Thankful

I've been meaning to write this post for a couple of weeks, but this is the first chance I've had to sit down and write it out. I've been feeling so thankful lately, not just because of Thanksgiving last week, but also because of the big changes made to my life a couple of weeks ago. Here's what I've been thankful for lately:

1. Our daughter. Despite not having many chances to sleep and moments of feeling like a cow, I am so, so, so grateful for our beautiful baby girl. 
2. Smooth pregnancy/delivery. I'm so thankful the entire pregnancy went smoothly and the delivery was complication-free. On a similar note, I'm also thankful for modern medicine :)
3. An amazing husband and happy marriage. In addition to our daughter's arrival, our 4th wedding anniversary was earlier this month - I'm so happy I get to share my life with my best friend. I can't even begin to describe how great a husband he is, and he's already such a fantastic father.
4. Supportive friends and family. We're so grateful for all the ways family and friends have helped us as we adjust to life with a newborn, especially by providing some meals and helping with housework. I'm also so thankful that both Matt and I have great relationships with our parents, siblings, grandparents and in-laws.
5. My boss. I'm so, so thankful for a boss that's so understanding and encouraging. It's hard to believe I've been with the same company for 6 years, and from the day I told my boss I was pregnant she's been so supportive and excited for me and our expanding family.
6. Matt's job. It's so great he has a job he enjoys and that provides what we need. 
7. Giants winning the World Series again. I love the team the Giants put together this year, and I was so happy they won again this year.
8. Cold, rainy weather. I just love this time of year - whether I'm bundled up inside listening to rain on the skylight or venturing outside to enjoy experiencing it for myself.
9. Our house. I'm so grateful we were able to buy the house we bought. At the moment it's perfect for us and hasn't needed a lot of work done to it.
10. Resources available to us. We live in a time and place with so many resources available to us, and I'm so glad we can use some of them.
11. God's grace. I know I mess up a lot. I'm so grateful for God's grace, and the grace of those that forgive me for my mistakes.
12. My iPhone and its apps. My phone is certainly very handy for connecting online when both hands and lap isn't available.
13. Chocolate chip cookies. C is for cookie, that's good enough for me :)

I know there's a lot more I am thankful for, but that's all I've got right now - my favorite daughter is calling for me :)

Still Waiting...

It seems like the hardest time to wait is right before something big happens. As someone that likes to know the plan, waiting for an indeterminate amount of time is especially hard for me. Despite wanting my daughter to arrive right away, I try to be an optimistic person, so I'm trying to dwell on a few benefits to her not coming yet:

1. More Time With My Mom. Because my mom wants to be here for the delivery, she came up last week so she doesn't miss it. Even though we haven't had anything happen yet, it's been a lot of fun having time with her to talk, go to various stores, walk around, watch various TV shows together, etc.
2. More Time For Organization. The extra time has given us a chance to work on putting things away better and organize more efficiently. A few weeks ago, Matt's parents came up and helped build some really great shelves in our garage. Although I still want to consolidate a bit more, we already have a lot more room and feel much more organized. The extra time has certainly given us more time to put things away and find homes for a few things we never quite got around to unpacking when we moved.
3. More Time For Work. I have a wonderfully flexible boss and a job that doesn't take much physical exertion, so I'm able to continue working and don't need to spend time on leave until the baby's actually born. 
4. More Time For Development. Ultimately, I want our daughter to come when she's ready and fully-developed. So if she's not quite ready to come out yet, I'm trying to remember that she's still got some growing to do in the womb. That and God's timing is better than mine...in my 28 years of experience, His plans have always been better than the ones I come up with.

Despite the benefits, I'm still really excited for our daughter to make her appearance and am tired of waiting. Maybe today will be the day??

Photo Credit: deux-chi