Once upon a time, Shay became a new mommy to baby Kensington…
…Kensington was born on a Monday, released from the hospital on Thursday and by the following Tuesday, her Lovie was at her house declaring every Tuesday a “Lovie Day”.
Tuesdays would consist of Lovie showing up at 9:00 and leaving at 6:00. At first, these days were for me to gather my thoughts as a new mommy. I could grocery shop, pay bills, run errands, clean up around the house, go get my hair done, take a nap (which I never did but I should have…) and so on. They were life savers for me as a new mom. My friends often joke that they want Lovie Days too (I wish I could share her but I just won’t!).
However, Lovie Days became an even bigger life saver just a few months in…first, I became pregnant again, which meant me being sick 24/7 (and it’s hard to function when you’re throwing up round the clock for 9 months), so having one day to function without an infant was so nice. And on top of that, I’ve had some health issues for the last 4 years that have required me to visit one or two doctors every.single.Tuesday (how would I have managed that with two kids without some help???), and so not having to worry about them while I was at speech therapy, the orthodontist, the ENT or the periodontist every week was a real blessing.
But…to top it all off…my kids have grown to loooooooove Lovie Days. They wake up almost every morning and ask if it’s Lovie Day. They have spent countless hours playing outside, going to the mall, eating McDonald’s, swimming, going for walks, reading books and just lovin’ on their Lovie.
But now, Smith and Kensington are both in preschool on Tuesdays, so Lovie Days are coming to an end (sort of…Lovie isn’t off the hook for holiday breaks and summer!). So what’s a Lovie to do on Tuesdays now? She’s going to drive an hour to pick them up every Tuesday from school and keep them for just a few short hours because she loves them so.
Thank you mom for all of the Lovie Days. You have helped me more than you know. I love you so much. I was so blessed to grow up in your house where every day was a Lovie Day.
XOXO
Sheaffer, Chris, Scout, and baby Carter says
Awwwwww! LOVE Lovie. You want to become besties with Alli and Nikki? That's fine….but I'm going to start working on Lovie for me! 🙂
Maureen W. (Maryland) says
Shay, this post made me cry. Maybe because I am so close with my mom and wish she lived closer (my parents are in CT)… Becoming a mom myself has made me appreciate my own that much more and seeing her as a grandmother to my children has given me an entirely new appreciation of her. Your mom seems like a wonderful, special lady. You both are on my "bucket list of people I would like to hug and have coffee with someday" 🙂
Rikki says
Awwww…..what a sweet post! Your mom is as pretty as you are Shay!
Aubrey says
This is so wonderful! Lovie Days are an amazing gift to EVERYONE involved. I'm completely jealous of your proximity to your parents, but I cling to the notion that I will have that…SOMEDAY.
Candice Ibarra says
This is so sweet! I hope to be as good of a mom some day as your mom she seems like such a sweetheart! How did the name Lovie come about! It's so sweet!
Mix and Match Mama says
Hi Candice! Lovie decided she didn't want a "grandma" name (we have too many of those already in our family…), so she heard the name Lovie (from the Chicago Bears Coach Lovie Smith) and picked that name. It fits her perfectly!
Candice Ibarra says
Thats so cute! I think we could all use a "lovie" in our lives! Have a great night 🙂
Aubs says
Sooo sweet! Makes me wish we were close to family! And I'm w/ Maureen ~ coffee and chatting w/ both of you would be so fun! =)
Sue says
You are incredibly blessed! Not only to have such a special Mom who has been able to be there and build such incredible relationships… but to enjoy her every day. Having lost my Mom almost 9 years ago, my advice would be to continue to cherish each "Lovie Day" you get, as you never know when God will choose to call her Home 😉 Bless you … and Lovie!
Brooke says
What a great post! You are blessed to have such a wonderful (and beautiful) mother 🙂
Anonymous says
Very neat! We have those, too – we call them Grammy days. But they didn't start until I went back to work (teaching). So the kids love it and they get to enjoy a day away from preschool and daycare! Moms are so great – what a blessing!