For Which I Give Thanks

On this morning of Thanksgiving I find myself with a rare moment alone, I am savoring it as I know the rushing will soon begin.  I try to be reflective and thankful all year-round, but, Thanksgiving seems to be the time we talk about it.  This has been a pretty amazing year so I don't think I have enough words to describe the depth of gratitude that I feel.  But, I'll try.  So here is what I am thankful for on this Thanksgiving morning.
1. Exersaucers.   They are wonderful, I put the baby in, she entertains herself, is safe, and is building muscle strength.  Triple score!  Plus she loves it, it was the scene of her very first laugh. 

2.  My favorite pair of pajama pants.  They are the perfect kind of soft.  In fact, I plan to wear them on my days off because I know I get to wear them longer!
3.  Coffee
4.  Sweet, sleepy, baby smiles

5.  Baby hats.  Who knows how much longer she'll tolerate them?!

6.  My Job.  I am a special kind of lucky to have a job that is fulfilling, challenging, and rewarding, coupled with amazing co-workers who have become like family. 
7.  My day-care provider.  She takes such good care of my sweet baby girl that I know I can go to work and not have to constantly worry about her.  There are definitely not enough words to profess my gratitude for this!
8.  Successful breastfeeding.  As I've said before, being able to exclusively breastfeed was very important to me.  Well, we fought hard in the beginning but now it's just second nature and part of life.  Pumping while I'm at work does have its challenges and I can see why some women quit at this time.  But, for me, it's a labor of love, knowing that I am nourishing my daughter in the best possible way.  Now that she is getting a little older our nursing sessions are taking on a bit of a humourous quality.  She is more distractiable and will stop nursing to pull my hair/shirt/skin or look away at something that has caught her attention.

Look, Mom, phalanges!

So, when she doesn't latch back on after a bit I put things away and try to burp her.  She then proceeds to fuss or get super antsy and attempt to latch on to my nose/chin/cheek.  Needless to say, it is quite humorous.  I am trying to not reinforce this, but her little face just cracks me up!
9.  Dark chocolate covered pretzel crisps.  Have you seen the regular flat pretzel crisps?  They are delicious on their own, but now they have created a new kind of evil by dipping them in dark chocolate.  I ate a SAMs club bag by myself in a week.  I haven't purchased a second bag, but I am super grateful for that first bag, it was delicious.  Thank goodness for those extra breastfeeding calories!
10.  My in-laws.  I love every single one of them and feel pretty lucky to have them in my life as well as the super great family Annalise gets to have.
11.  My new identity as a Mom.  It takes awhile to adjust, and we will continue to adjust and grow as parents.  You have to make room in your perceived view of yourself for this ginormous new role as Mom.  It's pretty overwhelming at first, but now I often get a catch in my throat looking at that sweet face and think "How did I get so lucky to be your Mommy?".  It's pretty amazing, that's for sure.

12. My amazing family, although spread coast to coast we manage to make it work.  I can't wait to squeeze my nephews when we finally get a visit in a few months.  Thanks for being awesome. 
13.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  My awesome husband and partner.  Thanks for being so hard-working, loving, dependable, and such a fantastic Dad.  I love you, thank you for filling my life with music and loving me without end. 

Well, I could go on, and on but, alas, my quiet moment has ended.  I now must dive in to the Thanksgiving preparations between playing with my sweet girl.  I hope your life is filled with love and gratitude on this Day of Thanksgiving.