Happy Thanksgiving Mommies! I guess I could write to you today about the sincere and extreme thankfulness I have for the many amazing people and relationships that have deeply affected my life. BUT… since today as moms with young kiddos, we are all actually hustling more than most days to meet the normal needs of our families while either a) cooking for 100 additional people , or b) traveling with kids to places where they will sleep LESS and break MORE things… I will skip the sappy “I love my babies” routine and leave you with the little things I’m thankful for…
Kids Sleeping In ’til at Least 6:15 am
It’s still early, I know… but at least by then I already have a cup of coffee before I have to watch Caillou.
My 1st Child’s Thumb-Sucking
My wonderful son Evan is a thumb-sucker and might be for a long time. It may be a hassle for a lot of reasons, but here’s why I’m thankful for this habit… When Evan was two-months-old, he started sucking his thumb. Also when he was two-months-old, he started sleeping through the night. How wonderful! While all my friends’ babies took close to a year to sleep through the night, Evan had me convinced that I was an amazing mother that knew just how to raise an effective sleeper!
Since Evan was an easy kid (all because of my excellent skills as a mother, right?!), it was an easy decision to have a second child. Her name is Lilla. She did not sleep through the night until 10 months. I was no longer an amazing mom, I was a crazy sleep-walking zombie! If she had been born first, she may have also been last. I’m grateful for my first born’s thumb-sucking because without it, I might not have the second born!
My 2nd Child’s Cries
When I had just one kid, the sound of him crying (no matter the cause) was like some sort emergency alarm that I had to respond to at the speed of light. OR ELSE THE WORLD WOULD END!!
Now that there are two of them, my sensitivity to the crying has definitely decreased! I’m mean, with all this noise there better be some blood people! I’m thinking that if I have 10 more kids, the crying will cease to exist, am I right?!
Sleep(Aids)
I’m sorry Kacey, but the cinnamon and warm milk didn’t work for me. I seriously tried it. I’ve moved on to the stronger stuff. Thank you sleeping pills for your help (most of the time)! I wonder if I could give them to the kids?
Our Health
This is an area that’s hard to joke about because we have a very healthy family, and I am heartbroken for those who don’t. However, we did have a “scare” this year when Evan ended up in the ER for less than 24 hours.
All is well though… it turned out to be an elaborate and expensive hoax on my son’s part to find a way to make me explain “what happened” to every single doctor, nurse and tech in all of Wolfson’s hospital. Don’t get me wrong though… I’m thankful it was a test run of the ER beds and not the real thing.
My Husband (and his new “lifestyle”)
All of a sudden, my potato chip loving husband has become a lean, clean, workout machine. That means that all of the yummy green veggies that I love to eat (and he wouldn’t) are now “required.” Hello asparagus!!!
Good Friends (who pretend to be blind)
Yes… my roots are showing. Right… I never wear make-up around you. Yes… you’ve probably seen this outfit 100 times before. No… there is no polish on my toenails. And yes, the kids clothes don’t match and/or are stained. BUT… you still say nice things to me, because you must not care about any of these things! Thank you sweet friends!
Indulgences
I’m pretty sure that coffee, chocolate chip cookies, and wine (separately) are what motivate me to get from one day to the next!
Jax Moms Blog
Besides the fact that JMB writers and readers have inspired me to experience the best that Jacksonville has to offer, I have also found it to be a great place to lodge my mommy complaints. When I’m having a hard time I know that I WILL NOT hear “this will pass” (even though I know it will) or “enjoy this time” (even though I’m sure I’ll say that when I’m 75 years old too). What I will hear is… “OMG… we had an unnecessary trip to the ER too” OR “I know, those people without kids just don’t get.” I’m looking forward to Jena’s next Mommy Rants post to hear what our readers have to say too.
Happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for the incredible year it’s been at Jax Mom’s Blog because of our amazing readers. We’d love to hear what you’re thankful for today, big or small! So please share in a comment or on Facebook!
Love this Megan!!! I am thankful for family that is close enough to drive to on Thanksgiving Day!! An extra night in our beds!
Great post Megan! I agree with you. I love the one about the friends. That’s how I felt with you and my Jax friends. You all never cared what I looked like or even if I was yelling and crying and you still loved me. Miss you all so much!