Babe on a Bargain: 26 things that make me happy

that didn't really take that long, did it?

here it is 11:55 p.m. and I decided I DID want to write today after all :-)

There are many cool and wonderful bloggers who chose a word for 2013- a word they will use to guide them and focus their plans and efforts throughout the new year. I can't commit to a whole year, but I think it's a great idea for the next 26 days!!

I'm not sure when I first started making lists of ideas/songs/people/things that make me happy- I remember doing it in high school (when I wasn't reading books beneath the lab tables in Chemistry), writing laboriously about it in Statistics at Truman (my first non-A college course... not my last), and again at Vandy during a deep discussion of phonetic resonance and subsequent phonetic transcription of babbling babies. Once or twice during ridiculous medicare meetings I've caught myself doodling happy thought off to the side of part A per day pay, RU vs. RV... eek!!!

SO- to help me through January, I'm going to focus on GRATITUDE.

Easy for me to start as tomorrow/today is my sweet big kid's birthday!!

Here I am the night before he was born... calling for Truman who was running like a wild dog out in the snow- not so smart to get a puppy 6 months before your baby is born- oy!!

My water broke at 2 in the morning- it had snowed/was snowing so much it took us an hour and a half to get to the hospital 25 miles away!!!! The husband has been an amazing daddy since before Abe was born- how thankful I am for him.

do I look a little wild and crazy???? ( my eyebrows were FIERCE!!!) anesthesia and i do NOT get along- so vomiting... a lot, plus a leak in my spinal fluid post cesarean resulting in a spinal headache that lasted for days- yuck!! But look, LOOK! at this gorgeous little bundle!! 19.5 inches long, 6 lb 11 oz, arrived at 5:44 a.m. and changed our lives for ever. for EVER :-)

our first family picture.

one of the hallmark characteristics of Fragile X is complete lack of sleep- the hormones in the brain never ever shift or slow down enough for the body to sleep. Until Abe was 3 months old, we never, ever, ever had more than 18 minutes of uninterrupted sleep- which meant that momma and Abe hung out on the couch a lot, wrapped up in cozy blankets (in my favorite nursing tanks, natch) and slept when we could. Right away he was teaching me strength and fortitude and a will to make things amazing- to take what you have and find the wonderful.

I am so, so thankful for our Abraham. He has taught us the true meaning of perseverance- you think you fall down a lot? you think it's hard to learn something new??? try it with a lack of FMR protein in your brain- our sweet boy Amazes us with how much he CAN do!! How often he gets back up after falling down, how willing he is to smile and laugh and encourage those around him with a touch or sweet sound.

We went grocery shopping today- 1pm, saturday... I'd say just under 500,000 people were crowded into the aisles of our local Walmart!! Abe most likely smiled at, patted, or perused the cart of 499,997 of them :-) and he did it with gentle Grace and love and brightened the day of each one he met!