Thankful

This month I decided to jump on the facebook bandwagon and list what I am thankful for every day. It ended up being such a wonderful experience. A friend told me that she heard that people that write down what they are thankful for daily are happier people. I can definitely say that this has made me more appreciative for my life and I am happier than I have ever been. I was able to truly see all the wonderful things in my life. Here are some of the things that I was thankful for this month:
Day 1- I am thankful for my amazing husband who stayed up with Bear almost all night so I could get a little bit of sleep
Day 2- I am thankful that my mom will be here in less than a week
Day 3- I am thankful for amazing co-workers who making going to work a positive experience... ...I really do love my job!
Day 4- I am thankful for forever friends... so excited to be standing up with you at your wedding Sue and Mark!!!
Day 5- I am thankful to have Bear's bday party figured out!!!
Day 6- I am thankful for Rebel Bar and the windy city seminoles for giving us the ability to watch the FSU with fellow Noles!
Day 7- I am thankful for weekends full of tea parties and living room dance parties! I love my sweet girl!
Day 8- I am thankful for my mother landing safely in Chicago... and for being caught up at work so I can enjoy a wonderful dinner with her tonight without any work stress!
Day 9- I am thankful for the new phrase my daughter used tonight over and over "yuh you". I yuh you too my sweet baby!
Day 10- I am thankful for happy hour with my co-workers... I know I have already been thankful for them but let me tell you it makes life so much better!
Day 11- Today I of course am thankful for our veterans... all of my family, friends, friends spouses who served or are serving! Thank you for protecting us and sacrificing so much. I am also thankful for being raised a military brat... it really has made me who I am today.
Day 12- I am thankful for having sick leave so that I can take care of my child without having to worry about paying the bills!
Day 13- I am thankful that Bear got to meet her great grandparents and also that she was on her best behavior so they loved her!
Day 14- I am thankful for time with extended family. No matter how long it has been it's always wonderful to spend time with family! Hope it's not so long between visits again!
Day 15- I am thankful for power and heat... I am so glad on a cold night that I can turn on the heat to keep my family warm and cozy. I can't imagine having to bear the cold without this comfort!
Day 16- I am grateful for the time I had with my grandma Dona. she never missed the chance to send a sweet letter and always remembered to acknowledge the smallest things! what I wouldn't give to get another note from you happy birthday in heaven!
Day 17- I am thankful for my mom... Thank you for coming to take care of me and Bear and everything else you do for us... I love you!
Day 18- I am thankful for friends that pick out flattering bridesmaids dresses! thanks for the self-esteem boost Sue!!!
Day 19- I am thankful for the nicest most caring medical staff I have ever encountered in my life. Every single person I had helping me today was so sweet and caring it made such a difference.
Day 20- I am so grateful for my sweet little girl who has been so gentle with mommy and has been wonderful about letting others help her today! I am thankful for my amazing husband. He has been running after Bear non-stop and taking wonderful care of me. I love you so much!
Day 21- I am thankful for finally being allowed to shower! feeling a little more human!
Day 22- I am thankful for pain relievers. I just sneezed and thought my body ripped in two!
Day 23- I am thankful that 8 years ago tonight the lady spirithunters had a formal that I needed a date for... that date truly turned out to be my prince charming... I'm so glad I picked him out of the crowd!
Day 24- I am thankful for these past few days with my sweet hilarious daughter and mom. seeing the two of them together melts my heart and although the laughing hurts tremendously its so good for my soul
Day 25- I am thankful for my husband ... I am thankful that as of today he is also 30 and can no longer call me an old lady... I am thankful for all he does for our family especially lately as I've been recovering... I am thankful that he accepts me for all that I am.. even my weaknesses.. and loves me just... the same... I am thankful every day that we have him in our life. Happy 30th birthday old man!

