Birthday, baby

Today is my 32nd birthday. And I'm beyond thrilled to celebrate with Em this year. She's my gift that keeps on giving. I don't need diamonds -- she makes me shine. That's not to say I won't accept diamonds, too, of course. I may be sappy and cheesy, but I'm not going senile in my old age, folks. Happy birthday to me! And a happy un-birthday to all of you! (That last photo is a wider-angle version of the one I posted on Facebook yesterday, fyi.) "Today is my B-day, and people around here just go crazy for it. I don't know why. Oh! Fun fact. I share my birthday with Eva Longoria. So, I have a perfect ice-breaker if I ever meet Terry Hatcher." - Michael, The Office

9 months in, 9 months out

Today lovely Em turned 9 months old! She's 3/4ths of the way to her first birthday! Whoa. She's too busy grabbing for the blocks to look directly at the camera. And you should see me jumping around like a jester to distract her. But ya certainly can't get frustrated at a face like this. "Still round the corner there may wait, a new road or a secret gate." - J.R.R. Tolkien

Pink slip is the new black

Wednesday morning I was called into an office and handed my walking papers. Yup, I'm the latest victim of the economy. I'm surprised for various reasons, but I won't go into them here. I was able to pull Em out of daycare without penalty. And my daycare gal was super sweet, telling me I could come back whenever I'm ready. Sadly, though, as the daycare was near my office instead of our house, it's unlikely that I'll be able to use her again unless I happen to find a gig in that part of town. While I'm not sure what my next steps will be, I have a lot of interesting irons in the fire. I haven't touched my resume in more than three years, and I have a lot of great skills to add to it. I'm optimistic, as always, and am looking forward to spending more time with Em. She's the best silver lining anyone could ask for. Thanks again to all of you whom have already expressed your support via Twitter, Facebook, email, phone and in-person. I'm hopeful that when I figure out what I'd like to do next, and how I'm going to get there, it'll all work out. It always does. In other news, take a look at my blog makeover -- long, long, long overdue. Brent designed my new header. We may still tweak it a bit as I'm convinced that the font is more purple than the pink I was hoping for, but overall I really like it. You'll also notice the BlogHer ads in my right column. After five years of blogging, I'm finally giving into The Man -- or in this case, The Woman. I hope you all have a fabulous 4th of July. We'll be celebrating with our little firecracker. "And I said, I don't care if they lay me off either, because I told, I told Bill that if they move my desk one more time, then, then I'm, I'm quitting, I'm going to quit. And, and I told Don too, because they've moved my desk four times already this year, and I used to be over by the window, and I could see the squirrels, and they were married, but then, they switched from the Swingline to the Boston staper, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept the staples for the Swingline stapler and it's not okay because if they take my stapler then I'll set the building on fire... " - Milton, Office Space

Phonin' this one in

Been busy 'round these parts. Doing what?, you ask. Playing with our... drooling, chuckling... giggling... pretending-she's-not-tired... getting-ready-to-crawl... ...baby girl. She's keeping us PLENTY busy. Real posts to come, I promise. "Laughter is inner jogging." - Norman Cousins

I just need a little of your time

"Hey, everyone!" "You'll never guess what today is!" "Sounds like..." "SQUIRREL!" "Sorry...where was I? Oh, yes. IT'S MY MOM'S BLOGOVERSARY!" "Five years, baby! FIVE YEARS!" Thanks, Em, and your post-nap bedhead, for helping me celebrate! "There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time." - Coco Channel

Daughters will love like you do

Daddy will show Em the proper way to take a nap. He'll hold her close and comfort her when she's sad. He'll tell her the things she needs to hear, even when she doesn't feel like listening. And he'll show her that there's so much to see in this world. He'll make her laugh. He'll sit quietly with her as they enjoy each other's company. And he'll give her plenty and plenty of kisses 'cuz that's what good daddies do. Happy father's day, hon. Our sweet girl is so lucky to have a sweet dad like you. "On behalf of every man looking out for every girl, you are the God and the weight of her world." - Daughters, John Mayer

All these things would be more like they were at the start of me

Brent and I have a new favorite pastime - sneaking into the nursery to watch Em as she sleeps. Maybe it's 'cuz she generally sleeps through the night now. Maybe it's 'cuz she's become a belly sleeper, which is infinitely cuter to us than sleeping on her back. Maybe it's 'cuz we find her and her "lovey" (think: security blanket) like this: Yeah, I can't think of anything more adorable, if I do say so myself. My wacky husband decided to tempt fate by turning on her closet light so he could get the "perfect shot." Luckily Em slept right through it and didn't unleash her claws on us. "I've these dreams of walking home, home where it used to be. And everything is as it was, frozen in front of me." - 83, John Mayer