Full of Thanks
Because I’m a copy cat and everybody and their mother is writing about things that their thankful for, I’m bustin’ one out here. Plus, making lists is much easier on the brain in comparison to putting together actual sentences. Here we go!
1. Raffi. We’ve started listening to his Christmas album and I love it now as much as I did as a kid. Maggie has no choice, but to love him too.
2. Caregivers. Having our nanny, Jessica, watch Maggie in the mornings while I go to work has worked out better than I could have hoped. We’re lucky that our little girl is loved by so many different people.
3. Being home. I love my afternoons with Maggie (especially on the days when a major meltdown doesn’t happen) and know that all too soon her little life is going to be changed forever when her little sister arrives. I find myself trying to take every hug, kiss, snuggle, book, and game that I can with undivided attention.
4. B2. She’s kicking and karate-chopping her way around my tummy. She is already so loved by so many. Hard to believe that in less than ten weeks she’ll probably be here. To say we’re excited, would be a major understatement.
5. Grandparents. My parents and Barry’s parents are awesome grandparents, Maggie is the luckiest of girls. But I too am a lucky girl, I’ve got pretty amazing grandparents of my own. 3G and Great Grandpa E. stopped by last week for a quick visit and they’re a shining example of what it means to be family. Nothin’ but love from those two!
6. Barry. So much of what he does he’d prefer it go unnoticed. He makes the beds in the morning, takes the trash out when it is full, empties the dishwasher, folds laundry, sweeps, dresses Maggie, and the list goes on and on. He does these things partially because they need to get done, but also because he is a caring, helpful husband and father. He is amazing. We work because I don’t expect him to do these things, but am beyond grateful that he does. I notice.
7. Cocoa Butter. Stretch marks showed up on my tummy two days before Maggie was born. Not sure that slathering myself in cocoa butter helps, but at least I smell good.
8. Facebook Homies. I actually don’t really like facebook, but I’ve got a ‘secret’ group on there with some of my A-Town friends and that little club keeps me laughing and truckin’ sometimes. I haven’t seen some of those women in a few months now, but because of our ‘secret’ group, I halfway know what is new in their lives.
9. My madre. Years and years ago I gifted her with the best thing in the world…..a nickname that is SO perfect: FIDGET. My mom, The Fidge, is about to host 25 people at Camp J. for T-Day and I know that she’s already more ready than 98% of the rest of America prepping for the same holiday. She’s a planner, an organizer and a bustle of energy. She successfully helped me host a bridal tea last weekend and there is NO way I could have done it without her.
10. Gestational Diabetes. I’m just thankful that I don’t have it. I had to do the three hour test and spent a few days feeling very sorry for myself that it was even a possibility. I’m feeling pretty amazing, regardless of being told that “I look ready” a couple times. I plan to go full-term, which means I’ve still got some serious baking to do with this babe.
11. Nog. I am thankful that we still have a shot glass or two from years ago because taking a shot of egg nog just makes me feel whole some days. Happens every year, I fall in love with egg nog and am done with it by Christmas.
12. Maggie’s attention span. There is no doubt in my mind that Maggie is an artist. She amazes me with her attention to detail and ability to follow through on a task. Our hallway closet that contains paints, glue, glitter, a roll of butcher paper, markers, stickers, watercolors, and other supplies gets used nearly every single day.
13. Christmas. Often times Christmas is a stressful time for us because we’re trying our best to fit in more events than time allows. This year will be a bit different for us, as we’re celebrating Kara & Ryan’s wedding the 23rd, but I’m truly excited to see Maggie experience the holiday.
14. Friends getting married. Kara and Ryan are getting hitched in about a month and seeing them last weekend made me really excited for their impending nuptials. Being with the one you love….it doesn’t get any better than that. Kara’s excitement over all things wedding is contagious.
15. A stocked freezer. Charlyn has hosted a meal-prep night a couple times now and I’ve come home with enough food to fill our freezer. The meals are great on days that I don’t feel like cooking or our schedules are busy. I’m thankful for friends that plan ahead….and include me in those plans!
