Thanksgiving...The Mommy Edition

In honor of the holiday, I've been reflecting on the people and things in my life for which I am thankful. While this year's list includes Simon Baker in "The Mentalist," a nice glass of Riesling, and Facebook status updates, I'll reserve this space for Mommy-related things (although I'd be happy to share my more frivolous treasures with you at a different time). Of course, all I really have to say is that I am thankful for Daniel. He is, after all, the reason I get out of bed in the morning. He is my sunshine and my source of comfort always. But enough with the mushy stuff.

I am thankful for cups and spoons. They keep Daniel occupied and sufficiently distracted when I am trying to feed him breakfast in a hurry. Pretty soon, he'll use them to actually eat, which will make my job a whole lot easier! I'm also thankful for pretzels and Goldfish. These portable, semi-nutritious snacks allow me to stretch my errands just a bit longer by curbing Daniel's hunger and giving him something to do while I run around the grocery store like a crazy woman. And what would I do without my Boppy cuddle pillow? Since Daniel was a newborn and still breastfeeding, I've used this pillow to support him so that I could relax comfortably during feeding time. Since he still drinks a morning and nighttime bottle, I use the pillow to cushion him on my lap while he drinks. It's an intimate, cherished ritual for us that I'm not soon willing to give up.

On the activity front, I'm thankful for music and gym classes, Mommy & Me, and the MOMS Club playgroup. They not only fill my schedule, but they fill my need for adult conversation and mother-to-mother support. When Daniel was born, I knew only a couple of people with babies. Now I can say that I have a new group of Mommy friends, and I owe it to these activities. My decision to resign from my job was a scary one, but having a destination each day makes it easier to reconcile. While I'm thankful to be busy, I'm also thankful for naptime! I'm very lucky to have a good sleeper. Daniel naps every day from about 2:00 to 5:00. I crave this time to myself. This is my treadmill time, my laundry time, my catch-up-on-TiVo-programming time, or just my snuggle with Ollie time. Part of the reason I'm so willing to wait to have another baby is that I'm not ready to give up this "free" time.

Finally, I'm thankful for everything and everyone who loves my little Daniel and makes him smile. Whether it's building forts with his Daddy or watching "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" while sitting in my lap, Daniel is perpetually happy and cheerful. I could never do it alone.