my first mommy's day

A year ago Chris and I celebrated what we dubbed “mommy-2-be” day in small, simple ways. At 9+ months pregnant, all I wanted was a (whole) cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory and Italian food for dinner. In that order.

Saturday night I remember sitting on the edge of the bed, inhaling my first decadent slice of cheesy, cakey heaven, while Chris sat at the computer compiling my soundtrack for delivery, including painfully awful tunes like “Havin’ My Baby.”

On Mother’s Day we waited until we thought the throngs of hungry families would’ve dissipated and hit the local Italian place laaate in the afternoon. I guess the 20 or so groups ahead of us shared our same idea. Once we were seated, we were quickly shocked by the family across the way from us. It was a mom and her two kids, one about 7 or so and one 2ish tot. Mom sat the little one in front of a bowl of pasta the size of a human head and let the kid have at it. And he did. Though he was quiet while flinging strings of spaghetti as if to test its stick-to-itevness, the mess he left in his wake was, well, enough to make ya’ lose your lunch. There were piles of pasta on the table, in the banquet seat, ground into the floor. Chris and I, bugged eyed, swore at that moment that our bun, once finally out of the oven, would never be allowed to behave that way.

Aww, the naivety that we allow ourselves to indulge in before actually becoming parents. So cute.

Flash forward one year and we have all but become that family.

This year, as a weary, worn-out mom to a nearly 1-year-old wild man, all I wanted was a shiny clean home (something that would be accomplished in my absence) and a shopping trip with my boys to snag some pants that actually fit (I’ve now lost 32 pounds since January and have yet to buy new threads!).

Friday night Cooper and I puttered around the mall, while the hubby (aka my man-maid) scrubbed every nook and cranny (YAY!). Saturday was split between the park and the pool and Sunday, well, we found ourselves back at the same Italian restaurant with our own little food slinger.

While we didn’t give Coop carte blanche with a pasta bowl, he did attack the cheerios and crunchy bits of breadstick with a ravenous ferocity befitting a starving animal. For every bite that he managed to push into his mouth with his pudgy little fingers, two landed on the floor, in his lap or in the highchair. (CRAAAP!). We alternated holding down the highchair with our feet because the little turkey has realized he's strong enough to push back, turning the upright chair into a recliner (he was halfway back - and down - when we caught him the first time). Plus, he decided that dinner out was the perfect opportunity to practice his new bird calls (DOUBLE CRAAAP!). Chris and I, again, sat bugged eyed, as we saw the mess left in starvin’ marvin’s wake.

But, the boy didn’t throw a screaming fit, no one was injured by the flying menus he hurled off the table and we weren’t asked to leave, so I’d consider dinner a success.

With a glance back at the floor as I packed up the bowl of cheerios, sippy cup, bottle and teether, all I could do was sigh and tell Chris to leave a good tip. It could’ve been worse. Waay worse.

happy, happy mother’s day!

p.s. Best part? Got my first Coop-made card. At daycare, they helped him cover a plate with thumbprints and flowers and added a note that said, “Thumbody loves you.” How stinkin’ cute is that?

Also, for additional mommy's day details/pics, click here.