30 Days of Thanks

I haven't done the "what I'm thankful for" list on Facebook or twitter like so many people, mainly because I didn't start on Nov. 1, and I hate to be behind. :)

But I've been thinking each day about things I'm thankful for, so I thought the blog would be a good place to list them together. This post will be low on pictures, but high on content. And just like I would've done on Facebook, these will be tied to the days of the month, not in the order of importance.

I'm thankful for: 

1. Daycare for Cara. We did our first practice run on Nov. 1, and she did great from the get-go. She's happy there, they love her, and I have peace of mind. 

2. Maternity leave. I got 9 weeks of time off to be with my baby. Those days were long, wonderful, stressful, enjoyable, exhausting and special. I'll never get uninterrupted time with her like that again, where I don't worry about work or anything but taking care of her. I'll always remember those amazing, hard days together. 

3. My 29 years of life! Nov. 3 is my birthday, and it was a good one. I've lived a life of blessing, challenge and opportunity. I'm in a great place, surrounded by fantastic family and friends. It feels good to be here. I wonder how many times I'll turn 29? :)

4. Baylor University. Homecoming was fun this year, and I'm thankful for a college experience that was life-shaping and life-changing. Baylor holds a dear place in my heart, like it does for so many others. I love that we get to celebrate our love each year. 

5. My job. It was hard to go back and jump right into things again, but I'm grateful to have a job where I'm able to utilize my talents, feel productive and face challenges to grow stronger. I never feel like I'm stuck in a dead-end career, and I love my colleagues and teammates. 

6. Sweet Cara Beth. Seeing her face first thing in the morning and when I pick her up from daycare--her smiles and giggles and happiness--just melts my heart and makes my day. She has such a little developing personality and is changing so much daily. I'm thankful for sweet moments together during our day.

7. Our home. It's been 2.5 years since we bought our first house, and I'm so glad we were able to. It's the house we brought our baby home to, and even though it's messy and dirty sometimes, I love it. 

8. Meals from friends and family. We had hot, home-cooked meals or takeout from our favorite places delivered to us 2-3 times a week for 8 weeks. I barely cooked a thing from mid-August until October. Such a huge blessing to us and our new family.

9. Mom & Dad. It has been more fun than I imagined to watch them be grandparents (Mimi & Buck) to CBC. We joke that Chance and I are lucky to get a hello hug before they jump right into holding and loving on Cara. They love her and spoil her, and it's the sweetest thing to watch. 

10. Friends near and far. I love that I have a network of friends spread across the state and country. Friends who love me, give me advice, offer helping hands and share our excitement with Cara. And even if I don't see them for months at a time, I love that we stay connected across the distance. 

11. Our church. Chance and I went to Columbus together in college and officially joined when we got married. It is our church home, and is responsible for the development of so many relationships-with each other and our friends. Now CABC is helping us raise our daughter. We are so blessed by the congregation, staff and programs, and I can't imagine being anywhere else. 

12. My pre-AP classes. This is a new adventure for me this year, and I'm loving it so far. It's a challenge for me to develop lessons from scratch, teach them at a high level without going over their heads, encourage them and hold them to high standards. I don't always feel confident that I'm doing the best job ever, but I'm trying really hard. And the kids are wonderful. It's so refreshing to teach great kids who are motivated and mature and smart and quirky. They're not all perfect, but they're different and I like that. 

13. My relationship with Chance. We had our first date 8 years ago on Nov. 13. I knew early in our relationship that it was different and special, and I was ready to marry him for a while. He's such a great husband and father, and he's the only person to make this list twice. #29 :)

14. Poe. I've had my sweet kitty longer than I've had Chance-and I remind him of that sometimes! Poe has done so great incorporating Cara into our lives without too much angst. He's friendly, whiny, cuddly and loyal. I'm looking forward to watching him run and hide when an older baby Cara gets an accidental fist full of fur. :)

15. The Nap Nanny. This was, by far, our saving grace as far as dealing with Cara's sleep issues. With her reflux, she kept waking herself up every few hours when she was younger. Sometimes even every hour she'd wake up screaming. We got a Nap Nanny and put her to sleep in it at around 6 weeks. She slept in it every night, and started sleeping through the night consistently at 7 weeks--at least 9-11 hours each night. The Nap Nanny company is stopping production, so I'm very sad, but I'm so grateful that this product worked for us!

16. The ability to feed Cara without using formula. It was touch-and-go for a while in the early weeks, but I've finally gotten the hang of nursing and finally built up enough of a reserve to send milk to daycare with Cara each day. She eats about 13-15 oz. during the day, and I'm pumping about 20 oz. a day (through 4-5 pump sessions). I'm not going to feed the world, but I have enough to feed her and stay a little ahead of the game. I'm thankful my body is doing what it needs to do, that she's healthy and thriving and that I can keep up with her. It's a LOT of work and commitment, but I'm going to do it as long as my body will let me or until she turns 1, whichever comes first!

17. My car. We bought a new car for me in February, and it was such a great purchase. It's roomy, reliable and really cute. I'm so glad we were able to buy it when we did and that it's very dependable for us. It's easy to store all my stuff when I'm on the go and easy for getting Cara in and out. We love the Equinox!

