Ups and Downs...and Birthdays!

Well, I thought I was going to go Postal today with work. The Assessment Report that I've been working on this week takes anywhere from 25 to 30 hours to complete with about one-third of that time going to reviewing the laboratory analytical data as well as creating tables summarizing the results. It turns out that the results that the lab supplied us with last Friday were incorrect which Sarah discovered this morning. We based our preliminary verbal recommendations to our client based on those results. After frantically searching through the revised results, we learned that our original verbal recommendations were still good. However, the report which I had ready for finaling had to be redone including all six analytical tables as well as the text portions that discussed the analytical results. So Sarah and I basically redid about 8 hours worth of work. Needless to say, we'll be giving the lab an earfull. It'll work out though I'm sure...I just had to vent and I need a good night's rest and it'll be better tomorrow. Time changes things.

Speaking of time....where does it go? Sixteen years ago today, my baby Nickolas arrived on the scene. It's funny how in retrospect time seems to fly by. In my mind's eye, I can still see him as a toddler and as a little boy too. Now though he's almost an adult. He's been much bigger than me for the last few years and I no longer win arm wrestling contests with either of my boys. And yes, my boys routinely used to challenge me to arm wrestling and I could still beat Erik now and then until he was 17. It's not that Erik is weak, but I'm scrappy and stubborn! This is the beginning of Nickolas' transition to adulthood and before I know it he'll be gone and on his own. Some days like today, I miss my baby, my toddler, and my little boy, but I'll always have them in my heart and memories. And as I look at him today on the verge of independence, I can't help but be proud of the wonderful young man he has become.

Check out my real life progression photographs of my baby below...