Grateful Day Sixty

I'm taking rather slow with reintroducing alcohol back into my life, but I was more than thrilled to finally treat myself to a very tasty Bloody Mary. Not sure why, but this was the drink I missed the most while I was pregnant. I'm not a big drinker in the first place, so going 9-10 months without drinking wasn't a big deal to me. But that doesn't mean I am not grateful for a tasty, well-made Bloody Mary.

Grateful Days Thirty-eight thru Fifty-nine

February has been the quite the ride. On the 7th, my husband and I headed to the hospital with the intention of meeting our son within 24 hours. Portland was being hit with the worst weather it had seen in over six years. We carefully made our way to Providence Hospital through the snow and wind. I think we were both excited and nervous about becoming parents, but we remained surprisingly calm. We spent the night hoping that in the morning we would be having our son, but that was not the case. My body and our little boy were not cooperating with the doctor's plan. So we had to wait one more day. On the morning of February 9th, my doctor informed that today was the day. So at 12:31pm we met the newest addition to the Campbell clan, Lil Lochlan. Now I think most newborns are not very cute, they are usually all wrinkly and look like grumpy old men/women. But not our little guy, he came out looking absolutely beautiful and adorably perfect. In less than 20 minutes he already had a smirk on his face and lookin' just like his father.

I was immediately madly in love. As soon as I heard him cry, I was in tears. Jason was beaming! I couldn't wait to hold Lochlan. Next to marrying Jason, seeing Lochlan for the first time was the best moment of my life. After that I needed him in my line of sight at all times while we were in the hospital. I was beyond grateful that he was able to stay in our room.

I could stare at him all day and night. Two and half days later we were finally able to head home. We couldn't wait to get home and introduce Lochlan to our fur babies, Grim and Persephone. I was surprisingly calm on the ride home. He wore the hat my mom had made for him and we wrapped him up in the beautiful blanket she made too. I sat in the back and just watched him sleep. He didn't stir once!

Our first week home was incredible. Thankfully Jason was able to take the week off and we could spend some quality time together as a family. I was also thankful I was able to take naps when I could get them. One of the first days home I woke up from a little nap to see the most darling thing. All three of my boys getting some shut eye on the couch. 

This scene melted my heart! 

Thankfully the dogs seem to be adjusting to the newest member of the pack quite well. Once Lochlan gets a little bigger and can interact with them more, they will only grow to love him more and more. I think Persephone feels she should be able to use some Lochlan's stuff, most of it seems to be about her size. And we believe Grim will be Lochlan's gentle protector. 

Not that we didn't want to show our little boy off to the world and in a way we did via social media, but we weren't immediately bombarded with visitors to our house. But our first visitor was one of the Lochlan's Uncle Seans. He was the perfect first visitor for our little guy. 

My Mom was the next person to meet Lil Lochlan, her first grand baby! She was so excited to meet and hold him. I think he was happy to meet her too. 

And then Lochlan's Auntie M. came into town. She couldn't get enough of the little guy. She was snappin' photos whenever she could, it was like having a live-in photographer. And the two of them hit it off right away. 

Two peas in a pod! 

Needless to say, February has been one helluva ride and I wouldn't change a single moment! I don't think there are enough words to describe how happy and grateful I am for everyone and everything in my life. I am looking forward to what each day holds for me and the ones I love. And each day I get to watch my little boy grow. 

Grateful Day Thirty-Seven

When Grim is displeased with the weather, he puts his ears down. It is so adorable! Oh how he wanted to play with his Kong, but the wind and snow were not to his liking. 

Grateful Day Thirty-Six

As much as I have enjoyed being pregnant, I am grateful to be in the final stretch. Any day now we will meet our son!!

Grateful Day Thirty-Five

Oh how I love Oregon and it's crazy weather! The snow didn't stick, but it was off and on all day. It was crazy to look outside and all of sudden see snow (instead of rain) falling from the sky.

Grateful Day Thirty-Four

Grateful for sweet ideas! It was Jason's idea to hang this world map above the wee baby Campbell's crib. Jason will be training him to take over the world soon enough. 

Grateful Day Thirty-Three

I love a good Super Bowl party. Usually Jason and I host one, but this year I didn't have the energy to be the hostess. Thankfully some new friends hosted an awesome party with tons of yummy food. But any Super Bowl wouldn't be complete without my ever-so-awesome and always super tasty Deviled Eggs. 

Grateful Day Thirty-Two

I love that it was Jason's idea to hang this map in the nursery. He has such a good heart and is great man. Our son is so very lucky to have a man like him as his father. 

Grateful Day Thirty-One

I'm so grateful to have old photos of my Grandfather reading to me. We spent a fair amount of time in my Great-grandfather's red leather chair reading. I miss my Grandfather and Nana so very much. I wish they both were here to meet the wee baby Campbell when he arrives.

Grateful Day Thirty

Jason and Persephone are the cutest cuddle buddies! Warms my heart! 

Grateful Day Twenty-Nine

I'm grateful for friends who post awesome things they know I will love to my wall. 

Grateful Day Twenty-Eight

I love a good artichoke! If I had to pick one thing I could eat every day, I might just choose an artichoke. 

Grateful Day Twenty-Seven

So very grateful to have the perfect nap buddy. I also love the way Persephone buries her face when she sleeps, it is sooooo cute! Love my little peanut! 

