separation anxiety

I can't believe that a week from today I'm back to work. What has happened to this summer?!? I'm really dreading leaving my baby everyday. It seems like each day there is something new to watch and I feel so sad to miss our days together. I love our leisurely mornings, our grocery shopping trips, cooking dinner, and anticipating daddy coming home from work. I wish I didn't have to return to work but it's that or live off water and sunshine, not to mention I do love my job. To bad you can't be a part time teacher! Tonight when I put her to bed I held her a few extra minutes and just wished she could always be just like this. . .so adorable and smelling of powder and baby shampoo all snuggly in her cute footie pajamas. I know there are so many more fun stages coming. . .don't get me wrong I'm really looking forward to tea parties and mother-daughter pedicures. . .but I love this baby stage. She's really smiling a lot here lately and is fascinated by the mirror on her swing. She'll stare at it for a half hour just making faces at herself (Andy says she's like her mother and easily entertained :-) It seems like it all passes so quickly I wish I could slow things down. I know I'll turn around and she'll be walking and talking and I'll wonder what happened to my baby. So for now I'm determined to soak up every bit of her baby-ness. . .and take lots of pictures!