WHAT NOBODY TOLD ME ABOUT HAVING A BABY!

...that it was humanly possible to love someone else THIS much.
...that someone straight from God Himself could love ME this much.
...that so many songs would make me start sobbing uncontrollably ("Where are you going my little one...little one".
...that a child could wake me up 15 times before 3 am and I'd still want to hold him long after he fell asleep. (Depending on the reason he woke you up of course) :)
...that a sick child would be more of a worry and less of a burden.
...that fingers slammed in a door could hurt SO much when they weren't even my fingers.
...that by the time the 2nd child came along I would actually be afraid that I wouldn't have enough love to go around.
...that no matter how many children I have my love will multiply between them - not divide.
...that when someone gives you advice (aside from close family or close friends) the general rule should be to smile, nod your head and then ignore them...some people are just nosy and need something to complain about so they figure an easy target would be a hormonal woman who is questioning everything she does already...JUST IGNORE THEM!
...that I could ever value someone else's life over my own (Well, okay, my Mom told me that, but I didn't REALLY understand until I had my own children).
...that when I would leave my child with my Mom for the first time I would give her instructions on how to care for my child like she's a pre-teen who's never taken care of a child before - and she will just nod and listen because she knows she's raised a Mother who cares about her children. LOL
...that my Mother, who seemingly knew nothing when I was a teenager, would suddenly become the wisest woman in the world who knows EVERYTHING!
...that I would be confused when someone tells my child that the Savior loves them more than their parents because I just can't fathom ANYONE loving this child more than me.
...that a room full of happy, screaming, running, jumping, bouncing-off-the-wall, children could be relaxing.
...that I would finally realize that all those years when my Mom would say she loved me, when I was un-lovable to everyone else, she was actually telling the truth.
...that such a little body could hold such a giant spirit.
...how wonderful it would feel every morning when my child would say (verbally or otherwise) "I love you, Mom"
...how the word "Mom" can make you smile or make you cringe depending on the tone of voice it is said with.
...that a Johnson and Johnson commercial could make me cry.
...how many nights I would spend laying awake worrying about them when they're not even old enough to leave the house by themselves yet.
...that I would be one of those parents that cries when I think about my child growing up, going to school, dating (AHHHH!), going to college, going on a mission and then marrying a girl that will never be good enough for him...and he's not even potty-trained yet.
...that I would rely so heavily on what my parents taught me about my Heavenly Father.
...that I could ever be so grateful for the power of prayer and the power of the priesthood.

And the one thing that MANY Mothers have told me about having a baby...the worry and sleepless nights only get worse as they get older...Enjoy them while they are young, they grow up so fast...when your child needs you you'll know what to do. And one of my favorites: When I asked my Mother-in-law how she survived raising my husband (and with her sanity intact nonetheless) her answer: I prayed...A LOT!

Loves and hugs to all the Mothers who have raised such wonderful kids...and those of us who are raising kids and just praying we aren't screwing up too bad...and especially to the honorary Mothers who don't have children of their own, but are always there to step in when the Moms of the world are at wits end. <3