Off to Alabama!

I got into my program! I'm so excited. This is an amazing opportunity. After some funding issues and other government nonsense, the dates have moved, some of the faculty have changed and it's a day shorter. However, we still get to go to all of the site visits and have some amazing people giving lectures.

It's over a week of carbon capture and storage talks, lectures, site visits and meeting other early career professionals. It is the perfect program for my current thesis work. I'll come out with a better knowledge of the injection process, storage of CO2, the economics, issues and benefits. There are engineers, geologists, sales people, technicians. I am looking forward to broadening my knowledge of the topic and field. It should also really help with some background knowledge for *when* I defend my dissertation in the fall.

I am nervous to leave my boys for so long. I know The Hubs is capable and will do a great job, but being a single parent is hard! I was away from The Hubs for the 2 years before we got married when I went away for my master's degree. It was hard, but we talked on the phone every night so it was bearable. It is going to be so hard to leave Buddy for that long. I've been away for a night and that's all. He would rather play with the phone than talk on it so I don't know how much I'll get to hear him while I'm gone. We only have my work computer with skype so that's not an option. The Hubs can't put it on his work computer. I won't see my baby for 9 days. I won't be able to nurse him, cuddle him, put him to bed for more than a week.

I'm going to miss this sweet face.

I'm afraid he's going to wean while I'm away. 9 days is a long time to go without nursing. I have hope that I'll come back and he'll still be willing, but I doubt it's going to happen. Suddenly taking that away from him for so long is going to make it harder on him and The Hubs. I'll be bringing my pumping supplies with me, but am guessing it's going to be a week of pumping and dumping. In itself, that's just sad. If you've ever had to do it, you know how hard it is to pump! It sucks. It hurts. It's frustrating. But if I have any hope in keeping any sort of supply and starting up again when I get home, it's the only way.

So I'm officially going to Alabama. My flights have been booked and I'll be gathering up everything I need over the next 2 weeks to prepare. I am so excited for this opportunity but sad that it probably means I am done breastfeeding until the next one comes along.