Things I'm thankful for this year

Here are a few specific things that I'm thankful for this year:

1. The mother of my son: for taking care of him, feeding him, and most of all for giving birth to him. It was a difficult birth about 10 months ago and we had no idea how it would change us forever. But both mom and baby were healthy and have been since then, and I couldn't be more grateful. She is listed first on this list for a reason and I really love her.
   
   
   
   



2. Being the father of the most wonderful son. I've said this before on a couple of occasions, that there are babies all around us. My best friends have had them, my brother has had a couple, and they are everywhere. But I had no idea how great it would be to have one of my own. Garrett has been so much fun and being his dad is the greatest.
   
   
   
   
3. For a son who is a good eater. Trish has put up with some tough times feeding Garrett, but the experience for his dad has been different. He was great with the bottle when his mom went back to school and he loves the addition of solids to his diet. It is one of my favorite activities each day to sit down and feed my son. I bust out the baby-food grinder, toss in some leftovers, mix in a little baby food mush, and whip up a delicious treat for the kid. He can put away amazing amounts of chow and then tops it off with a few finger foods, fruit chunks, and cheerios. He loves eating, and for that I am very thankful.
   
   
   
4. For a son who is a good sleeper. Garrett has been sleeping through the night since he was about 8 weeks old. We would play the binkie game a little here and there and he has an occasional bad night, but he goes down easily, sleeps 10-11 hours, wakes up in a good mood usually, and he takes good naps during the day. We've been using the Babywise method and it has been working really well for him. I'm thankful that he is a good sleeper because that means that his mom and I get a good night sleep too, and then we're all happier (especially Trish).
   
   
   
   
5. Our dog Maggie. No list of gratitude would be complete without a mention of our puppy. I take her for a walk almost every night before bedtime, but I especially love the times that we all get out for a walk. Garrett loves riding in the stroller around the neighborhood, going to the park, or sometimes riding in the Baby Bjorn. I am thankful that we live close to a park and have a home in a nice subdivision.
   
   
   
6. Garrett's many smiles. He is just the smiliest little guy and it just melts my heart every time. I will put together a slide show of the many smiles some time soon.
   


7. The cute little signs that Garrett is learning and the silly noises he makes. He has learned the signs for puppy, more, milk, clap clap, so big, and he likes to wave at people. It is so cute. We will put up a video soon.
   
   
8. And most of all, I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the principles and teachings that have brought my family closer together. I'm thankful that we can be a forever family.