I've finally made it this far

By the time you’re reading this on Saturday, I will have both doses of my COVID-19 vaccine.

It’s crazy to think how long this moment has been in the making. I'm definitely feeling grateful.

I was pretty nervous about getting my first shot because I have a lot of anxiety around needles. But for this appointment, I'm feeling much calmer since I already have a good grasp on how the process will go.

Plus, I'm keeping in mind some of the things that helped me last time (for example, I don't plan to look at the needle). 

Of course, I'm bracing myself for potentially worse side effects than with the first dose, but I also know some side effects aren't a bad thing – in fact, it's a good sign that your immune system is working properly. 

As exciting as it will be to to have protection against COVID-19, it's important to note that it takes some time for the shots to be as effective as possible.

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or two weeks after receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 

So, just a friendly reminder to stay safe even after your second shot.

Don't forget: Mother's Day is tomorrow

Mother's Day is Sunday, and it's the perfect occasion to celebrate the motherly figure in your life.

This year has been especially rough for mothers. But, if we're being honest, it's always a rough year for mothers, writes my colleague Alia E. Dastagir.

Alia writes what moms really want for Mother's Day, including less shame, less judgment and less stress.

Society has always sent messages about what it means to be an "ideal mother." When mothers don't live up to that ideal, they're punished and often blame themselves. The internet and social media have created new spaces for moms to suffer judgment, which contributes to a culture of mom-shaming. 

Moms may love the flowers and extra sleep, but what they need more is a culture that values the vital work they do.

Read the full article here to learn about what other things mothers need.

Your pet submissions live on!

A much-loved section of our newsletter is "Today's pet," which features pet photos submitted to us by our lovely readers.

In order to help share some positivity, we rounded up 75 of your adorable pets for a USA TODAY photo gallery. You can scroll through the cuteness by clicking the gallery below. 

Today's reads

• Mother's Day is hard this year for those who lost a loved one during the pandemic. We spoke to people who are grieving instead of celebrating.
• Broadway is set to reopen Sept. 14 in New York. Here's what you need to know about tickets, shows and more.
• Many of us are allowed to take off our masks, but some of us don't want to. Here's why. 
• Hollywood has a sordid history with portrayals of mental illness. Here's how it's trying to do better.
• Uhh... Lastly, just a heads up that a Chinese rocket may be hurtling back to Earth. Yeah, you read that right. 

Today's pet

Meet Peppa. 

Reader Roberta Greenwood writes, "Our 'adopted' grandkids Sara and Ava love their rescue poodle, Peppa... (who) is blind, nearly deaf and has very few teeth – but wow! She is so loved by these two remarkable humans. We brought them two tiny stuffed animals from our first post-vaccination road trip and Peppa decided one of them was just perfect for her...and she’s determined to sleep with it every night."

We're wishing you sweet dreams, Peppa!