Love equals...

Spending a relaxing weekend with my sweet girl. How can someone so tiny bring so much joy into our lives???

I don't know how she does it, but it's working.

Friday's Letters

My first "Friday's Letters" link up! Here we go!

Dear place of employment: Thank you for letting me work from home on Fridays. I am so much more productive when I don't have to shower. Dear electricity: You are amazing. Dear Cinnabon coffee creamer: Please tell me you're not laced with crack because I just can't quit you. Dear Emerson: Thank you for being the happiest baby ever, and for sleeping 13 hours last night. You're the best around. Dear Mother Nature: Cool it. I mean that literally and figuratively. Dear yesterday: You felt like Monday. It was awesome that you were not. Dear working out: I wish I liked you more. Dear Kindle Fire: I wish I liked you less. Dear Twitter: I'm embarrassed that I've only recently discovered how awesome you are.

I hope you all find some way to stay cool this weekend - it's gonna be a scorcher. Swell. At least it's not snowing.

It's all about perspective.

Happy Friday!!!

Independence Day

We're back on line!!!!!!

After 5 days of no power, the gods decided to smile down on Bexley, Ohio and restore our electricity. 

I cannot, in any way, articulate how grateful I am for electricity.

I realize that this is a truly first world problem, and part of me dies inside for complaining about it since a) It could be worse - way worse b) At least we have a home in which to lose electricity and c) At least we have the money to pay our electric bill.

However, I am still thankful that my life and routine have been restored. In honor of Independence day, I have realized I am absolutely positively 100% dependent on electricity. My sisters-in-law have very graciously hosted us for the past week, but I was just SO READY to be home. In my own bed. Not living out of suitcase. And with Emerson in her own crib, not a Pack n Play. I mean, wouldn't you want to come home and rest in a bed like this????

Our holiday was low key but lovely. We slept in, and then went to a friends house to watch the Worthington Hills July 4th parade. It was hotter than Hades, but it was fun nonetheless. However, I was left wondering..... how does one get "in" a parade?? Seriously, the parade was the most random cast of characters - next year can I just show up in a convertible with a little sign on it and some candy and be granted the privilege of waving to the neighborhood??? I don't get it...

Then we had a cookout at Lindsay's house, where Jon made the most amazing brats cooked in Yuengling. Oh Mylanta, they were good. I may have had two. I feel like holidays are exempt for feeling guilt about eating something with a synthetic casing. Yep.

I can also say that I did not see one firework this year. By the time we got home, we were all exhausted and I just wanted to go to bed. This idea was thwarted  by the fireworks show going on half a mile from us. I love our little town, but at the moment I wanted to kick someone. BOOM BOOM BOOM. Don't these people understand I have to work tomorrow?!? BOOM BOOM BOOM.  It was so loud I could hear the fireworks through Em's monitor. I watched with bated breath, thinking there was no way she wouldn't wake up - but sweet princess surprised us and slept right through it... WIN!

All in all, we had a darn good 4th, considering the circumstances. Maybe next year when Em goes to bed later than 6:30pm we can take her to the fireworks instead of praying she doesn't hear them. Either way, every holiday is that much better now that she's here :)

Another day with no power....

Still grumpy about it.

Grumpy

This pretty much sums up my mood today.

We lost power last night around 6:15pm, and my poor sweet girl was MISERABLE.

It was hot, sticky, and way too quiet. Everyone in our little family sleeps with a white noise machine playing all night long, and every single creek in the floorboards woke the poor girl up.

Finally, after 10:30pm and a overtired baby in her diaper and no pjs later, I packed a bag and headed to my sister's house, and we both managed to get some sleep. Her more than me... I'm working on about 4.5 hours, which I haven't felt since we did sleep training, and boy... I do NOT miss this sleep-deprived haze.

Still, we thrive on routine, and having to throw Em off her schedule gave me the mommy sads. She just looked so tired, but then this morning gave me huge smiles and cuddles, so I don't think she'll hold it against me.

So rather than complain for several more paragraphs, I'll just say that today I am grateful for:

- Cinnabon coffee creamer. Just as I am everyday.
- The employees of American Electric Power, for working their ASSESS off to restore power to 750,000 people in the eastern United States
- My Kindle Fire, for being the only source of light whilst packing my bag last night, because our one candle burned out and our phones were dead. Womp womp.
- Emerson, for being such a good sport and still smiling when all I wanted to do was cry
- My sister in law for being so accommodating when she was about to go in for a 12 hour overnight shift. I am so grateful that I am going to buy her a honeymoon to Bermuda. Oh wait... we already did that ;-) More on that later.

Hope those of you without power are hanging in there... then again, if you don't have power, you're probably not reading this, so you don't know that I feel for you.

Happy Monday! It's Monday.