Today is Greg's 29th birthday! So much has happened over the course of the last year. Exactly one year ago today, Greg was getting his PhD! We were surrounded by so many wonderful family and friends as we celebrated this huge accomplishment in Greg's life.
Since that day, Greg has completed his first full year as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Paul has been his title for a year now. :-) He has jumped into the professorial role with gusto, teaching 4 classes each semester, serving on multiple committees in the department and around campus, and getting his FIRST publication accepted for a journal just 2 weeks ago!! Way to go, babe!
This past year also saw us buy our first home, and Greg has been AWEsome with all of the updates that he has done around the place. It is definitely a more valuable piece of property now compared to when we purchased 6 months ago. He has blown insulation into the attic, installed a fan in our bedroom, installed window film in the nursery and guest bedroom, laid pavers outside to make a beautiful path, and installed custom drapes throughout the house. It looks great and the energy bills have stayed low thanks to all the improvements he has made!
Greg also experienced a whole new wife for 8 months of this past year. Pregnancy definitely brought lots of changes to our conversations, how we spent our time, how I acted and felt from month to month, our grocery bills, etc. He was an incredible support to me through thick and thin, and blessed me by being totally present in the entire pregnancy experience. He celebrated the joys and prayed through and encouraged me through the challenges. He talked to Emily while she grew in the womb and prayed fervently and diligently for her well being. He had infinite patience with me as I had my emotional days and as I complained about aches and pains or worried about everything there could ever be to worry about. And he spent 12 Mondays of his life sitting in a birth class, watching videos he didn't want to watch and helping me practice relaxation techniques we wouldn't end up using after all.
Which brings me to the biggest month of all this past year- one of the biggest months of all of Greg's 29 years- the birth and life of our sweet baby Emily. I've fallen head over heels for this man in a whole new way! Greg has been an incredible dad from the moment that Emily was born. I've watched him hold her tenderly, sing to her, talk to her, calm her, change a million poopy diapers, and gently give her baths. His prayers are all the more fervent now as he watches her grow and change before our eyes. I trust him implicitly in his opinions and instincts about how to care for her. And he encourages me tons each day as I learn to walk in this new role of motherhood. We have been super blessed that Greg has been able to take a significant break from his job this past month. It's probably the most time that we have ever been able to spend together at one time. Every day, he has been here with us. He'll start transitioning back to the office this week, but these last 4 weeks are irreplaceable moments of bonding - and a time when I needed help and care and he was able to provide that. I am forever grateful that his work schedule allowed for this and that he was willing to set it aside to invest in our family like this.
This next year will bring many new beginnings as well. A full year of being a parent and the second year into the new job. Hopefully new house projects as well (we're thinking new floors in the kitchen/dining, a backyard fence, new cabinet fronts...but who knows...). And the adjustment of having a wife at home full time instead of doing the 9-5. I pray that I will be able to bless Greg during this season by keeping the house cleaned up, having meals ready to go, by being a great mom to our daughter, and by continuing to be his best friend and companion in this journey. It's going to be a busy 29th year, but also an unforgettable one!
Happy birthday, sweetheart! I LOVE YOU!!
EMILY IS 1 MONTH OLD!!! :-)
Baby girl, you are already 1 month old! You are our sweetest blessing and a pure joy. I am fascinated by everything about you! We have loved holding you close and learning all your different faces, smells, and sounds this month. We have watched you go from a tiny 5 lb preemie to a whole 7 lb 3 oz today! You have worked really hard at eating well and have managed to amaze us with your weight gain! You are spunky and opinionated and you like to "talk" to us while you eat, get your diaper changed and get new clothes. My favorite color on you is purple. Your eyes are still a deep blue gray and I love that you are opening them a lot now to gaze into our eyes. You just started grabbing at things around you, although you aren't ready to hold anything that I hand to you. Your favorites are Daddy's cross necklace and my hair. You like looking at your face in the mirror. I'm not sure that you like tummy time, but you amaze me with your ability to lift your head off the mat and turn it from side to side. You are learning to enjoy being fully swaddled and tend to sleep better this way instead of with your arms out. You looove your hands! Even on the u/s pics we knew you liked your hands being near your face. It has been great that you can use your hands to suck on when you need comfort and our arms aren't available yet. You are now eating anywhere between 1.5 and 3 hours during the day and 3.5-4 hours at night. We are blessed to be your parents and look forward to this next month's discoveries with you!
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