No more November and Ta-Ta Thanks

Just a quick post to send off November and the near-month of blogging Thanks.

I plan to do this again next year...it was super fun and a nice way to reflect on all our blessings.

Today I am thankful to have this outlet for my feelings and other needless clutter in my brain. And thank you for my regular readers and the occasional stopovers, as well.

Here's hoping December is even more full with joys and blessings!

Thankful on Thanksgiving

I am thankful today for oodles of things:

• Having fully cooked then eaten our Thanksgiving meal and cleaned up in time to nap during Bug's nap at 1pm.
• A short but sweet nap between our big lunch and dinner of turkey leftovers!
• Big's delicious turkey cooked on the grill.  Year after year, he saves us from heating up the kitchen for several hours and allows me the ease of throwing in our baked casseroles and dinner rolls for 30 minutes before eating a wonderful meal.
• Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider in lieu of wine.
• Bug tasting everything on his plate and eating most of it although he enjoys saying, "eeewwww" in between bites. I think Caillou is the root cause of this new favorite phrase.
• Full bellies in a warm house.
• Standing at the island with Big while we both assisted Bug in making our sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole for supper. There is nothing like Bug's joy when he gets to prepare food.
• Cool cranberry sauce with a hot meal. (I commented to Big that this is the first year in a LONG time that I can recall everything being hot at the same time while I am eating it.)
• My most favorite Thanksgiving Day ever!
• Watching the Macy's Parade in short bursts with Bug while getting things ready in the kitchen for the big day ahead. Spiderman was our big moment!
• Getting Bug hugs in large supply upon waking him this morning and getting him up from naptime.
• My recliner after eating.
• Tired dogs. Not like they have done anything. They just seem to enjoy their laziness.
• Enjoying my own laziness.
• Big being not only, a fantastico of a turkey-on-the-grill-chef but also, a helper and cleaner in the kitchen. Teamwork takes it out in double time!
• Happy and healthy family here and elsewhere.
• The solid (and sometimes predictive of a future as a football kicker or soccer player) wallops that Baby Boy Blue has been steadily pummeling my insides with all day.
• The first of four days that Big gets to be home from work with us.
• A holiday spent entirely with our little family unit alone.
• Cool weather (to us) outside to really solidify that it is Thanksgiving. Normally, we have hot and rather un-fall like temps but we aren't getting out of the low 60s today. 
• The boys walking/scooting down to our mailbox and checking the mail...and coming home with a new Southern Living magazine for me to pour myself into. (Does anyone still have a mailbox at the bottom of their driveway anymore?)
• Plans in my mind of getting through his 4-day work hiatus with Big and I having moved all the furniture that's in our upstairs office/playroom into proper places so we can continue to prep the house for a baby #2 and a traveling husband.
• The life and family that we have been blessed with and being able to share the days that matter with one another.
• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special on TV.
• Looking around my house and seeing our Christmas decorations already hung on Thanksgiving Day. Big will likely never let that happen again but he went with it for the sake of the Christmas Party last weekend.
• Christmas music starting on the one adult contemporary radio station here in town.
• Blogging about at least one thankful moment each day during the month of November through Thanksgiving Day.

I may continue for the rest of the month but today marks the end of my initial commitment to daily blogging of thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Twas the night before Turkey and my first show and tell

My first time to show and tell and I'm sharing my day before Thanksgiving poem of thanks...


Twas the night before Turkey and all through the kitchen
you could hear mixing gadgets and grown-ups were bitchin'.
Potatoes were boiling while casseroles were baking.
Apple pies were frozen because mom's okay faking.


Daddy was prepping the gas grill for our bird
while Bug watched Charlie Brown, not saying a word.
Deacon and Lulu were lounging on the floor.
And though there was too much, we kept prepping more.


The serving pieces were washed, rinsed and dried.
The canned goods and staples were all set aside.
And for french toast breakfast the eggs were all beaten
The oven was cleaned and ready for heatin'.


And when it's tomorrow I'll share my dear Thanks...
Thank God I am pregnant, no need to wear Spanx!

