Before I Was a Mom

I got this in an e-mail...rings pretty true to me right now:

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 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.