Becoming a mom has touched me in places that I didn't even know existed until Everly arrived. I never knew a love this deep until I met her. In addition to feeling a love so strong that it makes my heart ache, motherhood has also made me more compassionate, humble, patient, emotional, and cautious. Now when I interact with other people I am often struck by the parallel that they too have a parent that most likely feels the same unconditional love that I have for Everly. I sob when I see a news story or watch a TV show that covers a topic related to a child or parent going through hard times. I am no longer instantly irritated by noisy children in a restaurant or store. Instead, I look to the parents to see how they are coping or handling the situation. I try my best not to judge other parents and their choices because I have learned that parenting truly is the toughest job on the planet.
Since our children do not come with a user's manual we are forced to rely on our instincts and our own core values and morals when it comes to making decisions about raising our children. I know I don't always get it right and some days are certainly better than others, but I try to do my very best each day to give Everly the stability, consistency, and love that she needs to thrive and develop. There are days when I feel an incredible amount of guilt about working, trying to balance my own needs, and wondering if I am getting anything right, but when I stop and look at the smile on her face, hear the joy in her giggles, and see the glimmer in her eyes all of my uncertainty disappears.
Last weekend I celebrated my first official Mother's Day and I cannot even begin to describe how special this day was for me. By most accounts we didn't really do anything out of the ordinary for Mother's Day, but it just felt good to have my little family together. We spent the entire morning being lazy (I actually slept until 11:00 a.m. - yahoo!) and then went out for a late lunch at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. Everly also surprised me with the most beautiful pink roses I have ever seen. According to Danny, Everly rode her pink horse, "Rody", to the store and traded her milk for the flowers. What a little rascal! ;)
Everly's MiMi was also in town for a visit so that only added more joy to the day. It is obvious that Everly and my mom already have such a special connection so having her here with us made the day complete. My own relationship with my mother has evolved so much in the last 8 months and I couldn't have been happier that she was here to celebrate with us. Now I can honestly look at her and say, "I get it! I finally understand how much you love me. All of the sacrifices, happiness, and pride you have for me finally makes sense."
