Monday 4 November 2013

30 Days of Thankful: Day 4

Day 4: Location, Location, Location!


Ryan and I took a walk down by the Fens Pools this afternoon and it was absolutely gorgeous! The horses were down by the water's edge and one even came up to have a nosey around us and get some fuss off me. Ryan was loving it! He thinks he called the horse over...like he's some sort of horse whisperer or something.


In fact, he was loving things SO much, I was able to get photographic evidence of the joyous leaps he made over horse poo as we walked leisurely down the path. He was in absolute kid heaven!


So today, with a rainbow appearing at the end of our journey down at the pools, I am thankful for the area where we live and so happy we chose this to be our home. Living across from a nature reserve is truly the coolest and I'm so glad this is an experience and a memory my children will get to hold onto forever!

Sunday 3 November 2013

30 Days of Thankful: Day 3


Day 3: My Son

Yes. As if there was any doubt...this little bundle of energy and excitement and the absolute light of my life is my day 3!

He's coming up for four soon and I cannot think of a day where he isn't the first thing on my mind. Then again, when one wakes up to the mouth of their pre-schooler over their own eyeball, trying to fog up their glasses with their breath...it's kind of difficult to not notice.

Ryan is the cheekiest most joyful little boy I know and while I'd love for him to tone it down at the moment (being so overly pregnant, myself, and short on patience) I don't ever want him to lose this spirit and fire in his belly. There isn't a day that goes by where he doesn't make my entire heart smile and just before I snapped this very photo, which he requested, he cuddled up next to me sweetly to say, "Mommy, you're so lovely."

Melts my very heart and every reason why today I give thanks for our one and only, Ry Guy!!

Saturday 2 November 2013

30 Days of Thankful: Day 1 & 2

I see many friends doing this on Facebook and year after year I think, 'Oh, that's a nice idea,' and then I never take it on. This year I have decided to give it a go, however, I am already two days behind.

So, let's get started...shall we?

Day 1: My Daughter


I am thankful for this little blessing in my belly. I want her out and in my arms so SO bad, but the bright side to everything is that I learned today that she is doing well and thriving still and her health is of highest importance to me.

I am overdue by 9 days and was informed she has NO intentions of making an appearance at least in the next 3! I'm going to have to be monitored now, daily, but won't be forced to undergo an induction unless she is in distress, so I could go as far as next Saturday!!

The day I will finally hold her against my skin, smell that baby smell and kiss her sweet, baby face will be infinitely beautiful and so worth it...but until then, no matter how long, I give thanks for my daughter.

Day 2: My Husband



Today, I am thankful for my husband.

He has been sick as a dog the past 24 hours and, admittedly, I thought he was putting on a bit at the start...as men do with their "man flu" reactions. But bless him to bits, when I break down and lose my head this man is here for me.

Still feeling a bit poorly, himself, after spending most of last night camped outside the bathroom, sprawled on the carpet and doubled up in stomach pains, he calmly sat with me this afternoon as I bawled my hormonal pregnant eyes out over my feelings of failure as a Mommy. Struggling with balancing the quality of time I'm spending with an over-zealous 3-year-old boy with selective hearing, the patience I have and have subsequently lost with said beautiful, but challenging, child and my inability to "turn it off" as my midwife instructed, so as to allow my body to just do what an overdue pregnant woman's body is meant to naturally do but cannot for some of the reasons above, I finally broke today and my Matthew was there.

My husband is no saint and neither am I, but today when I could not take another minute of putting on a brave face, I took my son to his room to carry out his time-out for not listening...again...and then gave myself a time-out in the bedroom, so to ensure I wasn't going down for 'harm to a minor.' Shortly after, I heard Matt come up the stairs and first tend to a whimpering Ryan who "didn't want to be upstairs." He, ever-so-calmly spoke to our son with compassion and understanding for his feelings while still pointing out there clearly had to be a reason and that after speaking to me he would come back.

My devoted then sat next to me on the bed and just listened as I sobbed it out and mumbled silly, unreasonable things like, "I'm going to be pregnant foreverrrrrrrrr!" He didn't even have to say anything...he just rubbed my back and kissed my shoulder and let me...let go.

I fully expected him to march straight back in to our son and give him the telling off of his life, but that's not quite how it went. I remember him staying with me long enough that my breathing started to calm and then he went back to Ryan to have a Daddy-Son heart-to-heart about how Mommy was feeling. I expected Ryan's reaction to this to be that it made him "sad" that Mommy was sad, but Matt turned it into a positive. He held up my consequence of taking Ryan to his room for his behaviour, but then also suggested they tidy up the room together since it was getting out of control.

I don't remember much after that as I drifted off and the next thing I remember, it was dark outside, dead quiet upstairs and the streetlamps were on. A few hours had passed.

I knew my husband still didn't feel 100%, but he also knew I desperately needed time alone, so without even questioning for a second, he gave it to me. I never doubt Matt's love for me, but I think today was a clear testament to it if I ever did.

Yesterday may have been our 5-year wedding anniversary...but it is today that I continue to give thanks and massive love and appreciation for my husband, Matt.