Happy Thoughts

In my last post, I mentioned that I have good days and bad days. I should clarify that I mostly have good days. My life as a mother gives me happiness that I never knew existed before I gave birth.
There are so many things I never understood before I had Maggie. I have new appreciation for my own mama. I know that she must feel about me the same way I feel about Maggie. The very idea of my baby outgrowing her first clothes brings me to tears. I can't even imagine how hard it is to see your children grow up and move away. I feel such a strange combination of pride and sadness. I'm proud that she's healthy and happy, but I'm sad that I can't slow down time and enjoy her infancy forever.
Another thing I've come to understand since Maggie's birth is why anyone would choose to have more than a few kids. If I had unlimited resources and time, I would have a baby every year. Maggie's great-grandma Kluemper had 12 children. I used to think she must have been a crazy woman. Now I know that she was just a tired woman.
I'm happy to endure the tiredness and the occasional bad day, just to see my baby smile. It's all worth it.