Monday, December 26, 2011

So Good

We are an incredibly blessed family.

I think one of the biggest blessings is in the knowing how lucky we are. Olivia has already defied some pretty big odds and we know that.

I am thankful every single day for all that both my girls do. They amaze me.

Christmas this year wasn't so much about presents but about being grateful, being in the moment, taking it in and knowing how amazing it all is.

That pillow pet Olivia spied in the trunk of my car last week? It's her favorite present of all. Who'd have thought? This is the child who's fallen asleep holding a plastic measuring cup. She's never been much into stuffed animals. She's so so oral in the beginning that stuffed animals were useless to her because she couldn't put them in her mouth.

but now? She loves that lady bug so much. She took to Gram's yesterday, just in case she got tired. Her words, no mine.

Alyssa's favorite? Wow, it's a toss up. She loves the MP3 player, the remote controlled car my mom got her, the lava lamp Sante brought her, the jar of pickles my step dad gave her. She likes 'stuff.' And really, she's not quite nine, that's okay. She understands that sometimes the best part of the day is when I lay Olivia on the couch and Alyssa gets to climb on my lap where we'll sit and she'll read a Junie B. Jones book to me and we'll laugh until we cry.

It's those moments when I realize that all my fears about O's needs overshadowing A's needs are fruitless. Both my girls are special and I think I'm getting good at letting them both know it.

Family is so important and that's the best gift I can give my girls. Reminding them that time together, laughing, loving, sharing moments that are spontaneous and crazy, those are the memories we're building. In ten years, Alyssa might not remember what she got for Christmas but she will remember that laughter, that moment in time when she was the only thing on my mind.

And Olivia will remember me holding her, rubbing her back, lulling her to sleep in the warmth of her mom's softness, in the warmth of my love.

Merry Christmas to all, I hope you all got exactly what you wished for this magical season.

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