{sleepless nights}

i'm 3 days into a nightfloat rotation and my days feel a little off kilter as a result!  i'm working from 7pm to 7am which means everything is turned around and upside down. twelve hour shifts in the DAYtime are rough....this is even rougher!  strangely, i'm starting to adjust.  the rotation is only 2 weeks long so by the time i get fully adjusted, it'll be time to switch back to a day schedule. ha!

i look on the brightside and think....maybe these sleepless nights are practice for having a newborn at home again?? ;)

up until now, emma hasn't had one toy that she clings to or won't leave home without.  she's become more and more interested in her "dolly" lately and loves to drag blankets behind her and cuddle with them on the floor. it's so sweet.  she kisses her dolly and calls her baby.  its so cute to see this loving nurturing side of her at such a young age :)

its nearly impossible to try and convince this child that we need to stay inside because its TOO HOT!!! she is an outdoorsy kind of girl and loves to be outside.  playing on the back porch, usually in the pool, is a big part of our every day.  even when its 100 degrees out....

this afternoon i had my bathing suit on as we played outside.  emma took one look at me, lifted up her shirt, and started rubbing her belly. subtle. that's all i am these days....a big huge belly ;)

daddy came home and it was time for dinner. emma likes it when EVERYone sits at her table.  we're still working on keeping our tushies in the chair....right emma?? ;) someone likes to climb on the chair, on the table, and look out the window.  nothing like a little table climbing to really work up an appetite and make your parents really nervous!

emma's facial expressions keep us in stitches.  i have a video of her on my phone when she was 2 months old ~ making a series of ridiculous faces ~ that makes me laugh hysterically to this day whenever i watch it.  she is still a very expressive baby and likes to make silly faces....just like her daddy ;)

(this is the sign for "helicopter".  at baby gator, the kids often see the hospital helicopter landing on the roof so the teachers taught them this sign.  in this particular instance, emma heard a car outside and the noise prompted this sign)

emma...thats a CAR.  can you say CAR?  no mom....HELICOPTER!!!!!!!

we got her bathed and pj'd.  these days she is totally obsessed with lotion. i don't understand why or where this came from!  she gets lotioned up every morning and night....and this simple part of our routine has become quite the chore lately. emma usually wants to hold the bottle....squeeze the bottle...and of course lotion goes everywhere.  we are all bearers of very soft moisturized skin these days ;)

finally it was time to head to work :( i kissed my lovies and headed in. nights stink. i miss getting to put my sweet girl to bed. i miss sleeping next to my honey. i miss my bed and my pregnancy pillow.

despite all that, as i drove in, i couldn't help but smile.  with the windows down and music playing, a huge smile crept across my face.  life is beautiful and good. it's filled with love & health & many other blessings. and even sleep deprivation can't take that away ;)