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