon!

End of Summer

It has been a busy week filled with meeting new people, learning a new school, and leaving each day with a to-do list for the next. I thought I may never have the time to blog again! But then the weekend arrived just in time, and today has been a much-needed day of relaxation and family time. Emmy is in bed now and Boomer is doing [one of his 3!] fantasy football drafts, so I have a little bit of time to get caught up on the week. 

Last weekend, we fit in a day-trip to the lake with all of the Kennedys. Boomer's uncle and his family came for a visit from northern Virginia, and Granny was so excited to have all of her family together. Emmy enjoyed playing in the baby pool and then going in the lake for the first time. She loved kicking and floating around. Boomer's cousin Briggs took some self-timed photos on his camera; hopefully I can add those to this post, but for now, here are two photos that Granny took on her cell phone. We always have so much fun at the lake, and we are looking forward to fitting in one last trip during the upcoming 3-day Labor Day weekend.  

Even though the days are still hot, between Friday night football and the back-to-school displays at Walmart, the summer is coming to an end. Boomer's students started on Monday, and students at my school will start this coming Monday. Our schools are in two different counties with slightly different schedules, and my county had Teacher Workdays all last week. My first official day was Monday, and I jumped right in with setting up my room, meeting my coworkers, and even emailing and meeting with students. Between the professional development and required meetings, it seemed like I needed a few extra hours in each day. When I think back to the last time I was in the classroom, I remember this week always being pretty stressful, and my sister reminded me that even for veteran educators, it can be hard to get back in the groove. I know there are things that I am doing this year that I will not have to do every year: setting up my email, getting a PowerSchool log-in, signing up for my benefits, getting an ID badge, decorating my room, finding the refrigerator. Each day this week, I learned more about my new role as the College Liaison. I'm finding that my primary duties will be meeting with students (rising juniors and rising seniors), discussing their schedules, registering them for classes at the community college, monitoring the computer lab for students enrolled in online courses, and generally serving as a resource for college planning. Whew, that's a lot! Luckily, the person previously in the position has been an excellent mentor. She is still working in the county, now in a central office position, and she was gracious to meet with me several times throughout the week. I am continuing to trust in God's plan for bringing me to East Surry, and I am looking forward to the students I will meet this school year. I pray that God will help me make an impact at this school and on the individual students I come in contact with.  

I did my best to leave the school at a reasonable time each day so that I could pick up Emmy from daycare. We've worked out a great schedule where Boomer takes Emmy in the morning (around 6:30AM) and I pick her up in the afternoon (ideally by 4:30PM). This is a new routine (perhaps that will be a different blog post!), but it has been so helpful that Boomer is sharing in the duties. Admittedly, he doesn't get the best end of the deal, because Emmy still is crying when she is dropped off in the morning. The teachers say she doesn't cry for long, but it seems to be her response lately when either of us is leaving, even at home when we go to a different room. She also cries in the afternoons when I first come in to the room at the daycare. Her cries soon turn to smiles after I pick her up in my arms, but I think she is still learning to be comfortable in her new environment, and it is just a natural release from the emotions of the day. Her napping hasn't seemed to improve yet. I got my hopes up when she slept for a whole hour on Tuesday, but then on Wednesday, it was right back to only 30 minutes. We have continued to put her to bed around 6:30PM, so that she can get as many hours as possible before the next morning. In the hours we have together in the evenings, we have tried to fit in some fun, whether playing with a laundry basket or going for a stroll in downtown Kernersville.

 As I mentioned at the beginning, today has been a nice change in pace from the go-go-go of the week. We started the day with breakfast at one of our favorite places, Fitz on Main. We also began the process of baby-proofing the house, with the first step of lowering the crib. Our little girl is growing fast, and Mommy and Daddy are trying to keep up!

