Sweet Toby

Toby surprised me yesterday by bringing Annie to the airport to meet me after my first business trip away since Annie was born.  Needless to say, I cried...rather a lot, and in front of strangers, too.  The other folks in the waiting area probably thought I had been away for a month, not one night!

I let out a big breath and then realized...

I just went through one of those new scanners at the airport.  You know, the scanners where there is a screener in some room in the basement who is basically looking at a picture of you naked.  I tried to avoid  newfangled scanner by getting into the other line, all the while feeling very smug that I had noticed the separate lines, but something about me apparently looked suspicious enough that I was asked to move to the newfangled scanner line.  Was it my hot pink jacket standing out in a sea of black, or perhaps the breast pump in my bag?  (I know, way too much information.)

Anyway, after the screener took my picture, I let out a big breath and then realized that I had been holding in my stomach - wouldn't want the mystery person in the dark room to think I have a pot belly. :)

Then one day it just happened...

Annie slept through the night last night!  6:30 pm - 6:00 am!  Woo-hoo!  But where are the blaring trumpets and singing angels?   No matter - I danced to cheesy top 40 music all the way to work, which I suppose is sufficient celebration.  AAAHHH!

So miracles do happen, though sometimes they take six months and four days.  And I am fully aware that the mere fact that I am broadcasting this accomplishment means that she might not do it again for another six months and four days.  But today is a good day.

Annie's 6 month photos - too cute!

Remember when I said that I have the cutest baby ever?  I meant it.  On Tuesday we took Annie to Krista Lee Photography (had to give some business to somebody wish such a nice name, after all).  She got some amazing shots.  You can see some really cute ones at http://kristaleephotography.blogspot.com/  Just click on the link and scroll down past the cute engaged couple.  If 20 people leave comments, we get a free print, so feel free to gush about how cute she is! 

No dollar sign on peace of mind

Today I started my new part-time schedule at work.  I have already learned that traffic at 7:30 is worse than traffic at 9:00 - but then again I should have known that.  Other than that, I'm excited to see how this 8-2:30 schedule works out.  I'm looking forward to afternoons with Annie, time for exercise, time for cooking dinner, family walks and the whole she-bang that I've been missing out on lately.

I had some panicked moments on Friday when I was signing the agreement with my firm, and today when I saw the fully executed document on my desk I had another moment when I felt fairly paralyzed with fear.  A 25% reduction in pay + insanely expensive daycare = pretty much the amount that we've been putting into savings for the last couple of years.  So a new day is upon us financially, too.   Listening to the Zac Brown band on the way in to work resonated this morning.  In the middle of a fairly cheesy song about fried chicken (I kid you not) that takes a really bad turn at an attempt to be patriotic (in the middle of a song about fried chicken - good luck not sounding pithy) there are a good couple of pretty good lines:

And its funny how its the little things in life that mean the most
Not where you live, what you drive, or the price tag on your clothes
There's no dollar sign on peace of mind, this I've come to know

Then it goes on about fried chicken again.  Inexplicably, I really like the song.

Anyway, a new day is upon us, and I'm really excited!  Wish us luck!

Dear Franklin Police Department,

Yes, I voluntarily signed up for your automated text alerts during the flood of 2010.  Yes, I appreciate the texted Amber Alerts, warnings of flash floods and occassional requests to see if I can help identify a thief who used a stolen card at an ATM.  

I do not appreciate texts sent at 3:30 am to advise me of overturned tractor trailers on the interstate.  Maybe I'm a little touchy since I have had only one full night of sleep since March 14th, but you seriously need to reevaluate what constitutes a necessary alert.  SERIOUSLY.

I thought...

...that commando crawling across the nursery floor to retrieve the pacifiers that Annie threw out of the crib, and then silently squeezing the pacifiers back through the bars so that they would magically be available when Annie needs them upon waking in the middle of the night would be the most ridiculous thing I did today.

Then I just looked down and noticed that I'm drinking wine from a coffee mug.  Tie?

At least I'm still standing.  Toby went to bed at 7:30.