Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving all! 

Today I'd like to take a moment to list a few things that I'm thankful for:

• I'm thankful for my wonderful husband - for his understanding and caring, for what a good husband and father he is, for helping me be a better communicator, for knowing me better than almost anyone and for loving me in spite of it.
• I'm thankful for my beautiful, happy little girl Mia - she is such a mild, easy-going and joyful little soul and she brings so much happiness to our lives. 
• I'm thankful for my amazing family, extended family, and for all of my amazing friends.
• I'm thankful for my home and for the opportunity I have to be a stay-at-home-mom.
• I'm thankful for modern medicine - for our wonderful doctors who have treated and taken care of Mia and I during pregnancy and beyond.
• I'm thankful that we've made it through two weeks post surgery.
• I'm extremely thankful that today we could finally take off Mia's arm restraints!
• I'm thankful to have been able to spend Thanksgiving with some of my family, even though many of them are far away.
• I'm thankful for modern technology that make it possible to keep in touch with family that is scattered all over the globe.
• I'm thankful for my life and all that I've learned thus far.
• I'm thankful to live in this free country.
• I'm thankful for Shriner's hospital and for the great care they've taken of Mia and at no cost to us.
• I'm thankful that Mia's lip surgery
• I'm thankful for my comfy bed.
• I'm thankful for my contacts and glasses that help me be able to see the beautiful world that I live in.
• I'm thankful for so many other things that I can't even begin to mention them.
• I'm thankful.

I love my little family!

Look - no arm restraints on today!!!

Earlier this week:

Even WITH the arm restraints my silly little goose somehow finds a way to push her face against, get her mouth on and/or lick SOMETHING!

 And when we move something out of her way, she'll find something ELSE to gnaw on.

...or she finds ANOTHER way to get at it.  :)

Cousin Freddy teaching Mia how to text.

Thanksgiving Day:

Tia Bertha working on the stuffing.

Comadre Lupe helping keep the dishes under control.

Getting caught up on folding loads and loads of laundry while Freddy tries to wake up from his comfy night on the Love Sac and works on selling Zeus's tickets to the UT vs A&M football game.

While we were hard at work, Zeus's brother Tuco - pronounced Too-ko - (who'd gotten into town around 2 am) was sleeping peacefully in the guest bedroom.  His step-daughter Chayo who's 7 years old decided to sneak in the room and take a picture of him with her stuffed puppy while he was asleep.  This is the photo she took on her Nintendo DS.  Just so you know, Tuco is an ex-Marine.  :)

I smell blackmail!

Mia and I with Chayo and her infamous stuffed puppy.

My sweet baby girl and I.  I love her to pieces!!!

My drooly little girl - I think she may be teething... again!

She drools all the time now and we go through at LEAST 4 bibs a day.  Plus, she loves rubbing the underside of her tongue over her two bottom teeth so her tongue is flashing in and out of her mouth CONSTANTLY!  Oh, and she's in her cute 1st Thanksgiving bib that Zeus got for her before she was born.  :)

Zeus's sister Bertha and her son Freddy.

Zeus's big brother Tuco and his wife Lupe.

The Moreno Clan (minus Danny and his kids and Tuco's daughter Jessica).  Grandpa Tin (Teen), Freddy, Bertha, Zeus, Mia, and Tuco.

A good chunk of the extended Moreno clan, and our group forThanksgiving, minus our family friend Vaughn who was taking the photographs.  (Thanks Vaughn for telling me that I had funky hair sprouts on each side of my head.  Jeeze Louise!)

I am so very thankful for all of my many blessings!

Day Seven Post Op

Day 7 - Wednesday, November 17, 2010

I can't believe that a week ago today we were in Houston for our clinic visit and suddenly were checking into the hospital for surgery the next morning.  Today went better than the past two days, thank goodness.  I stayed on top of things with the Tylenol and we even ventured out on a little shopping trip to Costco.

Her little eye is still a little blackened on the left there, but looking better!

Seriously, can you believe this little one.  She cracks me up with her accidental poses!

...and she's going for the feet... again.  And yes, I love Mia shoes almost as much as (if not more than) I love mama shoes.

Mia did great at Costco.  We got there just about as she was due to eat, so we sat in one of their sample office chairs and got her fed.  :)  I had fun taking pictures with my cell phone to send to family.  ;)

What?!?!  They have PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE?!?!?!

Muuuuuust.  Eeeeeeeat.  Barrrrrrrrrr!!!

After the trip to Costco we went over to a park by Dell Children's Hospital (the same one we went to with Nikki and the girls) and went for a walk around the little pond there.  It was bittersweet to be there without them but brought back great memories of when they were here.

My little character kicking back in her stroller - literally - while I made her bottle up.  She was so stinking cute that I had to stop and take a picture of my silly little goose!

Man do I love this little girl!!!

So I was sitting on the couch in the living room today and I don't know why, but I started looking around.  I took in the view - my sweet baby girl chilling in her swing, the baby perifanelia scattered around the living room, the curtains, painted walls and decorations in our home.  My mind flashed back to the summer before when Zeus and I were only engaged.  I still lived in Utah at that time.  The living room in his house consisted of a TV and couch with one wall painted electric "Carribean blue".  My life has changed SO much this past year and I feel so very blessed to be here with my HUSBAND and our DAUGHTER in OUR little home.  Wow.  Crazy!  I grabbed the camera and snapped a picture to remind me of my blessings.

Life's eye view.