The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh *
Webster's defines Mother's day as the second Sunday in May appointed for the honoring of mothers. Sounds like a pretty sad definition to me, but my first Mother's day has come and gone, not without the typical "Alissa" drama. My dear sweet husband tried to plan a surprise for his wife and mother of his first born. Of course, Corbin's four month doctor's appointment got in the way and he was "forced" to tell me, so we could reschedule, of course. He reserved an oceanfront suite in the Isle of Palms, just north of Charleston, and we were going to have our first family 
vacation together. Corbin's first beach experience. It seemed so sweet at the time.
vacation together. Corbin's first beach experience. It seemed so sweet at the time. *
Well, Mother's day weekend rolled around and after a day full of shopping with the 'rents...we headed home to start the process of getting things prepared. For those future parents out there...being prepared is definitely the name of the game....it may seem like common sense now, but it is an acquired taste! Anyway, we basically packed our entire house. From the pack-n-play to his bouncy to at least 15 bibs and 15 burp cloths for our spitting child to THREE swim trunks. Yes..we were going overnight ;) Much to our surprise, it all fit in the CRV with enough room to spare for our cooler and kid. We woke up at Corbin's first feeding on Sunday at around 6am to the sound of pouring rain. We figured it was a good thing we were leaving all the crappy weather..urgh! I showered while Richard fed him and we were in the car around 7:30am. We dropped off the dog at my parents house and hit the road. It poured the entire way. We decided to stop at my sister's house to see Eli and Emmett..and my sister, I 
guess ;) While we were there, the rain stopped and the sun started to peak around all the clouds. We were pretty sure that it was clearing out and the weather would be beautiful by the time we got there. After feeding Corbin again, we continued our trek down to the coast. We got there at around 1:30 and although at first glance, the weather was beautiful...horrible winds with gusts up to 45 mph had replaced the rain. Poor Corbin hasn't learned how to breathe in the wind yet...so death by suffocation was his worst nightmare. By the time we got in our room, Corbin needed to eat and take a nap. We fed him and thought we might be able to get him to doze off in the Bjourn. Boy was that a pipe dream! We strapped him in and headed to the waves. Between the sleepiness and the hurricane force "breeze" barrelling at his face, Corbin was not a huge fan of the beach.
guess ;) While we were there, the rain stopped and the sun started to peak around all the clouds. We were pretty sure that it was clearing out and the weather would be beautiful by the time we got there. After feeding Corbin again, we continued our trek down to the coast. We got there at around 1:30 and although at first glance, the weather was beautiful...horrible winds with gusts up to 45 mph had replaced the rain. Poor Corbin hasn't learned how to breathe in the wind yet...so death by suffocation was his worst nightmare. By the time we got in our room, Corbin needed to eat and take a nap. We fed him and thought we might be able to get him to doze off in the Bjourn. Boy was that a pipe dream! We strapped him in and headed to the waves. Between the sleepiness and the hurricane force "breeze" barrelling at his face, Corbin was not a huge fan of the beach. *
He swallowed a ton of air and started screaming...that ear-piercing colic scream we have come to 
know so well. We took him back up to the room just in time to put him down for a nap. He basically passed out...thank god..and we found ourselves enjoying some cheap "Harris Teeter" Sangria in plastic cups while we lounged on plastic lawn furniture. But HEY we were overlooking the ocean. Corbin slept for about an hour and woke up screaming again. When he does this, it is because he usually has to burp and due to the large quantities of air shoved down his throat..we had a hard time getting it out. After some Gripe Water...a freakin' lifesaver in our house...and a few thousand pats on the back, it finally came up, but since Corbin had been crying for so long he didn't know how to stop. We fed him again and decided to just head home because the weather was supposed to be the same the next day, which meant we couldn't leave the hotel room. As I fed Corbin his last meal for the day..Richard started packing up the hotel room....just in time for another storm to add more humor to our already "not so funny" day. Right when we shut the hotel door with a cart full of crap we never used, the hotel lost power. You might think this was a good thing..the last straw to prove we should just leave and go home..but our room was on the third floor and an elevator doesn't work without power. ;)
By this point..Richard is DONE..he starts carrying everything down the three flights of steps to our car..I'm sure cursing the entire way..while sweet mom (me)..laughs and chats to her sister on the phone. This might be the story of poor Richard's life...just kidding. So Richard carries..a suitcase, pack-n-play, bathroom bag, bag of toys, a beach umbrella, a bouncy seat, bags of groceries, a changing table pad (Corbin sleeps on it), a boppy, a cooler, and a camera bag down those steps..AND got our money back. (He's quite the guy) Then it was off we go...to start up that first bridge to clear skies and a beautiful sunset. Not a cloud in the sky or drop of rain in our sight...WTF! We ended the night by stopping at Zaxby's and eating Zensation Zalads in the parking lot because Corbin woke up and was crying again. Only to stop when mom got in the back seat to play with him.
