Life's Little Blessings: Mother's Day, Back to Work and a Birthday!

May was a very special month for me! It was not only my first Mother's Day, but also my 30th birthday! The two big events happened only one day apart! (If it hadn't been a leap year they would have been on the same day!) I was really excited about celebrating Mother's Day for the first time! I have to admit that I've never understood how truly special this day is, until I became a mom! When asked what I wanted to do to celebrate my birthday, I couldn't think of anything more special than spending the day with my family! The celebrations began on Saturday with lunch at our house. It worked out perfectly that my dad was on his way back from Florida with my Grammy and PawPaw. Mom, Aunt Sherry, and Uncle Paul drove down from Indiana, and my in-laws came over so we could all be together to celebrate! We had a nice time together, and of course Ethan was spoiled with lots of love and attention the entire time!!! On Sunday we went to church where I was recognized and received a special flower for my first Mother's Day. After church we went to Adam's grandparents' house for lunch. We spent the rest of the day at my school working in my classroom to get ready for my first day back!

That takes us to the next big event in the two day celebration....the end of my maternity leave and my birthday! After being off for eight weeks, it was finally time to make my return to school (although my doctor thought I was crazy for going back at all). Since we had such a mild winter and only one snow day, our school year ended on May 16. That meant that I only had to go back for the last 3 days of school (plus one teacher day). Although it was hard, I really wanted to go back to finish the year with my kiddos. We had such a great year together and I couldn't imagine not ending the year with them. Going back to work on my birthday made my first day away from Ethan a little easier. That morning I couldn't get Ethan to eat because he just kept smiling at me. It was like he knew that his mommy needed those smiles to be able to make it through the day away from him. I must say that it really was a great day back! My kids were really excited to see me and many of the staff at school made sure to check in on me to see if I was doing okay! We had a great 3 days together, and I was really sad to see the end of the year come! I wish I could keep this class forever!!!!

That day after school I headed home much earlier than I used to to see my baby boy! He greeted me with a big smile! I know he had a great day with his Nana. We finished the evening with dinner out and some must needed relaxation (my day started at 4:00 with Ethan's feeding!). The rest of my birthday present, a shopping trip that includes lunch and dinner, from my two boys is yet to come. I just love stretching birthday celebrations out as long as possible!

So, the big 3-0 is over! I'm now 30, and a mom! It's so hard to believe! My first Mother's Day was a very special one, and I know that each year they will become even more special!