30 Days of Thankfulness - Days 8-15

So I've been really good about recognizing something to be thankful for every day; but not so good at posting them here.  I've had remarkably less free time on my hands these last 2 months.  So here is a whole week's worth at once.

Day 8 - I am thankful for my husband.  He is my best friend, and has been such a good Daddy to Andrew.  He has especially made a point of taking care of me and A. for the past 7 weeks.  He made breakfast for me and brought it to me for the first 3 weeks we were home from the hospital.  He cleans up the kitchen and the living room before he heads off to work in the morning.  He gets up and holds my hand when I'm up feeding A. in the middle of the night.  He is there for us when we need him.  I love you!

Day 9 - I am thankful for my sister-in-law.  All of my in-laws are fabulous, and I am so fortunate to have them in my life.  Seriously, I couldn't have married into a better family.  But today, I'm especially thankful for Karri.  She is so kind and giving, and is constantly doing things for others.  Today, she gave me a ton of baby clothes-enough to fully clothe A. for the next year.  Such a blessing to us!

Day 10 - I am thankful for my parents.  They have showed me how to love God, have a lasting marriage (32 years!), be a parent, have good work ethics and how to be a good person and citizen of our country.  Not to say that they are perfect, but they have been wonderful role models for me.

Day 11 - I am thankful for all of our Veteran's.  I come from a long line of family members who have served our country both during times of peace and times of war.  And, then I married into a family who also believes in serving our country.  So today I am especially thankful for my grandpa, dad, brother, father-in-law, 2 brother-in-laws, cousins, uncles, the best man at our wedding, and all the others who serve our country so that I may have the liberties in my life that we so often take for granted.

My little younger brother

Day 12 - I am thankful for household chores and laundry that got done!  It has been quite a while since I have been able to accomplish much housework, so I am grateful for the time and energy I had today to get some things done around the house.

Day 13 - Today was a special day as Beckett Dane Hicks was born.  He is the long-awaited and much loved son of my dear friend  Heidi.  She had a pretty rough pregnancy.  She'd never say so, or complain, but in my opinion it was tougher than most.  She is an example to me-it would have been so easy for her to focus on the many difficulties she faced.  Instead, she consistently praised God and focused on her journey to becoming a mother.  Welcome to the world Beckett!

Day 14 - I am very fortunate.  I have a career that I love.  Working as a school counselor in both elementary schools and high schools has been such a blessing in my life.  Sure, like any job, there are some things that aren't perfect or that I don't enjoy.  But for the most part, I love everything about my job and have a passion for helping kids of all ages.  And, I feel blessed that I am able to work part-time this year while I focus on and figure out how to be a mom.

Day 15 - I am thankful for developmental milestone charts-they ease my anxious mind.  Obsessive I know, but it is a hazard of my occupation.  It's just that I know what a difference early intervention can make if there is a developmental delay, and how important it is to get support right away if your child needs it.  Most people tell me not to worry, just check with my doctor.  But the truth is, I don't trust that completely.  I've seen too many situations where the first time a parent heard their child had autism or was mildly mentally retarded was after testing in Kindergarten, and not from their doctor.  It was devastating to see that.  Not only for the family, but also for the child since they just missed out on intervention during the most critical years.  So yes, I obsess a little.  And check developmental milestone charts all the time frequently.  Of course Andrew is perfect to me, but the milestone charts tell me not to worry about his development-we are right on track.