Gratitude

I've always had the pleasure of enjoying very easy pregnancies. Aside from a few months of nausea that, while miserable at the time, become a bit of a blur once 20 weeks rolls around and the wonder of baby's first kicks make their impression, carrying a baby inside of me for 40 weeks has pretty much been the highlight of my life for the past seven years. So, it's always been kind of difficult for me to relate to women who don't enjoy actually being pregnant.

Well, here I am, thirty-five weeks along with a dislocated rib & a pulled muscle in my chest both as a result of coughing while sick with a cold a couple of weeks ago. My newfound state of compromised physical ability has certainly put things into perspective and humbled me to appreciate the littlest of things that I have otherwise been taken for granted.

This week my heart is singing praises of thanksgiving to God for:

• my sweet baby's health: hearing that precious heartbeat at my appointment with the midwife yesterday was like music to my ears...
• my little babe's position: with all the pain, inflammation & treatments going on so close to my uterus I was a little nervous that my little nugget might have tried to wiggle his way out of his head down position but my midwife confidently confirmed with her skilled hands that head is down...
• online grocery shopping: never before have I been in a dire enough of a situation to feel the need to do my grocery shopping online...
• my generous sister: sacrificing pretty much all of her non-working hours to take my boys to the pool, drive me to the chiropractor, take my boys to breakfast, pick up my groceries, cook dinner for my family, clean my home...
• my hardworking husband: in spite of all the drama going on at home, he's been traveling overnight for work, coaching our son's soccer team, and moving us into our new home...
• my big-hearted oldest: if there was only one positive outcome from this experience it would be the opportunity it has given me to recognize how eager my oldest son is to help...
• our pool: feels so good to get in the water...
• decreased pain: being in a state of acute, constant pain really makes you appreciate the moment your body finds any level of relief...

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Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; 

his love endures forever.

- Psalm 118

{phfr}

~ capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

A few weeks past her big day but I finally completed this apron for my aunt's birthday.

{happy}

Love when I find my boys lost in a book, especially when they are sitting side-by-side.

{funny}

My husband finally did our taxes this week {leave it to the accountant to wait until the very last minute - though, in his defense, he's a forensic accountant so taxes are not his thing} and after announcing the amount our refund would be, we both immediately and simultaneously said: Sounds to me like a new {insert object we have each been pining for i.e. for me that would be a new lens}. Then we both laughed at our knee-jerk, selfish reactions because, well, what did our refund go towards in reality? A new supply of cloth diapers which you know you need to replace when your two-year-old points to the one you're about to put on him and says: Silly Mommy, that diaper is broken!

{real}

For whatever reason, getting over the hump of my babies turning one is hard for me. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but it's the truth. {It's no coincidence that I have gotten pregnant each time my youngest was about thirteen or fourteen months!} So, now that my youngest has passed that twelve month hurdle, I am trying to simply embrace these fleeting baby moments of holding him on my hip, nursing him to sleep, and watching him crawl around while they last.

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Linking up with Like Mother Like Daughter today:

Happy Homemaker Monday

crusty outside + airy & soft inside = bagel perfection

{weather outside:}

Dark, cold and rainy but it's supposed to warm up to be around sixty by the middle of the day and stay at that temperature the rest of the week so, compared with the cold weather we've been having lately, I'm fine with that!

{around my home:}

All three boys are playing in the living room together. The older two are building a dragon dump truck with hooks and shovels out of mega blocks and the youngest is trying to destroy it every time they turn. ;) All the rain clouds are making it feel dark and cozy inside with all the lights on. Breakfast is cooking on the stove so the scent of cinnamon can be enjoyed throughout the house. A violin concerto is playing on the radio softly as the background music to my children's little voices as they discuss their play. 

{on the breakfast plate:}

me:

plain yogurt topped with pecan & quinoa granola, blackberries & a drizzle of maple syrup

fried eggs topped with sauteed baby arugula & sea salt

bengal spice herbal tea with cream & sugar

boys:

fried 'dippy' eggs topped with sauteed baby spinach

toast with neufchatel cheese, cinnamon & honey

vanilla chamomile tea with honey

baby:

cream of millet with shredded apple, mashed banana, baby spinach & cinnamon

{menu this week:}

monday: Tuna & Bagel Melts + Roasted Potatoes Wedges + Salad

tuesday: Taco Soup

wednesday: Roasted Chicken Thighs + Baked Sweet Potatoes + Asparagus

thursday: Italian Wedding Soup + Crusty Bread

friday: Bacon & Cheddar Quiche 

{new recipe:}

Toasted Almond, Raisin and Coconut Trail Mix

{today's to-do list:}

~ errands

~ upload photos

~ mop floors

~ 2 loads of laundry

~ straighten

{currently reading:}

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis {with my four-year-old}

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Love Letters by Debbie Macomber

{currently watching:}

How I Met Your Mother

{in my craft basket:}

A baby blanket for a custom order! :D

{favorite blog posts:}

How and Why My Kindergatener Memorizes Poetry

{looking forward to:}

Sunshine and warmer weather... hopefully!

{verse:}

But now, this is what the Lord says…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

~ Isaiah 43:1

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Linking up Sandra with today: