Before I Was a Mom

I was sent this poem through email. I have to say that it kind of sums up how I have been feeling lately about being a mother. I feel so blessed to have been entrusted with five beautiful spirits. I am no where close to being a perfect mother, nor close to being the kind of mother I want to be, but I try each day. I am so thankful that children are so forgiving. It seems they always say or do the sweetest thing and the perfect time to remind me why I love being a mother. I am so blessed to be able to stay home with them each day. I can't believe how fast they are growing! The constant state of sleep deprivation is so worth it when I go to get them out of their bed in the morning and they look up at me with their big, bright eyes and smile! I love to hear about their fun day at school and the many new things they are learning. I love to watch them play together and make each other laugh. I love to find them all in the same bedroom together reading books or making their latest fort or just goofing around. I love to see the older ones pick up the younger ones to comfort them when they are crying. There are so many things that make me smile!! I love being a mother! There is no other job in the world that I would rather do. I love to be able to say when asked what I do, that I am 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 her 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 .