Auntie E comes to visit...

We've been so happy to have our baby's "Aunt" Elizabeth come visit us from Boston. She has brought laughter, relaxation, fun, and "I [heart] N.Y." t-shirts to cover the baby bump. Nathaniel and I are so fortunate to have such a wonderful friend who takes the time, energy and resources to come spend time with us and shares our joy so much! Tomorrow, we send her back to Boston, back to her PhD program, back to the cool weather we are wishing to see here soon.

While Elizabeth has been here, we've taken the time to sit down in the comfort of our own home and enjoy time as a family. We've eaten well, rested well, and laughed well. All of which are, undoubtedly, good for the baby - a welcome relief from the stresses of my 2 jobs and endless dissertation writing and application completions.

Nathaniel and I are cramming the first year of marriage, his dissertation year, and pregnancy into the same 365 days. Everyone I know says that the first year of marriage is one of the most stressful. Additionally, the statistics about relationship failure during a dissertation year are staggering - that level of dedication to a single-minded pursuit really takes a toll on learning to live with another person in peace and harmony. The hormones of the first trimester also make peace and harmony a continuously elusive target. Add to that the incompetent functioning of North Carolina's Department of Mental Health, the kids at the school I struggle to enjoy, and a financial crisis that plays out severely to our demographic and you have a recipe for implosion (or explosion... either way, a mess).

Even in the face of those circumstances, we feel fortunate to have family and friends who take time to show love and encouragement. The flow of support and sympathy have been ever increasing, too - last night we got some news that made me smile from the pit of my soul to the tips of my fingers. We'll save that for another post. But, Elizabeth is a friend who is here with us, through it all, even when she is working against social and academic pressures on a daily basis as she pursues her PhD.

And that's why our child will call her "Aunt" Elizabeth.