Bright spots in a dreary week (Gratitude Friday)

Miss Yaya came down with a nasty virus over the weekend, so we started this week off by staying home, forcing fluids, doing load after load of laundry, trying to shut out the Barbie DVD's that were on constant loop, and trying to keep her temperature in acceptable range.
Now the stomach virus has passed, but she's back in bed with ear infections and an awful chest cold. My poor kiddo. She's had a rough week.

There have been some bright spots, however, and today I am grateful for those good things that get us through the rough times.

For example:

We finally got to meet our friend Katie's baby on Sunday night. This little sweetheart is precious! Such a doll! So sweet and so tiny (I forget how teeny newborns are).

Riley brought her some purple sparkly sunnies, just like her pink ones.

This photo just cracks me up, for no particular reason.

I think these two are going to be good buddies. Riley already has renamed one of her babies, so we have a "Baby Quinn" around our house, too.

I did someone a little favor, and they brought me a dozen cookies from this shop as a 'thank you'. I'm not a huge fan of sweets, so I only ate one, but I did have fun handing them out to everyone else and watching their enjoyment. And the red polka dot packaging- pure eye candy.

This is my wonderful friend, Kris. I adore her. And because of both of our busy schedules, I don't get to see her as often as I'd like. I finally caught up with her one evening this week, and it did wonders for my spirit. She's one of the coolest, kindest, most genuine people I know.
(not to mention gorgeous, huh?)

We chatted for several hours over sushi. One of my favorite foods and one of my favorite girls. It was a fantastic way to spend an evening, and just what I needed.

A few more things I'm grateful for today:
*A wonderful pediatrician who is always happy to answer questions, provide information and help me out however she can.
*Good insurance that makes a week like this so much less stressful because I don't have to worry about the costs.
*A very understanding boss who totally gets the struggle between professional demands and motherhood, and who supports the choices I make on that front. It can be a tough balance often, but I'm totally willing to go the extra mile for her whenever it's needed, because she's always so great when weeks like this occur.
*Good friends who offer help and assistance always, but especially when weeks like this roll around.