I. Am. So. Blessed.

I am so blessed. I have a job. I have a job that wants me to work more than I do. I have a sweet baby that makes going to work really hard! I have a sweet husband who is making sure I have to go to work as little as possible. I have a more than capable sister who is willing to keep my sweet baby while I'm at work. I have NO worries about him while I'm working. He has a great time there. . . . .But it is still SO HARD to go to work. :(

On January 17, I went back to work. I get up at 5:00, pump, take a shower and get ready, load the car, wake up Griffin (if he's not already up) at about 6:00, feed him a bottle, wake up Chris to tell him bye and let Griffin tell him bye, load Griffin in the car, send Rachel a text that we are on our way, and pull out of the driveway at about 6:37 a.m.

I take Griffin in the house where we are greeted with five smiling faces, three of them on heads shorter than me and two of them from mouths missing teeth. Three of them beaming and screaming in delight, practically fighting for who gets to hold Griffin first, bragging that they have just washed their hands (so as not to get Baby Griffin sick.) Griffin smiles back at his cousins (when he's not asleep when we get there.) I kiss him about a thousand times and tell him to have fun. I pick of the diaper bag to take it back with me about twice, while Rachel gently pulls it back off of my shoulder and tells me, "No. Please leave that for us." I laugh at my absent mindedness and turn the corner out of the kitchen to the door, turn to give Rachel one last hug and tear up. . . Still. I'm actually tearing up right now thinking about it.

I run back to my car, pick some good music on my ipod, and drive to work. I love my work. I pump throughout the day, pausing to miss my baby, but really try to stay busy and not worry about not being with him. I get sweet texts during the day, reporting that Griffin has had a big poop, a poop explosion, or has eaten a good bottle and I smile. I try to leave as close to 5:00 as I can.

I pull up to Rachel's house, leave my keys in the car (not running), grab an extra shirt and run into her house where I am again greeted by snaggle-toothed smiles and squeals. "We got Baby Griffin! We got Baby Griffin!" Joey boasts. "Oh good!" I say as Rachel and I exchange smiles relaying how cute Joey is. "I was hoping you have him!"
"Shhhhhhh! He's sleeping!" Joey again squeals, though my calm voice to loud and might wake Griffin.

Sometimes Griffin is awake and sometimes he is asleep when I get there. I change shirts (so as not to share germs from work with him) and pick up my sweet baby who has been loved all day. Truly love.

I am so blessed.

Here are some pictures of Griffin's first day that Rachel took. Rachel says she took the first one after Micah and Conner were convinced that Griffin said "hello!" Ha!