E-mail

The first time I really started using email extensively was in 1996 when I moved to PA. I didn't know a single soul and was living alone for the first time (in a 2 bedroom apartment). Prior to that I had lived with two other women in a 3 bedroom townhouse near Annapolis, MD. It was an extremely lonely time as I started working in the summer when of course the teachers and students aren't at school so I was alone at work (except for seeing my secretary a little now and then) and alone at home. I wasn't one for using the phone much, and of course my bill would have been rather high as all the calls would have been long distance. So I started using email, and I loved it. I referred to it as my social life. It really was my only contact with other human beings aside from say the lady scanning my groceries at the store. Well I still really enjoy receiving emails from family and friends although I don't write nearly as many now that I have this blog, and I am much slower to respond since I just don't seem to have the time these days. I do have time to read them though. :-)

Well my feeling toward work email is getting more and more negative. I almost want to say it's sort of a love/hate thing, but I know "hate" is such a strong word to use. Yet I fully realize it's a necessary evil. For example, as chair of the search and screen committee I have written MANY emails the last couple of weeks as I've been trying to find volunteers to pick candidates up from the airport, take them to meals, etc. Also right now students are scheduling so I am getting many emails from advisees, and in actuality it is good that a lot of communication can take place by email so that I don't need to meet with all (I think about 80) of them in person every semester. However I don't like how much of my time work email consumes every week. I would say on an average day I receive 50 emails, and I do mean seven days a week. Sunday afternoon I checked my email, but then I didn't check it later that day and Monday morning I was greeted by so many emails because I had gone "too long" without checking it. It feels like I can never get ahead. Yesterday I had gotten up to date before I headed to work at 3pm, but when I got home at 8:15pm and checked my email, my box had filled up again. I started replying to the messages, but while I was answering them more came in. It's very frustrating! Well the semester will be over soon, and the flow of email will slow down during those weeks we have off in between semesters.

I am happy to say that we have now had 4 good nights in a row. We haven't had another 8 hour stretch like we did a few days ago, but we are down to 2 feedings a night, and Nadia is now sleeping 11 hours total instead of 10. She has been getting tired rather early. I'd rather her bedtime be around 7pm, but she's been wanting to go to bed closer to 6pm lately. That's fine for now since I get up early for work, but once the semester is over I am going to work with pushing that back as Mommy would like to sleep in a bit more (7am sounds heavenly). The early bedtime does work well for Paul as on Monday I put her down at 6pm before heading to handbells, and last night it helped as he put her down at 6:15 and got back to grading papers. Last night she woke up at 10:30pm for her first feeding and 4:30am for her second feeding. The only problem has been that I have been pumping when I get home (since she's already in bed), but then if she wakes up that early I haven't had quite enough milk for her since less than 2 hours have passed so I've nursed her and then given some bottle at the first feeding. I am used to ALL night time feedings just being nursing. This morning she was WIDE awake at 4:30; when I went in to feed her, she squealed with delight and started cooing. I put her down at 5:00 expecting her to cry, but surprisingly she didn't. When Paul went in to get her at 6:15 she was cooing away. I find it hard to believe she was awake (and happy) that whole time, but who knows. We are sticking with the rule that she can't get up for the day until at least 6am (and like I said eventually I want that to be 7am).

Sunday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon she also took one long afternoon nap instead of two short ones. The total length was actually longer than what the two put together used to be. So I think that's a good change as well. The 2 morning naps are still short (usually 45 minutes but sometimes only 30). Hopefully eventually she'll take one longer morning nap also. I am just glad she is done with the growth spurt or whatever was causing the night time sleeping problems. Really she just changed on her own back to sleeping better. We haven't had to let her cry very much at all. She still usually cries when she goes down for a nap, but often it's less than 5 minutes.

My dad is in Romania this week. He flew over on Monday and comes back on Sunday. I'd appreciate prayers for his safety!