Before I was a Mom

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.

Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind

and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child

so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because

I didn't want to put him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom. 

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling
of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

Oprah often says the hardest job in the world is being a mom.  The thing she fails to mention is that it is also the most rewarding job in the world. 

Happy Mother's Day to all the incredible women we call MOM!

xoxo