Good Intentions

Good intentions. That's what I had when I started my Month of Thanks "project." My downfall was putting too much faith in my memory. I couldn't keep everything straight in my head and by the time I really realized it I was already on a downward slope of blog neglect. Oops.

Let's just say that I have a lot to be thankful for!

The middle of November marked the start of a really busy couple of weeks that don't show any signs of slowing down. I do have quite a few things I'd like to post about, including a living room update (or start? I don't think I've ever posted about the living room). Hopefully those posts will happen sooner rather than later, but if I've learned anything it's that I can't always promise deliverance on this here blog.

Until then, here's a random picture of my kid :)

Month of Thanks (Nov. 9th-13th)

 

 

Friday, November 9th

Today was one of those days. You know, the kind where your life is obviously the worst because the boots you want to buy are out of your size and your baby is fussy and work is hard. And even though in the back of your head you're thinking "Jessica, I think you're over reacting just a tad...", you're still silently ranting, justified because how dare the world treat you this way. You REALLY want those damn boots. Yeah. Kind of pathetic. Later in the day I made myself take Harrison on a walk and we ended up literally smelling the roses. They were delightful. And it was kind of the highlight of my day. So I'm thankful for the little things that are normally overlooked but that when noticed, bring enough beauty into your life when you're having a bad day to make you smile a little. Thankfully by the end of the day my funk was over (butIstillreallywantthoseboots).

 

 

Saturday, November 10th

 

So I'm kiiind of in love with the new HEB, which opened yesterday. It's literally two minutes down our street and it's brand new and shiny :D We've been shopping at an HEB about 10m away from our apartment that's over 20 years old and was getting ready to close, which means for the past month or so they've been out of at least 3 or 4 things on my grocery list every time. So it was really nice to get everything we needed this time around. Not to mention that it has a lot of bonus sections that the old store didn't have, like the healthy living aisle where you can pour your own bags of anything from rice to granola to dried fruit. Or grind your own peanut butter. How cool is that? So I love our new store, but I'm most of all thankful for a pantry/refrigerator full of food that keeps my family fed and healthy and happy. ...But did I also mention it's shiny? :)

 

 

Sunday, November 11th

Once it became apparent that Harrison was no longer going to sleep/sit quietly in his car seat during church (Charles had to miss quite a bit of a few sermons to go walk around with him), we decided it was time for big boy church! Aka Sunday School. Aka swing/play/sleep for 45 minutes. Learning about Jesus will come later ;-) They have rotating volunteers but for a good while now the main two have been a man and his wife who are super super sweet and always excited to see Harrison. The nursery has what Charles and I call the "Baby Matrix", which is essentially a circle of swings, rocking chairs and exersaucers. Harrison really enjoys going (they say he rarely makes a peep!) and it's nice to be able to sit through an entire service without an interruption. But by the end I'm ready to hold him again and give him lots of kisses :)

Monday, November 12th

I'm thankful for a healthy baby and a very patient and understanding husband. Today we took Harrison to an orthopedist because our pediatrician wanted to make sure the slightly more pronounced bowing in his legs was nothing to worry about. Sure enough, they were just fine & we went happily on our way. To the check out desk. Where I found out my insurance doesn't have copays for specialist visits. Which means we paid $180.00 for a 10 minute doctor visit when nothing was wrong. At that point I kind of lost it and shut down a bit. I cried. I was moody. I was mad. I felt like we threw $180 (that we don't have) down the drain. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a tad dramatic. My darling, wonderful, great-man-of-a-husband didn't say a thing. He hugged me. And kissed me. Told me I was beautiful. And gently explained that we didn't waste that money because we made sure we have a healthy baby.

Month of Thanks (Nov. 4th-8th)

 

Harrison Oliver, 1 day old

 Sunday, November 4th

It's about to get all mushy up in here. Today I'm so thankful for the gentle reminders of how precious it is to be a mother. I originally had something else picked out for my daily thanks, but then as I was feeding Harrison before bed he fell asleep in the crook of my arm and suddenly I was taken back to the day after he was born. He had fallen asleep in the exact same position, mouth wide open and everything, when everyone stepped out for a moment and it was just me and him in the room. I remember experiencing such extreme feelings of love and wonderment as I looked down at such a tiny human, which surged through me again as I held him tonight, 7 months later. It was all I could do to not collapse in a giant ball of tears. Motherhood's trippy, yo. It's exhausting, exhilarating, frustrating, eye opening, emotional, crazy and peaceful. And I am so thankful for the experience.

   

Harrison LOVES being outside!

 

Monday, November 5th

 

I'm thankful for fresh air! Being cooped up in the apartment all day with an energetic baby can become claustrophobic fast, especially if the only voice you've heard since your husband left for work is your own, blabbing to your kid like they're the one person audience to your midday talk show. Sometimes they think you're funny but most of the time they stare at you like you're a dummy. Often the day moves almost too quickly, between the cycle of feedings, nap times and diaper changes and before you know it it's almost 5:00 and your husband's going to be home again soon. And that's when you realize you haven't left the apartment all day. But today Auntie Chelle came to visit and we went on a walk to the park. It felt amazing outside and it was nice to breathe in that fresh air before shutting in for the night.

 

Tuesday, November 6th

Despite a nation divided and an unfortunate number of people using politics as an excuse to act rudely and inappropriately to one other, I am extremely thankful for our freedom to actually decide our leader. I'm thankful for being able to say what we think, choose the things we believe in, stand up for those beliefs, and live in a country that is by most accounts FREE. The greatest gift a person can have is free will and I'm thankful to live in a place that upholds that gift and the men and women who continue to fight so that we may maintain it. I'm hoping, now that the election is over, that people will remember this instead of focusing on bashing those who do not share their beliefs - even though through freedom we have every right to do so.

 

 

Wednesday, November 7th

I'm thankful for waking up to the sound of a happy baby talking to himself in his crib rather than hearing whining/crying over the monitor! Today Harrison woke up around 6:00am to feed and went back to sleep until about 8:45. When Charles and I woke up shortly before 9:00 to him on the monitor, it was so nice to hear him babbling away to himself rather than being fussy...it definitely set the tone for the day! Plus, the bonus was obviously the fact that we didn't get up until almost 9:00. Charles didn't have to go into work until 11:00 and I use Harrison as my alarm clock, so it was a treat to be able to sleep in a bit. I love going into his nursery in the morning because even if he is being a little fussy, as soon as I walk in, turn on the light and say "Good Morning!" he gets all smiley and starts kicking like a mad man. Great way to start the day!

 

Thursday, November 8th

I'm thankful for the days when Charles is off of work and he gets to stay home with us. On weeks like this one, he works on Saturday, which means he gets a day off during the week. So it's like that feeling when you got to stay home from school as a kid...almost like cheating in a way. Except, you know, not. :) But it's nice to have another adult to talk to and to have someone helping take care of Harrison - especially when I'm trying to get some work done! It helps keep the day interesting and both Harrison and I are happier when he's around, so it's a win win :) When Charles stayed home for the week or two after H was born it was the best. You'd think we would've been read to kill each other after spending 24/7 together, but I hated it when he finally had to go back and so did he (to a degree, though I suspect he also found it a tad refreshing!).