Tuesday and two days to go...

This exercise in graciousness has nearly reached its finale...Thanksgiving Day is two days away. Tonight I am thankful for all the goodness I can look back on over the past 3+ weeks. I have a wonderful family, a healthy baby kicking the crap out of my uterus, a generous husband, a hilarious son, fun friends and more blessings than I can count.

It has been a wonderful month and I appreciate again having the chance to do this.

Thankful

I am very thankful for all the blessings in my world. I have been visiting some blogs today that are experiencing such loss and sadness that it seems important to acknowledge all that we have been blessed with...in terms of family and all areas of our life. We have been blessed with Bug, we have been blessed with Erin in heaven to watch over us and we are now blessed to be pregnant with Baby Boy Blue. These are immeasurable treasures and we have done nothing out of the ordinary to have earned them.

I know that there are people...many people...who would give so much to have even a bit of this goodness for their families. I wish them all peace in their journeys toward a complete family. Their journeys will look different from one another's journeys and their outcomes may be starkly different. So, all I can wish them is peace. Peace to embrace their journeys, no matter how trying they become. Peace to embrace their outcomes, no matter how they may look different than in dreams. Peace to find goodness...if not in what they have, then in what they have been spared.

There is goodness in peace. It isn't always happiness but it is a sense of comfort for me. I am thankful, as well, to hold this view as it will carry me through many ups and downs in this life.

Thanks for Thanksgiving

Yes, I am days early on this one but I completely love this time of year. Thanksgiving surpassed Christmas for me in terms of favorite holidays years ago...it may be moving back into second place though as we continue to have exciting Christmases as parents. Still, it is my favorite now and I am looking forward to a food and fun (read...relaxing) filled Thanksgiving this year.

It will be our last year as 3 (I hope) and we plan to spend it as a family. In the past, we have shared the holiday with some friends but this year they are doing their own thing and that is music to my ears. We can be just a little more ourselves than if we had guests and we can really ring out these final holidays before our family dynamic changes.

So, yes...even days in advance...I am already thankful for Thanksgiving. It is going to be perfect!

Love

I am so very thankful to be surrounded by a family with unconditional love even when I am behaving in a less-than-lovable manner.

My boys (Big, Bug and Baby Boy Blue) are my heroes!

Thank you to back pain

I appreciate my back pain keeping itself at bay while I achieved all but the tiniest bit of my housecleaning for our Christmas party tomorrow afternoon. It kicked in pretty good right at the end but I had a full day of activity, cleaning and cooking in my rearview mirror by the time it did.

Now, just some mopping tomorrow before the party starts and I will be done!!!

Thanks for nothing...

By my title, you'd think I am thankful for nothing today but that's not the case. I am thankful for an uneventful OB appointment. We heard a healthy heartbeat and found everything else to be A-OK.

We also hashed out and finalized the date for my scheduled c-section...a necessity as a result of our last birth experience. The thanks for nothing part of this post is directly to do with this scheduling. We got our first choice of date...which was great. But, all in all, it's pretty pointless. I don't foresee making it to that date so it basically means nothing. And in sharing this thought with Super OB, she calmly nodded and smiled like a woman who has seen it all and said, "Yep, happens all the time."

I was a week early with Bug. And this baby is measuring a week ahead just like Bug did throughout our first pregnancy. And if Murphy's Law has anything to say about all our attempts at scheduling and planning, the c-section date will come after the birth of baby number two. It was a victory nevertheless to look so simply at the future as though it will come without any major hiccups or heartbreaks...so, we shall see.

A productive day at home

Today I am appreciating all that I was able to achieve just staying home. Vacuumed and mopped the floors downstairs...nothing to shake a stick at. Cleaned toilets. Did a load of laundry and folded two loads. Put up more of the Christmas decorations in preparation for this weekend's Christmas party. Made a super fast run to the grocery store to buy fresh french bread--made garlic bread with dinner. Prepped, cooked and cleaned up after a delicious dinner with the family complete with fresh steamed broccoli. Washed the dog water bowls and food bowls. Scooped the dog poop in the backyard. Scheduled a 4 week OB appointment with Super OB after a 20 minute hold time...the wait time on the phones is the only crap aspect of that office. Cleaned and dried Bug's humidifier...and that is just a pain in the rear every time. And caught up with my mom on the phone and put the feelers out there for her to make a trip out here when (and IF) the new baby is born...it appears the wheels are officially in motion that Big will be a traveling man with his job starting a few months before our little number two is born.

