'Twas the Night Before...

Tomorrow night at this exact time, I will be at the hospital delivering my first child.

I can't get over the fact that my life is about to change forever.

I remember laying in my bed the night before I moved away to college. I didn't sleep much. I felt so terrified, but so excited at the same time. I remember looking at my bare walls and knowing that my sense of "home" was about to be permanently altered. Life was never going to be the same.

Similar thoughts appeared the night before I hopped on a plane to Italy for a study abroad. I didn't sleep much. Instead, I considered the adventure I was about to embark on. Would I really be able to speak the language? Could I survive on my own in a foreign country? How would I function so far away from home? Life was never going to be the same.

Then there was the night before my wedding. I didn't sleep much, but this time fear was completely replaced by an overwhelming sense of calm. I was about to become part of a new family, one that involved my best friend, who also happened to be the love of my life. Never again would I fall asleep alone. Life was never going to be the same.

Tonight I am laying in bed, watching my baby move around in my massive belly. I probably won't sleep much. I'm nervous, but incredibly happy. I know that every life-changing experience I've had up to this point likely won't compare to the one I will have over the next few days. I am going to be a mother. A mother to a beautiful little girl. A little girl who I'm sure will change me in ways I didn't know I could change.

After tonight, life is never going to be the same.