isn't it ironic?

...don't ya think?

No seriously.  I'm astounded at the irony I've come across within the last few days.  Now feels like the right time to share.

On Saturday, I went to Ikea with Hannah Bear and my parents while Jack spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa.  Mom and Dad wanted to look for some new furniture for their new house, and I was in need of picture ledges.  I'm finally getting around to the bookshelf project I planned for the playroom last summer.  And by, I'm finally getting around to, what I really mean is I bought the shelves so that Brad can install them.  The rain gutter idea - disaster.  I hated the way they looked the moment they arrived, and I've searched for the better part of a year for an alternative.  I finally decided on one, and I can't wait to share pictures of our finished product!

I digress.

We went to Ikea.  I was in full shopping and Mommy-mode.  I was juggling Hannah Bear, a paper tape measure, a tiny notebook, and oodles and oodles of exciting (and relatively inexpensive!) furniture and accessories at Ikea.

And then I put down my phone.

Somewhere.

I went to take a picture of a desk lamp that we wanted to find in the Lighting section, and it was gone.

I didn't panic, as it's happened before.

I checked my pockets.  Every inch of my purse.  Our entire cart.

I had my dad check his pockets and my mom check her purse.  I retraced my last steps.  I went back to the chair I'd taken a picture of because it was oh-so-comfortable and I wanted to buy it for our bedroom.

It wasn't there.

And then I panicked.

My dad thought to call my phone.  And it had been turned off.

Beyond panicked now, I thought I might die.  (I'm exaggerating a bit, but not by much.)  I did not know what to do.  What time was it?  Had I recently downloaded my pictures onto the computer?  Why is my phone off?  Did it fall out of my pocket and onto it's power button?  Can I remember what is on my grocery list?  What is my sister's cell phone number?  Didn't the person see my photo with Jack and Hannah on the phone?  Had my passcode gone into effect before some crazy, horrible stranger picked up my phone and turned it off?  At Ikea?  Is this even happening?  Do I call the police?  I'm at Ikea!!!  Bad people don't shop at Ikea!

This is when I rationalized that some nice person picked up my phone, turned it off to save the battery, and turned it into the lost and found.  I put on my happy face and finished our shopping trip.  I! was! at! Ikea!

It was not true.  No one turned in my phone.  Or was trying to save my battery.

My phone is gone.

I have officially been without a phone since Saturday at approximately 2:30 pm.

I'm going slightly crazy.

My new phone will arrive tomorrow.  The nice Verizon woman agreed to let me upgrade 26 days early to an iPhone 5.  I'm excited.  And nervous.  I hope it's true that my things are in the cloud.  Or on iTunes.  Or wherever they may be.

Today, I started to accept the reality that I would be getting a new phone.  Hannah's been reminding me approximately every 45 minutes by saying, "Mommy lost her phone.  Don't be sad."  So I ordered a case and some adapters.

And then I read an article that the iPhone 5S will be coming out in three weeks.

Of course.