First Mother's Day

Anyone that knows Travis knows what a thoughtful guy he is. And, he definitely made me feel super special on my first Mother's Day. I am so blessed to have such a kind and generous husband. I don't like to say too much about it because I know it makes people throw up in their mouths a little bit, but if you know him, you know he pretty much rocks. And if you don't know him, that's a bummer.

My first Mother's Day with a baby on the outside of my body was really special. Our church hosted baby dedications, and we dedicated our sweet and precious gift, Stella Breann. It was a very special day for us and represented a promise from us to God that we will raise Stella to the best of our ability in accordance with God's word. It was also a public statement in front of our church family. In turn, our church made a covenant with us to walk alongside and support us. And, as cliche as it may sound to some, for us, our church really is family. Our biological families are more than 2.5 hours away so we have come to rely so much on our church family. 

At the beginning of the dedication, a video of pictures of the babies being dedicated was shared. It was fun to see Stella on the big screen! I also submitted a fresh-out-of-my-womb shot, which may have scarred some teenage boys. Oops! Our pastor overheard them asking their mom, "What is that?!" Yikes!

So presh!

Stella had just awakened from a short nap and was ready to go! Note: Stella's dress was another find at the consignment shop! And, I had to crop my Spanx out of this shot.

We were presented with a certificate commemorating this special moment, which included the life verse we selected for Stella: ⁶ Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV)

The entire group. It's so fun to think about Stella growing up with these kiddos. And, some of the parents in this photo are our dearest friends. See my friend, Jo, in the long, pink dress? Yeah, she held one of my legs while Stella was being born. That is true friendship, my friends.

The rest of our day was lovely, too. The weather was gorgeous. We went on a picnic, planted some flowers and enjoyed some custard from our fave, local place. Travis also presented me with a really neat little treasure I'll try to share with you once it arrives on our door step. 

And, just for fun, this is a picture of me last year on Mother's Day 20 weeks pregnant with Stelly Bean.

And, how sweet is this picture of Daddy and his other girl? Stella is wearing one of my dresses from when I was a wee one.

I don't really know how to wrap up this post because Mother's Day makes me super emotional. Though I've only really been a mom for two of them, I always find myself shedding lots of tears on Mother's Day. I only know a little bit about the feeling of having my hopes of being a momma stripped from me, and my feelings, which were deep and painful, were somewhat temporary. My heart hurts so badly for many of my friends who long to become moms, and I know Mother's Day is especially a hard reminder for them. I also think of friends and family missing their own moms, and it's just hard. I don't really think anything I can say or write will alleviate any heartache, but I am thankful I'm able to relate on some level. And in doing so, my gratitude for my own amazing mom, who has managed to transition seamlessly from mom to friend, is increased. And, words cannot express how thankful I am for the privilege of being Stella's mom.