Dear Pregnant Ladies:

Nothing can prepare you for the love. You spend nine months growing that child in your belly, feeling the kicks and movements. You prepare the nursery and stock up on tiny clothes. You write up a birth plan. You plan how you will feed your baby – formula or breast. You form opinions on vaccines, ear piercing, circumcision, etc. You talk to your husband about how you will discipline. You prepare to stay home or you research daycares. You budget time and money and space.

You try your best to do everything you can to get your world ready for this new little person – but the truth is this little person is going to knock your world on its axis because all of the preparing that you will do on every logical level will never be enough.

My daughter is 7 months old and so much her own little person at the moment that the sounds and smiles I get from her make me feel like my heart is going to burst out of my chest. We were 100% prepared for her birth. We had every item we needed and still nothing prepared us for the love that comes with this new life. More than half a year later I can barely put it into words. I look into her face and I remember the feeling of her inside me, I remember how I imagined she would look and how I would feel to be her mommy – and even though that was so long ago and she is here I am still in awe.

I am so excited for all of you – you are not going to know what hit you. You are going to be sleep deprived and frustrated. But at the same time you are going to be soon be the happiest you have ever been in your lives.

Welcome to Motherhood!