I am so thankful for so many things... Our dinner turned out wonderful. We had hilarious conversations with my sister, her boyfriend, and my mom. I am sure you can tell from my thankful posts that I have amazing friends and family, and a great job. I am so blessed.
I thought I would see if Bear was thankful for anything... I didn't think she would grasp the concept but I told her "Mommy is thankful for Bear, Daddy is thankful for football.. What are you thankful for?" She's not even two so I was pretty impressed with what she told me she was thankful for... she told me without hesitation... "CAKE!" I love that kid!

Of course of all holidays even though it is my husbands birthday... I have a ton of desserts and NO CAKE! Way to ruin the kids Thanksgiving! :o)

Mommy's little helper

Sorry it's been a while since I posted. I didn't think this gallbladder surgery would knock me on my butt as much as it has! I am so glad to have it gone but man I've been in alot more pain than I expected. And here I thought I would be back to work by today and I am hardly able to get off the couch!
One positive from this whole experience (besides the fact that soon enough I will be able to eat fried food and gain 10 pounds) is what I have seen from my little one. I spend so much time taking care of her I never realized what a little helper she can be. I didn't expect her to understand what was wrong with mommy. When I got home from the hospital I showed her my "owies" and told her we had to be very gentle because mommy's tummy hurts. She very sweetly touched my owies and gave me the most gently hug ever. It was so precious. When I was resting on the couch she climbed up with me... pulled up my shirt and counted each "owie." I have been carrying around a pillow to act as a barrier when she gets too close and to help me get up. Bear wanted me to come to her room and grabbed my pillow and my hand and said "I help mommy, I walk you." When I don't have the pillow she runs over "Here go mommy!" And proudly brings it to me. Today she kissed my tummy gently at least ten times and asked if it was all better. I couldn't believe the tears that began flowing when she accidentally pressed on one of my incisions and I yelped. It is hard to believe that at such a young age she felt so much when she thought she hurt her mommy. I have just been so impressed with this other side of my sweet girl. She will make such a good big sister when that time comes! Sorry for the rambling. I wanted to let you all know I am alive and kicking and slowly recovering with the help of my little one's kisses and love (and of course my amazing husband and mother)!

Where do they get this stuff?

My daughter is going through a language explosion... Even more cool than the new words are the social aspects of language she is learning... like humor and sarcasm! Not yet two and she is seriously already sarcastic!
Today we were in Target and her diaper leaked (yep she's almost two and I still havent gotten the hang of this diaper thing ok really I was just trying to get through 1 more store!) and of course it happened while I was holding her... I told my mom "We gotta go I'm soaked" Bear looked at us and said "Mommy, I soaked TOO!" Like hello people it was my diaper that leaked!
Today I was looking at the Christmas Toy Books and Bear said, "What doing?" I said "Looking at toys." Bear responds "I knew that! I look too!" WOW when did she begin using past tense verbs? and asking questions? and putting sentences together?
I was looking at old pictures the other night and this time last year she was taking her first steps... this time 2 years ago I had just been put on bedrest... she didn't even exist except giving us all kinds of scares in my belly... now she's having entire conversations with me and telling jokes!
Anyone have any cute kiddoisms lately? I feel like I could write all night she just says the darndest things!

The creator of the buffet...

... was not trying to find a way to feed alot of people at once... No the creator of the buffet had to be the parent of a toddler! Eating out has become a NIGHTMARE for us. Here is how the conversation goes in the car... "Where do you want to eat?" "No we can't go there since there will be a wait..." "Nope she won't eat anything there." "Nope they don't have booths we can't keep her corralled." "No they take too long to bring the food." "Where is the closest buffet?"
We have finally discovered the way to eat peacefully! A buffet! Bear gets her food right away and I don't look crazy when I ask the waitress for a bowl of olives! Plus Bear eats free at them for at least a few more months. There is only 1 buffet around us and it really isn't very good at all, however we went there last week just to see how happy it made Bear to have her pick of whatever she wanted to eat and to have it RIGHT then! Her plate was covered in olives, peaches, pears, grapes, and bread. She ate more than she ever eats at home.
Last weekend we decided after this great success at dinner time that we needed to find somewhere for breakfast. Back home this would automatically mean Golden Corral. I looked it up and there was one up here. It sounded like a suburb I recognized so we got in the car and started driving... My phone GPS took us on every back road in the world to get there and what should have been a 30 min. drive turned into 1 1/2 hours!!! It was so awesome though! I remember being a teenager and thinking how UNCOOL it was going to Golden Corral... now I think of it as the best meal out EVER! Amazing how parenthood changes your perspective!