A Date Night

It used to be that almost every Friday and Saturday night would be a date night. Just by the nature of being a young married couple without any children, we would often find ourselves out to eat on the weekends, or even during the week, with very little planning or forethought. Since Emerson was born, it seems I can count on one hand the number of dates we have had in the last 9 months. Let's see, we were able to celebrate our anniversary in December...hmm but most of our other 'dates' have been Prom, the Military Ball, or some other school function. Date nights just aren't as frequent as they used to be! It's not that we have neglected our marriage; it's simply that the weeks are flying by so quickly. Times that use to be just Boomer and me are now for our family of three. After spending most of the week apart, it's hard to think about spending more hours away from our little girl. Knowing that it is still important to invest in our marriage, Boomer was so sweet to plan a date night for us this past Saturday, complete with babysitter arrangements! He asked my parents first, but they had plans with their Sunday School group, so then he asked Megan. Yes, my sister who already has two kids! Unbelievably, she said 'yes.' Knowing it would be impossible for her to be at her own home for bedtime and also at our house, they came up with the plan for Emmy to spend the night. This would be the first night that she would spend away from us and the first night that we would be at home without a baby. To ensure success for all parties involved, we tried to limit the amount of time Megan would have to be in charge of all three kiddos (did I mention Zack had to work late?) We dropped Em off around 5PM, and then, we planned for Boomer to pick her up the next morning at 7AM. If all things went according to plan, it would mean only a couple of hours of Meg flying solo with Emmy, Maddox, and Zander. She was a trooper! 

 As we were leaving the Houston's, I came out to the car and noticed that Boomer had put a special parking placard on his rearview mirror -- it was for the Founder's Club at the WS Dash! I don't know that all girls would get excited about a night at the ballpark, but this date is a trademark Boomer-Lindsey 'winner'. The Founder's Club is actually now called the Flow Club (but I still call it the Founder's Club) and it is the swanky, air-conditioned, all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink box seats at the Winston-Salem Dash. We've been able to go once or twice in the past from friends who have given us tickets, and it is such a treat. We joke that it's livin' how the 'other half' lives! It was a beautiful summer evening, perfect for baseball, perfect for a date night. We enjoyed watching the game, and I kept score like in the past when Boomer first taught me how. (Can you imagine keeping score with a 9-month old?? Impossible!) It was nice to have some adult conversation and to enjoy the company of my husband. Between pitches, we would sneak looks at our phones, and Meg sent the cutest updates of the cousins playing. It seems Emmy enjoyed the date night as much as we did!

We had Emmy's 9-month doctor's appointment today. Luckily, this appointment didn't include any shots! It was just a well-check, and the doctor asked several questions to gauge Emmy's development: is she crawling? does she respond to her name? is she holding her own bottle and bringing food to her mouth? does she play games like peek-a-boo and patty cake? is she pulling up on furniture? By my answers, it seems like she is right on track with these developmental milestones. She responds to her name (both Emerson and Emmy); just recently because of daycare, she is holding her own bottle; we are still working on bringing food to her mouth (and not playing with it); she likes to play peek-a-boo and can clap. She isn't yet pulling up on furniture, but she likes to stand when being held, and she can hold herself up if she is placed in a standing position against an object. By her measurements, she continues to be long and lean: 17 lbs 9 ounces (37% for weight), 29" long (91%), and head circumference of 44.5 cm (65%). After the appointment, I kept her out of daycare for the rest of the day, so we were able to spend some extra time together. We had a spontaneous lunch with Aunt Megan during her workday, and then we had a playdate with Katie and Grant (who is now 5 months old!) Here are a few pictures from the appointment and also from the rest of the week.

 

This weekend officially marks the end of summer. Boomer is actually at his school's Open House Night right now. His students start on Monday. My new county (Surry Co.) is a week behind, so I will start with Teacher Workdays on Monday, and students will come back the week after that. We hope to soak up these last few days of summertime before the rush of the school year starts again!

