Being Thankful and Being Hopeful

It is November… the month of Thanksgiving!!! I’ve been a bit emotional lately. I can’t help but think about this time last year….

This time last year we realized that things weren’t going so well with our pregnancy. This time last year, we thought that there was a very good possibility that Sophia was not going to make it. We also thought that we were going to have to deliver Claire much, much too early in order to give her a chance at survival – which also put Claire’s life at risk. This time last year I was not allowed to pick up my son, play with him on the floor, take him for walks, watch him go trick-or-treating, or even be up off the couch for more than 30 minutes each day. This time last year was SO VERY DIFFERENT. This year I am running around after THREE, healthy, happy, beautiful children. This year, I am throwing a football and kicking a soccer ball around with Mason and running a 10-mile race with my husband. I am carrying Sophia and Claire up and down the steps several times a day and rolling around on the floor after them as they crawl. I bought 3 Halloween costumes for my 3 children who I took trick-or-treating myself. This year, my tears are tears of happiness, not of worry and anguish. This year, I am thankful for so much. I am thankful for the gift of my children.