Day 21

Today I am thankful for a decent night of SLEEP!!!

Apparently it just took a little (pseudo) public complaining about Kira's sleeping habits to get her sleeping through the night. Well, last night at least. I'll take it. And for my own personal records, I feel the need to document just how well she did. You see, Kira is our night owl. She goes to bed at midnight. In the beginning I welcomed any one-on-one time with her that I could get, and this was just easiest after Quinn went to bed. I recognize that I am to blame for her disinterest in a "normal" bedtime. The more rational side of me knows that this is not the kind of routine that I should be encouraging and so I've been slowly trying to get her to go to bed a bit earlier (quite unsuccessfully).

Enough backstory.

Last night Kira went to sleep (in her swing downstairs with me) at 8pm, right after Quinn went to sleep. She woke up around 11, ate, and then went to sleep in her bassinet in our room until 6am!! That's 7 hours straight!! And as I type this (just before 10am), she is still asleep. Good girl, Kira!

*Unfortunately, my body is so used to her being up every couple of hours that I didn't get the best sleep (engorgement=ouch), but if she can continue to be a star sleeper my body will adjust. So today, I am thankful for sleep.

*confession: I just back read a few posts and realize I have been thankful for sleep more than once and already told about Kira's night-owl behaviors. Sorry for the repetitiveness. Clearly this is my world right now. :)

Day 17-20

Day 17: I am thankful to Quinn for keeping himself entertained in his room until after 9am. Kira has been eating every two hours 'round the clock, and then taking some work to get back to sleep. Needless to say, I've been exhausted. Quinn's lazy mornings have been very much appreciated.

Day 18: I am thankful for coffee! I'm embarrassed to let something like coffee make my thankful list this month, but it's true. Coffee has been helping me get through the days lately, and for that I am grateful!

Day 19: I am thankful that today is the first day of nine that Pat gets to be home with us as a family! We hope to spend some time being productive, some time relaxing, and time with our extended family in Walla Walla! Yay for a Thanksgiving break!

Day 20: Today I am thankful for Will. He is a selfless friend to Pat (and our family), a loving uncle figure for Quinn, and is always so patient with my never ending want of photos. This patience carries over to our overtired and hyperactive children as well. Thank you Will, you're the best!

Day 16

As I sit here by the fire, waiting for Pat to get home so we can enjoy the homemade creamy chicken noodle soup that is waiting for us on the stove, I can't help but be thankful for WARMTH. It is getting so cold around here lately, and there is nothing more comforting than warm soup by a fire on days like today.

Seeing Quinn thoroughly engaged in the Disney classic, Dumbo, and hearing him belly laugh throughout is pretty fantastic, too.

Day 12-15

I sure have fallen off the wagon. What made me ever think I would blog everyday for a month? It's just not in the cards for me. So, I'll continue my thankfulness challenge but know that the daily updates just aren't happening. :)

Day 12:

I was thankful for cousins. Quinn and Kira have cousins that are close in age to them, and Quinn's closest friends are already his cousins, Chloe and Ruby. He loves those girls so much, he just wants to tickle, hug, and play with them all day (well, a lot of the day. He has his moments, he is two afterall). He will ask for them often (even though they live a state away), and this weekend they came to visit us! I look forward to the family continuing to grow, and am thankful that my kids will be close to their cousins.

Day 13:

Grandparents. I am thankful for my grandparents, and am lucky enough to still have three of my grandparents living. They are some of the sweetest people I know, and I look forward to the times that I get to spend with them. I am also thankful for my kids' grandparents. My parents and Pat's parents love our kids very much and go out of their way to have a relationship with them. It isn't easy either because it means frequent traveling (and Quinn is not always outwardly appreciative of these efforts).

Day 14:

Sleep. Sleep deprivation comes in waves around here and my lack of sleep is definitely catching up with me. I am thankful to Pat for taking over extra Quinn duty to give me an opportunity to catch up on some rest, and I am feeling a bit more refreshed because of it. I guess it's time to start implementing some sleep routine with Kira though, as opposed to just soaking up one-on-one time with her after Quinn goes to bed. I knew that would backfire at some point. :)

Day 15:

Jamie. Jamie is such a great friend to me, and I am so grateful that our friendship has remained strong over the years and has not only survived, but thrived since Pat and I moved to Washington. I look forward to our daily conversations and appreciate her constant openness and honesty. I am also inspired by her wonderful creativity and love that our kids are so close in age. She is and always will be like family to me.

Day 8-11

It's time to play a little catch-up!

Day 8: Kira's laughter!

On the 8th we were able to capture Kira's little laugh on video, just two days after her first laugh. Video coming soon!

Day 9: PAINT!

Yes, this is kind of silly, but I truly was thankful for paint on the 9th. Pat agreed to my relatively spontaneous desire to add some paint to a few walls downstairs. Special thanks to Jamie for her constant willingness to help with concept and inspiration, too! It's amazing how much cozier a space can feel with a little paint on the walls.

Day 10: My husband.

He's the best, what can I say? But seriously, lately he's put up with my constant desire to work on home improvement projects and he's had a great attitude about it as well.

Day 11: Company.

Pat and I do a lot of traveling to family, and this weekend family is traveling to us! I am so excited to have a houseful of family (and kids), and am grateful to them for making the effort to come up and see us. Thank you!

Day 7 (a day late)

I skipped yesterday! Whoops!

The reason I missed yesterday was because we were traveling home, and then I had to rush off to choir practice. So, yesterdays "thankful for" goes to the Redmond Chorale. I was asked to accompany this small community choir last year, and it has turned out to be such a wonderful experience for me. I don't get nearly enough practicing in on my own... but, each Monday evening I get away from my family and do something that is just for me (and the choir, I suppose). I love having this small musical commitment in my life.

