I've received this email multiple times in the last couple of years and each time I think it's got it dead-on! The first time I read it I remember thinking that though it was all so very true, I wished that they focused more on the positive things of Motherhood. However, this time when I read it, I didn't think that at all. Everything about it seemed positive to me. Anyway, I thought I'd share....
A CONVERSATION BETWEEN FRIENDS
We are sitting at lunch when my friend casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family"."We're taking a survey," she says, half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"
"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.
"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations...."
But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my friend, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.
I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking "What if..... that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children all over the world, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.
I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a souffle or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation.
I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of her discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.
I want my friend to know that everyday decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.
However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother. Looking at my attractive friend, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years --- not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.
I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor. My friend's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.
I wish my friend could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving. I hope she will understand why I can think rationally about most issues, but become temporarily insane when I discuss the threat of nuclear war to my children's future.
I want to describe to my friend the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or a cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real, it actually hurts.
My friend's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say.
Hehehe... You can't see me!
At least she still looks small when she sits in her big-girl bed.
I hope the world is ready for two of us!
I don't have time to write, so I'll be updating this post later, but I wanted to put a link to these pictures as quickly as possible because I love them so much. 
I like the swirl originating at the belly button and the leaves.
Though I'm pretty sure they're supposed to be birds, I like the way the wings look like leaves and the over-all shape is a heart.
I like the heart. I would do leaves instead of flowers, though, since the baby is an autumn baby.
There is no better way of saying "autumn baby" than pumpkins!
POP Go the Wiggles!
This year also marked the first year that I got a real Mother's Day present. Previous years (and this year included), Daddy did a fantastic job of getting me great jewelry with a Mother theme, but this was the first year that Ellie *MADE* me something.
It's a wheel-barrow planter with a flower pot! Ellie made the planter at Home Depot. For those of you who have young children, I would highly recommend Home Depot on the first Saturday of the month. All for free, the kids get a cool orange apron (just like the professionals who work at the store) and they get to make little projects. When they're finished, they get a pin to put on their apron. Even Ellie loves to participate even though she's so much younger than the other kids. She also put on the stickers and planted the flower. Daddy did the painting because he wasn't sure about how safe the paint would be for her. Ellie was so proud to give me the present (she couldn't wait until Mother's Day). 
Later that day we drove down to have dinner with an old friend and his wife, who are on their way to live in Flagstaff for the summer. It was fantastic to see them (for some bizarre reason, we never hung out when I lived in MD). Even Michael commented on how great the two of them were. Ellie did a good job, too. Holly commented on how well behaved she was. Later we were talking about how that seems to happen often. It's one of those things we probably take for granted. On the way home, I asked Ellie if she liked Dan and Holly:
On Sunday we went to the bakery - always one of my favorite things to do.
Then we waited for the bus. Ellie was very excited to get to ride the same bus that Daddy takes to work.
On the bus, Ellie looks like a pro.
We rode the bus to Pearl Street Mall to see the tulips - another favorite of mine. We stopped to get some chocolate and then headed to see the pretty flowers. Ellie declared that they all smelled "Mmmmm Nummy."
Mommy couldn't be any happier.
"Mmmm weally weally nummy."
I hope all the mothers out there had as nice of a weekend as I did. I love this little girl. I'm so proud to be her Mommy!
And here is a picture of our new dog (taken end of last week). We've decided to name him Merlin as well and strangely enough, he can also open doors. Go figure.
Coming home late one night:
"I Love My Daddy Because"
"How Do You Feel"
"Polite as a Princess"
"Bluebird's Nest"
"It Could Have Been Worse" 
"Ten Little Ladybugs"
"Cars, Trucks, Planes and Trains"
"Way Out in the Desert"
"But Not the Hippopotamus"
"How Do Dionsaurs Play with their Friends"
"Polite Elephant"
Take a look at these pictures that Iman took. Ellie wasn't in a good mood, but they still turned out cute.
