Mother's Day Weekend

Last Mother's Day, I was sad.  Relieved to be on the brink of another semester through and blessed with a little boy who called me mama, I was aching to be pregnant with another baby and had taken a pregnancy test the day before, only to face another negative sign with what I assumed was another failed month of trying.  I remember feeling sad, but so lucky to have Cruz, the perfect distraction to my worry and want.  I went through the motions of the day feeling a bit empty inside, completely unaware that as we trudged that field of bluebells, I had my own seed sprouting inside of me.  

I took another test three days later, this time with a little smiley face indicating that my first test must have been a bit too early.  I was pregnant.   

It's amazing what a year will do.  This year, we trudged that same field of bluebells, only this time holding a perfectly plump baby girl, dressed in a pink and white striped cotton dress, her bare feet brushing the side of our hip as we chased after her big brother who was caught somewhere between a bear hunt and Super Hero City.  We are now a family of four, navigating these fields of beauty knowing that although we don't always know what lies ahead, we can trust in a God that will come through.  Always.

We had a busy but restful Mother's Day weekend.  With a stormy and rainy forecast for Sunday, I made a decision to abandon all productivity for Saturday and be sure to make the most of the sunshine outside.  Baths and showers for the four of us took most of the morning, so we ventured to one of our favorite brunch spots, Newton's Cafe, for some pancakes and coffee around noon.  We had a booth in the back and Mila laid on a blanket on the seat beside me while we ate our fill of pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, and parmesan shaved french fries.  We made conversation with a family in town to watch their son graduate from college, and they reminisced about their kids being little like ours.  I couldn't tell what they were thinking as they watched us warm a bottle in a Lego cup of hot water or wipe Cruz's syrupy hands with a wet wipe, but as they got up to leave, the mother said, "Enjoy those beautiful babies.  And remember, the days are long, but the years are so very short."

After filling our tummies, we escaped to Katoski Greenbelt to play amongst the bluebells for awhile.  Cruz fully immersed himself in his surroundings and immediately started planning for a bear hunt.  It seemed he was either twenty feet ahead of us or twenty feet behind, drawing "maps" in the dirt with a stick, studying a "bear track" he had wandered upon, or collecting a handful of twigs to throw in the creek that bordered our walk.  Beau and I took turns passing Mila back and forth and she was happy and content to let her toes feel the open breeze.  Soon, our bear hunt transitioned to a game of Super Heroes as I let go of all adult behavior for awhile and immersed myself into a world of Mystique and Dr. Doom.  We chased the good guys (Beau and Mila) through the paths back to the car, hiding behind rocks and charging at them with stick swords and our best villain voices.  We corralled Cruz back into the car by pretending it was the Batmobile - little did Beau know we were taking him to jail instead of our house.  Cruz's smile as I let go for awhile was the perfect Mother's Day present for me.  

We arrived back to our house around nap time and I coerced my partner in crime to the backyard hammock for some books and more talk about superheroes.  Soon, he was fast asleep, snuggled in the crook of my arm as the breeze swayed our hammock back and forth, creating the perfect environment for an afternoon snooze.  It was pure bliss.  I dozed off for awhile, but spent the rest of the time soaking up my surroundings and feeling the weight of his body in my arms.  The bright blue sky, the newly leafed canopy above me, and the birds perched on its branches was the perfect backdrop to my afternoon.  For two years in a row, my Mother's Day Eves have involved long naps with my boy and I'm thinking I might make a habit of it.  And in the hammock?  There is nothing better.

After our outdoor nap, we decided it was best to keep a good thing going and invited Beau and Mila to Brickhouse for some frozen yogurt.  We ate outside and then drove to the store for some groceries for dinner.  We left with the makings for my favorite margaritas and chicken fajitas on the grill.  Both of our babies were tired from the fresh air and we tucked them in early and enjoyed a quiet night of margaritas and a new season of 24 before crawling in our new cotton sheets and sleeping with the windows open.

We enjoyed a Sunday morning of church, a late lunch at the Pizza Ranch with my family, and an afternoon walk around the neighborhood where both kids fell asleep and Beau and I enjoyed uninterrupted conversation.  We walked slowly and even finished off our pitcher of margaritas on the porch before ending the weekend with a movie night and big bowl of buttery popcorn.  

Another year of Mother's Day, celebrating the hardest and most rewarding job I will ever know.  A year that brought a little sister to our lives, as well as more lessons and learning, memories that timestamp this important stage of our lives, and perfect proof of a plan much bigger than we can comprehend.  'Twas a good weekend.