Nostalgic

I'm feeling very nostalgic today. Mother's Day is fast approaching and motherhood is on my mind.

I'm thinking back, a little over five years back, when I was just freshly married and the desire to be a mother first popped into my consciousness. The desire to be a mother was instantly burned into my heart and took over my mind, and before I knew it Avery was on her way! I can remember the day I tested and found out I was expecting her like it was yesterday. Finding out I was expecting her was a flurry of emotion, anxiety, happiness, excitement, fear, but mostly completely unbridled joy.

Avery has been pure joy since the day she was conceived. From that day, the day I knew that just maybe I'd be a mother in 9 months, she changed me. She transformed me into a completely different woman with a completely different outlook, and I can't thank her enough for making me a mother and being my first introduction into the fantastic world of parenthood!

*Look at her precious chubby cheeks! Look how dark she is!*

*Look at all that thick black hair! She's beautiful!*

*First precious little smirk!*

*All dressed up for one of her first outings*

*Couch cuddles with Daddy*

Seriously, motherhood is not something to be undertaken on a whim, but man oh man is it ever worth it. It's worth the sleepless nights, the stress, the worry, the remarkable increase in volume you'll notice in your house, the toys on the floor, the clothes on the floor, the food on the floor.... It's just worth all the little "inconveniences" if you can call them that, to have these precious little people in your world, enhancing every day. They love you, they teach you, and they deepen your capacity to love, they change the way you view the entire world, whatever the "cost", they're worth it.

Everett and Landon aren't quite old enough to be "nostalgic" over their baby hood, though Everett is unique in that I am nostalgic for every day of his life. But even though I have young children, I am nostalgic for the baby days, and truth be told, I can't wait to do it all over once more. Pregnancy is a very unique stage in motherhood. It's filled with a very special and unique type of joy, and anticipation and love that is only experienced while pregnant. I want that again, once more. One more joy to add to our already fabulous family!

Katie