Assalamu alaikum - Thinking about starting to wear the niqab

Assalamu alaikum my brothers and sisters, I wanted to share something and ask for advice. I’m a revert and alhamdulillah my first anniversary of embracing Islam is coming up. Lately I’ve been learning more about the niqab. I follow a Sunni path where I understand it’s not obligatory in the school I follow, but I feel drawn to try wearing it. Being so new and living in a Catholic household makes me nervous. My mum knows I’m Muslim and that I wear the hijab, and she’s been a bit difficult about it. She did a lot of reading to try to understand and even paid for many of my hijabs, though at first she didn’t really get it. I admit I didn’t communicate well either while I was still figuring things out. This time I want to be clearer with her about my intentions, but first I want to make my intention clear to Allah and complete my first Ramadan so I can reflect and connect properly. I don’t want to put extra burden on my family like before, so I plan to buy the niqab with my own money (I don’t earn much because of my age). I’ve already ordered some niqabs online that should arrive after Christmas, which would be nice timing for Ramadan. I’m worried about how my mum will react if I don’t join in Christmas celebrations - it’s a sensitive topic at home. I don’t want to upset her, but I also don’t want to participate in religious activities I don’t believe in just to keep the peace. I’m afraid that if she’s displeased she might refuse to let me wear the niqab after Ramadan. She’s also concerned about me fasting without water and worries that my choices might affect my future job opportunities. Has anyone been through something similar? How did you talk to family about choosing to wear niqab respectfully, especially around holidays and household expectations? Any advice on expressing my intentions to my mum in a gentle way, while staying true to my faith, would be appreciated. Jazakum Allah khair.