Thankful Thursday

I have no idea where this idea originated but it's a great one.  I always enjoy reading other people's posts because it reminds me that I have a lot to be thankful for as well.  Sometimes it's hard in our face paced lives to stop and give thanks but sometimes something just hits you and you realize all the little things you've been blessed with.

I had one of these moments one night as I was feeding Sawyer.  It was a rare occurrence for me to not think about all that I have to do, didn't do, want to do, can't do, don't have time to do, and just let my mind absorb the innocence of the little being I'm nurturing.

That brings me to #1 - I am so amazed and grateful that I am able to be the sole source of nourishment for my child.  I have this special ability that I'm able to calm, satisfy, and comfort him by feeding him.  No one else can do that and no one can take that away.  And for that, I am thankful.

#2 - Sleep - one of the most underrated things in the world!  As the song goes, "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."  Those words certainly rang true this week with our bout of illnesses.  Sawyer is not the best sleeper in the world but he's no where near the worst either.  We had just graduated from the sleep training and he was sleeping like a champ.  It's amazing how one little cold (turned pneumonia) can unravel all of that so quickly.  As I watched him fall asleep in my arms tonight as he ate, I knew he was feeling better.  He actually was able to lay calmly instead of flailing his arm about.  He was out like a light and willingly stayed down without being coddled.  Ah, relief!

#3 - End of the "no" phase.  It wasn't until a friend mentioned that her son was going through the "no," "I don't want to," "I can't" phase that I realized Colin has gotten much better in this regard.  It was a long battle and I guess where we fought it for so long, we didn't notice that he had actually stopped.  Don't get me wrong, we still hear all of them but not with the same frequency as before.

#4 - My loving husband.  I think this is the biggest one I take for granted.  He's been around longer though (:  He listens to my endless chatter about things he couldn't care less about.  He supports me and is my true parenting partner.  It makes parenting so much easier and smoother when both parents are on the same page.  He rarely complains about the things I do, the food I put in front of him, the money I spend, etc.  I could go on and on, but suffice to say he's really special and I'm thankful for him!

Just taking the time to write this short list has made me realize the importance of stopping to give thanks. I could easily go on and on but these are the things on the forefront of my mind tonight.  Maybe next week I'll have another moment of solidarity while feeding Sawyer where I can stop and smell the roses again.