Grateful.

You ever have one of those days, when you realize how truly blessed you are? Even with all it's bad days, life overall is miraculously wonderful, and I regretfully forget that sometimes. 
I came across this blog http://www.clutchdlow.blogspot.com/ while checking my e-mail today, and it deepened my love for my sweet Aria girl. I am so grateful to have her here.

Her and I have a fierce bond and it started early on.

 I remember feeling the impression to take a pregnancy test two Aprils ago. I had taken plenty of pregnancy tests before and all had come out negeative, but call it a prompting if you will, but I had the strong impression that I needed to take a pregnancy test nonetheless. I was in the middle of doing dishes, and thought, eh.... I know it's negative. It's just me being paranoid. Again, I got the impression, take a pregnancy test. There was no doubting that I was supposed to take one after that. I ran to the bathroom and Lo and behold it came out positive. It sounds a little silly to say, but from that moment, I KNEW it was a girl. It was almost like Aria was up there in heaven doing the happy dance with me in the bathroom, saying, "I'm coming, I'm coming! Give me nine months and I'm there!" It was an amazing moment.

Then in the moment she was born, I remember her eyes being all closed and squinty, and then they laid her on my tummy facing me, and then her eyes opened at me. Her and I just looked at each other and oh how the world just froze. I was the first thing she saw, and she was the only thing I saw. She didn't cry, just looked at me almost to say, "I'm here mom." That moment sealed our bond and I'll always remember it.

Now 18 months later, she is running around and jibber-jabbering to everyone, discovering the world around her, and making Spenser and I smile all the time. I love her SO much. She is my little bean. We are the best of buds and I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father that she came into this world alive and healthy and that I get to be her mommy. I wouldn't trade that for anything.