More Change

We successfully survived Emmy's first week of daycare! Whew! However, there is still more change ahead for the Kennedys: Mommy has a new job! Over the last four years, I have been working at UNC Greensboro in the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Prior to that, I was a high school math teacher. It was a big change to go from the classroom to an 'office job,' but I have thoroughly enjoyed my work with prospective college students and the travel that comes along with a recruiting position. Over the last few months though, I have wondered how I could continue to work full time, while also juggling my role as a new mom. God knew my desire to spend more time with Emmy, and He was so good to open the door in a very clear way. My last day at UNCG was today, and as of Monday, I will be returning to high school as the college liaison at East Surry High School in Pilot Mountain. The position seems to perfectly blend both of my careers thus far, combining my background in high school with my experience in higher education. From the initial outreach and the interview, I got a great sense of the community and leadership at the school, and there have been other big and small affirmations along the way. Of course, it is with the usual nervousness that I take on this new opportunity. Change is always hard, especially in the professional sense. Where do I park? Will my coworkers like me? Where is the copier? Hopefully a lot of these fears will be eased in the days ahead. I hope that I will find comfort in the familiar: this world of bell schedules, homeroom, lunch duty, and faculty meetings. It is bittersweet to be leaving a job that I truly loved, but I know that God has prepared the way for something even better. 

With all these changes, time has marched on, and Emerson turned 9 months old! Our little girl has bravely started daycare and is learning lots of new things. Her teachers, Ms. Tia, Ms. Amanda, and Ms. Keyonna, say that she is improving with her sippie cup. Although she still has her milk in a bottle, we have introduced water in a sippie cup with a rubber-plastic spout. Emmy has learned how to grip the handles and raise it to her mouth. (We are still working on the actual consumption of the water!) At home, she is scooting around on her tummy, both on carpet and the hardwood. She hasn't quite figured out the mechanics of crawling, but inches along like a worm, putting out her arms first and then scooting her waist and legs forward. She is in 9-12 month clothing and has 8 teeth (4 on the top and 4 on the bottom). She is getting better and better at eating. At first, it took a lot of coaxing for her to eat anything other than rice cereal. Now, she eats a full size 2 Gerber food, twice a day. We have found that she likes anything orange (i.e. pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, and mixed vegetables), but she is also becoming less picky about the sweeter fruits. One thing is for sure, she does not like peas! But who does, really? She hasn't shown any attachments to toys, although she likes to hold the butt paste when she is having her diaper changed. She is very squirmy without it! 

9 months in, and 9 months out! Emmy, we hope you are loving this bright, big world!

Off to School

The past week has brought a lot of change. I have always found change to be a little scary; I much prefer a set routine, consistency, and nothing unknown. I'm quickly learning that, as a mom, this season in life brings a lot of change. In the blink of an eye, a new skill is learned, clothing is outgrown, and a routine one day is gone the next. Our little family of three is doing our best to embrace the changes that are coming in this next stage: daycare. It has always been part of the plan that Emmy would go to daycare once she was around 9-months old (which is Thursday!) While my mom would love to continue to watch Emmy full-time, there are other demands on her time (mainly two other adorable kiddos -- my nephews, Zander and Maddox.) Also, Boomer and I want her to enjoy her retirement as Grammy, without the full-time commitment that comes with a Monday through Friday 8-to-5 schedule. There were tears from both Mommy and Grammy on Thursday when we realized that it was the last day of this very precious time we've had together. While we have been so blessed to delay daycare until this point, we have all grown attached to the easy routine of pick-up in the morning, picture-texts throughout the day, and lunch visits during the workday. I know that Emmy and Grammy have developed such a sweet relationship over the past six months. I, too, have enjoyed the extra time with my mom in the morning and then with both of my parents in the evening. My dad may be more quiet with his emotions, but I know he, too, will miss his little Emmy sitting with him in his recliner and tugging on his beard. It will be an adjustment for all of us as we will have to be more intentional about scheduling time together. 

I think we did our best to maximize the last week of Grammy Daycare. The week included one last field trip to the Science Center and to Mommy's office. On that day, we dressed Em up in tennis shoes, optimistic that she would be able to wear them. Unfortunately they were still a little big and didn't even make it out of the house. This summer girl will go barefoot a few weeks longer!

