Thankful (Still)

{Out of all of my blogs, the one that I received the most feedback from my close family and friends is my post "Thankful" which I posted last year before Thanksgiving. For whatever reason, that post touched many of the lives closest to me, and so I would like to share it again this year, with some updates. }

As I shared in my original post, Thanksgiving 2005 marked an ominous date for me. At the time pregnant with the little man, it was the date that my doctors said would be a miracle if I made it to. None of them were betting that I would be able to carry him much further than Thanksgiving. And while Thanksgiving was a better scenario than the one I faced just two months prior (the first time we were hospitalized), Thanksgiving was still much too soon.

Now, five years later, I felt the little man's arms around my neck early this morning as I hugged him. It still felt just as good as the very first moment I held him and he snuggled his little newborn head against me.

I will forever be thankful for my miracle.

I am thankful for another year of adventures in mommyhood and my awesome husband for sharing in each laugh and priceless moment along the way. I truly married my best friend and my soul mate. We celebrated 10 years of wedded bliss this year and I cannot wait to see what the next 10 have in store for us.

I am also thankful for my family, both immediate and extended; the older I get, the more I understand the true gift family is in our lives. I am blessed beyond mention by the fact that my mother and my mother-in-law are two of my greatest friends, mentors and confidants. They exemplify all that I, myself, hope to be as a mother.

I am thankful for my friends, near and far, and all that they bring to my life.

I am thankful for my niece, Avery, who made her big debut just a few days after my original Thankful post, on December 1, 2009. I am thankful that my big brother and his amazing wife, who did not have an easy road to parenthood, were able to finally hold their baby and forever be known as Mom and Dad.

And I am still thankful for you.

I began this blog at the suggestion of a dear friend of mine and fellow writer. It began as a way for me to expand my own writing horizons and branch out into a new style of writing for me. I had no idea that anyone would actually read it, and I had no idea that I would receive such amazing support in my blogging endeavors. Thank you for continuing to share in my adventures with me.

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours.