Gratitude

Sometimes it takes trying times to make a person appreciate how lucky she really is. I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to several people.

After I started stitching Joan Thomasson's Celebration Santa, I realized my stitch guide was missing a page. I posted a note to a couple of the needlepoint email lists, asking if anybody had the information from that page.

• Thank you to all the ladies from the ANG list and from the needlepoint etc. list who directed me to Joan Thomasson's website or sent me her email. The online stitching community comes through again.
• Thank you to Jane of Chilly Hollow who brought my problem to Joan's attention via an email of her own.
• And a very big thank you to Joan Thomasson who very graciously and generously offered to send me not only the missing page, but to replace the entire stitch guide so I'd have a complete version!

The response to my stitch study posts has been wonderful. Thank you to all who have written in suggestions and comments, or have mentioned the studies on your blogs. I really appreciate it. (Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes, I hope to have another stitch study up by the end of this upcoming weekend.)

On to life. Up until recently, I've been pretty mum on my personal life. I still intend for this to remain primarily my stitching blog, but of course, from time to time, life takes over. I'm very glad I explained my week-long absence due to my hospitalization.

• Thanks to all of you who wrote expressing concern for me and for the baby. It's meant so very much to me to know that so many are keeping tabs on the "pregnancy ticker" at the bottom of each post.
• Thank you to the stitchers in my local stitching groups who have been so supportive, sending cards and emails to let me know you care.
• Thank you to the folks at work, including my managers, who have been fully behind me. A couple of them took the time to visit today, and it was a welcome diversion. DH and I work at the same company, and he has received many words of encouragement and support. One of his co-workers even purchased dinner (frozen lasagna, salad, and cookies) for us yesterday!
• Thank you to the many nurses, doctors, and support staff (though it's doubtful any of them will ever read this!) who watched me around the clock and continue to monitor our progress.
  
• Most importantly, thank you to my family. DH has been amazing, picking up all the little things I can't do anymore, from grocery shopping, to keeping up with the dog and the household cleanup, to pulling out the Christmas decorations, and a million other little things. Mom, MIL, and my sister have been there during the days to help keep me company (both in the hospital and at home), driving me to appointments, taking the dog out, getting me lunch, and putting up the decorations. Many other family members have taken the time to call, send a note, or visit me in the hospital. Thank you all. It means so much!

It's humbling to have so much to be grateful for.

****************************************
Pregnancy ticker: 28 weeks, 5 days.
According to the doctors, I'm still in the "high risk group" due to some of the complications, but the good news is that TK is in the 42nd percentile for weight and still appears to be developing normally.