Thanksgiving

Since we'll be focused on spending the holiday with family, I thought I should go ahead and make my Thanksgiving post.

Any guesses as to what I am thankful for this year?? Thanksgiving day will actually mark 13 weeks pregnant. We really have so much to be thankful for. Its almost hard to know where to start.

God: I am thankful that I have a God who is loving and forgiving, who I can talk to anytime during life's highs and lows. And I'm thankful for His perfect timing, guidance, and patience. The reason I am who I am today, is because His hands have molded and shaped me through the ups and downs. And I am thankful for the miracles he has given us that we don't even deserve. And He is responsible for every single blessing that follows.

Family: We are so blessed and thankful to have a family that loves us and supports us. We tend to think of family as being the obvious thing we are thankful for. Unfortunately not everyone has a family that loves and supports them. And I say 'a family' because I don't think of Nathan and I as having separate families. We don't have in-law tensions or feuding families. Nathan's family is always welcome in my parents home and life, and the same goes for my family in Nathan's parents home and life. Our parents are friends, and we are so thankful for that. And we are thankful that our child will be coming into a world where they will always know they are loved by their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Friends: We have varying degrees of friends. We have friends who we consider family. We have friends who have made a great impact on our lives. We have friends who are always looking out for us. We have friends we would truly do anything for. We have friends whose company we simply enjoy. We have friends who we occasionally see but often think of. We have friends who we keep track of via family blogs. We have friends who are better friends to us than we are to them. And we have friends who are no longer in our lives, yet we appreciate them for the time they were there. I am thankful for each of these friendships. Every single one has meant and contributed so much to our lives.

Cimiez: Yes, I am thankful for my cat. She has been a constant in my life. When Nathan was busy with school, she kept me company. When Nathan works late, she's here with me. When I'm sad, she snuggles into my arms and brings me joy. She's a friend that listens, without saying anything back. And when my dream of a baby was looking grim, she happily filled in as the resident baby of the family.

Nathan: Where do I start here? He is my best friend. When life feels like a roller coaster, I know he is in the seat beside me, holding my hand. I am simply thankful to be married to my perfect match, to a man who loves me for who I am. I'm thankful that he talks to me about everything, listens to me when I need to talk. I am thankful for every morning we have to sleep in and snuggle (which we know are very numbered!)

My Miracle: This year's newest thing to be thankful for is, of course, our growing baby. I am thankful that God chose us to be parents through nothing less than a miracle. I am thankful for Dr. Shamma. God chose Dr. Shamma's knowledge and hand to bring us this miracle. And I am thankful for every person who was involved in the IVF process, who did their jobs well, and gave us the best possible care. And I am thankful for every week our baby has continued to grow healthy and strong.

There is so much more that I am thankful for... but I think that covers the bulk of it!

Oh and I am thankful that I get to wear maternity pants to thanksgiving dinner this year... I'm just kidding... Thanks to the slower digestion of pregnancy, my stomach fills up pretty quickly, so there shouldn't be too much tummy stuffing going on!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!