29

Friday was one of the best days of my life: so full of simple happiness and good people, and orchestrated by my husband Marcos to be a very special day. Besides having my blog hacked by my sweet husband Marcos, I turned 29 years old.

I awoke in the morning to feed Gigi and get ready for work, and in the silence and darkness of the early morning, Gigi snuggled against me with her tummy full of warm milk. With her little body sleeping nestled into my chest, I felt an overwhelming feeling of happiness that I get to be such a big part of this little girl's life. It was my first birthday as a mom, and I felt a rush of honor and humility, and influence and power.

And who doesn't like to feel influential and powerful, if only in their very small sphere?


At work, it was an exciting day with two visits from smart, brilliant and competitive prospective students. When people come to visit the UNC School of Social Work from out of town, I roll out the red carpet and arrange for them to meet with me to overview the program, and I also arrange for them to sit in on classes, meet with faculty members who share their interests, have campus tours and lunch with current students, and anything else that matches their areas of interest within the field of social work. The visits went really well, and then we rushed off at noon to Elmo's Diner in Carrboro for lunch with the birthday club!


Each month the Student Services Suite does a breakfast or lunch party for all those who are celebrating their birthdays that month. Rachel and I (above) were the lucky ones this time, and we were completely spoiled. We were treated to lunch, heaps of presents, and the most amazing blackberry cobbler for dessert. Here are the ladies I work with: they are the salt of the earth.


When Marcos came to pick me up after work, the weather was about as perfect as can be hoped for on an October afternoon. After dilly dallying a bit and driving around in the sunshine and swinging by Target for a secret gift from Marcos, we headed out for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. The perfect meal out: hibachi steak with wasabi mashed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms and mung sprouts, and tempura fried asparagus. The perfect dessert: pumpkin pecan cheesecake. The perfect date: Marcos and Gigi (who is a big deal in Japan).

The newest onesie I made for Gigi, because she is a BIG deal in Japan

After dinner we window shopped in fancy stores, enjoyed walking in the outdoor shopping center in the brisk evening, and talked with friends we ran into along the way. Just being together as a family and enjoying a cool autumn evening stroll made me feel like the richest lady alive. It was one of the best days of my life, and hopefully the beginning of one of the best years...