Bless us, Oh Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord.

Dear Lord, I have so much to be thankful for this year:

Thank you for this beautiful and delicious meal prepared somewhat by me (the easy sides), somewhat by Trader Joe's (cranberry sauce and gravy), and somewhat by Ralph’s supermarket (the turkey). As you know, I’m still trying to figure out how to eat on a regular basis with an infant around, let alone prepare a tasty and juicy bird.

Thank you for the gift of maternity jeans. Even though I had a baby nine months ago, these will definitely come in handy today to accommodate my expanding waistline from this meal. I’m just sorry the rest of the guests won’t be wearing a pair, but I will definitely look into buying them as Christmas gifts this year since I think every human should own at least one pair. The world would be a happier place.

Thank you for this turkey and the tryptophan contained therein. I am hoping that it travels through my breast milk as rapidly as dairy and every other allergen did in the early months. Speaking of, I’m thankful that the total elimination diet (that I had to do because of my poor baby’s reflux) is over, and that I can now eat whatever the heck I want. (Yes, that’s why I placed the mac and cheese that’s oozing with buttery cheesy goodness right next to me.).

Thank you for pie and wine.

Thank you for my family. I’m so happy to have the whole crew visiting from the East Coast. I admit, I used to get stressed out about having that many people staying with me at one time, and I’d worry about stupid things like being able to get bathroom time with everyone lining up for a turn. But now that I don’t really shower anymore, that’s not an issue for me! And if I do shower, I don’t give a hoot if I’m using “my” towel or someone else’s. Oh and I won’t get upset if I run out of toilet paper while in the bathroom. There’s always cotton rounds. Hey, I’m a mom now…thank you for giving me the gift of being able to improvise when in a pinch!

Thank you for giving me a baby that loves noise because he won’t mind all the commotion during dinner. Well, okay, that was sort of acquired after five months of listening to a loud droning hair drier since it was the only thing that soothed him during his colic. Thank you for helping us through that phase. Thank you for giving me the strength I needed to get through each long day and night, with tired arms, sore nipples, lazy eyes, and a heart that ached along with my baby’s refluxy tummy. Thank you for being there for my son and me as we bounced up and down on the yoga ball in the dimly lit bathroom while the rest of the world went on. Thank you for all that being a thing of the past now.

Thank you for giving me the best thing that ever happened to me: for his lips that now curl into the most wondrous smile, his little fingers that explore the world so delicately and his hands that cradle my breast as he nurses off to sleep, his curly hair that I can run my fingers through and let bounce back into ringlets, his wobbly legs that like a little deer have found their footing, and his almond eyes that look just like mine, a mirror to my heart and soul that I see every day -- a reminder that I am a ma-ma and for that I will forever be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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