To My Village, Thank You.

Bear with me. I’ve been pretty emotional lately, so this post may be a bit sappy (I know, shocker.)

This is my thank you to my village. To those who have helped me through the past year, which has been the most challenging and rewarding of my entire life.

Here goes…

To my husband: Thank you simply doesn’t cut it. Seeing you with our daughter fills me with the greatest joy I’ve ever known. Thank you for teaching me that family is forever. Thank you for holding me, listening to me, letting me cry, making me laugh, and trying so hard to understand. Thank you for Harper.

To my mom: Thank you for giving me the room to mess up and make the mama mistakes I was supposed to make, and for being there when it got tougher than I thought it could. Thank you for driving 3.5 hours one way like it was 5 minutes. Thank you for taking care of me so I could take care of my daughter.

To my dad: Thank you for letting Harper pull your beard and for providing hours of Grandpa entertainment so I could check out for a little bit. Thank you for sitting in the green chair all day while I was sick with strep throat, because you knew that’s what I needed. Thank you for the ride in your little car, windows down, so I could feel carefree.

To Jay & Kayte: Thank you for having sweet June bug 8 weeks before I had Harper so they can grow up together. Jay, thank you for visiting when Harper was a day old and for making me laugh even when crying was so much easier.

To Katy: Thank you for all of those answers to all of those questions, beginning when I was pregnant (“Will the cellulite on my ankles go away?”) Thank you for being the least judgmental person I know. Thank you for keeping Harper’s bookshelves stocked. Thank you for 34.5 years of friendship, even though I stole your Cheerio’s.

To Scout: Thank you for sticking with me when there was suddenly a little stranger in your space, taking up so much of your mama’s time and energy. Thank you for giving me a glimpse of what it means to be a mama 12 years ago.

To Eddi: Thank you for making me laugh, just by being your sweet, silly self. Thank you for supporting us, praying for us and for sending many messages that brightened our days.

To Russ & Patti: Thank you for coming to visit us when Harper was little, and for keeping in touch with your kind messages and sweet words.

To Shane, Jill, Jake & Benny: Thank you for the cross-country love and support, even when you had so much going on. Thank you for showing us how to be loving parents and a family who sticks together. Thank you for praying.

To My Grandma: Thank you for being the matriarch of this family and for being the original funny one.

To Amy: Thank you for making the trip to the ‘burbs so many times, just to hang out and do nothing with us. Thank you for telling me stories of your life in the city, making me feel connected to my old life, just a little bit. Thank you for being you.

To Anna: Thank you flying in for the baby shower, and for being my dear sweet friend (even though you didn’t need any more friends).

To Kusch: Thank you for bringing me meals shortly after Harp was born, and for sending me a 2 page report detailing how you sleep-trained Noah. Thank you for always making me belly laugh and for keeping our college days alive with hilarious stories.

To Jen: Thank you for spending the day with me when I was 10 months pregnant and only wanted to watch movies and eat candy.  Thank you for being your thoughtful, supportive self.

To Jill: Thank you (and Linda!) for keeping Harp stylish and for staying connected to me, even through a move out of the city, a marriage and a baby (and differing political views).

To Mara: Thank you for our daily FB messages, which turned into daily emails and then into daily texts. Thank you for understanding everything I was going through, because you were going through it, too. And thank you for talking about everything ‘Housewives’ with me.

To my NMNB Mamas: Thank you for comforting a new, confused, emotional and sleep-deprived mama. Thank you for friendships that will last way past the time our babies are babies.

To Gretchen: Thank you for being our on-call PA, doing everything from answering questions about Harp’s umbilical hernia to calling in antibiotics for mastitis. Thank you for being my mom’s best friend and for walking 500 miles with her.

To Stef: Thank you for staying connected despite the miles and years, and for giving me invaluable mama advice anytime I ask for it. And most importantly, thank you for still calling me “dude.”

To Kaitlin: Thank you for lunches at OO and for talking me into buying all of those cute REISS tops that I totally “needed.”  Thank you for getting married in NOLA so RW and I had a chance to have a weekend away.

To Daniella: Thank you for laughing when Harper eats Mia’s food or makes her cry. Thank you for understanding that one social event a day is enough (and that a trip to Target totally counts) and for freaking out with me about the idea of preschool. And thank you for moving down the street.

To my FF Group: Thank you for understanding just how much time goes into making the decision of sippy cup vs. straw cup, and for supporting me through all of my confusion and questions. Thank you for making me feel normal.

To Arlyn: Thank you for taking such great care of Harper and making it a little bit easier for a first time mama to leave her baby.

To Kelly: Thank you for all the sleep related advice and for sending an exhausted new mama the bible on sleep.  Thank you for reaching out when Harper was on strike, and telling me you understand.

To my ATL Girls: Thank you for your sweet messages. I can feel the love all the way up here.

To Jon & Jeanine: Thank you for normalizing the craziness of new parenthood, and for being a couple years ahead of us so we can see it truly is all worth it.

To Beth: Thank you for watching Harper when we needed help the most.

To My Husband’s Friends & Colleagues: Thank you for supporting my husband in his transition from “Russman” to “Daddyman.”

To Anyone Who Reads my Blog: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write, dress up and share some of my life with you. It truly is a blessing to be able to do what I love.