Because after a day like today, why would you elect to spend another minute without cable, internet, lights, and AIR CONDITIONING?!?

So, the hurricane hit us pretty hard. Maybe not as hard as they were predicting, but it did tear down a tree outside our home, which tore down a power line, which is still across our road. Also, we have no power. Or internet. We DID have some power, for a bit. The bedroom and nursery and half the kitchen was out, but we had power in other parts of the apartment, so we rigged up some extension cords and went about our business. But today the fire department came to check out the live wire and thought it would be a good idea to cut the rest of the power. Awesome. I mean, yeah, that makes sense and all, but it also kind of sucked. Especially since my nanny was home with Milo at the time. She took it in stride, which is a good sign.

Speaking of which, today was the nanny's first day. She's fantastic. At least, so far. It took a bit of time to show her the ropes, which wasn't good in the sense that I have a huge project to finish this week and I was counting on doing the bulk of it today. But it was a totally worthwhile investment. She took the whole "Milo might or might not take a bottle and might scream as if he is in great pain" situation really well. She also did well with trying to feed him the first time with me there. (no pressure or anything, huh?) I worked in the dorm room next door so I was easily accessible, other than a couple of meetings on campus. The only questions she asked were very thoughtful ones, like is it okay to use the exercise ball for play or only for calming him to sleep? Speaking of sleep, she got him to nap in his bassinet (which I have never gotten him to do.) AND THEN SHE SORTED HIS CLOTHES! hahahahaha. I think I'm in love.

Seriously.

I'm already so sad that she is applying to grad schools for next year and won't likely be a long-term nanny for Milo. Fingers crossed that this isn't a honeymoon phase. I've heard horror stories about nannies, but she seems really, really wonderful. And super flexible and accommodating too.

By the time I came back from my second meeting, the power was out and it was time for the nanny to go home. Which was sad. Because I have to be honest...having her there was strangely liberating. Maybe not so strange to moms who have been through this before, I guess. But for the hour or so I got to sit at a desk in a quiet room, in a breeze from the open window, getting work done...I felt so GREAT. I also felt like I wanted to use the time to get stuff for my own life done rather than work, but hey.

I also missed Milo more than I expected to, given he was next door and it was only a five hour separation. And I saw him two or three times during that time. But I really did miss him.

After the nanny left, I fed Milo and laid down with him, intending to have a cozy nap. About five minutes in, he was asleep and I got a text explaining that the power might be out for up to three days.

oh.

awesome.

So I began some frantic texting on my dying phone (the laptop and kindle were already dead) trying to come up with a plan for the night. I didn't want to move because Milo hasn't been sleeping well during the day OR during the night lately, and he was fast asleep. So I tried to plan without moving.

Our friend was coming to watch Milo while we were supposed to attend a 4 hour meeting. Which meant she'd be in the dark with nothing to do for four hours. oops.

Then I realized everything in our fridge and freezer was going to spoil. So I called around to other dorms until I found one with an empty dorm fridge, and then I packed up the most important and/or expensive items in two coolers.

Then I was stuck. Milo was sleeping--in a bed, no less--and it seemed like a lot of work to carry the two coolers down to the car, then get Milo in a car seat and down, only to do it all in reverse at the dorm, then again to get back to the dorm...and I only had 20 minutes till our friend would arrive to babysit Milo and I had to head to the meeting.

Thank goodness for good friends. One of our campus friends was kind enough to cart my two coolers over to the other dorm and unpack them in the fridge and freezer. We'll probably have to chuck the stuff that wouldn't  fit, but I think I saved the important stuff. Or Matt did anyway. Thanks, Matt.

Stuff like that really restores my faith in humanity.

Along the journey today I got TWO different phone calls with TWO bits of fairly serious bad news that I can't really write about now...but it just sort of added to the tension of the day.

So during the four hour dorm parent meeting, Michael and I booked a hotel for tonight.

Because after a day like today, why would you elect to spend another minute without cable, internet, lights, and AIR CONDITIONING?!?

You want to know the best thing to come of today though? Milo slept a bunch with the nanny...then slept two hours for me...then slept most of the four hours our friend was babysitting him...and HE'S STILL ASLEEP as we speak.

I'm not sure if it was the dark house, or the stimulation of having all these different caretakers, or general exhaustion from the last few nights of interrupted sleep...but maybe...dare I say...we've turned a leaf?

I think I'll get ready for bed and dream feed him and hope we all get more sleep tonight, because boy do we need it.

Meanwhile, tomorrow is the big photo shoot. I'm super excited, although we didn't get to prepare for it tonight as I had planned. So tomorrow I'll have to pack outfits for Michael, me and Milo. I had to prepare Michael for what to expect, because he pretty much hates this kind of stuff, thinks I'm a crazy picture lady (which is true) and also thinks I tend to torture our son with all the posing and picture taking (I respectfully disagree.)  So the fact that he's leaving work early, driving an hour away, and going through with this means he really, really loves me.

Which helps after a day like today and a week like this one.

Keep your fingers crossed for deep, long sleep and restored power!
xoxo