This Thanksgiving…

There are many things that I am usually grateful for, not just during Thanksgiving, but throughout the year.  Health, family and friends always top my list of things I remember to thank God for on a regular basis.  This Thanksgiving, however, I find myself being thankful for a few things I did not have before, things I have always taken for granted, and some things that honestly, I never knew existed.

As a recently married and now pregnant woman, here are some of the things I have added to my list of things to be grateful for:

Baby Kicks – Doctors tell you to do fetal kick counts every day to ensure your baby is ok.  Well, that is much easier said than done.  I often wonder if that movement is little Aiden rolling around or maybe the spicy bean burrito I ate the night before.  Just when I am about to call the doctor, as instructed, in a total panic thinking this kid is comatose, he grabs a hold of something in there and painfully reminds me who is now boss of my life. I could not possibly be more grateful of those kicks that remind me that baby is ok. Oh, and if you are asking, no, that is not me in the picture. Not sure how grateful I will be if this actually happens.

A handy (and funny) husband – Its nice to have a hubby to be thankful for this year.  Its even nicer to have a hubby that will build all the baby stuff for me since I am too busy doing fetal kick counts…1…2….Oh nevermind, that was gas.  But I am even more grateful of my husband’s ability to make me laugh, even when he is not trying to.  Like when he was building our baby’s play yard and after fussing with the instructions said out loud “do they really expect me to push this long thing through this small hole”.  HA HA HA……tell me about it!

Indoor Plumbing – I have never been more thankful of indoor plumbing as I am now.  Can you imagine being pregnant, having to go to the bathroom every two minutes, and only having one of these?!?!?!  Thank God to the Egyptians and Romans who invented indoor plumbing.

My girlfriends – I am truly thankful for my great and real friends…you know, the ones that think about you and actually call to see if you need anything. Since my family is far away, I am grateful to be blessed with friends that step in to help just as though they were my sisters.

My dear friend Mandy, who is like the sister I never had, who always thinks of me, checks on me almost everyday, and randomly shows up with cupcakes, decaf coffee, and a nifty grabber so I can pick up stuff from the floor.  You gotta love her.

My friend Sarah who never forgets to call me even when things are crazy on her end just to ask how I am doing, volunteers to throw me a baby shower or invites me to lunch when I have been sitting at home solo all day.

My good old friend Heather, who I have recently reconnected with and boy am I happy I have.  Her cheerful disposition and view of life always puts a smile on our faces and even with 4 kids…yes, you heard me, 4 kids, she still always offers to help with the nursery, invites us over for dinner or offers to take our baby pictures. (Did I mention she is an amazing photographer?)

Our good friend Rosemary who in the midst of her busy and hectic life with 4 kids (yes I said that again…4 kids. I have no idea what they were thinking) randomly shows up at home one day to let me know she is going to host my baby shower for me.

Online baby registries – After physically going to the store and looking at  100 different baby bottle nipples and 40 different types of breast pumping machines for two hours with absolutely no clue as to what to get, I have never been more grateful for online baby registries.  The “honey, do you think this nipple is better than the other” really did not go well, plus how many nipples does a woman really need?   At least at home I can Google my questions and get answers as to what I need.  Oh, and don't Google “best nipples”…trust me, you don't get baby stuff.

The Snoogle and Boppy –  When I told my husband I needed a Snoogle and a Boppy wedge, he thought he was getting lucky that night.  In hindsight, it didn't occur to me that these are not common household names; they sound more like either Swedish hybrid cars or Kama Sutra positions.   In reality they are pillows specifically designed for pregnant women and mine have become my best friends.  I love them so much they even traveled with me to Alaska for two weeks. I would have paid airfare for them if I had to.  And although I had to see my husband’s disappointed face when I told him it had nothing to do with hanky panky, he now seems grateful that the Snoogle and Boppy have contributed to him still being able to sleep in our bed vs. the couch.  Plus, I think deep down, he wishes he had a Snoogle and Boppy too. :)

The Boppy	The Snoogle
	My Mom -  I have always been grateful of my mom and the great relationship I have with her, but this year I am even more thankful of the fact that I can call her at any time of day and ask her questions about my crotch. You see, apart from having 5 children herself, my mom is also an OB/GYN and believe me when I say that when you are having your first kid, you have a lot of questions and yes…some of them are about your crotch.  So apart from being thankful for having her as my mom, I am definitely thankful to be able to now share crotch anecdotes with her.
My In-Laws – I never had In-laws before and I am very grateful to now have them in my life. Today for Thanksgiving, my mother in law volunteered to do all the cooking because she knows how tired I can get from being pregnant.  And I cant even start to mention the laundry list of things my father in law has helped us with during the last few years to get our house into livable conditions.  This Thanksgiving I am really grateful for them. Oh, and yes, that is our dog Gus and no we have no idea what breed he is.  He is just Gus.
	My brothers – I have always been grateful to have my older brothers, Tomas, Roberto, and David. From them I learned how to drive, how to register for college classes and how to make a mean Sangria amongst other things.  This time around, I am pregnant and my brothers cant believe their little sister is all grown up.  When I talk to them they make it very clear that I am still their little sister no matter how old or pregnant I am and that they can still push me around if they wanted to. When they say that, I feel like a little kid again and I am very grateful for that.

These are just a few things I am grateful for this year around, some new, some old, some just different.  This time next year we are going to have a little boy and a whole other list of new and old things to be grateful about.   So this year, when you are reflecting and giving thanks for all of the blessings you have around you, pay close attention and you may find yourself being grateful for things you were always too busy to even notice.