To be a mother...

Becoming a mother is more than just picking out the latest crib and baby bedding. It is more than finding the cutest wardrobe for the newest little addition. It is more than the ooh's and aah's you get when your little belly starts to show. Becoming a mother is more than just seeing your baby on the monitor of an ultrasound machine. You daydream about putting that perfect little baby in a shiny, new stroller and just run like you used to before the baby came. At first, you try to keep doing all your pre-baby activities while pulling the little one along with you...
But, then you realize you are not the same person you were before she came along. Before long, you stop trying to prove to everyone else that you are good mother and INSTEAD start proving to your child that all that matters is her/him. As a new mother, you try so hard to keep the house spotless, dinner cooked, and everyone looking their very best. But, with time, you learn that the most fulfilling days are spent splashing in water, walking barefoot through the sand and grass, getting dirty, and holding your little one. You see...all these books have it wrong...the only thing your child needs is YOU. They need lots of holding, hugging, snuggling, etc. Thank goodness for long weekends to remind us that all we need is love.

"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."

Unknown Author

Dear Ella,

What a wonderful mini-vacation to the beach with you and daddy that I had. You had NO fear of the water this time. How grown up you are now that you are 2! The best part of the trip was holding your hands and seeing you grin while the ocean brought waves up to your knees and swept the sand away from under your feet. And sitting with you watching the ocean...WOW...it was like you understood the beauty of just looking at one of God's marvelous creations. But while you looked at the beautiful blue ocean, all I could see was your beauty taking it all in. It is brief moments like these that just remind me how important it is to slow down and just enjoy you.

Mommy