So, it may not seem like a ton but it was a productive day around here.

And where, oh where has my spell check gone on Blogger?!

Mr. Right

Tonight I am especially thankful for meeting and marrying Mr. Right! This was a great day but it wound down into a headachy night and a crabby me. Big stepped right in and has taken over to let me just relax and recline the evening away. I needed that and I know he could use it too. Still, he let me have the easy night.

Thank you, my dear, Big.

Sweet songs

Today the thanks goes entirely to Bug for singing Jesus Loves Me so sweetly. I had no idea he even knew it but he musrt have picked it up during chapel at school. We sung it together several times today and they were all wonderful The first time was just before his nap and he was so excited that I knew it. We sang sweetly together and I am no singer to be sure. But I will always sing with him and for him...

Big watched us singing and he ate it up, too!

Halfway through this month of thanks already?!

I must admit I have really enjoyed finding at least one thing each day to celebrate. I know it has been reaffirming to my heart, as well. I may have to put one thankful thought into each future blog post...no matter how frustrated or crazy the post is because it feels so nice right now. Sometimes you can inject a little joy by something so simple and I ought to give it the old college try.

Today, I am thankful for getting to be a co-host at the baby shower of a dear friend who is expecting a little boy in January. I am partial to little January boys...Bug is one. She is going to be a wonderful, loving, generous, patient mother and she certainly deserves all the joy that a baby brings. Pregnancy didn't come especially easy for her and that makes it even more precious to celebrate with her and for her. This was such a special day and after the shower I shared the news that we are pregnant with a boy, too. She high-fived me and it felt good to feel happy about this pregnancy. I am filled with hope that this pregnancy works out for each of us and that our boys have a great neighborhood friend in each other.

Fun Family Night

I am thankful to have had an all-around fun family night at our friend's Texas A&M football watching party. The kids played themselves silly outside while the moms talked and the dads ate. We all got to enjoy a lot of fun with our friends. Doesn't  hurt that the food was divine, too!!

Friday the Thireteenth Thanks

I am thankful for an overall perfect doctors visit today to hear our littlest man's heartbeat. He still has a healthy, happy heartbeat which is perfection, in and of itself.

The icing aspects on my Thankful Thirteenth cupcake:
He kicked Super OB while she was counting his heart rate...so hard, in fact, that she had to re-position the doppler and re-start her count. She was kind of startled that it was so sudden and hard and asked if I had been feeling movement already. I explained that I had been and that this would likely be my final "freak out visit." (The freak out visits are my weekly stops outside of scheduled appointments to just have a listen and gain more peace of mind.) That she felt him kick has re-affirmed my thoughts that he is one active and strong little man and I can rely on feeling him sporadically but nevertheless every night just for my own reassurances.

Unfortunately, I had to go today as they were busy yesterday except for the exact time I needed to be picking up Bug from school. I scheduled for today but it was right during lunchtime/naptime for Bug and he wound up having to go with me. Having an appointment with Bug and no Big is exactly the circumstance of the appointment we found Erin had no heartbeat so I was a little tentative. But we brought lunch and Bug sat like a little gentleman in the exam room and ate his lunch. He lit up when he heard the heartbeat...he knew just what to listen for from all the previous visits for Erin and earlier visits with Big during this pregnancy. It was heavenly!!

On another note entirely...BB--to answer your question, it seemed to be much later in my first pregnancy before I even noticed movement. Sometime between 20-22 weeks I realized what I was feeling was movement. It was a good several more weeks before the movement became so pronounced that I could physically see it from the outside. I want to say third trimester even. Then, if I felt a good kick, I could push where he was kicking to get him to do it again and show it to someone. You may be much sooner than that with twins, though!

