Best. Days. Ever.

Sharing a bit of my heart today.

I woke up feeling blessed.  My cup literally runneth over.  I have not one but two of the most amazing gifts.  They are truly heaven sent.  For these children I prayed and prayed and have not stopped praying.

It took a little while to get pregnant the first time (with my son).  Maybe someday when I muster up the courage I’ll share that story in more detail.  For now I’ll just say it took some time, and I thought that maybe motherhood might not happen for me in the conventional way.  The day I found out I was pregnant I was at my doctor’s office to start my first round of fertility medication.  I cried the happiest, most joyful tears I’ve ever cried!  That was the day I became a mother.  I’ll never forget that day and the journey it took to get there.  That was the best. day. ever.

The second time around was easier.  I didn’t have any trouble getting pregnant with my daughter.  The trouble with her came later.  At 10 days old they discovered a heart murmur.  She had a PDA (a patent ductus arteriosus), which is a fancy way of saying she had a whole in her heart.  Her cardiologist said that this usually corrects itself.  It didn’t.  The left side of her heart was enlarging.  Her heart was working over time.  She had trouble gaining weight.  She was a fussy baby.  She cried all the time; unless I was holding her.  At 9 months old she had surgery.  They performed a cardiac catheterization (basically they plugged the whole with a small device).  I can hardly talk about the day of her surgery without crying.  I thought I’d never be able to hand my baby over to the surgeon.  Remembering that day is bittersweet.  It’s amazing the strength God gives you when you think you just can’t keep it all together. When she woke up from anesthesia I could finally breathe again.  And literally so could she.  Her little heart didn’t have to work so hard anymore.  It was a difficult day, but we all made it through.  That was the best. day. ever.   

At her three year old check-up the cardiologist cleared her.  As in she never needs to go back to a pediatric cardiologist ever again!  There’s no doubt that was the best. day. ever!!!!!

This morning I woke up to the sound of my kids fighting over what cartoon to watch on t.v.  I smiled, and I had to laugh.  I’m sure God is thinking – well you asked for this 🙂  Being a mother isn’t always easy.  Not every day is the best day ever.  Days are long and tiring.  Sometimes your daughter fills up her teapots with toilet water (that your son forgot to flush) – that was obviously not the best day ever 🙂  Sometimes they fight.  Sometimes you just do not want to hear the word “why” again!  Then there are the times when they say, “I love you”, for the very first time and your heart literally melts.  Or the times when you hear your son reading a story to your daughter and you grin from ear to ear.  The life of a mother is good and hard,  and it’s oh so very rewarding.  On Mother’s Day, I always wake up smiling.  For me, no matter what, Mother’s Day will always be the best. day. ever!  

Having a lovely brunch at a winery doesn’t hurt either 🙂

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day!  The only thing that could have made my day any sweeter would have been having my mother here with me in Kentucky instead of in California.  I love you mom!