It’s been a year since our lives were forever changed, since the two lines appeared that told me I was pregnant.  A year ago, I felt a wide variety of emotions.  Excitement, elation, fear, apprehension, wonder, amazement.

A year later, the most profound emotion is gratitude.  I am so grateful for the experiences of the past year.  I am so thankful for every… ache and pain, wave of nausea, pound gained, moment of exhaustion, sleepless night, kick to the ribs, punch to bladder, needle poke, bathroom trip, hour spent in a waiting room, contraction, push, sleepless night, and moment of joy.  I am so thankful for every experience of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenthood- even when the experience was less than pleasant, because it means I got to experience it.  There are so many people who long for this experience.

So I give thanks.

Before

After

Before

After

If you want to read more from a year ago, go here. and here.