Full circle

While families celebrated Mother's Day yesterday with brunches or shopping sprees or dinner get-togethers, I was cooped up inside. I had to work on Mother's Day. But, really, don't feel to sorry for me. I have this really awesome part time job. It does require working some weekends and my work day just happened to fall on Mother's Day. However, it hardly seemed like work. I work in a hospital taking pictures of newborns. I'm kind of like the third string person there and that's how I like it. I only work a few days a month, so sometimes I'll have a week or two off and then I can't wait to get back there and see a brand new baby.

So, I got to spend my Mother's Day with a bunch of brand new moms and the children they just welcomed into the world. When I went to see the first family of the day, there was a big sister in the room dressed up in a beautiful dress and I got some great shots of the two of them together.

What made it pretty cool is that this is the same hospital where all five of my kids were born. I was on the same floor where I labored and my babies took their first breaths and let out their first cries. I was in the same nursery where they were weighed and diapered and poked and prodded in their first hours. I was in the same unit where I first nursed them and where I caught catnaps in between the checks for vitals and the adjusting of the IVs. I was side by side with some of the nurses and aides who had been there when I was in labor and took who took care of me in the days that followed. This was the place I entered -- exactly 18 years ago this Saturday -- to be induced and later that day became a mother. So, being there on Mother's Day just kind of felt right. How many women can say they spent Mother's Day in the place where they actually became a mother? It was like a full circle moment.

Besides, there were lots of goodies waiting for me when I got home. Like this: