Saying Hello and Goodbye

These past few weeks have been busy, busy, busy for the Banes Bunch! As Emma has grown, so has the number of outings we've taken. It's been fun (and exhausting) to start traveling around a bit with her. I still haven't been brave enough to undertake any long journeys with her by myself other than going to the doctor or my mom's, but we've had plenty of people willing to go with us or to take us places.

SAYING HELLO...TO OUR GREAT GRANDPARENTS

When we were in the hospital, Emma got to meet her set of great grandparents that live here in Houston and in Humble, but not our ones from out of town. Seeing that her "country" great grandparents are in their late 80s and early 90s, they don't really travel that far from home. So a trip to see them was definitely in order before I had to head back to work for the last two weeks of school.



Great Grandpa Henry Gaas and Emma

First up was Great Grandpa Gaas in Caldwell, Texas, who is Kevin's grandfather. Kevin's mom Sandra graciously came and got us on one of her trips up to check on him, so we tagged along for the day. Grandpa Gaas lives about an hour and a half away, and this was only our second time driving a long distance with Emma, but she did great! Riding in that car seat really knocks her out. As soon as we got there Grandpa Gaas was ready to hold her (after a quick diaper change). Per her usual self, Emma stretched and stretched and stretched while grandpa was holding her, which he thought was just the darnedest thing! Emma was just content to sit there in his arms and at one point, she even fell asleep there. One of the things about Grandpa's house is his wall of pictures. My mom had sent him a couple shots of us and Emma from the hospital. He had told Sandra that he loved looking at his babies! We had a good spaghetti lunch while there, and while we were waiting on dessert, Grandpa was holding Emma again. When Sandra brought him his coffee and cake, Grandpa looked at Sandra and told her not to expect him to give Emma up yet! Not surprisingly, in just a few short hours Emma already had him wrapped around her fingers. It was a fun little trip, and we can't wait to go back up there again because it was such a special experience.



Great Grandma Lillian and Emma

Next up we made the trip to Giddings, Texas on a Saturday to see Great Grandpa Elmo and Great Grandma Lillian, who are my grandparents. Kevin had to help my dad out around the farm that weekend, so Emma, our dog Lizzy, and I tagged along for a visit too. At six weeks old, Emma had already grown a lot, but the one thing that Granny Lillian, or "Old Granny" as she called herself, kept saying over and over was that she forgot how little babies were. Now keep in mind, she hasn't held a baby in 20 years - that's how old her youngest grandchild is. This comment made us giggle because Emma was so big to us already! Granny was good with holding Emma as long as she didn't fuss - as soon as that started, it was back to momma Emma went. My grandfather was over the moon with Emma, and he was super intent on making her smile at him. He pulled out all the funny faces, voices, and noises he could think of to get her to smile - and she finally did. It was the first time she really smiled socially at someone too. Grandpa loved holding Emma, whether she was crying or not. Both of them kept telling us that all her stretching meant she was trying to grow. They got quite a delight out of watching her wiggle around and play under her rainbow forest gym. Seeing them with their first great grandchild definitely made our hearts full.


Great Grandpa Elmo, Pappy, and Emma



SAYING HELLO...TO DADDY'S COWORKERS

Smiling at Brenda while Lisa holds her

When Emma was 7 weeks old on May 31st, it was also Kevin's unofficial "Take your Daughter to Work" day. For the past two years now, Kevin has been working in the Deer Park office of Mustang Engineering, which is an hour drive from our house in Cypress. While it's been a great experience, the travel time really cuts down on the amount of time Kevin's able to spend at home with us. Luckily, the people at Mustang have been really understanding, and Kevin was able to work from the West side office during the end of my pregnancy and now is transferring back there permanently. So when he had to go pack up his Deer Park office in anticipation for the move, he knew that he had to take Emma with him to see his coworkers out there, especially Ms. Brenda! From the time he arrived at the office til he left, Emma was the star of the show. Brenda, Tara, and Lisa took care of everything, from changing her diapers to feeding her to watching her in her chair while she napped, even when she got a little fussy. What a spoiled daddy and baby! Tara even went so far as to tape a note to the exterior door warning people to not let the door slam, so it wouldn't wake up Emma. It really made Kevin's job of packing up his office a lot easier because he knew he didn't have to worry about Emma and could focus on the task at hand - she was in the experts' hands. Everyone there just absolutely loved Emma, and Emma even enjoyed the time there, smiling and cooing at the ladies the whole time. When Brenda said there would be plenty of babysitters if Kevin ever took Emma out there, she wasn't kidding!

