Gratitude Journal

1. Health Insurance

2. Spring Days

3. Super soft Target pants

4. jean day

5. a friendly visit

6. an opportunity to learn a new job

7. safe travels

8. a creeping-crawling baby

9. good friends willing to help out

10.  a baby who bounces back after the vampire-phlebotomist got to her

11. new friends to work with the Quail

12. fried apple pies

13. praline bacon

14. co-napping

15. tomato pie with tangy tomatoes

16. matching summer jammies

17. drinkable yogurt

18. a visitin’ Cyrena

19. thrift store kiddo clothes

20. matching spring tu-tus

21. Fabulous

Gratitude Journal

1. April Showers- baby & rain!

2. a new desk

3. watching a baby problem solve

4. watching sisters hug

5. linen shirts!

6. egg treats

7. listing to the quail slurp-slurp her honey bear

8. finding the birdseed and bird feeder

9. sending clothes out to be recycled

10. front lawn picnics

11. sunny smiles

12. coconut donuts

13. a shower

14. watching the Quail begin to wiggle like a worm

15. tantrums ending

16. promotion letters

17. the weekly special at Brioso

18. the changing of the sheet guard from flannel to cotton

19. open windows with spring breezes whisking through

20. a gift of clothes from a friend for Zuzu

21. Tubby-time

Gratitude Journal

1. Easter Egg Hunts

2. Matching Easter Outfits on sweet fairy children

3. Easter egg colored, ruffled-bottom swimsuits

4. Easter brunch

5. Easter dinner

6. a promotion

7. waking up at 6:30 am on a weekend and actually feeling awake and ready to go!

8.  mysteries being solved

9. a found earring

10. The best asparagus of my life

11. The sweetest French Toast to date- smeared with a little bit of marscapone cheese & blueberries picked by my loves, alongside a Bellini from Italy and…

12. a sweet remembrance from the past baked in a pound-cake filled egg shape, dipped in chocolate and smattered with candy flowers

13. a dear Theresa that made it possible

14. a dear Lovey that thought of the perfect Easter treat

15. quick and fully cooked bacon

16. Denise’s yummy more-dessert-than-a-vegetable carrot bake

17. Sweet Bad Mama’s helpful and way more organized menu planning and recipes

18. Meeting new friends and sharing a meal

19. healthy children and family

20. Zuzu’s sweet dinnertime blessings ending in “All-the-men”

21. Linen shirt weather

Gratitude Journal

1. World Down syndrome Day 3/21/10

2. Motrin

3. Sunshine & mid-seventies

4. Nana

5. Bapa

6. Zuzu ordering the “silli” pasta & her favorite flavor of gelato (raspberry!)

7. good communication skills

8. happy smiles returning

9. Zuzu’s singing, “the D says duh” and The Quail’s crowing Duh, duh, duh

10. Little waves

11. clapping babies!

12. Lovey’s spring break time

13.  Zuzu getting an audience for her beloved dance class

14. new flower headbands and bunnies!

15. sweet baby spoons & plates

16. all the tender budding beauties in our yard

17. naps

18. kitchen-dancing with a giggling baby & twirling 3 year old

19. my practice

19. apple pie & coffee for breakfast

20. dinner invitations & good company!

21. jalapeno brined & grilled chicken

Gratitude Journal

1. sleep

2. children sleeping

3. waking and seeing everyone still asleep

4. coffee

5. a second cup of coffee

6. matching dresses

7. Lovey coming home!

8. The look on each of the girls face as it registers that Lovey is home

9. Girls Night Out & a new book to read!

10. Publix Sourdough bread

11. feeling good about the essay I wrote

12. Renee answering her door at 8am!

13. Renee being kind enough to make us all breakfast

14. An unexpected morning off, a cup of coffee, homemade bread, little kids playing together & catching up

15. a safe flight for Lovey

16. a first tooth!

17. the baby pooping without crying

18. the baby eyeing my toast

19. the baby taking it upon herself to help herself to toast, and my donut, and my lasagna, and my ice cream

20. a sweet 4 year old’s birthday party- complete with princesses & Publix cake!

21. Kathy helping to offer perspective…again

Gratitude Journal

1. Our friends celebrating our dear Quail’s big day!

2. confetti in the shape of the girl’s names!

