Oh, hi!

Dear Zoe,

It really has been a ridiculous amount of time! I loved reading about your life, about Sofia, about your pregnancy. To answer one of your questions, I have also not kept up with writing, to the point that this feels strange to me. It really is something that requires practice. I actually feel like stopping and watching a TV show since I have a rare moment of Eiley napping and my work phone not ringing. I'll resist that urge and update you instead because I've wanted to update you for months now. I'm going with a random list though:

• My hair is short. I like it when I dry and straighten it, but when I don't have time for that, it's too short to put in a ponytail. I've been sporting pigtails. I probably look ridiculous - a 31 year-old with pigtails - but I secretly love it.
• Eiley is so fun when I am well-rested! She sings, she laughs easily, she is creative, she's observant. However, I've noticed that if I am tired I get impatient easily and then we just spiral downward into timeouts and general meh-ness. It's easy to tell when it's mostly my own attitude messing with things because Eiley will eventually say "Are you not Grumpy now?" 
• Margot is significantly more active than Eiley was at this age. This terrifies me. Is Margot going to just constantly flail about? Glad to hear that Gonnit is acting similarly. Maybe it's a second child thing.  
• I am still working full-time. This is sometimes perfect and other times a huge challenge. Usually depends on whether Eiley is willing to play independently that day or not. I'm grateful for it though.
• We live in Irvine now, and almost every day I am consciously grateful of that. We have access to dozens of pools and parks, plus a lake, plus a lagoon in the summer. We walk to our Bible study each week because the hosts of it live around the corner. Plus it's just safe here. I love it love it love it. I also swore I'd never live here because it's a little too perfect (I felt it lacked character), but whatever. Got over that.
• Jeff loves his jobs - he works at one university building online classes (which involves quite a lot of on camera work since his office creates a lot of how-to videos too) and he teaches theater courses at another university. It's completely awesome to see him content in his work. 
• I happen to like Sofia's name for your baby boy. He certainly wouldn't get mixed up with any other R2-D2 Googol Gonnit Reyeses in his classes growing up. 
• Eiley and I do like crafting, whenever I can muster the energy and creativity to come up with something. She especially enjoys painting!

Okay, that's all I have. I'm certain there must be more happening in life, but that couch and TV are shouting my name. 

Lahve,

Emily