Happy Mother's Day

Beautiful arrangement sent by DH's mom

I have only had three Mother's Days as a mom and this one has been tough.  I've thought about how and if to blog about it and I've decided to take a break from thinking about the tough stuff.  I don't want to remember it anyway (though I'm sure I will and will probably blog about it too). It's 7:55 am on Mother's Day morning and already my LO has made me laugh three times.  I thought I'd better start typing about those so I don't forget those little things later in the day.  Isn't that a big part of being a mom anyway?  Finding the sweet, happy moments in the midst of sometimes otherwise trying days.  We'll just consider today a training day.

7:15 ish a.m. - LO to me "Don't you want to change my (very stinky) diaper and then go wash your hands mama?"  DH was slated for that diaper change, but how do I pass up that request?

7:30 ish a.m. - DH was leaving for work and waving to LO through the dining room window.  LO, waving back with both hands, "Bye! Happy Mother's Day!"

in between - NB coos and smiles at me ignoring everything else in his world.  For that moment, I am all there is. (Sigh)

7:45 a.m.- LO "I vacuumed for you mama! Don't you want to get your vacuum and help?"

8 a.m. - LO figuring out how to make  a new piggy noise with his mouth and belly laughing at the result.

8:15 a.m. - Somebody liked tummy time a little too much.  Hmm, does "back to sleep" overrule "never wake a sleeping baby"?

8:30 a.m.- Say "cheese" gave me this:



so we switched to say "macaroni"...

much better!
I put down the camera and had an impromptu "Row Your Boat" song and dance.  At the end, LO hugged me and quietly said "I love you. Thank you for singing the song." Then went right back to being his toddler self.

noon - stolen bite of enormous Harry and David strawberry, the last shipment of the fruit-of-the-month gift from my in-laws. Yumm!

12:45 p.m. LO enjoys showing NB how to kick the seahorse on his bouncy seat.  I cherish these little interactions and hope they grow to mean my boys will be best friends.

Moments later, NB erupts into a fountain of spit-up that required 4 burp cloths, a change of clothes, a bath, and washing the (borrowed) bouncy seat to recover.  LO hopped to action and delivered said burp cloths with a smile...twice.  Yes, I guess my big guy does know how to obey when it really counts.

1 p.m. NB gets an early bath for above reasons.  LO still likes to stand on the step-stool and "help."  His favorite part is drizzling bathwater on his brother's tummy.  LO used to love that during his baths, so we think NB might love it too.

During bath time, I get to look at two of my Mother's Day gifts, and two other "just because" gifts from LO.  The irises are one of my favorite flowers, and bloomed just in time for today.  They are gorgeous and have brightened my last three days.  They were sent by my boys (and Aunt Cat.)  The green flower pot with sunflower sprouts was made by LO at school.   The polka dots were made by his tiny fingers.  I LOVE it!  I also love his kite sun catcher he made at school that hangs in our kitchen window. Perhaps one of the sweetest things LO does for me is bring me hand-picked flowers.  They might be dandelions, lilies, or hydrangeas, (one time, it was a bouquet of sticks) but every time he sees a flower he says "that's for mommy" and wants to pick it.  I don't know where he got that, but it warms my heart every.single. time.

Irises day one

day two with my flower pot and sun catcher

Irises Mother's Day morning, perfect.

"Just because" hydrangeas stolen from my neighbor's yard and delivered by LO last week

I've never been given flowers for Mother's Day before and, this year, it seems I'm surrounded by them. If that doesn't make you feel at least a little special, something is wrong with you!

1:30 p.m. pretty sure WW III just started in the upstairs bedroom, but NB is snoozing through it downstairs.  This gives me hope that one of my children will be a good napper. 

1:59 p.m.- my Dad e-mails his Mother's Day wishes for me. They make me cry.  Not your fault Dad, and thanks. They also remind me that I must be doing a couple of things right.  Recognition and praise are my love language.  I feel loved. 

2 p.m. - down time in the sunroom. It's quiet here; the rain is soothing. I probably won't get a nap today, but at least there are some moments like this to help me recharge a little. 

2:28 p.m. - called DH to see if he would be home form work soon.  Found out that he is leaving soon AND that his colleague is covering for him for the rest of the day (until 7 pm).  Happy Mother's Day to me!

2:35 p.m. unexpectedly sweet watermelon that is even sweeter because it is ready to eat...cut up earlier this week by my mom!

2:46 p.m.- my sister's very long-time boy friend texts me to say Happy Mother's Day.  Smooth move man. Thanks!

2:53 p.m.- shhh! do you hear that? Neither do I. Glory, Hallelujah! Both boys are sleeping. Can I get a what?! what?!

3 p.m. - NB is up. That was short lived, but I relish this brief time to have just me and NB.  There haven't been many of those.  I'm grateful that he has been pretty easy, but the squeaky wheel gets the grease right now. Sorry, bud. 

3:54 p.m. - DH is home! Reinforcements have arrived. 

4:30 p.m. - Puddle hunting and splashing with whole family, but just mommy and LO participate.  So fun!

5:45 p.m. - DH says I can have what I want for Mother's Day...take out and a shower

7:10 p.m - LO is asleep, only a little screaming tonight, yeah!

7:45 p.m. - Indian take out, yum!

8:35 p.m. - NB is snoozing, and DH brings gifts.  Mothering mostly done for Mother's Day, excited to see what DH has for me.  Time to be a wife and maybe get that shower?

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

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To all the women in my life who mothered me, love me, or inspire me to be a better mother, daughter, woman, or wife, thank you. (Because being a better daughter, woman, and wife makes me a better mother) Some of you will never know the impact you had on my life, but I promise to try to pay that forward as best I can.  Others of you I owe debts that I can never repay even if I spend my life trying. 

To my mother-in-law, thanks for having and raising my DH.  I can only hope to do as well in my efforts as you obviously have in yours. Thank you for raising a son I am proud to call "husband" and to have father my boys.  

Finally, to my biological mom, we can push each other's buttons like no one else and we have.   Being a mom has made me want to be a better daughter, and I hope I have been.   As I sit watching LO finally passed out on the floor in front of his bedroom door (poised to watch under the door for me), I recognize a stubbornness I know all to well.   I can't imagine what that would have been like to raise, but suspect I will know soon.  Thanks for not reveling in that karmic justice. Showing up to selflessly serve me and my family this past week was the greatest show of love and motherhood I think you could have shown me. I have lost track of all the ways you helped us and really hope you know how grateful we all (well, I'm sure NB would be if he knew) are.