nearly two weeks ago, eric and i had our romantic v-day dinner at home and since.... well.

eric left the next morning for a work trip.  he came back friday night and we expected him home for the weekend before another brief trip this week.  which would have been a-ok, except saturday morning 12 hours after he got home, he received another call to leave for an emergency.

his ship powered up the coast to a search and rescue hundreds of miles north, in 25 foot seas.  in 95 knot winds.  in 0-something weather.  all this bad weather and a slew of other problems broke some things on the ship and now they're stuck.  4 hours north on the coast.  with NO idea when they'll be back.

sigh.

this week, our dishwasher overflowed alllllll over our kitchen floor and i've been working, little by little, on the stack of dishes in our sink by hand - there are so many but bending over the sink with my 6 mos baby bump is wrecking my back.  i am working on a 100k dollar grant at work.  and the studio has been hopping.  not only did we have our best week yet (YAY) but we also featured a groupon that went really well (super YAY) and all this required mucho worko from mama.  i haven't been to bed before midnight, i get up at 6am, i have a talkative and needy little 2.5 year old who tells me every single morning - i don't want to go to school today mama!!!! right before bawling, right up to the moment i walk out the door and leave him there anyhow- and i'm starting to feel like i'm drowning...

well now, drowning in snot.  sniffles and sore throat crept in on me today and i can't say i'm surprised, with the way things have been going. 

usually, i am pretty good.  i can usually balance tons without too much help - do many many things at once, and attack several scary things with ease.  but... i think this being pregnant is draining my normally strong energy and making me feel, well, pregnant.

what's scary is not knowing when it will end.  and i have said this many many times before, but i wonder how single, full time and double time working moms do it.  and i have such a respect.  i start crying tears of frustration when i hear from eric - i just don't know when we'll be home.  i am telling you everything i know. 

but.  but at least i have someone to call.  at least i know that eventually, EVENTUALLY, he will be home.  and i will go get a pedicure or something, maybe take a nap.  hell.... i may do both at once!  (ha)  how frustrating would it be to know that this was never ending?  that no one would be coming to lend a hand eventually, to take over putting out the fires, wiping the snotty noses, rewrapping the toilet paper that's been rolled all out on the floor, and cleaning pee puddles, scraping dried mustard off plates, and digging sippy cup lids out of the bottom of the cabinet, folding clothes just so we have something to wear tomorrow, balancing finances for family and business and making all the decisions.

i'm so so thankful to have such a supportive, involved partner.  i just wish he would come home. like, tomorrow.

and while i'm making wishes, i am going to also wish for no more snow.  after this weekend.  i mean, we can't change the fact that another 4-8 inches is predicted for tomorrow, with vague "light snow" forecasts for early next week.  but after this, universe, really.  come on.  uncle.