Thankful Thursday

(apologies for the title - I know it's been done before)

I've been thinking lately about all the things I should be grateful for, and it's time to start listing them. Some of these are small and silly, others are quite large indeed. With all the horrible things in the news and going on in the world, it certainly doesn't hurt to count the blessings, does it?

1. A healthy baby. She has a plugged tear duct, but according to our doctor, it's a minor problem. Phew. I wasted an entire day yesterday envisioning horrific scenarios and harassing her by taking her temperature.

2. Same for the rest of my family and me. I read an article in the NYT talking about how dangerous birth is for mothers and babies in Africa, and it really made me reflect on how lucky I am to live in America. We take so many things for granted here. My biggest worry was if I had a C-Section how much it would hurt - dying was a remote possibility at best.

3. Living in a walking neighborhood. Baby K has only been in the car a few times - her stroller is my "wheels" and we go for a nice walk every day.

4. Summer. I spent the last part of the previous summer being very nauseous and looking for discrete places to throw up thanks to an impressive case of morning sickness. (I never did throw up, I just felt terrible and wanted to throw up for weeks 5-12). This summer I'm excited to take Baby to the beach and to enjoy silly summer beverages.

5. Friends. Having a baby is a scary transformation - and I really appreciate all the kind people who cooked for us, called, and just checked in to see that we're ok. It makes everything seem better.

6. Sleep. Baby K is down to one middle of the night feeding, and I'm praying that she stays on this path.

7. The swing. Baby K will generally conk out for 30 minutes in it during the day...hence time to write here and read all your fabulous blogs.

8. This week my part time babysitter started. Even when I'm in the house, it's so nice to be able to deal with issues uninterrupted by a shrieking baby. (like last week when I had to register her on my insurance. I think the insurers may have reported me to child services, because she was SCREAMING!)

9. Being able to help others. I'm one of those people who get the warm fuzzies from volunteering. Especially with children. I am doing the same JLLA placement this year - working with kids and reading for a few Saturdays. It is so much fun!

10. My lovely and caring husband. Who recognizes the child care can be exhausting and scary. Who doesn't judge that there aren't a whole lot of delicious baked goods or other sorts of treats coming out of the kitchen these days. And, he just loves Baby K to bits. Seeing them together gives me the warm fuzzies.

11. (This is vain and silly) - Pregnancy didn't change my shoe size. So all the lovelies still fit!

What are you thankful for these days?