Jacob and Ashley

I do my best blog posts at 2am, but unfortunately they are all in my mind. Somehow if I do sit down to write one, the wording is never quite right and what sounded so good at 2am seems quite lame. So here's one of my attempts to put a 2am post on the blog. Last night I laid in bed for about two hours, with the company of an ever active little one, thinking about all I am thankful for. And since I feel like I missed the exciting transition into the Christmas season, due to my unexpected 4 day stay in the hospital with kidney stones Thanksgiving night, I thought it was about time to really get into the Christmas spirit.

*I could not start this list without saying I am grateful beyond words for my Father in Heaven and my Savior, Jesus Christ.

*one that made it to the top of my list would have to be my health. After my little post-Thanksgiving experience I can't help but appreciate my health. It seems like every time I end up in the hospital I am always aware of all those around me that are in a much worse state than I am. You can't really feel sorry for yourself when you see a child being wheeled down the hall on a stretcher or you are constantly awakened by the lady next door screaming and delirious enough to pull out her own iv. And more than my own health, I am grateful for my baby's health who didn't seem to be phased by the almost hourly doses of morphine.

*I am most thankful for my husband who is a constant in my life. He is one of the most patient, kind, supportive, wonderful people I know. He constantly has me smiling and has held my hand and stroked my hair through everything we've been through. It makes me swell with love to see how excited he is for this little baby girl...he has started being able to feel her move and will come running (literally) any time I mention that she is moving. She is so lucky to be blessed with a father like him and my hope is that she will one day find a husband that is like her father in so many ways.

*I am thankful for my family (both immediate and in-laws) who have constantly been so loving and supportive. My parents who show unconditional love and who have always been there to help me, no matter if it's means a 1am phone call or a cross country flight.

*I am grateful for the very active little girl in my tummy and am glad I get to enjoy every moment of it. I know feeling her move may get more uncomfortable as time goes on, but I enjoy the blessing of being her jungle gym for the time being and am grateful I can cherish every moment of this pregnancy.

*I am thankful for an optimistic attitude. It seems like no matter what we go through, I come out of it think it wasn't too bad. And I'm glad that while I'm experiencing it I can see some little bright side to it all. Like the highlight of my latest hospital stay was getting an ultrasound where the technician veered from looking at my bladder and kidneys and took a peek at the baby, and this time we are 100% sure it's a girl. Optimism always gives me hope for the future and get through what ever obstacle I get to endure at the moment.

*I'm thankful we got to welcome in a new nephew, Max Joseph, to our family on Tuesday and that both mother and baby are doing great, and that my other sister will also be having a baby boy in the coming month. It's a time of exciting new beginnings!

There are so many, many things to be thankful for and I could go on and on. Take a moment, or better yet, time each night to write down a few things you are thankful for.