Happy Mother’s Day, new mamas! Now that Baby is here, you’re probably excited to revel in this special day, and while it’s a great day for moms with kids of all ages, we happen to know for certain that this first Mother’s Day is the very best. You might be covered in spit up and haven’t gotten a full night’s sleep in 9 months, but your first Mother’s Day is one you will cherish. Don’t believe us? We’ll prove it to you.
Photo by Paul Roth via Flickr
1. Sleep in.
Listen carefully, first time mommies: try as you might, you will not be able to sleep in on Mother’s Day (or any other day, really) for at least 10 more years. Next year, your toddler will be scurrying through the house, and no one can sleep through that. For years after, your little one will be too excited to celebrate your day that they will end up waking you up early. This year, this sacred first year, your partner just needs a bottle to keep your little one quiet for a few more hours so you can catch some shut eye. Enjoy it and sleep a few extra minutes for the rest of us.
Photo by tracyjuang via Flickr
2. Mimosas and brunch.
A few years from now, your preschooler will love making you breakfast in bed. You will love it too – it’s sweet, thoughtful and a rite of passage for mommies and kiddos. But the bacon will be crunchy, the eggs will be runny, the cereal will be full to spilling, and the yogurt will be in a tube. Your first Mother’s Day is the perfect chance to indulge in brunch cooked by someone else and mimosas that won’t get spilled on your nightstand.
Photo by surlygirl via Flickr
3. Welcome to the club.
The best part of your first Mother’s Day is that you are finally a part of the Mama Club. You spend your afternoon wishing your friends Happy Mother’s Day on Facebook and you finally understand why your parenting pals cry at those darn mom-centered commercials. Welcome to the club, Mom.
Photo by A. Strakey via Flickr
4. Baby snuggles.
No matter if you are a newborn lover or if you are excited to get past the crawling stage, your first Mother’s Day is full of guaranteed baby snuggles. In coming years, your lap will miss having a baby on it. Your preschooler might be affectionate, but he doesn’t fall asleep in your arms anymore. And let’s face it, your teenager won’t smell nearly as good as the baby you rock right now. Breathe it in this year, Mama.
Photo by Donnie Ray Jones
5. You are the star of the show.
Everyone is extra nice to you on your first Mother’s Day. The waitresses at the restaurant smile bigger, your husband is still in awe of your strength during labor. You, dear Mother, are the belle of the ball. Choose the restaurant, pick the traditions that will carry your family through this day for the next twenty years. You deserve it, after all. You grew a tiny human inside your body and pushed him right out. Everyone who encounters you should give you spirit fingers and high kicks. Live it up and soak it in.
Photo by clappstar via Flickr
6. Gifts without popsicle sticks.
Don’t get us wrong – your upcoming Mother’s Day will be full of the most sentimental and sweet gifts, think homemade cards with kindergarten handwriting. But it can be – ahem – difficult to find special places in your home to properly display these popsicle stick and pompon creations. Your first Mother’s Day will feature sentimental gifts that you dropped hints about to your husband. A necklace, a print to hang on your gallery wall, a gift certificate for a much needed pedicure and Target run. These, dear Mama, are gifts won’t cause you a major bout of Mommy guilt when you tuck them in your bottom drawer.
Photo by Sandor Weisz by Flickr
7. Your mom becomes more important.
Having a child brings your relationship with your own mother into focus a bit more. Whether you have an awesome mom or a bad one, you will find yourself thinking about her even more on your first Mother’s Day. Did she struggle, like you, when she decided to move you out of the bassinet and into the crib? Did she cry, like you, when your baby grew out of 6 month clothes? Did she, like you, tell her husband she was taking a shower but really sneak a roll of cookie dough into the bathroom to eat in peace? Call your mom and celebrate with her.
Photo by Lexi and Livi via Flickr
8. Project Runway.
On Mother’s Day, you have free reign to dress your baby exactly the way you want to. Put her in the biggest hair bow you can find, even if she doesn’t have any hair at all, and even if your husband hates it. Put him in a collared shirt and a pair of overalls that are super cute but super unrealistic during diaper changes. Heck, you can even pick out an outfit to coordinate with your baby. We are pretty sure that your husband will wear whatever you tell him to as well. Stretch your fashion imagination because next year your toddler will say that the collared shirt is scratchy and your preschooler will insist on wearing her Tinkerbell costume for the third week straight.
Photo by Clever Cupcakes via Flickr
9. Keep it low key.
Does all of this Mother’s Day planning give you hives? Or does your relationship with your own family keep you from feeling like you want to celebrate with them? Your first Mother’s Day gives you the perfect excuse to play it low key and skip out on the big hoopla – you have a baby scapegoat if you need it. Spend your day snuggling your little one and catching up on The Walking Dead instead of hitting up your in-law’s house for dinner. If they insist that you come, blame your absence on your wee one’s schedule. You can’t use that excuse for too much longer, as eventually they start talking – and tattling.
Photo by Theresa Martell via Flickr
10. The best is yet to come.
Being a mommy is amazing and it only gets better as you continue to get to know your baby. You’ll love watching your toddler conquer his fears of the playground slide and your preschooler gain confidence when he takes a swimming class all by himself. You will be proud when you watch your second grader be kind to a classmate and feel old when your teenager uses a term that you have to Google. But this year, your first Mother’s Day, you get to dream about what that relationship will be like, what your baby will grow up to be. It’s a sweet and optimistic place to be.
So Happy Mother’s Day to you, new mama. We hope you enjoy your day, whether it is full of quiche and mimosas or cookie dough and catching up with your DVR.
Tell us about your perfect Mother’s Day in a Comment.
–Haley Burress
