Ain't this little chicky cute?

Before I was a Mom
I slept as late as I wanted
And never worried about how late I got into bed
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday

Before I was a Mom
I cleaned my house each day
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to lullabies

Before I was a Mom
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 thrown up on
Pooped on
Spit on
Chewed on
Peed on
Or pinched by tiny fingers

Before I was a Mom
I had complete control of my mind
My thoughts
My body
And my mind
I slept all night

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child
So that 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 it 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

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

-- Ruth Bourdon