How do I choose the initial date without selecting a date with the datepicker?

How do I choose the initial date without selecting a date with the datepicker?

I am allowing only certain dates to be selected by the datepicker calendar. When the page first loads, I want the calendar to be showing my first available date. I tried initializing the datepicker with the defaultDate set to my date. This shows the date like I want, but it also selects it. How can I show the date on the calendar without selecting or highlighting it?