Thankful

I just got done putting Jake to bed. The routine went so smoothly--Wesley carried him to his room, and we all knelt down next to the bed for prayers. Wes said it nice and slow so that Jake could attempt to repeat each line, citing all the things he was grateful for (among which included mommy and daddy, snacks, and his blanket). Then as usual, he kissed daddy goodnight, and said "lay down, mommy!" Then we spent the next few minutes singing his favorite song (twinkle star) repeatedly. He is getting so good at singing along! As I laid there cuddling with my little buddy, listening to him sing almost all the words (slightly off-key), I couldn't help but feel so lucky.

Being Thanksgiving weekend, I decided that now would be a great time to write up a little blog post for posterity. I have so many blessings in my life, and I want to write about some of them. Small warning--this post is more for me than for you, so if it gets too wordy and rambling, you don't have to read the whole thing.

I'll start with my obvious "gratefuls" and go from there ;)

1. I'm grateful for my awesome husband Wesley. In less than 3 weeks we will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary. 5 years!!!!! The last 5 years have been the best of my life. We continually work to strengthen our relationship, and we've of course had our ups and downs, but I still feel just as strongly as ever that Wes is the right man for me. We help each other become better people each day, and I feel so thankful to have him by my side. We trust each other, and love each other--and I feel so safe with him. He is such a loving dad to Jake, and I love knowing that we are a team, and are united in our trials, failures, and successes. :) I love you honey!

2. JAKE--what a cool little kid!!! When I think about Jake, I feel overwhelmed with joy that Wes and I get to raise such a special little spirit. He is a very unique person. Some words that I could tag him with would be--sensitive, sweet, clean, cautious, and friendly. Jake loves other kids, but hates to be teased. He can't stand being dirty, and will freak out if he has one drop of food on his hands, face, or clothes. He loves to play and wrestle, but will run to mommy and get each and every boo-boo kissed better within 2 seconds of injury. He will push mom's buttons, and experiment with power struggles, and can throw epic tantrums, but seems to genuinely care if his parents lose patience with him. In fact, when I give him "the look" he will almost always go send himself to his room (crying) until he can find his "happy face" again. Jake gives the best hugs and kisses--you just have to watch out for the occasional great big lick on the cheek (this happens when he is pretending to be Pluto). I love seeing his face light up with pure joy and gratitude when he receives a present or treat, and is very good about saying "please and thank you". It's an amazing privilege to be able to watch him grow up. I feel so lucky that I get to be the one to help him discover new things.

3. Baby girl--Although we haven't yet met, there are so many things related to our upcoming daughter that I'm grateful for. First of all, I'm so thankful that I was able to get pregnant after only 4 months of trying. And since then, I've had a healthy textbook pregnancy--I've known a few friends who couldn't say the same about their own pregnancies, and I know how lucky I am that I haven't had any complications so far.

I'm grateful that I was able to stay home with Jake instead of working on my feet 40 hours a week like last time, and that I've been able to exercise throughout my 9 months. I've gained a lot less weight in this pregnancy than in my first, and I know it is partly due to those two things. (the third reason being that since round one, I've actually learned a thing or two about reading the nutrition labels on my food--thanks jess!) The point is, by gaining less weight and staying in shape, I've been sleeping better and feeling a lot more comfortable as my tummy has expanded.

Although I'm getting very excited to meet my baby girl, I'm not bursting with impatience for my 9 months to end. I'm still feeling pretty good even though there are only 3 weeks left!!! I know that in many ways my life is about to get a lot harder, but I'm feeling hopeful and ready for the challenge. After all, as hard as parenting can be (especially to a newborn), I'm going to love her the way I love Jake, and I know from experience that those feelings make everything worth it.

(Belly shot from around 32 weeks)

4. FAMILY-- my sisters and mom are truly my best friends, and being able to pick up my phone and call them anytime is so wonderful. My dad gives the best advice and is always a soft spot for me. I feel so lucky to have been raised in a family with a handicapped brother--David is such a sweet kid, and in all our struggles with him growing up, our family stayed close. We were always a team, and I truly believe that it was a major factor in helping me stay strong in the gospel. It helped me find a better perspective on life, helped me survive high school and everything that goes with it--and helped to prepare me for marriage, and for raising my own family. Mom and dad--you guys are amazing, and I'm sorry none of your girls live nearby anymore to help out with David. :/

I'm grateful for Wesley's family--a couple months ago his parents retired from their jobs in Thailand and moved to Utah. It's been wonderful for us to see them more often, and for Jake to get to know them. Wesley's sister lives around here as well, so we have all of them within a 40 minute drive now. I'm happy to have them here, and a little jealous that my parents don't live closer too. But at least I do have one sister living close by, and I'm thankful to her for the girls nights, for coming over once a week to do her laundry, and for babysitting so much! Thanks Syd!

(old photo, but the only one I have of the whole family)

5. Although there are lot's of little things that make life challenging, there are also a ton that make it sooo much better. I'm grateful that Wesley has a job, and is back in school (and doing really well too!) I'm thankful that he works less than a mile from our apartment--which reminds me--I love our apartment. I love that we have so much space for Jake to run around, and that we have a third bedroom for the new baby. I've had a lot of fun creating a frilly pink nursery, and I can't wait to bring her home to it!!! I'm thankful for my wonderful friends--for the phone calls, support, play dates and girls nights. You guys are my bread and butter ;)

Even though it'll be lame for baby girl to have a birthday at Christmas, I am actually loving my due date. The Christmas season has always been my favorite time of year--and this year is no exception. I have every intention of spending the next 3-ish weeks baking cookies, spending time with family, and reflecting on all the wonderful stuff in my life. I want to "savor the moments" and really feel the season. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I hope I can always take time to slow down and appreciate the good things. Since this is pretty much my Thanksgiving post, I'll end it with a couple pictures from the actual holiday. We spent it with Wesley's family, and it was a lot of fun. Happy Thanksgiving!

Scott and Jake...aka the mischief makers, and the life of the party..never a dull moment with these two!!

4 generations of Hurst men! :)

love my jakey!/36 week belly shot.