Todays "thankful for" will come later. I'm still deciding... :)

Day 6

In honor of Orphan Sunday, today I am thankful for my newest niece, Ruby June. I've only had the opportunity to spend a couple of days with her so far, but I feel like I've known her for her whole life. She has an exuberant personality, is full of energy, and her smile will melt your heart. She's also a genius! I was amazed at the amount of English she had picked up in six short weeks of being exposed to the language. She had just as much English as Quinn (probably more), and she seemed to understand everything. Like I said, genius! Thank you Zach and Emily for bringing her into our lives. We are so in love!

*Also, Kira laughed for the first time today... and I missed it! My mom gets to claim this "first". She was making silly sounds and apparently Kira thought it was pretty hilarious. My parents and Quinn were all with her, but I had stepped out of the room for a bit. :( She laughed a little for me too, (which was one of the sweetest sounds I've ever heard in my life, and yes, it made me cry), but apparently she was laughing quite a bit more when I wasn't around. You can be sure I'll be pulling out every ridiculous sound and face I possibly can until I get this milestone documented on video. We sure do love our precious little Kira Lynae!

Day 5

Oh man, I don't know if I'm going to be able to keep up with 30 days straight of blogging, even if each entry is short! There is no shortage of things to be thankful for though, and so I will continue to try. I think it's good for me.

I have to start by admitting how my thankfulness yesterday backfired a little. Yes, I am still thankful for Microsoft, thankful that Pat loves his job, and thankful that he is able to provide for our family. But, I totally take back being thankful for the ending of the OYO (one-year-out) sprint. Pat messaged me about 5pm yesterday and told me that he was asked to come in and work all weekend. What?!? He told me the day before that he should be able to come home early, so why in the world was he having to work two extra days? Not just two extra days, but two extra LONG days. I had already been having a challenging day, and this news was the icing on the cake. I tried to be supportive and told him I understood, but inside I was questioning whether or not I'd be able to make it through the weekend all alone with the kids and no help.

In an effort to turn this lemon of a situation into lemonade, I decided to travel home to see my parents and adorable niece (and sister and brother-in-law). I felt as though I were punishing Pat for working hard and being devoted to his work, but he understood that I could really benefit from being surrounded by my family and so he supported my decision to go.

So today I am thankful that we live within driving distance of our families. I am thankful that my children will grow up surrounded by their loving grandparents, aunties, uncles, and cousins, and this is a luxury that I cherish.

*I am also thankful to the compassionate officer who let me off with a warning on my drive today. I think he pitied my traveling alone with two young children. After having a two-hour detour due to leaving my purse at home I was trying to make up for lost time. His compassion couldn't have come at a better time. Thank you friendly officer, I really needed that.

Day 4

Today I am thankful for Microsoft. For the first time in Pat's career he has a stable, full-time job. Much of his career has been spent working on contract which wasn't terrible, but we never knew where he'd be working year after year. That was beginning to wear on me more than him I think, and I can't express how relieving it is to feel a sense of security with his work (especially since I don't have a job that pays right now). I am also thankful that Pat has a job that he loves. He'd do the work that his does for free, and his coworkers are his friends. It is perfect for him right now and I'm so grateful. And finally perhaps I am most thankful that today marks the last day of their latest "sprint". The game that he is working on is officially 'one-year-out', and that milestone has come with quite a few extra hours. Starting next week we should have Pat home for dinner each evening, and Quinn won't have to go days without seeing his daddy (and mommy won't have to go days without help!). Hallelujah! There is much to be thankful for today!

Day 3

Today I am thankful for time. Time to lay lazily in bed in the morning and cuddle with my babies, tear apart every puzzle in the play room and put them back together again, lay with Kira on my chest and soak up all of her baby goodness. Time to have a dance party in the family room, play tag in the house, and have a ticklefest with my rambunctious son. Time to watch my children learn and grow each day.

Day 2

I am thrilled to report that Kira greeted me this morning with a gummy grin, and she seems to have recovered from her traumatic vaccination experience yesterday. Quinn and I have recovered as well!

Today I am thankful for my home. It is easy for me to get carried away with all that is left to do to turn this beautiful house into our home, but I am truly grateful each day to be living in this space. I look forward to my children riding bikes down the street and making friends with the neighbor kids, hosting dinner parties and family holidays, and watching my children meet each of their milestones here.

I am also grateful for our generous family who have helped us settle in over the past month. Pat and I haven't done any of this alone, and are so thankful to be surrounded by family who have been willing to generously sacrifice their time, money, and skills to help make this place perfect for us. Thank you!

*This photo was taken towards the end of the construction phase, and seems to be the most recent photo I have of the exterior at this time. I look forward to sharing more pictures in the future. :)

30 Days of Thankfulness

Day 1:

As we enter into the month of November I want to take pause each day and reflect on something that I am thankful for. Pat and I have been so blessed this year with the birth of our daughter, Kira, the security of a full-time position at Microsoft, and our new home.

Today Kira had her two-month well-child visit and her first batch of vaccinations. Vaccinations are never fun, but she has been more miserable than I have ever seen her. And her misery has been quite hard on Quinn and me as well. Poor Quinn doesn't understand why his sister won't stop crying, and I am heartbroken that I cannot soothe my sweet baby.

Today I am reminded how fortunate we have been to have such an easy-going baby. Two kids have not been easy for me, but they have been much easier than I anticipated. If every day were like today, I'm not sure I could make it.

So, in addition to the big things that I can't help but be thankful for each day, I am most thankful for baby tylenol today. I am optimistic that this will help Kira be more comfortable and that she will be back to her normal self soon.

What are you thankful for?