My First Mother's Day

I've been waiting to celebrate Mother's Day for two years. The last few Mother's Days have been bittersweet. When my sister-in-law was pregnant, I was still reeling from my Dad's death. All I could think about was how sweet my father-in-law was with her, and that I would never have that when I was pregnant. The following two years I was trying to get pregnant, then recovering from pregnancy loss. Joy was difficult to find, although I sent my cards, made my phone calls, and tried to be hopeful.

So this year was very exciting for me. And Kevin really made it so special and memorable. He out-did himself. As I told him multiple times that day, "I will always remember this."

I received my Mother's Day present several days before. Kevin finally talked me into getting an MP3 player (not an ipod, but that's faster to type). I've wanted one for years but could always find an excuse not to spend the money. Kevin took control, researched the brands, and picked the one he thought I'd like the best. He was right, of course. But I had a caveat. Kevin had to learn how to use it and teach me. I knew I'd never figure it out just reading instructions on my own. We've had several tutorials, and I can now download programs from NPR onto my ipod when he's not home. I like to listen to Rick Steves' radio shows while I walk the dogs. Currently, I'm listening to the "Vienna" program.

My mom left Sunday morning after we cooked her breakfast because she was working a matinee in Portland. She had picked out a wonderful card for me that I had cooed over at Target, a "Mother-To-Be" card. I'll save it forever. But Kevin and I had the day to ourselves, and it was perfection. He was so wonderful, attentive, and romantic. Kevin made the day so incredibly special for me.

I found the following very romantic, but I'm just a touch embarrassed to write about it. But he did give me permission....

We took a shower together (stop that, it's not a dirty story) and he washed my hair for me. I just stood in the nice, hot water while Kevin took care of everything. I felt like a princess. Afterwards he rubbed oil on my belly. It was the most wonderfully romantic gesture.

He made surprise lunch reservations at the Lobster Shop, but discovered last minute that it was at Dash Point, not on the Tacoma waterfront. The mistake was serendipitous, as we loved the intimate atmosphere of the Dash Point restaurant. We went All Out for lunch. Kevin had sparkling wine, we started with lobster bisque, then we shared shrimp, crab cakes, and scallops. I thought I was full, but Kevin ordered creme brulee for dessert. I wasn't as full as I thought when it arrived. But we really just enjoyed each other's company the entire time. After lunch we browsed around a few bookstores, then bummed at home the rest of the day. It was perfect. Kevin asked, "Did I do right by you this Mother's Day?" I told him that I would remember this day my entire life, and that it was perfect. He was perfect.

During lunch, we started talking about Father's Day plans. It wasn't until I looked at my calender that I discovered two things. One, I'm schedule to work that weekend. Two, it's a week before my due date. So we might celebrate Kevin's day a bit early.