21 Little Things I Love About Being a Mother

21 Little Things I Love About Being a Mother

1. Closing my eyes and remembering the day I brought a living, breathing, peeing, incredibly punctual being into this world. And of course remembering my OB-GYN say, Damn. That’s a lot of hair.
2. Jumping on the bed together and falling down in a messy, giggly pile… laughing about laughing about laughing.
3. Big toothy grins, slobbery shoulders and infectious laughter.
4. Inhaling Johnson & Johnson purple lotion smell on the smoothest, creamiest baby skin on the face of the earth.
5. Little piggies and little fingers. Count them, kiss them, tickle and snuggle them.
6. Learning the words to all the songs and lullabies I could have cared less about three years ago.
7. Baby belly … which is like old man beer gut belly except it’s full of milky goodness.
8. Sneaking in her room Mission Impossible style to watch her sleep; when truth be told, just 30 minutes before I was ready to join the Witness Protection Program. Alone.
9. Storytime in my lap as the rest of the world falls away.
10. Kisses and more kisses. Top of the head kisses, forehead kisses, Mommy-make-owie-feel-better kisses, belly button kisses that turn into loud obnoxious raspberries. All that good stuff.
11. Leg hugs. They’re only pint sized for so long.
12. Getting owie kisses. Can they bottle that ridiculousness up and sell it next to the Band Aids please?
13. Learning patience. Not teacher patience… Mother Teresa kind of patience.
14. Using all that lamaze breathing practice AFTER childbirth. It’s only vintage Chanel. Markers and juice make it look so much… vintagey-er. (And when I say vintage Chanel, I mean vintage Esprit circa 1991.)
15. Reliving the magic of opening presents, carousels, balloons, candy and bubbles.
16. Witnessing the first everything. Pure, unadulterated discovery. It’s magic.
17. The twisting, wiggling, diaper booty shakin, all out happy dance.
18. Trying to find just an inkling of myself in her underneath all those grubby hubby genes. Seriously. Nine months hard labor and where’s the proof? Throw me a freakin bone, DNA strand thingy commonly depicted in 3D molecule renderings.
19. Breastfeeding. Oh wait… wrong list.
20. Demanding Mommy Time or Date Night only to spend every away moment thinking about her.
21. Learning each day to be a better person and an even better mother, so that one day she may be the same for her children. Just like my mother showed me.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing women who are often taken for granted, but so very much appreciated.