Thanksgiving

The thing that I am most thankful for right now is Avery, but I guess that is not much of a surprise!  Every time I am holding him I look down and think about how important he is to me and how very much I love him.  And, how it is kind of impossible to put into words how I really feel about him.  There are lots of cliches: apple of my eye, my whole world, etc, but they sound cheesy and not quite right.  When I go in to get him each morning he smiles and squirms because he is happy to see me.  I do not mind (too much) that it is 6:30am. I am happy to see him when he wakes up to feed at 11:00pm (even if I have just fallen asleep) and 3:30am.  I like spending my days with him and seeing his smile.  I love his cute little hands and the way he reaches out for things.  I love the way his breathing changes when he is concentrating on something.  I love the way he pushes him bum up in the air when his diaper is off!  He is so important to me and sometimes I can't believe that he is really "ours" and that I get to keep him.  So, this Thanksgiving I am truly and deeply grateful for my son, Avery.
I am also grateful for our family, who love Noel, Avery, Shelby and myself very much.  My parents were able to move so that they could be closer to us and now live a 3-minute walk away.  They see Avery everyday and he smiles and laughs when he sees them.  When I go out or go to work they watch Avery and I feel better knowing that he is with people who love him so very much.  Obviously not everyone was able to move closer to us when we had Avery, but we do have other family members who are also very dedicated to him.  Noel's parents live 3 hours away but have been coming to visit very frequently - usually every 4 weeks.  They camp or stay at our house.  When they can't visit we have Skype dates.  : ) They were here this weekend for Thanksgiving dinner, along with Noel's sister and her husband.  They also love Avery very much and have made several trips up here to visit him, camping and sleeping on our couch.  Avery is lucking to have so many relatives who love him so much.
I wrote this post for two reasons: 1) because I am very grateful for Avery, and overwhelmed sometimes by my love for him, and 2) because of a realization that I had the other day:  My son can't be loved too much.  The more people who love and care for him, the better.  He will grow up surrounded by love.  And it's all for him - because that is what is best.  So, sometimes it might be a hassle to give up free time, to clean the house and wash sheets, or to drive to visit relatives, or to give Avery over to someone else (and watch him fuss a bit, knowing I could calm him but stopping myself so that the other person can build a bond with him) but it's not about me; it's about what is good for Avery.  And what is good for Avery is love.