What I’m Thankful For

Other than Christmas and the hoopla that comes with it, this has got to be my favourite time of year. I love everything about the fall. The fashion choices, hiking boots,  the burnt orange colours, chrysanthemums, leaving the windows open, the smell of the cool fall air. Choosing to get married in the fall was a no brainer for me and my husband three years ago. Not to mention I love this time of year because it kicks off the season of family gatherings, which, as chaotic as they can be are something I wouldn’t change for the world.

When I first thought of Thanksgiving this year the usual things came to mind: Where will we celebrate, how will we divide our time between both sides of the family, who will cook the turkey? Then I started digging a bit deeper, realizing that this year, more than ever, I have so much to be thankful for.

This time last year I was pregnant, having just discovered I was carrying two babies and trying not to worry about miscarriage and the health of my unborn twins. My bump was small but noticeable and the reality of life with twins was just a thought. This year, I’m living it. Two baby girls, an amazing husband and my loving pup. My family of five. How did I get so lucky?

This year I actually wanted to sit down and make note of all that I’m thankful for, and I thought, why not share it with all of you who have joined me on this journey, reading my blogs since day one.

Putting it in writing helps me reflect on the past year, but it certainly doesn’t do justice to the amount of thanks that I have, but here goes:

I’m thankful for having the strength to try again after a miscarriage. Fighting through the tears that followed and the heartache of many failed attempts to once again conceive was trying to say the least. I wish all of you going through the same ordeal strength and courage and of course the hardest part of all, to keep your chin up through the process.

I’m thankful for the strength of my husband. After reading my blogs you all know that he was and is my rock. Becoming parents puts you through many tests that you couldn’t possibly prepare yourself for and having a strong partner in life makes a world of difference, at least it did/does for me.

I’m thankful for all of the support I received from family, friends and even co-workers after being put on bed rest. None of you ever hesitated when I asked for help and I will never forget all that you did for me, especially my parents and in laws who spent days helping me transition into motherhood while juggling two itty bitty babies.

I’m thankful that my OB decided to put me on bed rest, who knows what would have happened had he not.

I’m thankful for my amazing ultrasound technician who was the first to refer to the images in my ultrasound as little babies and made me feel like a mom long before I held Zoey and Ella in my arms. I’m also thankful that she was so thorough with my examinations catching any issues right away and sending me and my results to my OB without hesitation.

I’m thankful for the wonderful team of doctors and nurses that took care of me during labour and took care of our girls after they were born so early. The team at Mount Sinai was incredible and those at Southlake will always be thought of in my mind as our second family.

I’m thankful that I survived the first three months of motherhood…for those going through it, or those who have already been through it, you know exactly what I mean. Nothing can prepare you for it, and you quickly learn to roll with the punches. I very quickly realized the truth in the saying that ‘every baby is different.’

I’m thankful for Oh Baby! Magazine for giving me a voice, allowing me to share all of my experiences and thoughts with you wonderful readers. I truly believe that this blog has given me strength. I always advocate that talking about any hardship makes you stronger. Sharing my story helped me realize that many others are or have gone through something similar, and I believe that there is power in numbers.

I’m thankful for many other things, but what I’ve written sums up the past year pretty well.

This year, I won’t focus on how yummy the stuffing is (although I’m sure it will be delicious) or where we’ll celebrate or if I want dark or white meat. This year I’ll focus on the people who surround me at the table, especially the two additional smiling faces who we were   growing in my tummy at this time last year.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!