3. a garden of flower balloons rooting to the ceiling

4. Nice weather for the big day

5. Party girls in matching green party dresses and tiaras!

6. Thoughtful gifts for our dear Quail!

7. All of our IRL and OL community of friends well-wishes

8. Zuzu sweetly singing and whispering little loves to her sister

9. Her sister hollering back her approval

10. the ability to provide breastmilk to a baby unable to nurse for over a year

11.a sister’s amazing gift of continuing to nurse to help keep up the supply

12. an amazing hubby who knows where and what kind of spare pump parts to buy online without my help

13. Happy Birthday phone calls from all the relatives!

14. Kathy adding swinging to our OT repertoire

15. a new OT/PT schedule

16. a beautiful sunny day

17. a picnic in the part with the girls

18. an unexpected lunch with Lovey

19. an unexpected gift of green amethyst earrings

20. Italian creme cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and little purple violets sweetly frosted on

21. a new Lenten Rose to get to know and photograph

Gratitude Journal: In honor of a year with the Quail

1. Making Zuzu into an awesome sister

2. Being an awesome sister yourself

3. the little hands sweeping behind you gesture you make when you are excited

4. the way your arms go up and you get all wiggly in anticipation when one of us put a receiving blanket over our shoulders

5. the courage you gave me as a mother

6. making us into a family

7. bringing me back to the kind of person I’ve always been

8. your confidence in your rightful belonging in our hearts, our family, our lives and on my hip

9. showing me the beauty in your unique face and way of being

10. your giggles, grins and gripping little hands

11. the community you bonded us too

12. your Buddha belly

13. your calm wise gaze

14. the way you follow your sister and cat around the room

15. your ability to have your cake and eat it too (you insist on being held by one of us and then immediately focus on the other)

16. for showing me there is more than one way to parent a child

17.  the reminder that we all have abilities and gifts

18. your joy and exuberance as you accomplish each developmental milestone

19.  the way you nuzzle into our necks when we hold you

20. the soft cooing sounds of you telling us what’s on your mind

21. our future- I can’t imagine our lives with anyone other then you, exactly how you are. I can’t wait to see and be with the person you are becoming and already are.

I can’t believe a year has flown by already dear girl. We all love you to itty bitty pieces and know that you are perfect exactly as you are. You make us so proud and we look forward to many, many family days together in our lives. We have so much to show you and do with you. We have learned so much about life, love and humanity already in this brief time together. This world is getting better every day- and we promise to continue to make it a happy, safe place for you to be able to spread your wings in. You are such a beauty. Thank you for gracing and blessing our lives.

Gratitude Journal

1. an on-line community

2. new friends

3. a cold being just a cold

4. too many clearances at work

5. time to take pictures of my little ones

6. the bridesmaid dress order being placed

7. the arrival of the shoes for the wedding

8. a neighbor sharing their lasanga

9. a friend getting a well deserved promotion

10. pigtails on a baby!

11. making valentimes

12. a 3 year old learning to spell

14. a 3 year old’s giggling excitement at the most ordinary of things

15. calling Lovey in the middle of the day just to say I love you (I guess Stevie Wonder had some insight!)

16. advocacy

17 turbinado sugar & sea salt coated dark chocolate almonds!

18 snow

19. pictures of the lil ones in snow

20. goody bags made

21. naps

Gratitude Journal

1. lovingly wrapped gifts

2. less lovingly wrapped gifts by goof-ball brother-in-laws

3. oven-to-tableware!

4. a new book of Mary Oliver poetry!

5. Green dresses for the girls!

6. Lovey giving me back the cake I lost last year

7. remembering

8. new families to share with

9. Lindt dark chocolate with a touch of sea salt- oh how it crackles in your mouth!

10. 2 cakes!

11. a 3 year old using cake decorating as a spelling lesson

12. “But Momma, I don’t have tireds in my belly, I have daytimes in my belly!” (in other words- no naps happening here)

13. children’s Motrin

14. Lovey’s flexible schedule

15. a 3 year old feeling better

16. a well-fitting bra

17. a well-fitting bra (as a nursing momma- it bears extra gratitude)

18. Quail chortles and vocal experimentations whenever they come- 1am, 3:30am, 5am…

19. a new shirt!

20. fried zucchini sticks

21. modern technology and asthma medications keeping a cold purely a cold (and not landing us in the hospital)

Gratitude Journal

1. A family out hunting and gathering for Panera treats and the weeks groceries while I’m left with baby-snuggling duty

2. lastFM.com

3. being able to stomach a cafe au’ lait again after a tummy bug

4. the baby nuzzling into my neck when I pick her up to my shoulder

5. my 3 year old alarm clock, “Momma, it’s 7-4-4, that means it is time to wake up!”

6. the luxury of staying in bed until 7-4-4

7. feeling gratitude

8. making birthday lists

9. seeing my bridesmaid dress!

10. seeing Auntie Deb’s wedding dress!

11. the baby not getting the nasty tummy bug (yet…)

12.the promise of snow

13. the return of my milk after an illness

14. meeting new families in the community

15. lunch with friends

16. getting caught up at work

17.Anita’s apple strudel

18. Zuzu and Lovey picking out treats for me at the bakery

19. The Quail kissing her baby

20. The Quail signing Mama

21. the weekend starting out with nobody feeling sick! Yay-hoo!