It has been quite awhile since my last blog entry. Thanksgiving brings alot of discussion about gratitude. I am grateful that Maximo and I spent our first Thanksgiving together with Leo as a family unit. That we are altogether with my family in the USA is a bonus. This year, my brother Usher and his wife Jenny and their boys, Pierce, Kelsey and Reese came to us in Phoenix.

On Thanksgiving morning, I made some of the side dishes. I took some time to enjoy a film classic the original "Willy Wonka and the Choclate Factory" with Maximo (who had never seen it growing up in Argentina) and Leo. My 8 year old nephew commented he liked the "Johnny Depp version" better.

Our turkey dinner together. We began the meal by each of us saying what we were grateful for. We cooked 2 turkeys however, it turns out the bottom oven does not work so one turkey was inedible. It was a glutonous meal with too much food. It was a leisurely meal and we all began the

The holiday season makes me reflective. I thought back on how last years Thanksgiving in Buenos Aires was remarkably different. We had over 20 friends, guests and visitors in our small apartment. We had a pot luck style dinner with my friend Katie's dad visiting from California doing a majority of cooking. It was a special dinner. I could not imagine the next year would be very different.

Its not only different because we are bank in the USA but having a child makes all of my thinking different. We are planning on seeing my friend Kelli in San Diego for the holidays in December. How I will fit a pack and play, bottles, clothing, diapers, stroller and breast pump into our car? How will we maintain Leo's bedtime routine? What happens if we run out of diapers? I have become of those "women with baby gear." I finally understand why when I was single and my friends who became moms were suddenly unavailable. I thought these moms had fallen off the face of the earth when they had a baby. I get it now! My life has changed so much for the better and I am grateful about it.
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