At the end of the week, I bravely got ready for a 'trial run' at daycare. The daycare director recommended a half-day to ease in to the following full week, and I'm so glad that we took her advice. Because it was a Friday, Boomer was able to go with me, and it was so helpful to have him there for support...and for an extra set of hands! There was so much to bring!  

On Thursday night, it took quite some time to label everything. Since Emmy can't eat solid foods yet, she is not able to eat the breakfast/lunch/snack provided by the center. For now, in addition to diapers, wipes, two changes of clothes, diaper rash cream, sunscreen, and a sippie cup, I also have to send baby food, milk, and rice cereal. Whew! Luckily I won't be carrying this stuff back and forth everyday. The only daily items that I will take are her milk (labelled with her name and date) and her sippie cup. I plan to do as much as I can the night before, so that the morning can be as smooth as possible with getting myself and Emmy ready. Friday was certainly hard. Again and again, I was so thankful Boomer could be there. As timing would have it, it was his last Friday off this summer. Like with everything else in parenthood so far, it just really seemed like we were tackling this as a team. He's never made me feel like I am doing something alone. Plus, he can always be counted on for some comedic relief. Even though he may hide it with jokes and casual remarks, I know it is hard for him to see me emotional. I tried my best to keep the tears in check, but even on Thursday night, I couldn't hold them in as I assembled everything together.

On Friday, we arrived at the daycare around 7AM, and it seemed to be just before the hustle-and bustle of most drop-offs. There was one teacher in the room already, Tia, and only one other baby. Tia helped me familiarize myself with the organization of the room, the cubbie for Emmy's things, and the check-in and check-out procedures. Emmy is in the older infant room, and there are 8 babies and 3 teachers. Emmy started 'playing' with the other little girl while we were taking care of the administrative things; it was really sweet to see her 'making friends.' I try to focus on these positives: being social, learning to share, listening to adults...and then some of the things she will do when she is older: standing in a line, learning songs, and creating artwork. Since the daycare is at a church, some of the 'curriculum' is Bible-based, and the children will learn Bible stories and songs in the older classrooms. There are definitely some growing pains with this transition, but God has been so great to provide a place for Emmy to learn and grow. I pray that we will adjust to this new routine quickly. I am most nervous about Emmy's napping. The daycare only has one designated naptime from around 11AM to 1PM. Right now, Emmy is still taking two naps a day (around 8:30AM and 1:30PM), so I know she is going to be pretty tired in the next few days/weeks. She is such a curious little girl, so napping in a new environment is hard for her. We already experience this every Sunday when we put her in the church nursery. After Friday's trial run with my mom picking her up midday, she was pretty wiped out. We had to skip our evening walk in favor of an earlier bedtime, around 6:45PM. It seemed like we didn't have hardly any time together. I realize I need to be intentional with that time and put off any household chores for when she is in bed. Hopefully I can turn off that habit of putting things in their place and tidying up. I tell myself, too, that things will get quicker as I become more used to this new routine. 

Here are some pictures from Emmy's first day!   

It makes my heart happy to see her smiling in these pictures! This morning's drop-off was a little harder than Friday. I was solo, and Emmy did seem to realize that I was leaving her. She crawled to me as I was putting her milk in the refrigerator and stayed close to my feet while I was in the room. She started to cry as Tia picked her up, and I had to walk out quickly to keep my own tears in. The workday passed pretty slowly; I just couldn't wait to go pick her up! I was out the door right at 5PM and was able to get to Emmy's daycare around 5:30PM. She only napped for a short amount of time during the day, and it seemed to show on her sweet little face. I could tell right away that she was tired, even though she tried her hardest to smile when she saw me. We went straight home and started our bedtime routine; she was in bed around 6:45PM, just like on Friday, and again we had to skip our evening walk. I hope that she will start to nap at daycare and that we can both adjust to this new routine. I have to remember that kids are so resilient and are often more open to change than their parents.