16. Work. It was hard to go back to work after being home with Maggie for a couple years, but I really do love teaching and I love my coworkers. I know that once B2 arrives I’ll fall back into the swing of things of being home, but for now I love the community and connection I feel at work.
17. My yoga pants. What pregnant woman wouldn’t put yoga pants on her list? My whole plan this pregnancy is this: leggings, tunic & boots. It’s been working pretty well, but sometimes in the evening I change out of my leggings into my yoga pants. That’s how much I enjoy my yoga pants. Plus, my yoga pants helped me locate a missing library book, but that is another story for another day.
The List and Other Randoms
This morning I woke up with the list of ‘things-that-need-to-get-done-holy-hell-school-starts-tomorrow” spinning in my head. I’ve had kids floating in and out of my class – moving to PM Kindergarten or full day and so I haven’t even written their name tags yet. Worry not, that task is on The List. I intentionally left my notebook, which is keeper of The List, at school over the weekend because I wanted to really enjoy this Labor Day weekend with not too many distractions and school pressures. Translation: I sent myself e-mails about what needs to get added to The List.
Yesterday we squeezed every, single ounce of the day out and by the time our heads hit the pillow, we were satisfied with our weekend. Friday, when we had our ultrasound, seems so long ago and the things we did in between then and now aren’t really important, but boy did we enjoy the weekend. After we left the ultrasound, Barry and I set out on a mission to find a perfectly round pink balloon. We were successful in finding the balloon; however, it wasn’t until we got out to the parking lot that we realized that perhaps the balloon wouldn’t fit in our car. It was that large. We did some maneuvering and got it to work and next time I have a need for a balloon, I plan on getting another rad huge one. The instant we walked through the door with the massive thing, Maggie was enamored. It didn’t take much convincing to get her to ‘take the balloon to get some pictures taken.’
And that was the start of our weekend. We went to Bellingham to visit Barry’s family on Saturday and Maggie got to spend some time playing with Greg and Linda. I slipped up to Bellingham to run some errands and by the time I got back, they were still having a great time. It doesn’t matter where we go, Maggie always remember who has what toys at their house. I suppose we’re all that way as kids, I can clearly remember toys that both sets of my grandparents kept for the grandkids. She just seems so young to be remembering!
I wish I was better at writing down more of Maggie’s day-to-day anecdotes (maybe I should add that task to The List?) because she has become so dang funny. Like the other day when I was changing over our duvet cover in our bedroom, a long process, and suddenly I heard fake snoring coming from the corner where she was playing. I looked over to see her curled up inside a pillow case with her head sticking out making sleeping face. Then she’d pop up and yell “Good Morning!” and instantly fall back in to sleeping face/snoring/ball curled inside pillow case. She then insisted on finding a rubber band “I need rubber band right here. I need it now” and tying the pillow case closed around her waist like a potato sack. She kept the pillow case on to hop to her table and eat a snack and for quite a bit of time afterwards.
She’s also trying to figure out who her friends are and anytime we mention some of the little people she knows, she says “they my friends, mama.” She also is figuring out that mama and papa have friends too. We’re working on helping her distinguish between family and friends because as we were pulling out of my grandparent’s driveway the other day, waving to them, Maggie informed us that ‘them my friends.’ She’s right that my grandparents are her friends, but they’re also her family.
[Other side note, the other morning Barry dropped me off at the Farmers Market and waited in the car with Mags and Syd. I guess while they were waiting for me, Maggie started to ask “Where’s Janet? Where is she? Where’s Janet? Where is Grammy” Barry tried to explain to her that Janet/Grandma was at her house. I wish I could have heard her ask for my mom by first name. So funny.]
But trying to figure out the friends & family concept is a tough one, because what happens when you have friends that really are like family? How do you explain that? We’re not going down that road quite yet….instead we’ll settle for pillowcase wearing
