UNEXPECTED GRATITUDE

When I opened up my feed reader this morning, the first post I stumbled upon was Amanda at Take the Metro’s gratitude post. I read it and thought how nice it is to take the time to express your gratitude, then went on to read the next post in my reader. And it was by my friend at reminders2bepresent about keeping a gratitude journal.

Initially, I wasn’t going to join in the gratitude-giving (at least not publicly—my heart is constantly surging with gratitude), but I felt like this was a sign. So here goes:

The Learning Tower my father made

Baby T calls this “The Pa T Made It.” Because Pa T made it for him. But he uses it as a noun. He loves to do washing. I appreciate this because not only does this learning tower fold away so I can tuck it next to my fridge, it keeps Baby T busy for up to an hour at a time. What else can keep a toddler busy for so long? He loves it and asks to use it almost every day.

The Thirsties diaper cover that kept the overnight pee in

I have been using disposables on Little M at night because I’m afraid that feeling wetness will make his wakeups worse, and cloth wasn’t holding in the pee. Well, I went up a size in this cute cover I got from Green Baby Diaper Service and added a couple of hemp doublers to the prefold. Little M slept relatively well (for him), he didn’t smell like pee in the morning, and he didn’t have a blowout (another problem with disposables in the morning).

The library

It’s amazing to have a place to borrow books and movies from for free. Baby T has a small bookshelf of books, but like any toddler, he gets bored. He loves to go to the library and find new books. This keeps us busy and helps expand his mind. I just realized I can find parenting books there too!

My friends: online, old, and otherwise

In her gratitude post, Amanda at Let’s Take the Metro wrote that she was grateful for friends she had never met. She mentions the importance of interacting with like-minded adults, even if it’s only over the internet. When I first started this blog, I thought it could exist in a vacuum. I don’t know who I thought would read it, or why I thought anyone would. I don’t even know why I started it, to tell you the truth. It was a sort of outlet for my writing and my thoughts about parenting, crafting, cooking, and everything that I love. I was so into reading other blogs, but I did it from afar. I lurked, I hovered, and I watched, but I didn’t interact. All of a sudden, I felt like there was this community that I had learned so much from, and I finally extended my hand. It’s insanely comforting to know that there are people out there experiencing the same joys and challenges, and having the opportunity to look into their lives and see how they manage everything is inspiring. And I’m getting to meet some of my online mama friends soon! I can’t wait to finally get to know them and their kids in person.

And then there are those people who come into your life for a split second in the grand scheme of things, and then life takes you in different directions. You forget about some of them, but others you think of often. You google them periodically and wish you could get back in touch. I recently did get in touch with an old friend of mine that way. She was an inspiration to me when I had just gotten out of college and had no idea where to take my life. She’s still an inspiration to me. People like that make you feel like there is more to life than the obvious.

And finally, my ladies. The ones who don’t look at me weird when I meet them for drinks with my baby breastfeeding in a wrap. The ones who give me ideas and advice every day, the ones whose energy feeds me and calms me, who take Baby T’s hand when he’s throwing a tantrum and entertain him without batting an eye. I’m grateful for all of these women who have touched my life.

My life

My cozy bit of space

I was talking to a friend the other day about how I felt like my house was too small for any more kids. And then she told me about something she had watched where homeless women were raising their kids basically in cardboard boxes. And I thought about how I have a cosleeper parked next to my king-sized bed and a pack n play next to my guest bed so I can sleep in there with Little M without bothering Big T. Yet I still complain that Little M doesn’t really have his own comfortable space in which to sleep. Um, he has four. I’m going to stop complaining; I have it pretty good.