Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving Week Everyone!

I hope this post finds all of you doing well and excited to spend some down time with loved ones on Thursday. If you can't be with loved ones then I hope you get some great food instead. A small consolation prize but a nice distraction anyway.

We are all doing well here in PA and basically getting last minute preparations completed before the newest arrival decides to make her entrance. As of this morning she has calmed down a whole lot, movements are small and cramped and I personally feel like I could hibernate all winter and still want more sleep.

How's big brother to be doing? I am proud to report that he is doing well with the IDEA of a baby sister (the real thing will of course be another story but that's besides the point).
Grayson has taken a liking to "checking on the baby" in the nursery which at first unnerved me (as there is no baby but just blankets and a weird little stuffed animal bug thing in the crib where he "checks") but now I find it extremely charming and sweet. He has also taken to patting my monster belly several times a day and "hugging" the baby sister. This morning was the sweetest. While I sat Indian-style on the rug folding laundry, Grayson decided the baby in Mommy's belly was bored and needed entertainment. He sat w/me patting my stomach for about 2 minutes before declaring, "Be right back Mommy." I could then hear him shuffling about in the bathroom until he surfaced 5 minutes later with his bathtub xylephone to play "the drums" for his baby sister. It was a short concert and one that ended with keys being flung toward Sadie but the sentiment was out there.

In light of the holiday we are about to celebrate, and before signing off today I wanted to list a few things that I am personally thankful for this year. These are in no particular order and certainly in no order of importance whatsoever.

I Give Thanks For

Grayson's small hands in my hair
Andy's aftershave in the morning
Sadie's sweet face and wagging bum
My parents and grandparents-every single last one of them living and already gone
My siblings who I never get to see often enough
This belly I'm toting that is holding inside of it the most precious girl I've never met
Swiffers (had to break the depth somehow)
Naptime
Our military
Old friends who are dear to my heart
ALL friends who I think about more often than I contact
Coloring books and crayons
Sarah McLachlan & Pink's Duet
My girl time at 8pm twice a week w/MarniHAY!
Clementine oranges that are so easy to peel
Dishwashers
Liberty Thrift
Contractions (means the end is near)
God
Therapy (self, professional, whatever works)
Snow
Christmas music in the stores
McD's vanilla iced coffee
Grayson's doctor who is so patient with both of us
Love
Good advice
Peppermint patties
Hair clips
Target and WaWa
The last few flowers to remain after frost
Silver jewelry
My debit card (can't ever keep cash in my wallet)
Humility, growth, and curiosity
a year filled with more than I could've asked for!

Found!

A success story! Bear was found at approximately 9:00pm last night. I went to print out a picture for Uncle Alex's birthday and look at what refugee I discovered. We had to give Grayson kudos for hiding spots...when the door to the printer was closed, you'd never guess there could be a tiny stuffed animal lodged in there safe and sound. No worse for the wear, Bear is back on the couch enjoying his share of Jello pops and partially gnawed on graham crackers. Life is good. Thank you all for your concern and now we all know of another great place to look when you can't find your valuables.

If Found...

I suppose it was bound to happen. Just last night Grayson misplaced his beloved "Bear." Though Bear is cuddly and cute, let's be clear that he is no ordinary folk. Bear is Grayson's rock, his compadre, his brother in arms. That being said, it's probably not hard to imagine our small-scale panic when we realized, come bedtime last night, that we could not find him anywhere! I was barely able to escape with the response, "Ummm, Bear is going to stay up late tonight to...ummm...to make Grayson Jello," after being asked about him for the 10th time in a row. Somehow, a sleepy toddler drifted off with warm thoughts of Bear holding a spatula over a hot pan of gelatinous goop. Since then, we've been searching every place imaginable (and unimaginable for that matter-seriously, did I really expect to SEE him in the freezer?) for him to no avail. In the meantime, I'm scouring ebay for his body double. Shhh, it's our little secret.

Grayson bonding with "Bear"- 4 months old (both of them)

About Bear:

Small, brown, soft as heaven with a slight grimace - Bear has been a stoic companion for Grayson for a solid and steady 25 months. He has been cried upon, force fed apple juice, squeezed relentlessly, dragged along to various sojourns, upchucked all over, shoved into washers, dryers, and probably an ill-fated destination (read: the trashcan) most recently by his own keeper's hands. Bear is not only great company, he is also a very good listener. For the past two years, Grayson wakes up, grabs Bear from beside him and talks through important issues such as Mommy whereabouts, the state of things in the crib (wet, dry, ungodly smelly), or whether or not it is a day to wear long "seeves" or short. Friends like that don't come along very often and this won't be an easy loss for the team whatsoever if Mom can't produce some serious doppleganger results and soon. I'm off to the Brookstone store online to see what I can find. In the meantime, anyone have any suggestions as to where else a two year old might hide his favorite friend? I will keep you posted. This should get interesting....