18. Our Sunday School class. We had our annual Thanksgiving dinner with our group on the 18th, and the discussion wandered to affirmations of each other and discussion of our relationships. We acknowledged how blessed we all feel to have such deep, continuing friendships with each other. My group of girlfriends are some of my closest. To use the old phrase, we just "live life together" and support each other through new jobs, babies, moving houses or cities and school. These girls are my encouragers, stabilizers, prayer partners, listeners, advice-givers and fellow social butterflies. And their husbands are dear to Chance too. I can't imagine our lives in Waco without our core of friends.

19. Thanksgiving break. It's busy, it's hectic, it's going to feel all too short, but I'm so glad to have a week off! I'm running errands, having doctor's appointments, cooking, cleaning, packing, eating, grading papers, planning lessons. I'm grateful for a physical break from school to catch my breath and catch up on life!

20. True, deep friendships. Clearly, I'm a relational kind of gal. I'm just so thankful that I have within my circle such loyal, steadfast friends. Whether they are my nearest and dearest, church friends, teacher friends or others, it makes my heart feel full to maintain those relationships and depend on those people.

21. Cayce & the Edisons. I am so thankful to have family in Waco, and our relationships have deepened since Cindy died and Cara arrived. Cayce and Cari have been above and beyond helpful with us and Cara. Cari is a really good mom and is an endless source of advice for all things motherhood-related. Cayce LOVES her nieces and nephew and values spending time with them above other priorities. We love spending time with Ricky and Mase and Murphee too--they are such a sweet family. I'll always be grateful for the dependable support we got in the first few weeks with Cara. When I got sick, they took her. When we needed a night out, they babysat. When I was a weepy mess, they held her while I showered and got back to myself. I never had siblings growing up, but I'm glad we have all developed such supportive, adult relationships. We are all there for each other, and that's really comforting.

22. The opportunity to spend a day verbalizing our thankfulness. My love language is words of affirmation, so I love that we get this month and the day of Thanksgiving to address the things we're thankful for. I wish I did this more often in my life.

23. My jeans. The day after Thanksgiving is a little tricky, but I'm glad I fit back into my pre-pregnancy jeans. Of course, I'll wear yoga pants after we eat our big meal, but my jeans (only one pair in the closet now) remind me to be thankful that I've "bounced back" after the baby. I may not look exactly the same, and my clothes may not fit just like they used to, but we're close. It's a reminder to be thankful and to keep working!

24. Weekends. Who doesn't love weekends? But now that I'm working, I look forward to spending Friday night-Sunday night with my family. We soak up time together, go to Baylor sports, travel, lounge, run errands, catch up on life and enjoy each other. I wish weekends were longer, but they're even more special these days.

25. Colored pens. :) I needed a fun thing to be thankful for. I do a lot of grading papers on Sundays, and I always need a colored pen to use. I have my favorites (Pilot G2 in a 20-pack) and my new favorite (Pentel EnerGel) in purple. Colored pens make everything more fun--grading, making to-do lists, taking attendance, etc.

26. Guidance and compassion from the Lord. All of these 30 things would not be possible without God. I am specifically thankful, though, for His guidance over the last year in particular, and for His compassion for us. God directed and watched over my pregnancy and delivery in such a wonderful way--I had very few problems or complications. He oversaw the growth and development of our baby and continues to guide us as parents. We have no idea what we're doing, but we are trusting Him to lead us. And He is compassionate toward us. This year has already been so full of highs and lows, and God's love and mercy for us is new each morning. He is tenderly guarding our hearts and providing us with peace in sadness and joy in happiness. He cares for us, and it's evident each day. None of this would be possible without Him, but I'm especially thankful for these qualities from Him.

27. Cindy. It's been 5 months since she died, and we miss her all the time. I think about how she would have loved meeting Cara and how wonderful and helpful she would have been with her. But even though she's not with us, I'm thankful for our memories. For the way she raised her children. For the love she got to show to Mase. For the lifetime of love she gave to her family. For the ways we're able to incorporate her into conversation, for the impact she had on me in just 8 years of knowing her, for the silly stories we can laugh about and remember, for her example and her life well-lived. 

28. A life with 30 wonderful things for which I'm extremely thankful. Truly, there are way more than 30 things, and that is immeasurable.

29. The love of my life. He turns 29 on the 29th. Chance is gentle and strong, thoughtful, helpful, servant-hearted, wise, hard-working, funny and kind. He keeps the stress of raising a newborn at bay with patience and laughter. He loves me fully and unconditionally. He sacrifices for me and Cara and is going to be the perfect example of the kind of man she should marry one day. (But not until she's 30.) :)

30. A 3-month-old baby girl! She's 3 months on the 30th, and I just can't believe the time has flown so quickly. I suppose I saved the thing I'm most thankful for until the end. Cara is simply the completion to our family. It already feels like she's been with us forever, and her first days still feel very recent at the same time. She is happy, healthy, beautiful, fun and heartwarming. It's tough to figure out how to take care of her best, she keeps me on my toes and low on sleep, and she's a demanding little girl. But "life in the trenches" with a newborn is slowly starting to regulate. We're getting gratification in smiles, laughs and personality quirks after all those long nights, tears and frustrations. She is utterly perfect, and I am most thankful for her presence in my life.

It was fun to create this list and take some deliberate time to sort out the things I'm thankful for. I wish I articulated this more often. I'll challenge you to do the same, whether on Facebook or just in your heart. Claim your thankfulness and share it with others! Happy Thanksgiving and season of full hearts.