Happy Mother's Day

Like last year, the sweetness of this day celebrating motherhood is tinged with compassionate sadness for the women who are struggling with infertility, who are waiting to adopt or who have lost a pregnancy or a child, many of whom dread this day and suffer through the flowers passed out to moms at church, the sappy commercials on TV and the other reminders that another Mother's Day has come and they are still childless. I'm not sure I'll ever feel about Mother's Day the way H*allmark wants me to feel.

But today was a fun day spent with J and Evie. Evie did her best to make me feel like a mother, by wailing at midnight and refusing to go back to sleep until we nestled her between us in bed. J gave me thoughtful and lovely gifts, cooked me a delicious breakfast, dinner and dessert, and monitored Evie's nap while I snuck out to see the new documentary, Babies. (It was fascinating, funny and touching but didn't make me cry, surprisingly.)

It's been a busy week here with visits from all four of Evie's grandparents. Here are some recent photos. Reading with Papa:
Loving the carousel at the zoo:
Watching the sea lions with Grandma:
"Hi"
Fascinated by a fountain, with Grandma and Grandpa:
Mothering her baby doll, and all dressed up for Mother's Day church in a too-cute-to-be-true outfit from her Nana: