My first Mother’s Day as a stay-at-home mom
May 6, 2010 by Shannon
Kellan on Mother's Day 2007
I’ll never forget my first Mother’s Day as a new mom. My two month and two day old baby boy flashed some of the sweetest smiles I have ever seen. He had just picked up this talent, and he grinned at me every chance he got.
This motherhood thing has – by far – been the most difficult undertaking of my life. It has forced me to rethink who I am and what my priorities are. I have learned that even though I want to “have it all” (the career and the family life), there is nothing wrong with taking a little time to focus more on raising a child and less on working a job. Because after all, I’ll never get this chance again. Jobs come and go.
There are certainly days when my patience is thin. Days when I practically count down the seconds until my husband can come home and help entertain our very energetic and active preschooler. But to me, the most important thing is that I’m home with my boy and not sitting at a desk, wondering how he’s doing. Now I am the one who knows every detail of his day, and that makes me a very happy mama.
Last Mother’s Day, I had a lovely afternoon with my family and then prepared to return to work the following day. This year – for the first time as a mom – I will get to enjoy the holiday without having to think about the long workweek ahead. Instead, my week will most likely entail some trips to the park, some play dough, and some chalk art in the driveway. And that is the greatest gift I could ask for.
In case you missed it, I wrote another Mother’s Day-related post earlier this week, called “A mother is…”. Click on over and check it out. Happy Mother’s Day to you!
Comments (4)
My very first Mothers Day was also my first time in Urgent Care with my three-week-old baby Lucy. It was a terrifying and stressful day, but also marked a major transition for me into a mother. Luckily, I’ve had several better Mother’s Days since, but that one will always stick in my head as the day that I realized I was a mom and that meant it wasn’t about me anymore. At least for a few more years now. It’s something I, too, struggle with almost daily. But it is also the greatest gift.
Scary, Amy!! That reminds me of my second Mother’s Day with Kellan, which began at about 3:30 am when we had to take him to the ER for breathing trouble. You’re right – there’s nothing like a frighting medical problem to remind you about where a mother’s priorities lie.
Lovely post, Shannon!
Exactly why I stopped working the 12-15 hour days. I knew I wouldn’t keep that pace when the little one arrived. And it’s funny some of the things that seemed important before kids are barely memories now.
Happy Mother’s Day!
What a great post! I hope you have a fabulous mother’s day! Kellan is one lucky kid!