End of Chapter 1

So this is my last week of school/work before summer break begins.  Woo-hoo!  I'm excited about this for many reasons:  I won't be teaching math next year, I get two months to hang out with Carson, my house might actually get cleaned again, etc. etc.

But that's not what this post is about.  This post is about Sara. 

Sara is Carson's babysitter/nanny/friend who has been watching her while I am at work but who will not be able to watch her next school year.

A little background:
I have known Sara for about 15 years now (holy crap!).  She is the younger sister of one of my best friends Jana, who I met in high school.  Jana's family used to invite me and a few of our other friends on vacations with them, and this is where I really got to know Sara.  We (the "older" girls) used to talk on these trips about how mature and cool Sara was.  Never a tagalong, always funny, definitely worth hanging out with (despite her 'younger sister' status).  It's funny to look back at middle-school-Sara in my memory and think that she is the first person who cared for my daughter in my absence for any length of time. 

Sara currently lives with her sister Jana (and Jana's husband and daughter Lila), all of whom I've talked about on the blog at some point--and who live a mile from us.  Carson spends the first half of every day at their house while I am at work.  She was just 2 months old when she started staying with Sara--barely able to do much of anything.  She sort of smiled. She ate. She pooped...a lot. And she laid there looking at ceiling fans.  That's about it.  To think about all the changes and developments that have happened since then is astounding.  Laughing, moving, reaching, almost crawling...and Sara was there for all of them.  Sara was the first person Carson ever intentionally reached for (like she wanted to be held by her rather than the person holding her).  When I went to pick up Carson after work one day and held her in my arms, while she looked back over at Sara and flashed one of her huge grins in recognition and adoration--I knew in that moment that we were truly blessed to have Sara. 

It has been a comfort and a treasure for our entire family for Sara to take care of Carson these past months.

So, thank you Sara for....

all the diapers (and often outfits) you changed

feeding Carson patiently, even though patience is the last word to describe my hungry daughter

noticing little changes in Carson, like her teeth getting ready to come in and her new silly quirks

celebrating her successes with me, like rolling over and getting ready to crawl

letting me tell stories about Carson that are most likely only interesting to me--and listening without showing even a hint of boredom

helping Carson get on a tighter schedule--it made a huge difference for her to have that structure

trying to make Carson laugh--it warms my heart to know she's with someone who loves the sound of her laughter

letting me worry and ask you to "keep an eye on" all kinds of random things

most of all, thank you for loving her like we do--unconditionally, completely, and joyfully

We look forward to Carson continuing to know and love you as she grows!  It has been an amazing four months, and we will forever remember, appreciate, and cherish all the special ways you loved and cared for Carson.  Thank you.