Mother's Day

So for Mother's Day I went to Santa Barbara and left Jon and Reed at home - a bit counter intuitive I know, but it is something I have been doing with the same group of ladies (including my Mom) for over five years now. When you think about it, a weekend away while Dad stays at home with the kiddo is a great way to spend Mother's Day weekend. You get to do stuff you never get to do anymore like shop, take your time getting ready, wear cute clothes, stay out late, sleep in, etc. and since your husband gets to play Mr. Mom for the weekend he gets a glimpse into your everyday life and probably appreciates what you do a bit more by the time you get back.

I wasn't worried about Jon having to take care of Reed, but I was a little worried about how Reed and I would do apart for 48 hours, since our longest prior separation had been only around 16 hours. The boys did great, Reed was a perfect little gentleman all weekend and Jon wasn't too traumatized and actually admitted that he had a lot of fun and was glad that he had done it. I left Jon with a list of "helpful hints" and what Reed's schedule generally looks like most days. I wanted them to do their own thing, but also wanted Jon to be able to have something to reference to help interpret some of Reed's cues, etc.

Other than some help from Nonna on Saturday morning when Jon had to work and Pepe and Auntie Chelsea coming by after work for some playtime the boys were solo all weekend long, which is really impressive. One of my only requests (besides the health and safety of my child and dog) was that Jon try to take at least a few pictures to document their Dude's Weekend. I think he did pretty good:

I snapped this right before walking out the door

After I got home on Sunday I was able to cuddle with my little man, then he went down for a nap, when he woke up we headed to Pepe and Nonna's for a delicious Mother's Day dinner and to spend time with the whole family, including Papa, Gran, Benny, Diana, and TJ (and Maple the Dog).

Since this is a Mother’s Day post I do need to take a moment to recognize what a significant impact Reed has had on me over the last eight months. The awe he has over a picture in a book or the sound something makes truly makes me appreciate the little things that I wouldn’t have thought twice about before and he has completely changed my perspective on the world.

He has found a place in my heart that I didn’t know existed. And while I had a great life, full of love and happiness before he came along, now that he is here it makes me feel like I wasn’t complete prior to his arrival. Being a Mom has also made me appreciate my Mom, Mother-in-law, and Grandmothers even more than before. Now I’m starting to see what they experienced in helping shape me into the person I am today, and am so thankful for their love, support, and guidance as they continue to help me down my path as a Mother.

As much as I was looking forward to getting away this weekend and finally getting a well deserved Mommy Break I still had tears in my eyes as I said goodbye and couldn’t wait to get home to give Reed a hug. He had a rough night last night and I ended up letting him sleep with me, something I don’t usually do, but I just felt like we needed to be close together and while I could have done with a few more hours of sleep, there is nothing like cuddling up with your little one to make you feel like a Mom.