Mother’s Day is a special holiday for me.  I couldn’t wait to be a mother, but that wasn’t easy for me.  When my husband and I got married in 2002, I got sick.  It took a long time to figure out what was wrong with me.  Eventually, when we learned that I had kidney vasculitis, I had to take chemo-type medication and was told that our dream of trying to get pregnant had to be put on hold.  I was devastated.

After many years of trying to get my disease under control, different medications, steroids, 2 kidney biopsies and lots of prednisone, my disease quieted down.  Five years later, I pursued my quest to start our family.  But that wasn’t easy either.  We couldn’t get pregnant.  So with the help of the UCONN Fertility Center, I was able to become a mother, twice!

So I love Mother’s Day.  Especially now that my son, age 6 and daughter, age 5 make projects at school and secretly share with my husband that they have a surprise for me and can’t wait to give them to me.  That is so precious and these are the gifts that are priceless!  Everyday, I use the jewelry box that Adrienne made me last year.

This year I was able to enjoy the Mother’s Day Tea at Adrienne’s school (we are usually in Florida on Mother’s Day) and enjoy her little singing presentation and gift.  Once again I received a priceless trinket box that Adrienne proudly presented to me at her school.

I also love that  Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the grandmothers.  I am so happy that I was able to make my mother a grandmother.  I remember the day when I told her I was pregnant.  I couldn’t wait to tell her!  I had wanted that for sooo long!  She loves her grandbabies and my kids LOVE spending time with her!  My mother-in-law is also happy to have more grandbabies from her youngest son.  It’s so awesome to give my kids the memories of time spent with their grandparents.  I remember and cherish my memories of my grandparents.  They are special memories.

I love being a mom!  Some days it isn’t easy and some days there is no effort at all, but I love all the days that I have with my children.  I remember vividly when I came home from the hospital with my son and my milk came in and my body was doing things I never knew it was going to do.  What an overwhelming time that was!  But with the help of my mom and my husband I got through it.

After my daughter was born, I struggled with postpartum depression.  I didn’t really know I had it at the time, I thought I was just overwhelmed and hormonal with a newborn and a 16-month old very active little boy.  But I got help and now I see the change in me and I feel that I am a much better mother.  I was a good mother at the time, but I really struggled.  I am feeling more confident as a parent now that they are getting older. I am seeing them maturing and making wise choices.  I love how people comment on how much my son and daughter love each other.  It makes me proud to know that we are raising them right!

I can’t imagine life without them now.  I vaguely remember what life was like before them, but I would much rather live with these little amazing kids in my life who teach me something every day.  They make me very proud.  There is no manual that comes with being a mom.  I call out to my mom often for advice and recommendations, and I use her model from raising us as part of how I raise my children.

My cousin sent me this awesome card the other day and I was so touched.  I guess I am doing something right!

I try every day to be a good role model to my children.  Many times I will hear them say something and it is a carbon copy of something I say to them!  (Sometimes good, sometimes not! lol).  When I go out for a run, my daughter likes to put on her “workout clothes” and sneakers and pretend she is going out for a run.  I tried taking them for a run with me once.  We will need to work on that.  I enjoy seeing them watching me and seeing my positive habits as something that is part of my lifestyle and will help them live a healthier lifestyle also.

They also enjoy when I go away on race trips with my friends. They mostly like it because they get an exclusive weekend with their dad who they don’t get to see as much as me.  I hope I am teaching them about friendships and how it is good to have friends and support friends and how friends can support you with your goals and endeavors.  When I did the Walt Disney World marathon this year I explained to them that I was helping a friend reach a goal and sometimes it isn’t about getting your best race finish time, but helping someone else achieve something they worked hard for.  Then for the Providence marathon, a friend helped me achieve my best race time.  I like how I can take my personal experiences and turn them into life lessons for them.

Happy Mother’s Day!