Thirty-ONE-derful

Today I'm celebrating Thirty-ONE-derful years of life. I have a feeling this year will be wonderful! My thirties have not disappointed me even for a minute. I truly feel that I am becoming the real me more and more every day. 

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I woke up to the sounds of a wonderful baby babbling mumumumumum from the next room. This baby. My oh my. This baby, who loves to squish mandarin oranges in her hands and rub the pulp through her hair. This baby, who I can still nurse to sleep each night while I tickle her face. This baby, who flashes a crooked little grin and somehow brings my world back into focus. This baby, who crawls to my feet and climbs up my leg and looks up at me with the biggest bluest eyes I ever did see. This baby, who loves to take a bath with mom and splash like only a champion bath-splasher could.

I woke up to the kick, flip, flop of a wonderful baby boy dancing in my belly. This baby. My oh my. This baby, who sometimes I forget is even in there until I walk past a mirror and gasp. This baby, who is already loved endlessly will forever go down as the biggest surprise of my life. This baby, who will be here in another minute if I just blink my eye. This baby, who can wiggle and jiggle inside me like only a champion wiggle-and-jiggler could.

I woke up to sounds of plates clinking in the kitchen where a wonderful man was prepping my favorite breakfast of avocado toast. This man. My oh my. This man, who loves me even though I'm chubby. This man, who gives the best foot rubs in the greater 48. This man, who works hard to support this family we have sprouted together. This man, who is prayerful and deliberate and thoughtful about the way he goes about his life. This man, who will kneel at the tub and pour warm water down my back like only a champion water-pourer could.

So you see, this day was wonderful before I even got out of bed. After a morning nap Bee and I ventured on a brisk wintry walk while the sun was shining and warm with our besties. We stayed for corn dogs and lemonade and Bee watched with great envy as Leah ran circles about the place. She must have known it was my birthday because that sweet little Bee of mine took an unprecedented 3 hour nap that afternoon. What a gift! When daddy got home he scooped us up and out the door for dinner, just the 3 of us. It was a near perfect, wonderful day.
Happy Thirty-ONE-derful to me. Thank you, friends and family, for all the love sent in texts, phone calls, emails, gifts, cards, and otherwise. How wonderful you are to me.