I just sent my advisor an email.
It will take her some time to read.
But I hope she perseveres, because it has a happy ending.
Typing this part brought tears to my eyes. (More in comments.)
Typing this part made me smile.
Now I am going to eat some Mardi Gras ice cream. And go to bed.
I've known for a while that I would dedicate the dissertation to my little girl. I was deciding between two topics, pretty sure I'd choose the other one, when I found out I was pregnant. I knew I'd need to go with the topic that would let me stay close to my baby, and I've learned SO SO much as a result. I mean, I would have learned a lot from the other topic, but this topic has provided me with an unexpected education.
Her due date pushed me to get through my prelim. She slept next to me all through those mornings of apparently endless coding last winter and spring. She has shaped this document since she was a tiny little thing, and it seemed right to acknowledge it.
I am a smidge worried that the boys will feel left out, but they are each named and thanked in the acknowledgments. (Also, I will be surprised if they ever look at my dissertation.)
Posted by: Jamie | February 16, 2010 at 10:50 PM
Hooray! Hooray! Enjoy the ice cream.
Marcie
Posted by: Marcie Miller | February 16, 2010 at 10:52 PM
What a wonderful accomplishment!Congratulations, Jamie.
Posted by: Sarah in Ottawa | February 17, 2010 at 07:58 AM
Yay! Mazal tov! Also? Go sleep or read a frilly cooking magazine. please.
Posted by: rachel | February 17, 2010 at 09:22 AM
Yay! Congratulations!
Posted by: Kathy | February 17, 2010 at 10:17 AM
Fantastic.
Posted by: Rob | February 17, 2010 at 11:11 AM
Congratulations!!!!
I love the last word and the dedication. I think my last word, if I'm not mistaken, was "accomplishment" (it's in a blog post somewhere).
Now... I kind of envy the 140 pages. I wish mine were shorter (it would have been way easier to write). It's 400 pages longer. :-( (with the appendices & bibliography, though, the whole thing is about 400+, still 260 pages more ;-). Ah, the humanities... but mine has lots of unexpected quantitative stuff in it.
Anyway, apologies for the comparisons and talking about *my* dissertation, but I'm sure you'll understand.
oh, wait, who did I dedicate it to? oh yeah, to my parents and "my boys" (husband and sons).
Posted by: Lilian | February 17, 2010 at 12:59 PM
Errata:
My full diss is 490pages long, the text, 399.
And I just found out a grammatical error in the last paragraph of the abstract :-( (a verb conjugated on the 3nd person singular when it was plural).
Posted by: Lilian | February 17, 2010 at 01:03 PM
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Posted by: Miriel | February 17, 2010 at 01:06 PM
Congratulations, Jamie. What an accomplishment!
Posted by: Tall Kate | February 17, 2010 at 01:39 PM
Congratulations on an amazing accomplishment.
Posted by: Erin | February 17, 2010 at 02:24 PM
Lovely. Congratulations.
Posted by: JeCaThRe | February 17, 2010 at 02:27 PM
Hurrah!
Posted by: Salome Ellen | February 17, 2010 at 02:51 PM
Congratulations!!
Posted by: Pippi | February 18, 2010 at 10:54 AM
Wow, Jamie! Huge congrats to you. Enjoy that ice cream!
Posted by: Laura | February 18, 2010 at 09:19 PM
I am so proud of you!! I think your daughter has a particular lesson to learn from all you, as a woman, have accomplished, for the Greater Glory of God.
Congratulations!
Posted by: Renee | February 19, 2010 at 09:02 AM
Congratulations Jamie! Reading the dedication brought tears to my eyes. Enjoy that well deserved ice cream!
Posted by: shannon | February 19, 2010 at 09:20 AM
Huzzah! Congratulations! Hail the conquering hero! (That's what my roommate emailed me when I passed my prelims.)
A dear friend of mine did his defense some years ago, and in the acknowledgments at the end, put up a slide that simply said '"A.M.D.G." He left it there without comment as he thanked his family and professors and friends (squee), and told me later, "Them who know will know." =)
Congrats again, and well done!
Posted by: Kristin | February 21, 2010 at 02:46 PM
oh, this has brought me such joy for you!! i am so so so very glad that you are done! can you believe it? does it feel real yet, doctor? wow. so unbelievably happy for you, mama. well done, and yes, time to go and get your well deserved ice cream AND THEN SOME!!!
Posted by: pnuts mama | February 23, 2010 at 03:22 PM
I'm late saying so, but Congratulations! I love the way you did this post. What a great way to celebrate Mardi Gras. (Or any day, really.) Wheeee! Hope you've enjoyed this past week immensely. Light and free.
Posted by: el-e-e | February 26, 2010 at 09:57 AM