SAYING HELLO...TO MOMMY'S STUDENTS AND COWORKERS

Emma smiling at Dalia

After being on maternity leave for about 7 weeks, I headed back to work to finish up the last ten days of the year with my seniors. It was weird going back to school because I had gotten used to having Emma around all day. It was like going back to my old life, while having this nagging suspicion in the back of my mind that something was slightly off. Now my students were very anxious to meet Emma, even to the point that they said I should bring her with me EVERY day, and they'd watch her during class. While I wasn't ready to agree to their terms, I did promise to bring her to school after graduation practice. So Kevin brought Emma up to school for me to show off, and they ended up spending almost the whole day there by the time we got around to meeting everybody. Everyone was excited to see her and even more excited to hold her. There were a few students (and coworkers) who were a little shy or afraid to do so. I think they were afraid to break her. Emma had a good day though. She's pretty good at letting anyone hold her, and while she doesn't have a need to be in momma or daddy's arms all the time, she does recognize our voices when we're in the room and tries to find us. Emma giggled and cooed a lot at all the people, managed to sneak some naps in, and even ate lunch at school! It was a big day for a big girl!!


SAYING GOODBYE...TO NEWBORN SIZES
Starting at 6 weeks old, our newborn clothes started getting a little snug but were still wearable, and this made mommy sad because her little bug was already growing up too fast! And then, the clothes started to get too short. Like to the point where Emma's big ol' feet didn't fit in the sleep and plays and her toes were curled in the ends. So, we slowly began to phase out the newborn clothing. I tried to keep her in some of my favorite outfits as long as she could comfortably wear them. But alas, it got us in the end...literally. We couldn't snap the onesies over her rear end anymore, and each poopy diaper she had while still in the newborn size diapers was like playing a game of Russian roulette. So at 8 weeks, our little girl has officially given up all things newborn and moved into "big girl" sizes as we like to call them, and once again she has plenty of wiggle and giggle room.



Oh the difference 6 weeks makes!

SAYING GOODBYE...TO TEACHING
When I started this school year, Kevin and I already knew I was pregnant, and we knew we'd have to decide whether or not I'd go back to work once Emma was born. Now, I've done the math, and I've been going to school either as a student or teacher for 27 years STRAIGHT. No year off to "find myself," no extra time off from when I had cancer - just school, school, school. Don't get me wrong, I love my job (except for the grading), but I knew having a baby would be a game changer. The way I saw things, I had spent 8 years investing my time in helping to raise other people's children academically, and now it was time to raise my own. I think deep down I always knew I'd choose to stay at home, but it wasn't until we were blessed to start paying off some major bills and such that I felt comfortable in making that decision a reality. Before I left for Spring Break vacation, I broke the news to my department chair and principal, both of whom were very understanding and supportive (even if they were already thinking up a million ways to get me back on campus next year). However, I didn't really make a big deal out of it to anyone else until I came back for the last 10 days of school. Most of my students didn't even know.

My 7th period wanted a
class photo on our last day

As it came time to pack up my classroom, it gave me time to reflect on how much of a blessing this job has been. Teaching has introduced me to some wonderful people, educators and students alike. It has pushed me to keep learning and never be satisfied with an unanswered question (ask Kevin, I'm an obsessive Googler - I must know the answer). My job has kept me plugged into what is relevant to the average citizen, despite what the politicians may try to tell us. But most of all, teaching has led me to be able to make a difference. Yes, I am there to work with students academically, but teaching extends way beyond that in a way that is hard to describe to those who have never done it. I will miss the day-to-day interactions with my students and seeing the light bulb moments bring such a sense of satisfaction to them. But in the long run, Emma comes first, and now, I have the chance to be a different kind of teacher - a parent.

So it was fitting to end my career with one last senior class graduation as we all are going our separate ways this year. My students are going on to figure out who they are now as adults, whether it be by entering college, the military, or the workforce. As teachers, we are send them out into the world hoping that they've been equipped with all the skills they need to be successful. It is up to them now to determine how their lives play out.

As a new mom, I feel like I'm going through the same rite of passage. I've graduated to a new stage in life, and I can only hope that my life experiences have prepared me somewhat for what lies ahead. So while I might be saying goodbye to one chapter of my life, I am ready to greet this new one with a resounding HELLO and a willing spirit!

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