Plenty to be Thankful For ...

This marks Elaina's second Thanksgiving holiday. Last year, she was just a wee-bitty infant who was learning to sit on her bottom and charmed us all with her sweet smiles. We have all come a long in a year's time and have been fortunate that the blessings keep rolling in. There isn't a day that goes by that we don't think that we are the luckiest parents alive. In my opinion, every parent should be so lucky to feel the same way about their own child.

For tonight's entry, I've thought long and hard about how to condense all of the things that I am thankful for into a reasonable sized post that won't result in a long jumble. I've pinpointed the thing that I am absolutely most grateful for is God. That was easy. With God, all things are possible and I feel that I have been blessed by The Best with every smile that crosses my face. Now, I don't tend to be of the preachy- sort and will never claim to be "holier-than-thou" (as the saying goes) however, with all of the different twists and turns than my (our) lives have taken, I am happy to come out on the other end a better person. I have grown stronger in my faith and have been blessed, firsthand, with the miracle of Elaina.

With that said, my Thanksgiving list will revolve around all of the wonderful facets that come with being Elaina's mommy. After all, this is Elaina's story ...

And thus my list of which I am thankful :

* The beautiful smiles of my daughter and the sparkle in her eyes
* Hearing my daughter call me "Mommy"
* Having a daughter to call my own
* Squealy, giggly laughter that infects every fiber of my being with joy
* The never ending awe in everything Elaina does; watching her learn, think, play, discover, and grow
* Learning Elaina's personality and helping to shape the values of my daughter
* Witnessing my husband melt over his little girl
* Warm snuggly hugs and cuddling before bedtime
* Stroking my baby's hair and holding her hand
* The way my heart wants to burst when Elaina learns something new and beams with pride in her latest accomplishment
* Lots of pink. Little clothes. Little shoes. Baby dolls. Binkies. Diapers.
* Cleaning up the messes that she makes and changing dirty diapers, because that means that she is a perfectly healthy, happy and functioning child
* Not enough sleep because my time spent with my girl and blogging memories is more important than anything in the world
* The lump that I get in my throat when I think of how our lives have played out and that Elaina is our child because God created her just for us. The tears that always follow the lump when I recall how many people prayed so hard for a healthy baby for us and being able to proudly share our miracle with the world. This is what God did ... this perfect, healthy child that He blessed us with.
* This blog. This blog originated due to the insistence of Elaina's grandparents, and great-grandparents so that they would be able to follow in her life from hundreds of miles away. And to Aunt Kate, who serves as my personal tech support for my blog. This blog that will serve as bedtime story telling to Elaina when she is older and that she'll know that there has never been a single day in her entire life that she wasn't loved more than anything in the world.

That's just a sampling of the wonderful, great things that I am thankful for. My husband also holds a spot pretty high on my list as well. There are plenty more, such as our loving families and great friendships with never ending support from both. Stability and security at home and at work. All of the blessings that have made our lives so comfortable. The health and well-being of all of those we love. And daily prayers that God continues to draw us closer to him each and every day.

I've learned to be thankful every day and never take a thing for granted because we aren't guaranteed a tomorrow. Thanks to all of you for following Elaina's story and sharing in our lives.