And really now...what is the best way to respond when someone asks a qeustion in a comment. I am pretty clueless to the details of blogging still and will welcome any suggestions.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Today I am over the moon because I was able to take care of the Bug's Christmas shopping! Thanks be to the shopping gods...you smiled on me today and I thank you. I am booked every Tuesday and Thursday (while Bug's in school) from here to neverland and have the little man with me every other waking moment. So, I took the opportunity to knock it down without much fight.

I will say that we tackled it more efficiently this year...we made a precise list and I hit about 5 stores today in 4 hours to finish it off. I have picked up a few things here and there throughout the year but this was impressive.

In light of the busy-ness today...I am behind on reading and commenting. I will catch up tomorrow!

Today's thanks is brought to you by...

Today's thanks is brought to you by the tiny wallop kicks emanating from my uterus. I have been experiencing them often but inconsistently for the last week. During, at least, one of my overnight pee wake-ups, I have been laying back down to solid chops from the little man inside. It is a pleasant message to me that he is still alive and kicking in there. That is a great feeling!

I haven't had any noticeable chops today but it was a pretty hectic day so I'm hoping to get a good belly-kicking tonight for all the hullabaloo today.

Go, soccer baby, go!!

Thankful for...

I am oh so thankful for kisses on my arm today. Bug said he was giving me kisses because he likes me. Good thing he does because I sure do love him to bits.

Life is good!

Clean floors

I put the work in this morning and I am thankful to still have clean floors this evening. That doesn't always happen...especially with rainy weather outside, 2 giant dogs and a boy who gets into lots of messes.

Clean floors are a party for as long as they last!

Who is this kid?

I am thankful for probably the greatest church service yet with Bug. He behaved divinely and  paid such attention that he was "amen-ing" at appropriate times and he even stood up and grabbed my hand in anticipation of communion. I was able to listen to the sermon and it was great! This is what church is capable of being and I was in heaven...no pun intended.

Allow me to elaborate... Bug and I have NEVER gone to church without Big. Bug is a handful at church, to say the very least. Together, Big and I, tag team him and manage to get through the service intact. I made a pact with myself that last night before bed that we would go to church together today and see how it went. Big was away last night to see his (crazy-ass) mom for dinner as she is in our fine state of Texas at her sister's house. He stayed the night with his best buddy and his future fiance and then raced home at lightning speed to see us. I don't think he believed we would make it but we did him proud!

Amen!

Dinner date-party of two

Today I am thankful to be having a date night with Bug while Big is away for the night. We are heading out to sushi for dinner (although we are limited somewhat b/c of the pregnancy) and we plan to eat ourselves silly. It is so wonderful to have an open-minded little eater. He will gobble up everything I give him tonight and that is a priceless treat.

Yay, wasabi and california rolls...and shrimp tempura rolls...and any other cooked rolls I can sink my sushi-loving teeth into.

Moms have names

My thanks today may seem silly but it is a HUGE achievement for me...and maybe for several other moms.

I am thankful to have finally exhanged names with my mom friends at Bug's swim class. It is the next step in our friendship becoming a reality rather than a Friday morning figment of our imaginations. After we did it, we all laughed at how long it has gone on and how many mom's we know as only "so-and-so's mom."

Today, I have a name! And my two mom friends, Katie and Leann, have names, too!

And what further cracked me up was that when we left and went to the bookstore, we ran into a student we used to swim with, Jacob, and his sister and his mom. And unfortuantely, she still is just Jacob's mom.

Bug has been in swim every semester since May 2008. And I have NEVER known a parent's name unless we went in knowing one another. And I am not antisocial...I am always friends with several moms and dads in the watching room.

We have also been in music and those moms I knew only becasue the teacher would address us all by name. Had we waited for self-imposed introductions, we'd have all left music as mom-to-this-kid or that kid. God bless our teacher!

Has anyone else had this experience? It is funny, really.

