Mother's Day

This was my first Mother's Day. I was very much anticipating this day, the very same way I anticipated my birthday in days of yore. I kept telling myself that it was silly to anticipate Mother's Day, since, really it was just a normal day. Last year on Mother's Day, I was about a million weeks pregnant (38 weeks, to be specific) and I was in a bad mood and told B that I did NOT want a card or flowers because I was not a mother, I was just a person with an enormous belly and if this thing would just get OUT then we can celebrate. But nooo... in she stayed for another week and a half, thereby making Mother's Day 2012 my first mother's day.

Don't be fooled by the smile. That woman was CRAZY.

There were no cards, and no flowers, but there was an uninterrupted night of sleep which did not end until 8:45 (thanks to B, not Mia, who woke up in the middle of the night AND early that morning), a shower before even going out to get Mia ready for the day, and a smiley baby saying "Hi!" (it sounds more like "Haaaaai") when I finally did come out.

I dressed her (one of my favorite morning tasks - she got so many clothes at her Chicago B-Day that she hasn't had to re-wear an outfit yet) in a pretty pink polka dot dress with matching bloomers (pictures on the real camera - you'll see it later) and we headed out to Egg Works for Brunch. We ordered Mia a side of fruit, and she proceeded to eat every kind that was on there and then moved on to my banana muffin, with her dainty little pincer grasp. This kid! She's gone from refusing any baby food but fruit purees to eating everything you put in front of her. She was very mad when I would not give her a taste of my potatoes, which were covered in Cayenne and Paprika.

After our lovely breakfast, B declared that if I wanted to we could go do something outdoors, something he vetoes 98% of the time since it's Vegas, and it's HOT. He also declared that we would go shopping this afternoon so that I could pick something out for myself! (In other words, I didn't buy you anything, but I'm going to make it seem like it was on purpose) Since I like the feeling of my skin getting crispy and I like shopping, I chose the outdoor mall as my Mother's Day destination. Of course, all we ended up buying were baby sandals and a baby bathing suit, but those two make me just as happy as if I had found shoes for my own feet!

Then, because B didn't feel like cooking (surprise!) and because I hadn't bought anything for myself, we went and got sushi for dinner, my favorite food in the world. B even admitted that despite his lack of planning (except Egg Works, that was planned), this did turn into a very Frenchie-centric day and I had an awesome time.

That evening, Mia went to sleep with very few protests. As I tucked my daughter in, I realize that this year of being a Mother has been my very favorite. That I anticipated Mother's Day so much, because it feels like a culmination of what I've been able to accomplish this year. It's only been a year, but I feel like I've always been this. Mia's Mother. And B did a great job celebrating that, telling me something that I know with confidence. That I'm a great mother, and that together, we've made her into this smart, lively, sweet, friendly little person.

To top it all off, I was able to end the day doing my favorite activity: knitting.

Check out my latest creation: a cable knit dress.