Mother's Day - The First

Henry could not be less impressed with Mother's Day.

What a difference a year makes.  I think this and feel this so often, but today seems like a good day to acknowledge that.  One year ago today I surprised my family by announcing that I was pregnant.  We weren’t sure we were going to announce it so early  - I was afraid to jinx it.  It didn’t seem real yet, and I was still wrapping my own head around how quickly everything turned around for us.  We were just figuring out how to navigate those early days of pregnancy and I was learning some tough lessons about how difficult it is to keep your mouth shut when you’re carrying around a secret as big as the world.

This morning I woke up to the sound of squealing, screeching and laughter coming over the monitor.  Todd and I lay in bed and giggled at how loud and enthusiastic that little stinker is at 5 in the morning.  Eventually everything went quiet again and we didn’t hear anything else  until  notably less jubilant sounds erupted over the monitor at shortly after 7.  I had asked Todd to be the one to get up with Henry this morning so that I could sleep in.  If there was any doubt about whether or not this guy is a daddy’s boy, it should be cast out with the proof that on the one day (since he was BORN) that I asked Todd to get up with him – the little bugger slept in with us.  (Also – 7 a.m. officially counts as sleeping in for us now).

I’m feeling very blessed.  We are so overwhelmed with love and support – we always have been.  Looking back it’s pretty clear that there were times when we were held up only by the love and prayers of those around us.  We are surrounded by beautiful people.  I’m so thankful for my own mom – for a million and one reasons that I can’t even begin to list.  For being the best mom I ever could have asked for (even though she was, truly, the meanest mom in the whole wide world),  and for teaching me about the kind of mom I want to be to my own children.  I am thankful for my sister – also a mother – without whom I would NEVER have survived my pregnancy and these first 5 months of mommyhood.  If I wasn’t googling it, I was emailing her with it and – even when I’ve felt like a failure, she’s propped me up and let me know that we are all okay.  I am thankful for my friends – every last one of them – near and far – who have offered support, advise, and a safe place to be at my highest and lowest moments during this pregnancy journey.  You guys?  You see?  We are so so blessed.

I have found myself on this – my first Mother’s Day – thinking most strongly of those who are still waiting to be moms.  I haven’t forgotten where I came from or how drastically my path shifted in such a short period of time.   I understand that this can be a tough day, and so I send out prayers for peace to all of those who still wait, who still struggle, who are still angry or depressed or clinging ferociously to hope.  My heart is with you.  I get it.

Happy Mother’s Day. <3