With the celebration of Mother's Day yesterday, I've been reflecting on what surprises me the most about motherhood. Here's my list:

Top 15 Things That Surprise Me About Motherhood

1. How much I love being introduced and referred to as someone's mom.
2. The impossible mechanics of operating baby equipment (especially those strollers!).
3. Feeling my daughter's pain when she suffered her first loss (even though it was just her pet fish).
4. Discovering that making friends with other moms is a lot like high school. (Remember those mean girls? They grew up.)
5. That it's OK to be friends with your kid (at least every now and then.)
6. That I have a huge problem with gender-stereotyping by manufacturers and other parents.
7. Realizing that the birthday-party circuit can take over your life if you let it.
8. If someone hurts my daughter's feelings, they hurt mine too.
9. Accepting our children for who they are (both talents and limitations) takes work sometimes.
10. When you compliment my child, you make my day.
11. When my daughter is sick, nothing else matters.
12. Parent-teacher conferences can be more stressful than job interviews.
13. That I'm jealous of how my daughter gets to spend her days--playgrounds, snack times, ice-cream breaks, seeing friends, naps.
14. That worrying never stops. (Is she cold? Is she sick? Will she make friends? Will she eat?)
15. Sometimes your child will say something that melts your heart, like, "Mom, when I go to college, I want you to be my roommate."

Happy (belated) Mother's Day!