Thankful...

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families!  I hope your holiday was fantastic!

Mine certainly was.

I spent most of this week curious about how Thanksgiving dinner was going to go for me.  It's my first "real" holiday since my surgery and I was nervous.  How much was I going to be able to eat?  Would I get sick?  Would I feel judged?  As I rocked my adorable new outfit and sipped a glass of merlot, I realized that it didn't really matter.

I put a little bit of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and gravy on my plate.  I ate what I could and stopped when I felt full...(what I would consider an "average" portion....maybe half of what I plated)  A few hours later, I joined everyone in dessert with a 1/2 piece of cheesecake with fresh blueberries on top.  That's all I ate.  And it was perfect.

This year has been amazing.  I am thankful for so much and to so many people...almost too many to list. But, I really wanted to share my thanks with everyone, so here is a list of some of the things I am thankful for this year:

My job.  I love where I work and what I do.  Each and every baby is a miracle and delivering them never gets old.  Also, my entire work family is just amazing.  No really...they are awesome.  The people I work with make being there, even on busy nights, even more enjoyable.  It's truly a blessing to love what you do for a living.

My house.  I work very hard at the aforementioned job to afford my darling little house...and everyday here makes me happy.  (I am also thankful for all the people who help me maintain my house...for without you guys, I would probably have had a mental breakdown by now)

My cat.  As I embrace my inner cat lady, I realize just how lucky I am to have Gabriel here to keep me company.  Depending on how you look at the situation- he keeps me sane....or makes me crazy.  Your call.

My friends and family.  I am just so thankful for all of my friends and family who have helped and supported me through this entire year...(and even the ones who didn't.)  This past year has been full of ups and downs and I know I couldn't have made it through it all without all of the support.  I am so lucky  and feel so loved!

My surgeon.  I often hear horror stories of people with surgeries gone wrong.  I was so blessed to have one of the best doctors (and staff) at one of the best hospitals in the country to guide me through this process keeping me healthy.  Hence why I work there.  It's awesome.

My personal trainer.  No matter what I do, Beth continues to believe in me and keep me motivated.  She pushes me to my limits and I know that I wouldn't have been nearly as successful with my weight loss this year without her help.  Every day I think about how lucky I am that she was the one behind the desk the first day I sheepishly walked into the gym.  I love that I went in there looking for a personal trainer and found a friend as well.

My new self.  I am so thankful for all of the positive change that has happened to me this year.  You can never really know how different your life will be after this surgery, and for me- it is better than I ever could have expected.

It's so nice to really take the time to be thankful for all I have been blessed with this year.  I have learned so much and can't wait to see what amazing things next year brings to be thankful for!