I’m just finishing up my very first Mother’s Day as a mother, and I’ve had the loveliest day.  I spent time with some of my favorite mothers—my mom, aunt, and grandma, and John’s mom.  All very different ladies, but every one has played a role as a mother in my life, and I’m grateful for their example and the for role I know they’ll play in Peanut’s life, as well.

What also made today lovely was recognizing again how many people are excited about our new baby and so ready to be a part of our family.  I got cards and phone calls from friends and beautiful flowers from John, all of which were simple, sweet gestures of anticipatory joy that made me (and the Peanut) feel incredibly loved.  A couple of people told me they weren’t sure if this counted as my first Mother’s Day, but I think it does, and I think this year’s Father’s Day will count as John’s first, too.  Even though the baby isn’t born yet, it definitely exists, and I’m grateful for the people who see that John and I have indeed begun our journey into parenthood.  A co-worker told me on Friday that this Mother’s Day counted as my first as long as a) I was tired and b) my back hurt.  So if you’re measuring by those standards, I assure you this one absolutely counts.

In recognition of Mother’s Day, I have a few things lined up for this week.

First, I’ve achieved my 500 words/3 times a week goal for a full four weeks now.  My test run is complete, so I’m ready to invite some more people to this site.  I hope you all enjoy what I’m working on here!

Second, I’ve decided to dedicate this week to a couple of mothers who have already influenced my fledgling motherhood in a positive way.  Here’s a brief overview of what’s in store:

— Mother Mary:  There are a number of things that really inspire me about the Blessed Mother as a person.  She was the first person to say “yes” to letting Jesus into her life, and it involved making some pretty huge sacrifices that could have left her in a tough position.  But her faith, her patience, and her unfailing love allowed her to be a strong woman and an exemplary mother.  I’ve taken a greater interest in Mary the last few years simply as a woman, but as I become a mother, I’m discovering more and more that I can learn from her.  I’m also turning to her to ask for her prayers more often, which has been fruitful.

— Agnes Penny, author of Your Labor of Love: One of the challenges of being pregnant has been accepting the blessing and challenge of parenthood with a patient and open heart. When I searched for something to read, I quickly found this book of short thoughts and meditations to serve as a kind of “spiritual companion” for Catholic mothers, and in some chapters especially (more detail to come in the post!) I’ve found a great help in it.

— Katie, blogger at MarriageConfessions.com: I found this blog, written by another young married mother, when I was researching how my blogging idea had already been explored.  There is so much humor in this blog, as well as genuine and relevant insight, and I turn to it often.  Also her baby is just about the cutest baby in the entire world.  So only good things happen here.

Stay tuned, because I’m really looking forward to sharing these other women’s stories and what they’ve meant to me.

And on a final note, did anyone else think it was “Mothers’ Day,” not “Mother’s Day”?  This day is about more than one mother, right?  Hmmm . . .