Sunday was Mother’s Day, and this year was my first time celebrating it as a mother myself. It still feels a little surreal that I’ve become a mother and that this day will now hold a special meaning for me for the rest of my life. Though it’s only been a little over a month since I have joined the ranks of motherhood, it’s already been such a wonderful and life-changing experience so far.

For my first Mother’s Day, I awoke to this cutie:

eyes wide open

Later, Dan surprised me with a colorful bouquet of flowers.

admiring the flowers
Receiving flowers for my first Mother's Day.

 

loving the array of colors
Love the array of colors... Dan got a custom bouquet made and picked out lovely tulips, roses, and Gerbera daisies.

 

flowers from Dan
Thank you, hubby!

 

Our friend and uber-talented photographer Tea came over to take some photos of Mio for us, and she brought me some flowers as well! So thoughtful and sweet of her… thank you, Tea! 🙂

flowers from Tea
Sweet mini roses from Tea!

 

Thank you also to all my friends who sent me Mother’s Day cards and e-cards to commemorate my first Mother’s Day… I was surprised but of course very touched to receive so many from everyone. You made my first Mother’s Day truly memorable! ♥

Mother's Day cards
Mother's Day cards

 

In the evening, we went out to dinner with Dan’s family to celebrate at Yusan Sushi. So happy I can finally eat sushi and sashimi again! 🙂

Happy Mother's Day!
Dan's parents. Happy Mother's Day, okaasan!

 

Ted and Hanna
Ted (Dan's brother) and Hanna. 🙂

 

our little family
Our little family. Mio slept through the entire dinner, as well as the car ride to and from the restaurant.

 

We ended the day by taking some photos to remember our first Mother’s Day together… 🙂

in Mommy's lap

Mio in her little dress

playing with her little hands

I couldn’t help but be consumed by an overwhelming feeling of gratitude this Mother’s Day.

I have always been thankful for the amazing mothers in my own life — my own mother who gave birth to me and raised me with love, my mother-in-law who has always welcomed and embraced me from Day One with such warmth, as well as my grandmother back in Hiroshima whom I rarely get to see but writes me letters every month.

But this year, I have even more to be grateful for. For the wonderful husband I have and for this precious, precious daughter we have brought into this world together. I feel like nothing I have ever done in my life warrants this incredible gift that has been bestowed upon me.  I have never been — and never will be — the most beautiful, the most talented, the most successful. I am as imperfect as they come. But somehow, despite all of my innumerable flaws and shortcomings, I have been given so much in this humble life of mine, and now have been entrusted with the greatest blessing yet.

I look at Mio and am dumbfounded that she loves, trusts, and needs me more than anyone else in the world.

I am so undeserving, and I wonder if I ever will be worthy of all of this.