Thankful

What a difference a year makes. It is hard to imagine that this time last year I was still physically recovering from the loss of A&C, let alone trying to cope with the emotional aspects. Now I’m cluster-feeding a little person who seems to be having a difficult day (we alternate between the easy and the more difficult ones). Would it be nice to have taken a shower or had breakfast by mid-day? Sure. Does it matter? Not really. I even snuck in a quick yoga practice (weird priorities, you may think… but in my usual timeline, yoga happens before showering and breakfast…)

The picture below gives a pretty good summary. I’m eternally grateful that we got to take home our little Strawberry, and that she is thriving. Her real name means “dark”, matching her eyes, which are blue-gray and looking at the world more alert each day.

The blanket is a gift from a dear blog friend, who sadly has also experienced the loss of two babies. I’m grateful for all the support I received online from all of you, as well as for the people in my life who stepped forward asking about the twins and sharing their own stories.

If you look closely, you’ll see that the blanket has two stars. For A&C. I’m thankful for every minute I had with them and everything they taught and are continuing to teach me. I also miss them terribly. SB’s middle name means “little sister” in their honor.

I’m thankful for a team of doctors who know how to get me pregnant and keep me pregnant for long enough, all the way to full term! Grateful that, given a healthy embryo and some extra progesterone, my body knows just what to do. Thankful for what appears to be one of the easiest possible birth experiences, leading to a healthy living baby in my arms.

And so many other things. I’m still amazed how different my life is just a year later, and it is my hope that, if this Thanksgiving was hard for you, the coming month may bring the sort of change you’ve been longing for.