We have a date!

Yes folks, it exists.  The dissertation defense date!  First week of November!  Say it with me now! "DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE!"

I haven't written much about my dissertation experience since before Amelia was born.  Suffice it to say, I did resume data collection in early June, finished a few weeks later, and got all the hormone assays completed by the start of school.  Now I am in the final writing stage, which includes separating everything into a three-manuscript format, plus the already-written introduction and literature review.  It was not easy getting to this stage. I wanted to quit multiple times, and felt pretty strongly about it too.  But I'm glad I pushed through, and it feels really good to just be writing.  Plus, there is no way in heck that Ben or my advisor would have let me quit anyway!

Besides defending my dissertation, other important details of the day will include providing Subway lunch items for the committee and other attendees, as well as wearing my very professional-looking suit. 

You know you've reached a new level in Q&A when...

your already very inquisitive 3-year old asks, "What does 'why' mean?"

Sigh.

Amelia's Baptism

Amelia was baptized yesterday at St. Thomas More.  Here are a few pics from throughout the Mass (thanks Drew for being our photographer!)

 Standing at the font at the beginning of Mass

 Fr. Scott traces the cross on Amelia's forehead 

 Getting ready to be baptized

 Fr. Scott baptizing Amelia (unfortunately someone else was taking a flash photo at the same time, hence the glare)

 Receiving the Light of Christ

 Receiving a blessing at the end of Mass

Our family plus my parents

 Mmm, tasty baptismal gown!

Sweet baby Amelia

A random smattering of summer pics

 Ally and Uncle Paul meet Hooper the horse at Nana and Gran-Gran's farm

 Ally walks Penny the chocolate lab on Nana and Gran-Gran's back porch

 Amelia has discovered that she has hair on her head, and often has a chunk of it in her right hand

 In the mountains of NC

The dead tree stump that Ben dug up in our front yard.  It has now been replaced by a young Japanese maple tree.

Dancing Queen

We went to Ben's cousin's wedding last weekend up at Virginia Tech.  This was Ally's first wedding experience, and she had a blast.  She and her cousin Rachel danced for almost the entire time at the reception.  Here is a video capturing some of their moves.  A little while in, you will see me and my father-in-law also enter the dance floor.  However, I have to say that our moves are not quite as cool as Ally's and Rachel's.

Picnic!

 Picnic in Carolina North Forest tonight!  I can't believe this place is a six-minute drive from our home, and right in the middle of Chapel Hill.

 ... a six-minute drive, plus a 10 - 30 minute walk, depending on the speed of your three-year-old.

Speaking of the three-year-old, she got a lot faster on the way back.  Could it be the peanut-butter-and-honey-and-jelly sandwich she had for dinner?  (Her idea.)

Small breakthrough

Amelia. Last night. Slept 7:30pm-5:30am.

Hopefully this is not an isolated incident.


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