diff --git a/xlsx/__init__.py b/xlsx/__init__.py
index a4ac436..eaf5fa2 100644
--- a/xlsx/__init__.py
+++ b/xlsx/__init__.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 import re
 import zipfile
-from xlsx.xldate import xldate_as_tuple
+from xlsx.xldate import xldate_as_python
 from xlsx.formatting import is_date_format_string
 from xlsx.timemachine import UnicodeMixin
 
@@ -153,9 +153,16 @@ def rowsIter(self):
         sheetDoc = self.workbook.domzip["xl/worksheets/sheet%d.xml" % self.id]
         sheetData = sheetDoc.find("{http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/spreadsheetml/2006/main}sheetData")
         # @type sheetData Element
+        rowCount = 0
         for rowNode in sheetData:
             rowNum = int(rowNode.get("r"))
             rowCells = []
+
+            rowCount += 1
+            while rowCount < rowNum:
+              yield rowCount, []
+              rowCount += 1
+
             for columnNode in rowNode:
                 colType = columnNode.get("t")
                 cellId = columnNode.get("r")
@@ -169,14 +176,14 @@ def rowsIter(self):
                             stringIndex = columnNode[0].text
                             data = self.workbook.sharedStrings[int(stringIndex)]
                         #Built in date-formatted fields
-                        elif cellS and re.match("^[\d\.]+$", columnNode[0].text):
+                        elif cellS and columnNode[0].text and re.match("^[\d\.]+$", columnNode[0].text):
                             if int(self.workbook.cellStyles[int(cellS)].get('numFmtId')) in range(14, 22+1):
-                                data = xldate_as_tuple(
+                                data = xldate_as_python(
                                     float(columnNode[0].text),
                                     datemode=0)
                             elif (self.workbook.cellStyles[int(cellS)].get('numFmtId') in self.workbook.numFmts) \
                                 and is_date_format_string(self.workbook.numFmts[self.workbook.cellStyles[int(cellS)].get('numFmtId')]):
-                                data = xldate_as_tuple(
+                                data = xldate_as_python(
                                     float(columnNode[0].text),
                                     datemode=0)
                             else:
diff --git a/xlsx/xldate.py b/xlsx/xldate.py
index ed4efd0..23de093 100644
--- a/xlsx/xldate.py
+++ b/xlsx/xldate.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #    Noon on Gregorian 1900-03-01 (day 61 in the 1900-based system) is JDN 2415080.0
 #    Noon on Gregorian 1904-01-02 (day  1 in the 1904-based system) is JDN 2416482.0
 
+from datetime import date, datetime
 from xlsx.timemachine import int_floor_div as ifd
 
 _JDN_delta = (2415080 - 61, 2416482 - 1)
@@ -53,6 +54,15 @@ class XLDateBadTuple(XLDateError): pass
 # @throws XLDateBadDatemode datemode arg is neither 0 nor 1
 # @throws XLDateError Covers the 4 specific errors
 
+
+def xldate_as_python(xldate, datemode):
+  value = xldate_as_tuple(xldate, datemode)
+  if any(value[3:]):
+    return datetime(*value)
+  else:
+    return date(*value[:3])
+
+
 def xldate_as_tuple(xldate, datemode):
     if datemode not in (0, 1):
         raise XLDateBadDatemode(datemode)