Thanksgiving in July

I've been kinda cranky, bitchy, and all-around unpleasant lately. So, in an attempt to change my karma, I'm going to do a post about the things I'm thankful for. (For the record, I don't really believe this crap works, but I'm willing to try anything to turn things around, so I'm giving it a shot).

Here they are, in no particular order.

1. B - He's a saint and a half for putting up with me. I think he only does it because he knows I'm carrying his demon spawn, and he feels responsible, but I still like it. He's also so freaking cute when it comes to the baby. He loves to rub and kiss my belly, and he seems to think pregnant Emily is one of the sexiest things in the world. Besides all that, he's a hard worker and would do anything for his family.

2. My mom - She's the best at keeping me sane and putting things in perspective. We've gotten really close since I went to college, and I'm so thankful for that. She's also super excited about the baby and keeps doing nice things for me (like buying me an inordinately large amount of Cheerios or randomly buying me up a shirt).

3. My friends - I really have some of the best. They're smart, funny, and honest. They pick me up when I'm down, share all my joys, and cheer even minor accomplishments. I still can't believe that I've only known some of these women for a couple of years. It feels like I've known them forever, and I'm grateful I was able to develop such close relationships in such a short period of time.

4. Compression socks - They're truly miracle workers. They're a bit hot and uncomfortable, but they have reduced my feet from elephant-sized to mostly-normal-sized. And, in some good news for both me and the person who found my blog by googling "compression socks flip flops", they also come in toeless, so I can still wear my beloved flip flops on the weekend. It looks a little dorky (more so with bottoms that are shorter than full-length pants), but totally worth it.

5. Massages and pedicures - I love getting pampered, and these are my two favorite indulgences. They're both heavenly. I love how pretty my toes look immediately after a pedicure, and how relaxed and pain-free I feel after a massage. I need to indulge in these more frequently.

6. Sleep - It's one of my favorite things ever. I feel like I'm not getting enough of it now, and I'm definitely going to miss it when it's gone in a few months. Until then, though, I'll be indulging in it as often as possible, including naps and early bedtimes.

7. My job - As much as I hate my job some (ok most) times, I'm extremely lucky to have the position and the paycheck I do, and I know that. I've got a pretty sweet position, good salary, and good benefits, which is more than a lot of people can say right now.

8. My cat - She's a bit snobbish sometimes, but when she deigns to cuddle with me, she's the sweetest, snuggliest thing in the entire world. Sitting around petting her makes all right with the world again.

9. A (physically) easy pregnancy - I've been fortunate with this pregnancy. It's been super easy. Well, physically, anyway. That's a good thing. With all the mental and emotional crap I've gone through, I don't think I could have also handled puking my guts out and blowing up to 300 pounds on top of it. I think this is the Big Guy's way of looking out for me. I probably would have had a complete psychotic break by this point if things had gone differently. Semi-sane Emily = good thing.

10. Burt's Bees original chapstick - Best. Chapstick. Ever. I am a chapstick addict, and this is the best I've found. I love the pepperminty tingle. My mom and B both know of my addiction and both bought me a ton of them for Christmas last year. So many that I'm pretty sure I'll have enough to last me AT LEAST until this Christmas. Best present of the year, by far.

11. Dessert - It doesn't matter what kind, I pretty much like them all. I love sugar. It's my favorite food group. Cheesecake, creme brulee, ice cream, and yellow cake with white frosting top the list, in case you were wondering.

12. Movies - Going to them, renting them, watching old favorites on VHS, rotting my brain with inane Lifetime movies on a rainy Sunday, I like it all. Movies are such a great way to kill a couple of hours.

13. Reading - I've always been a bookworm. Books make me happy. I really fell out of the habit during law school (when you're reading the equivalent of at least two novels a week in case law, the "pleasure" really disappears from "pleasure reading"), but I'm trying to get back into it. I miss devouring a book or more a week.

14. My unexpected fertility - I'm still kinda on the fence about whether to be thankful for this, but it can't hurt to put it out there, right? Due to numerous "female" issues I've had for years, I always figured I would have a really hard time getting pregnant. Turns out that wasn't the case. At all. Maybe it was because of B's "Michael Phelps sperm" (he came up with that one all on his own...clever, isn't he?), or maybe it was because God has something up his sleeve for me and this kid, no matter what I think. Whatever the reason, I got knocked up waaaaaaaay sooner than either of us ever thought possible. I'm truly thankful that we didn't have to go through the struggles of infertility, despite my ambivalence about actually being pregnant right now.

Ok, I know there are more, but this is getting long, so I'll stop for now. I'm truly fortunate that I have so much in my life to be thankful for. Take that, karma!