A baby's crib.

Sometimes I'm thankful for the most random things.

A curl on the back of Kitty's neck, the fence around our backyard keeping our rambunctious puppy in a space where she can go crazy, a cold bottle of water straight from our second fridge (in the basement!) after an intense workout. (Seriously, that last one is half the reason I get motivated to work out anymore. Not having to prep a water bottle, no matter how lazy and #firstworldproblems that makes me sound, is 100% worth it. But I digress.)

Yesterday afternoon it was the crib that has held our baby while sleeping for almost 2 years now.

We saved up to buy a fancy-looking crib, and at the time I don't think I realized how often I would be interacting with said crib. Sure, she slept in our room for the first 3 months in a hand-me-down bassinet, but since that point I've purposely gone to this crib at least 4 times a day for the last 2 years. (More frequently when she napped a lot as a wee babe, now down to two straggling naps a day plus morning & night time.)

I'm extremely grateful for it.

I'm thankful beyond words that I've been blessed to be a mother to a wonderful little girl. I know too many friends suffering the pains of infertility to ever take it for granted again. I'm blessed that we have a warm, safe space to lay her down to sleep in, night and nap after nap - because there are too many moms out there worried about their babies in much more dangerous situations than I'll ever encounter. I'm especially grateful that she's a good sleeper - this crib has not often been the source of contention (although, sleep regressions are terrible and we definitely didn't escape them).

Mostly, when I look at her crib, I'm thankful for Kate's little life - that even though it's not been very long on this earth so far, that God chose to give her to me, to us. She's brought us more joy than I could ever possibly have imagined before I became a mom. (Heck, sometimes David and I have back-and-forth conversations that are just the cute words and phrases Kate says, and it cracks us both up.)

It's a blessing, all of it, even though motherhood's no easy ride. I need to remember that more.
What are you thankful for today?
HG