When my friends ask me, “Is it everything you expected?” I have no idea how to answer this. Truthfully no, it’s not.  It’s more than I expected. More sleep deprivation (the bags under my eyes give that away), more diapers, more bottles, and more tears (sometimes from me) than I imagined.  But there is also more love and laughter than I ever thought possible.

My cup is full. There is no longer a piece of me that feels like something is missing. I have never been more in love with my life until now. Waking up to my son’s honest smile always starts my day off right. When he is up before me, he moves closer and plays with my hair until I wake. I can’t help but peek my eyes open to watch him smile down at me and wonder how I got so lucky to have such a gentle loving boy. My day is followed by big hugs, kisses, and a huge personality in the making. Whether it is howling at the top of his lungs, persisting to crawl independently, or laughing at funny faces. I swear to you I cried the first time he laughed, it was the best thing I ever heard. And my heart is overjoyed every day as his laughter continues. Every day is a new adventure. He is just a little boy but is already so outgoing, opinionated, and full of facial expressions. Even though he is already so brave, when he gets scared and grabs me tightly I know he trusts me to keep him safe.  To the purest heart, you are the whole world, and there is no better feeling.

The best part of being a mom is watching a little human become genuinely himself. The unconditional bond between a mother and son is an inexplicable feeling, but I can confidently say I didn’t know true love until he was mine.