know so well. We took him back up to the room just in time to put him down for a nap. He basically passed out...thank god..and we found ourselves enjoying some cheap "Harris Teeter" Sangria in plastic cups while we lounged on plastic lawn furniture. But HEY we were overlooking the ocean. Corbin slept for about an hour and woke up screaming again. When he does this, it is because he usually has to burp and due to the large quantities of air shoved down his throat..we had a hard time getting it out. After some Gripe Water...a freakin' lifesaver in our house...and a few thousand pats on the back, it finally came up, but since Corbin had been crying for so long he didn't know how to stop. We fed him again and decided to just head home because the weather was supposed to be the same the next day, which meant we couldn't leave the hotel room. As I fed Corbin his last meal for the day..Richard started packing up the hotel room....just in time for another storm to add more humor to our already "not so funny" day. Right when we shut the hotel door with a cart full of crap we never used, the hotel lost power. You might think this was a good thing..the last straw to prove we should just leave and go home..but our room was on the third floor and an elevator doesn't work without power. ;)
By this point..Richard is DONE..he starts carrying everything down the three flights of steps to our car..I'm sure cursing the entire way..while sweet mom (me)..laughs and chats to her sister on the phone. This might be the story of poor Richard's life...just kidding. So Richard carries..a suitcase, pack-n-play, bathroom bag, bag of toys, a beach umbrella, a bouncy seat, bags of groceries, a changing table pad (Corbin sleeps on it), a boppy, a cooler, and a camera bag down those steps..AND got our money back. (He's quite the guy) Then it was off we go...to start up that first bridge to clear skies and a beautiful sunset. Not a cloud in the sky or drop of rain in our sight...WTF! We ended the night by stopping at Zaxby's and eating Zensation Zalads in the parking lot because Corbin woke up and was crying again. Only to stop when mom got in the back seat to play with him. *
Yesterday, Richard wanted to buy me something to make up for it..sadly, all I really wanted was a jumperoo for Corbin...and now I'm thinking I might want a Miracle Blanket too..this is how you know you are truly a mother..ha ha! It's funny how there is one day a year when we are supposed to "honor" our mothers. Ditto on the dads. I don't even really know what that means. Does a card and a box of chocolates really "honor" anyone? Elisabeth on the View said yesterday that if we didn't have the structure of a given day..no one would remember to do it. This might be a little more sad than the three hour drive home Sunday night. I think the day is to stop and actually take a breath from your everyday life to soak in the meaning of family. I think honoring me comes in those small moments when Corbin accidentally grabs around my neck and I pretend he's actually hugging me :) or when I'm rushing to put Corbin's bottle together and when I get downstairs...Richard did it for me before he went to work. I don't need a huge day at the beach...I don't even really need a card. It's in those moments that I realize how loved I really am and feel so grateful to be riding this rollercoaster or running this marathon with the two greatest people I'm sure I will ever know.
1 comment:
I thought that life couldn't get any better after I married the woman of my dreams, but having a baby boy with the woman of my dreams made me the happiest man on the planet!!! Seeing the way Corbin lights up when he hears his mother's voice gives me so much joy. Seeing him accomplish something new everyday makes me so proud. I truly have the most beautiful family that a man can ask for!!!
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