Thankful Thursday

I have MUCH to be thankful for this week.  MUCH.  I thought it would be great to do a thankful Thursday post so that I can mention the things I am particularly thankful for this week.  My list is double what usually is!

1) I am thankful that Landon is finally feeling better.  As you know from my last post, he was so sick for 4 days in a row and I am just so happy to have my energetic, loving, bouncy toddler back! :)

2)  As you all know, I love to blog and I am a Facebook regular.  Well, lately I have been really into Twitter.  It is a terrific networking tool and allows me to not only stay in touch with real life friends, but it also allows me to meet other women who have survived a postpartum mood disorder.  There is one Twitter account in particular - @ActionOnPP - that I just adore.  Action on Postpartum Psychosis Charity is the response to severe postnatal mental illness.  They provide up-to-date information, research, and support.  This charity is based out of Birmingham, England (website - http://www.app-network.org).  @ActionOnPP hosts what Twitter followers call an open chat (#PPTalk) each week (for the past three weeks) where you can connect once a week for 1 hour to other moms who went through postpartum psychosis.  It has been AMAZING to say the least.  I have met several women and they totally understand.  They get it.  They have been to THAT place and survived and are thriving, wonderful mommies.  Each week the topic that we discuss is different.  This past week we discussed "Will you tell your children about your PP? If so, how? Do they know already? Have they been affected by it?"  I have thought about this from time to time.  My initial reaction was to shield Landon forever of that monster of an illness.  I wanted to protect him from it and I don't want him to blame himself for mommy being sick after his birth.  That is my worst fear.  As time has passed, part of me thinks he deserves to know in case his wife would suffer from some mental illness following childbirth so he is prepared and can be a fantastic support like his father was.  So...I go back and forth with it.  It has been so enlightening to talk to other mothers about this to see what they have and plan to do in regards to telling their children.  One mother in particular - her story  parallels mine so well.  We really click.  So much of our stories are just identical.  She made a scrapbook of her son's first weeks when her parents and her husband cared for him while she was getting well.  She explains in the scrapbook that when he was 5 days old mommy became really sick and had to leave for a while, but that grandma and grandpa and daddy took really good care of him and loved him very much during that time.  She posts many pictures full of snuggles and hugs and love.  I have the same pictures that my mother-in-law and father-in-law took of the same time - when Landon was just days old - that I could do something with.  They are wonderful pictures full of love - pictures of Landon with mama, papa, Daddy, and Ggpa and Ggma.  I am seriously thinking about creating something like that for Landon.  Why not share part of that journey with my son?  He was so loved and cared for during that time, it would not make sense to keep that from him or not to scrapbook it when I have scrapbooked everything else.  What a precious way to celebrate that difficult time, but important first days of Landon's life.  What is unbelievable to me is that I have received such great advice and suggestions and made such a connection with women who are on the opposite side of the globe.  This illness touches many all over the world and once you have had it, you can't forget it.  It is important to talk about the experience and gain support where you can.  This online support group - I can't say enough good things about.  I am so thankful for this group and these women.

3) I am so thankful for flexible work hours and paid time off.  I can always take off for my son and not feel guilty or worry about work.  That is an unbelievable blessing.

4) I am thankful for antinausea medication.  It stopped 10 hours of vomiting for Landon.  How miserable.  Poor buddy.

5) I am thankful for stress induced weight loss!  LOL!  I have lost 5 pounds this week - for a total of 10.5 pounds in two months.  Not too shabby!

6) I am thankful for a great life partner...my husband.  He is such a hands on dad and I can always count on him to help me when I need him.  He is just incredible.

7) I am thankful for our new pope - Pope Francis I!  I am so hopeful that he will do good things for our church.

8) I am thankful that the venue is open for my 15 year class reunion - especially since I already printed the invites!  I am also thankful to be DONE with addressing 99 envelopes by hand.

9) I am thankful for friends who will reschedule a dinner date - when it has been rescheduled like 3 times before due to Landon getting sick.  Understanding friends are the BEST!

10) I am thankful for my sisters and my aunts.  They are my cheerleaders.


What are you thankful for this week?