What is going on?  I know today is the first day of Autumn but we have had the fire lit the past few days.  We have used our winter jackets as much as our swimmers this summer.  We have been to the pool about 6-7 times over the whole summer - so much for taking them every day so they learn to swim.  Despite that I am so proud of R as our last trip to the pool for the summer, he went in the deep end without a floatie and was swimming from me to the wall and back again.  Well done mate!  He panicks a bit after a metre or so, but that is just practice and technique.  Anyway, thought I'd share something beautiful someone sent me:

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 we re 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.