Ready to yank this puppy out...

All through my pregnancy any time I felt a pain my mom would say "Maybe it's your gallbladder... You know mine went bad when I was pregnant with you!" And everytime I would respond back "MOM its NOT my gallbladder!" Guess what? It was my gall bladder! A month after Ashlyn was born I was in the ER laying on the floor convinced I was dying... WORST PAIN EVER!!! I've had kidney stones, I've been in labor (though I haven't given birth naturally)... this was far and above the worst! I saw a GI doctor who was a nightmare in Tallahassee ...his words exactly were... "see that air in the corner of the room... it's been there since Jesus walked the earth and it will be there when he comes back. Thats like the gas in your intestines... it's just waiting for Jesus and causing you some ruckus..." First of all buddy I've had all the tests run and it's not gas... second of all... that is your sound medical advice... My intestinal gas is having a revival??? Have I mentioned I am glad to be out of the Florida Panhandle? He then told me to come back in 12 years when I needed a colonoscopy... no offense buddy but I don't even want to hear what analogies you would have for that! Fastforward a year... Saw a doctor up here...re-did all the tests and he agreed it needed to come out and then we lost our insurance. Now almost 2 years after this all started we have insurance and FINALLY a surgery date has been set 2 weeks from now! I haven't eaten fried food in a year and haven't been able to eat spicy food for at least 6 months! You'd think I would have lost some weight right?
You would also think I would be excited... I am not... I am TERRIFIED... I have had surgery several times and have been put under twice. This time is different... not because I am actually losing an organ this time instead of a pesky kidney stone... I realized my other surgeries were before I had Ashlyn to worry about if something were to happen... even something as small as having to have the full surgery rather than laproscopic... This is an outpatient procedure... 3 little slits and all this pain is over... But for some reason it feels like so much more to me... I know its silly and I know that to my surgeon this is all in a days work... I think of friends who have gone through much more invasive, intense surgeries recently... none of these things calm my fears. They aren't kidding when they say having a child is like having your heart walk around outside your body... Every decision you make affects more than just you... So even though I know how awesome I will feel after this surgery I am more anxious than excited... I know I know I need to stop watching so much Grey's Anatomy right? Friends more than ever I need your comments of reassurance...

You know you are a mom when...

... You get so excited about finding Juicy Juice for 1.50 each you not only buy 10 but you call everyone you know and tell them...


... You have ever gone to the doctor and turned in new patient paperwork covered in one of your little artists finest creations...

... you return home from the grocery store and find two opened boxes of snacks and a half eaten apple...



... you realize the only surface in your house clean enough to take pictures of these things is your washing machine... only because you are simultaneously doing laundry, putting away groceries, cleaning the kitchen, and getting the baby ready for bed...

... you have ever been at the grocery store and realized the contents of your purse includes... crayons, cars, balls, forks, keurig tea and coffee pods, gerber snacks, a dog tail (halloween costume), a rather large mirror (supposed to be used at work for speech therapy but keeps my toddler very occupied), but not your wallet... AWESOME...



...you have been in a meeting and reached in your pocket for a pen only to pull out a pacifier...

... you drive all the way home from work and don't even realize until you get there that you have been listening to Barney... and your child is NOT in the car...

Anyone else have any to add? I know you do!!!