Bonding Time

After you have a baby, everyone thinks they need to offer advice. While I'm all ears, some of it is taken with a grain of salt.

People have told me that the best bonding time comes from nursing. I agree but my favorite time with McCoy is actually when he is through nursing. When he is full and satisfied, he pushes away from me with his little lips pursed. He often has milk smeared all over his tiny face. And then, he always does the sweetest thing. He smiles with gratitude and lays his head on my breast before I have a chance to put it away. He falls asleep with his head resting on my skin. And we rock and rock until I know he has drifted to dreamland. My mother has told me a number of times not to rock him to sleep, because he will get used to it and not go to bed any other way. This is my bonding time with him. I know that when I rock him, he will feel safe, secure and comforted. And the feeling is mutal. I feel so comforted when I hold him close to my heart and rock him to sleep. I love this time I can spend with McCoy. He has proven to me when he falls asleep in the bouncer seat, in the swing, on the floor, that this is not always the case. He can fall asleep without me, I just want to cherish every moment I have with him right now.

Thankfulness

I am thankful for:

65. clearance sales
66. Children's Orchard
67. Dr. Pepper
68. long stretches of sleep
69. milk burps
70. saving 20% on online orders
71. co-workers who care
72. getting items on a to-do list done
73. good doctor's visits
74. clean laundry
75. crock pots full of stew
76. watermelon
77. hot cider
78. magazines with cool website information
79. CDC daycare
80. decorating for Christmas
81. fresh fruit
82. gardens that grow in the backyard
83. ice cold water
84. relatives who are kind
85. high speed internet
86. walks around the block
87. potty trained dogs
88. fluffy pillows
89. piano music
90. organization
91. meals with family
92. free HBO (and other movie channels) during the weekend
93. maternity leave
94. story time with baby
95. my big brother
96. air purifiers
97. cloth diapers
98. amazon.com
99. our church
100. love

During this time of thanks, I list the things that I am thankful for. When things aren't going as well as I'd like, I look at the many things that I'm thankful for and remember that my life is great! I can truly say I am thankful to be alive and to be a part of this wonderful world. Even when people constantly argue about the economy and the horrible things about work and how busy they can get, I will remember all things that make my life happy. Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankfulness

I am thankful for:

37. text messaging
38. filtered water
39. electricty
40. HDTV
41. nice carpetting
42. Christmas decorations
43. new flavors of yogurt
44. free return address labels
45. a fenced in back yard
46. DVR
47. soft blankets
48. an awesome camera
49. baby gas relief medicine
50. my laptop
51. the possibility of a new car
52. good friends
53. a dining room table with a leaf
54. blue skies
55. crisp mornings
56. marigolds still in bloom in November
57. service men like trash picker-upers
58. no broken bones
59. good advice
60. 7+ mothers
61. my role models
62. red hair
63. curious eyes
64. baby soft skin

Thankfulness

I am thankful for:

1. a roof over my head
2. babbles and coos
3. a nice washing machine and dryer
4. a two car garage
5. a husband who is faithful to me and who loves me
6. a supportive family
7. a sense of humor
8. a lighthearted best friend
9. a dog who is smart
10. an awesome job
11. the gift of music
12. Mom's chocolate oatmeal cookies
13. baking knowledge
14. life insurance
15. good friends
16. piano students
17. food to eat
18. a beautiful baby boy
19. ice cream at night
20. a good book
21. time to read a good book
22. collegaues with good advice
23. family that lives nearby
24. troops overseas and at homeland
25. a nice neighborhood
26. entertainment
27. trees with leaves that turn gorgeous colors in fall
28. Thanksgiving parades
29. fresh notebooks
30. the sounds of bells
31. the ability to read and write
32. the internet and it's many wonderful highways of information
33. Christmas letters and pictures of friends
34. fireplaces
35. the little things that bring my family closer (like dinner, taking a walk, watching football together, taking a ride, etc.)
36. life