My First Mother's Day

As most of you know, the past few weeks have been some of the hardest of my life. I had to say goodbye to one of my very best friends and trying to find closure continues to be an ongoing struggle. Jake and Taylor have been by my side every step of the way, and I'm not sure how I would've ever survived if it weren't for the two of them. Thankfully, some relief came Friday evening when I arrived home from work to find our kitchen back in working order. The counter tops and sink had finally been installed and the plumber was working on the pipes. Although life would never be the same as it was before, it was at least returning to a functional state. Functional I could deal with. Functional was better than pure chaos.

Saturday morning I woke up early and started working: vacuuming sawdust out of the cabinets, wiping everything down with my new non-toxic cleaning products, and unboxing and organizing the contents of my brand. new. kitchen. As I worked, I felt a weight lifting off my shoulders. At one point, I even broke down and cried because I was so relieved. It had been such a long, emotional few weeks and, at last, I finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel. By the end of the day, my house was no longer cluttered with boxes and coated in a thin layer of dust. I was able to sit down and rest - really rest - for the first time in weeks. Life was slowing down and just in time to celebrate Mother's Day.

Now, although I was pregnant on Mother's Day last year, my husband made it very clear to me that I would not actually get to celebrate Mother's Day until our baby was outside of the womb (even though after much debate - and whining on my end - I still received a very thoughtful card and gift). So, you can imagine how pumped I was when Mother's Day rolled around this year. I envisioned presents and breakfast in bed and lots of wonderful baby snuggles all day long. Let me tell you, the hubby did not disappoint. If there is one thing that he is exceptional at, it's making me feel special. And he did just that.

Sunday morning, Jake let me sleep in until 9:00 (which all of you Mom's out there know is a treat in itself) and then woke me to homemade waffles (my favorite), flowers, and gifts. Being the thoughtful man that he is, he even attempted to imprint Taylor's hand and footprint on the box he used to wrap my gifts in. It's safe to say that that will be the first and last time he attempts to dip our baby's foot in paint and then try to imprint it on anything. The final product looked like something out of The Blair Witch Project, but I was thankful nonetheless. After all, it's the thought that counts, right? Inside was a beautiful gold plated necklace engraved with "taylor" and a glass block picture frame (with my most favorite picture of Tay) for my desk at work.

That afternoon we met up with my family for a picnic in the park. With 5 kids thrown in the mix, we thought a park with a playground would be easier than attempting to make them all sit still in a restaurant for two hours. It turns out, we were right. We had a nice, relaxing day eating BBQ and watching the kids play. And Taylor had her first experience going down a slide (on cousin Natalie's lap, of course) and swinging. She loved it.

And even though my sister and her family hightailed it out of there before we could snap any pictures of them, we were able to capture a few memories for the scrapbook.

As luck would have it, I was able to share the day with my own grandmother and mother. As a new momma myself, I am constantly seeking their guidance and advice. Fortunately for me, these woman are two of the strongest, most loving and generous people you will ever meet, and I'm honored to call them family.

And lastly, the reason that I am able to celebrate this special day - my Taylor Tot. She constantly reminds just how fortunate I am in everything she does - from her smile and playful nature to the sweet sound of her little giggles. She truly is a blessing and, lately, she has been my shelter from the storm. I know that with time things will start to fade back to a sense of normal. I am attempting to get back to a happy place but, for now, I will continue to count my blessings and thank God for another day on this Earth surrounded by those I love the most.