Thursday Thirteen....

Haven't done one of these in a while, so here it goes.....

Thirteen Things That I've Learned This Year

1.) I've Learned That Nursing Is A Magical Time Between Mommy and Baby- We quit nursing in May. Both of us were ready to quit. It was time. But now I look back and actually miss it. It's such a short period of time that you nurse. It's the one time where your baby is actually still and totally dependent on you. I loved that. Now I have a very defiant toddler that doesn't like to cuddle and won't stay on my lap for more than a few seconds. In fact, I just found her standing in the bathroom in the dark with the door closed. *sigh*

2.) I've Learned That It *Is* Possible To Take A Training And Pump At The Same Time- It was difficult and I was away for an entire weekend, but I survived. So did Maeve. We missed each other a lot though.

3.) I've Learned That It Is Possible For A Surgery To Get Cancelled- Richard went in for some nose surgery in March and walked right back out of there. They refused to do it because they found an even bigger problem.

4.) I've Learned That The Heart Is An Amazing Organ And What Can Be Done With It Is Even More Amazing- Richard's PFO wasn't a problem and was easily fixed. They put in a device that acted as an umbrella and fit right on his heart. It opened up and the heart tissue will grow around it. All of this was done through a catheter....no incisions at all. Technology is amazing.

5.) I've Learned That Kid #2 Can Be Entirely Different From Kid #1- That's usually the case, right? Well I'm learning this first hand. Maeve is a rambunctious toddler that is extremely hard headed (gee, I wonder who she gets that from?). Kyra was an easy going kid. She still is. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

6.) I've Learned That Kid #1 and Kid #2 Can Be Best Friends.....No Matter What The Age Difference- These girls have bonded. Kyra sticks up for Maeve. She helps her out. They play. They dance. Maeve yells Kyra's name at the dance studio when she sees her in the room before we pick her up. Maeve yells her name at the bus stop. It warms my heart.

7.) I've Learned That Kindergarten Is Completely Different From Preschool- What an adjustment! I had a harder time than Kyra did. All of a sudden, my child was riding the bus. She had homework. We had to be on time. She's eating the food in the cafeteria for lunch. She's making LOTS of friends. I have to attend a parent/teacher conference. She gets a report card. We're in the "big time" now.

8.) I've Learned That It's Going To Be A LONG TIME Before My House Is The Way I Want It- Between kids that make tons of messes, the walls that I want to paint, the floors that I want to get, and the new furniture that I want to get, I realize that it could be YEARS before it happens. But one can dream, right?

9.) I've Learned That I Can Be In Great Shape- Exercise-wise, I have never been in better shape. I'm doing 2 Body Step classes per week, doing/teaching Body Flow twice a week, and running over 4 miles 2-3 times per week. I absolutely love working out. It's an addiction. My body craves it. I love the feeling I get after an exhilarating workout. Now if I could just low carb it for a while and get my eating under control. Then I could lose that 10-15 lbs.

10.) I've Learned That There Are Some VERY WEIRD People Out There- Right, Jen? LOL! I'm not going to name names. That would be rude. ;)

11.) I've Learned That An Imagination Can Be A Beautiful, Beautiful Thing- Sorry, but I'm not going to elaborate here. I'll keep it to myself. :)

12.) I've Learned To Let Go- I'm not elaborating here either, but a select few know who I'm talking about.

13.) I've Learned That Life Is All About Family And Friends- I'm so thankful for my wonderful family. I love each and every one of them. I've made some new friends this year and reconnected with some old ones too. For that, I'm grateful. I thank you for letting me into your lives.