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.