The birth of a child is the most amazing journey.  It’s almost like an out of body experience.  As a mother, you feel your baby growing and moving inside your body for months. You bond with the baby even before they are born. The first time I set eyes on my daughter I felt an intense sense of joy. It was euphoric. It seemed impossible that the sweet baby I was looking at was really mine.  A child is the greatest gift, a miracle.

Being a mother changed me both physically and emotionally.  Aside from the obvious changes to my body, I felt completely different emotionally. I worry about my daughter all the time.  Am I feeding her the most nutritious meals? Am I being too much of a helicopter mom? Am I doing enough to prepare her for life? These are just some of the thousands of worries I have.
Granted not all moms are as crazy as I am but,  I am what I am!  With all the worrying comes many sleepless nights. In fact I haven’t had a really good nights sleep since her birth.

Becoming a parent has also helped me see my parents in a different light. Somehow all the craziness and the control they wanted to have over me now makes sense. You become so protective over your child. It’s the most difficult and yet, the most rewarding job in the world.

Last week my youngest brother and his wife had their first child. He is a perfect baby. At 8 pounds, 21 inches he has a mop of dark hair and beautiful eyes like his mom. The rest of him looks a lot like my brother and my daughter too.

Next to my daughter’s birth my nephew coming into this world has been the most amazing experience of my life. I never expected to love him the way that I do.  I just never thought I would ever feel the same sense of protectiveness that I feel for my own child, but I do.  I get to love him, spoil him and always be there for him. I’m sure I’ll worry about him but raising him is his parents job. Now I get to sit back and enjoy seeing my brother take on the role of a father. That in itself is surreal! I get to see the joy in my parents eyes as they love him and look forward to another grandchild to visit them. My nephew connects two families together. He will change the dynamics of the family for the better, and connects his parents in a way that is even deeper than marriage.
I’m feeling blessed to be an aunt.
Welcome to the world my little man, I love you to the moon and back!