Tuesday

This week at work my group is having a "retreat" to focus on our work together, how the project's going, analyzing what we're learning from the research, make plans for the next year, etc. I didn't post yesterday because I was trying to do too much before getting to the office at 8 am, 30 minutes earlier than usual. After the full day of work, we had a group dinner. Luckily I was able to take Emma to that. We had a private dining room with a medieval decor in a hotel and one of my colleagues, Jennifer, sat on the other side of her high chair and made faces at her, made her smile and laugh. It was another side of Jenn that I hadn't seen before. E enjoyed holding her piece of bread out to her to pretend to eat.

Others in my group have children (many daughters, actually) and seemed to enjoy Emma's participation. She fell down once and her loud cries reverberated in that small, stone room - no one could hear each other talk during those seconds. I took her out because it didn't stop as quickly as I expected, and found out she had bitten her tongue or lip or something in the fall. But she stopped crying when I held her over the water fountain and let her put her hand in the water.

I don't know if the bitten lip or teething molars are causing it, but E has slept fitfully most of the night. She cries out loudly and suddenly, a big long whine, and wanted to nurse a lot. I hate it when she wakes at 4 am, because that's not really enough time to go back to sleep before my 5 am alarm. I took her to the couch this time and nursed lying down, dozed there with her. She tossed and turned a bit. I put her on the floor on a fuzzy blanket when it was time for me to get up and blog, and she's starting to fuss again after about 40 minutes' peace. The cats have been staring at her.

I couldn't find any more Christmas candy this morning, so I put a little sugar in my tea. Yum. Today the retreat starts at 9 (very civilized) but I have to prepare a presentation for it, so I still need to go in at 8. Emma is staying with Erma all week, for the rest of the month more or less. David has gone to work in Fayetteville, painting a set for "Cinderella". He posted a comment on the blog yesterday. Tonight we have another "social" after work, at the company president's house. I'll take E but not stay long. All these socials and dinners are organized when people from our other offices come in. In my group there are not only local-based researchers, but 3 from Singapore and 1 from California. It's unusual to get us all in the room together.

Gotta go now. More pictures this weekend, if not sooner.