39 weeks...and thankful!

I'm 39 weeks pregnant today. And I feel 39 weeks pregnant today. This is new territory for me because I delivered Jackson at 38 weeks (although induced for platelet and blood pressure concerns). It's hot. I'm tired. I'm irritable. My skin itches. My  muscles hurt. I'm weary of the "you look like you're about to pop" looks and comments. I've outgrown almost all my maternity clothes and have resorted to wearing Andrew's tshirts almost exclusively. We're waiting, but I'm not all that patient about it.

Then, last night, I read this in a book I pick back up between Game of Thrones's giant novels (I can't bring myself to start reading book 4 until after baby comes):

"We only enter into the full life [salvation] if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if not with thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives. Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our Yes! to His grace."

This is from Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts. After studying and reading through Jesus's life and ministry in the new testament, Voskamp comes to the realization that Jesus gave thanks before everything...even before his death on the cross.

So, with my big girl panties on, I challenge myself. If Jesus can express thanksgiving before the "miracle at the cross" (as Voskamp says), then I can certainly express thanksgiving in my own life.

These are just a few moments for which I am grateful and express thanksgiving:

Friday night, Jackson wakes up at 3:30am upset from a dream or something. He doesn't sleep well in our bed (and we don't either), so I soothe him and offer him a song instead. He requests "The Jackson Song". So we sing that, and he drifts off to sleep after a few more hugs and kisses. It was 3:30 in the morning, and I wouldn't trade all the sleep in world for that precious moment with my boy.

Payton lost a tooth Saturday night. This is big, people: she pulled it herself! We've come so far from last year when she'd scream and cry if you just tried to wiggle her tooth! She was so proud. But, she woke up Sunday morning at 6:45 needing help counting out all the quarters, nickles, and dimes that the tooth fairy left for her tooth (thanks, Drew). Pillow math, I now call it. I had to will myself to teach money and addition that early when I hadn't slept well the night before. And I wouldn't trade that moment for the world.

Today, after a whirlwind of errands (in and out of every store's bathroom; in and out of the car seat 100 times...you know the drill), Andrew takes us to the Fort Yargo beach, and the kids have a blast. I opted to stay out of the water, but we brought a chair, and I got to watch Jackson and Payton play with their Daddy in the lake, make "sand cookies," and try to catch fish with bare hands. I will treasure that time spent together, too.

It's in these unexpected blessings that God continually pours out where I often fail to express thanksgiving. Living life to the fullest doesn't mean I have it all, have accomplished all personal and professional goals, and acquire all those "things." It means that I find beauty and simplicity in these moments that God gives me, even when I'm too tired, too pregnant, too whatever...