Grateful Day Twenty-Six

Each and every day I am grateful for our dogs! They bring so much joy to our lives. And we can't wait to see how they are with the wee baby Campbell. And now thanks to our awesome photographer, we have some spectacular photographs of our fur babies.

http://joshuaraineyphotography.com/

Grateful Day Twenty-Five

This is the dude who lives in our backyard. He was here when we bought the place. Some people think he's creepy, but we like him. I smile whenever I look out and see his stick figure body. Our backyard definitely has character. 

Grateful Day Twenty-Four

A good quote can make me smile all day long! 

Grateful Day Twenty-Three

I'm grateful we live minutes away from an area where I can see the beautiful Mt. Hood. I left the house just in time to catch the sunrise this morning. I may just have to try again tomorrow. I love the way the sun is starting to illuminate the very top of the mountain. 

Grateful Day Twenty-Two

I love wearing my Grandfather's old flannel shirts! I can't button them up at the moment, but they do a great job of keeping the baby bump nice and cozy. 

Grateful Day Twenty-One

Easy to peel fruit! Oh how I love thee! Sometimes it's the simple things that make my day.

Grateful Day Twenty

I'm grateful for random gems one finds during their day. Saw this great quote at McMenamins. It made me smile immediately! And I am always grateful to anything that can make me smile. 

Grateful Day Nineteen

Jason and I had a lovely little baby shower today. I'm so grateful to all who made it to our little party. McMenamins, The Kennedy School, was the perfect location to celebrate the wee baby L. Campbell. The Library is super cute and the food was spectacular, especially the cupcakes! 

Grateful Day Eighteen

I'm grateful to have such an awesome camera that enables me to capture magnificent photos. Granted neither myself or the camera had anything to do with the absolutely stunning sunrise, but me and the camera were lucky to have been able to snap this spectacular shot this morning.  

Grateful Day Seventeen

I'm so very grateful to have had a wonderful photographer take such great maternity photos! I was hesitant as first to have them done. I was feeling down on myself and how I looked as a pregnant woman. But I couldn't be happier with how our photos turned out. We are both so pleased that we have this time in our lives captured with beautiful photographs.

http://joshuaraineyphotography.com/

Grateful Day Sixteen

Flowers for absolutely no reason are my favorite! My Love is so sweet to me. Each and every day I'm grateful to have him in my life and heart. He is my best friend! 

Grateful Day Fifteen

Not just today, but every day, I am grateful for growth and new life. New sprouts have popped up on our Zamioculcas. I like its common name, "Zanzibar Gem." Jason gave this plant to me four years ago and it's still growing strong. Not that I have a habit of killing inside plants, but I do seem to have better luck with outside plants. I plan on transplanting this gem in to a bigger pot this spring. It needs a little more room to grow. 

Grateful Day Fourteen

I love our backyard! Some days I can't believe how beautiful it is and that I get to enjoy it every day. When our son is old enough to play in the dirt with us, I know I will only love our little piece of heaven even more. We plan to do many things with our lovely lot. I think I am most looking forward to the fruit trees we will be planting this spring. The dogs love it too! Grim has already etched out a path. There are squirrels that jump from tree to tree. And I'm pretty sure they like to mess with Grim and Persephone. Grim will sit and watch the trees and you can here the squirrels conspiring with each other. 

Grateful Day Thirteen

I so very grateful comfy pillows! This last part of my pregnancy has reignited my fatigue. If I don't take a nap at some point during the day, I feel like the shell of myself is walking around. This little guy is taking a lot out of me, but I wouldn't change a thing. He seems very happy in there. And I'm not going to complain about being able to take naps. Naps are a beautiful thing! 

Grateful Day Twelve

Not just on our wedding day, but every single day Jason looks at me like I am the most beautiful woman in the world. And I believe him without hesitation when he tells me I look beautiful and how much he loves me. How did I get so lucky to find and him be part of my life and heart?! I am incredibly lucky and our baby boy couldn't ask for a better man to be his father. 

Photo by: Joshua Rainey Photography
http://joshuaraineyphotography.com/

Grateful Day Eleven

Friends who bring over chocolate cake for no reason whatsoever, that is what I am grateful for today! Our dear friend Sean came into town to watch some football. When he arrived, he had beer for Jason and himself, and a beautiful chocolate cake for me. What a sweetheart! Now, I will not be eating the whole thing by myself, but the gesture was incredibly thoughtful. 

Grateful Day Ten

I have a hard time falling asleep at night and during my pregnancy I wake up a lot throughout the night. I am grateful that I have funny TV shows to help lull me back to dream land. I'm also so very grateful that my Love sleeps so soundly, so my late night TV habits never wake him up. I do wish I could sleep through the night the way he does, but I'm happy I have something to make me laugh during the wee hours of night. 

Grateful Day Nine

I love salads! Crisp, fresh vegetables are one of the best things in the world.

Grateful Day Eight

I grateful to have to know-how to make myself a beanie in one day. I've been teaching myself to crochet and thankfully having a blast along the way. I recently bought some books, so now I am trying out new stitches. I used a total of four different stitches to make this beanie. I love the colorful yarn too! I find crocheting to be very relaxing and productive at the same time. I'm looking forward to expanding my knowledge and creating awesome stuff for family and friends. 

Grateful Day Seven

Oh how we need the rain! So of course today I am so very thankful for the rain. We have two palm trees in our backyard and I love how droplets form on the leaves. Our backyard is full of so many magical gems! 

Grateful Day Six

Look at that face! I love my little diva so very much! For a little dog, Persephone has one big personality. She runs the house. She loves to cuddle. She has an uncanny ability to find the most comfortable spot to curl up and take a nap.