A Year of Gratitude #17

 

A Year of Gratitude #17: Kristen and Grace

In case you're wondering, yes, I am writing down each thing so that I won't repeat anything. ;)

Okay... so as more time goes by that we're here in Georgia, I have come to appreciate, value, and miss my dear friend Kristen and her sweet baby Grace more and more. I should say, if you don't know who Kristen and Grace are... you must have just started reading my blog. Grace is Gus's very bestest friend in the whole wide world... and yes friends, he misses her so much.

 

Kristen, Grace, Me, and Gus at the NC Zoo (May 2011)

I met Kristen through Triangle Mommies and we met at the New Moms' Night Out in November of 2010. When she told me that her daughter was six months, I immediately asked when she was born. When Kristen said she was May 15th, I couldn't believe it-- Gus is May 11th... could he really find a friend with a birthday so close to his???

We decided to get the kids together for a playdate at my house. It was December 13th and the kids pretty much just rolled around the floor together (neither was crawling yet). Looking back, the journey they made together is quite impressive!

 

G2 at their first playdate

 

Kristen and Grace

 

The kids together

Kristen and I went to the Bodies exhibit in Greensboro in November and had a great time... I found her very easy to talk to, and someone I could relate to as well. She's the same age as me, and it was always fun to do things with her and Grace.

We started doing more and more playdates and I found that I was really enjoying the time spent around her. Not only because it was a nice mental break to have someone to talk to (and, let me add, talk back in a language that is understandable), but because Gus also really liked being around Grace. They played so well together and became fast friends.

In May of 2011, we went to the NC Zoo together and the kids had the greatest time. They were both just shy of turning one.

I always loved and appreciated that Kristen would let Gus be Gus around Grace. They shared EVERYTHING... from food, to sippy cups, to toys... they were free to explore together and I always had fun watching. 

I also valued that I could discuss things that Gus was/wasn't doing with Kristen and we had a mutual respect for bouncing ideas off each other. It was great to know that my child was "on the right track" based on his peers and knowing that what he was doing, was similar to what Grace was doing. Every mom should be so lucky as to have a friend with a baby the same age as their kid!!

I've taken so many pictures of G2... I can't post them all here, but this next group contains some of my favorites from our fall fun at Kristen's. Gus LOVED playing in the leaves with Grace and I captured some great pictures from the fun.

 

My Fav

When we found out that Steve was going to interview in Atlanta, honestly, the one thing that I was most upset about was leaving Kristen and Grace. To build the kind of friendship that we had built, and then to leave it behind was harder than I can even put words to describe.

I cried about our move because of the loss of our closeness with them. I miss them each day, and there are so many times that I just wish I could go back to NC for another playdate. Friends like them come along once in a lifetime, and while I'm so thankful to have had the small amount of time that I had, I still miss them greatly.

It's nice to know that even though we aren't physically close, I still have a great friendship with Kristen. I've talked to her a few times since we moved, and she called after we were settled in to see how I was doing.

I recently went to a baby shower for Michelle, and Kristen texted me after to see how it was and to see if I was okay. She knows how hard it can be at times, to be around all these people who are pregnant... and we're still infertile. It was the fact that she knew me enough to know that it could have been really hard (it wasn't), and she wanted to make sure that I was okay, and that if I wasn't, she was there for me.

Kristen has been there for me to bitch and complain to, to hear me share my fears, anxiety, successes, and joys. She's a true friend, and one that I appreciate, value, and miss dearly.

Right after we moved in and Steve had started back to work on his first "real" week while living here, it was a rough few days. On December 13th, a package came in the mail for me... and it was a Shutterfly album. It was made by Kristen for me and Gus and full of pictures of various playdates with Gus. It made me cry (I'm crying right now just thinking about it). It was so thoughtful and sweet... and something we'll cherish and treasure forever.

I'm thankful for the people in my life who make me a priority, who care about me, and who love me. Kristen and Grace are very special to me and will always have a place in my heart. I thank God that they were brought into our world!!