Our first very thankful Thursday in November

Today I am so thankful to have a very healthy and perfect looking little boy growing inside.

I was sooooo wrong about the sex and that is absolutely fine with me. I was at total peace with whatever gender we saw today and was too busy hearing how perfect all his systems are looking to even be very caught up in the boy parts. We got a great report at the MFM! He ruled out lots of things (heart defects, cleft lip/palate, club foot, spina bifida) and said that he was able to see everything that they would check at a 20 week scan and it all looks good. That said, we are in the clear and can come back to him in 8 weeks. I am pleased that he feels so confident although I would love to have that extra visit with him for reassurance sake. In any case, I can still manage weekly doppler checks with my OB until I feel consistent movement and I am so hoping we get to feel it.

Every good doctor visit feels like such a blessing...it is hard to believe we have come this far and I pray that we make it to a baby at the end of this journey. But we are a LONG way from that just yet.

I am grateful for the well wishes and know that prayer is working for us in this case. The thoughts have buoyed my spirits which is making all the difference on the tough days.

Having reached Erin's due date on a day as wonderful as today has further firmed my belief in her presence in our lives from her perch in Heaven. She rained her joy on us today and sent us her blessings. We are lucky to have her there and I will now get to celebrate her due date. She made it a day of goodness and hope because she showed up for us today and for her little brother. She is and forever will be a blessed part of our family and there is such peace in feeling her as a part of us.

God bless you, Erin~we love you.

A time for Thanks

I just read about this on Fertile Fantasy  and she saw someone doing it on Face.book. As a girl who is not afraid to acknowledge and borrow a great idea...

I am going to post one thing I am thankful for each day until and through Thanksgiving Day. Some days the post may only be that one sentence or fragment but I am loving this idea!!!

I ought to catch up...

Nov 1...I am so thankful to have a husband that loves me despite my ever-present tiredness. He walked in the Susan G. Komen in the morning and I just hung out with Bug while he did that. Still, he handled all the evening Bug duties so I could rest and relax.

Nov 2...It is wonderful to have a son that I can grocery shop with and have fun while we do it! He even earned a ride on the little $.50 airplane out front for good behavior.

Nov 3...I appreciate blog-land angels who share comments and our rough days with LFCA to lend additional support when we need it.

Nov 4...Happening upon this idea of graciousness today...and our backyard lunch picnic in this beautiful weather.

Here's hoping for a lot of thanks tomorrow on our ultrasound and Erin's due date.

Imagine my surprise...

Imagine my surprise when I came across our news in the LFCA.

 

Thank YOU very much to my angel out in blogland. I think you are Fishsticks but in case I am wrong, Thank YOU, Thank YOU and Thank YOU!

 

I am at my standard Tuesday place in the week. I am having serious doubts that the news will be good on Thursday and just trying to hang in until then. Unfortunately, Big is on a business trip and I am solo mom to Bug and 2 ginormous dogs. It is a challenge that I am unaccustomed to. I appreciate so much having Big home for dinner each night so I can cook and clean up without any worry for Bug. Big relieves me of mommy duty each night and I treasure that relief. We are getting by just fine so far...he's been gone since yesterday morning and he'll be home tomorrow night. So, we are halfway there! It has been really great b/c I find myself allowing greater patience in my day b/c I realize there isn't an end in sight until bedtime.

 

The only real struggle so far has been bathtime. I am getting too big to manage from outside the tub. So, tonight, I am hopping in with the Bug and we will have a bath playtime together. That will be nice, too. I like a warm bath to slow down after the day and I will be ready for bed about the same time as Bug tonight.

 

What I haven't mentioned is that Big is likely taking a position which will require a good deal of travel. So, I am adjusting during this trip like it will be occuring weekly from here on out. I may have lots more to vent on that later. But for now, I am looking at it as a positive. At least, I will have the routine of being a solo mom to one child down pat well in advance of the possibility of being a solo mom to 2 kids. Here's hoping I get to face that challenge in April and beyond!

 

Thank YOU again for sharing my tough days with LFCA. I appreciate the thought and time!