Today, my "30 Days of Thankful" item is, being a successful ex-smoker. It was a long, hard road. For my age, I started smoking at a fairly young age, and never really looked back. I was basically surrounded by smokers my entire life, so it was pretty much inevitable that I would follow that path. I tried to quit smoking when I found out I was pregnant with Olivia. My body pretty much went into shock. I would shake all day long. I would burst into uncontrollable tears. I made it two weeks, and I just kept getting worse. It wasn't good for my body...as horrible as smoking was, the pain and stress I was putting myself through, was no better. As embarrassed as I am to admit it, I was unable to stay smoke free. I had one cigarette, every night. It got me through the pregnancy. Thankfully, there were no ill effects to Olivia because of it. I was finally able to really put forth an effort, with no worry about the quitting effect, in October 2009. Olivia was 9 months old, and I just knew it was time. I didn't want her to grow up with that "in her house" (even though I never actually smoked around her). I ended up being great timing, because 2 weeks after I quit, I found out I was pregnant with Amelia. I had gotten over the "terrible 2 week" quitting slump, and the new pregnancy gave me even more motivation to stay smoke free. So, a little over over 2 years later, I am officially an ex-smoker, and it feels amazing. I do think about it all the time, and I get that urge to smoke, especially on those extra stressful days. But, no matter how strong the urge, I have so many reasons to stay a quitter. Whenever I smell somebody who has been smoking, it's so overwhelming, and actually downright embarrassing to know that's what I smelled like all those years. The cost...we'd SERIOUSLY be in the poor house if I was still a smoker! I don't want our girls to see either of us doing that...setting a good example and all. And, of course, knowing that by quitting, I have added so many years onto my life, with my girls, for my girls. Nothing could beat that. So, today, I am thankful that I was give the strength to quit, and stay a quitter, even on the darkest of days.
Today was a pretty low key day. After days of completely ignoring my e-mail, my phone and my inbox at work, I finally finished a huge task that I've been putting off for so long. It feels SOOOOOOO good to actually accomplish something, and finally be able to move on. Unfortunately, for quite some time now it seems like if you don't work in the accounting section of our office, your hard work and accomplishments go virtually unnoticed, but at least I know, and I am more than happy to be proud of myself!
After work, it was just the usual. Home, dinner, play and bed. Nothing too exciting going on there! Which, is never a bad thing really. Here are he girls...found them in the back of the house, coloring away. Cuties.
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