Improvements upon the Original

Yes, motherhood brings about changes - some of them drastic, some of them small. And while some of these changes are a huge pain (see http://imperfectliving.blogspot.com/2010/03/ch-ch-ch-changes.html and http://imperfectliving.blogspot.com/2010/03/more-changes.html), in many ways, motherhood is a good way to improve upon the original you and the life you led before the kiddos entered the picture. Take for example:

Caffeine intake:

BC: Caffeine was imbibed, but not fully appreciated for the legal wonder that it is.

AC: Caffeine is now a staple in my house. And while most mornings, until I get some sort of caffeinated beverage coursing through my bloodstream, I am a beast not to be reckoned with, there are the glorious moments I can occasionally steal away, in a quiet coffee shop, sans children, sans responsibilities and truly appreciate the goodness of a simple cup of coffee...or a super fancy half-caff, skinny mocha chocha latte supreme...or whatever those things are called.

Naps:

BC: As I've said before, I'm a napper. I love to sleep. I love my bed. And all of this was true before I had kids.

AC: I still love to sleep. I still love my bed. And while most days I am deficient in some level of sleep, there are days, glorious days, where I can get in a nap. And not just any nap. The kind of nap where I wake up with lines on my face, my hair is a disaster, I'm the perfect temperature, there's nary an ache in any muscle and I wake up refreshed and ready for the rest of the day. Now that, my friends, is a nap.

Laughter:

BC: Sure, I laughed. Sometimes really hard. Sometimes so hard I lost my breath and cried hysterically.

AC: Holy crap, do I laugh now. Sometimes because the kids are being silly. Sometimes because they've gone and done something so completely out of control, I have to laugh or I'll be hauled away to the loony bin. I mean, really, how can you not laugh when your 2-year old comes down the stairs buck-ass naked because she just pooped on the floor and when you go upstairs to survey the damage, said floor poop turns out to be leprechaun green? Seriously people, does it get any funnier than that?

Tears:

BC: I hardly ever cried. And when I did, I was either at a funeral, stressed to the gills or so tired I could barely see straight.

AC: I cry all the freaking time. Not all out bawling, but I'm constantly tearing up. Sometimes it's a hormone thing. Those suckers are out of control once you've been pregnant. Sometimes it's because my kid just head-butted me in the nose. Sometimes it's because I'm at a funeral, stressed to the gills or so tired I can barely see straight. But more often than not, it's because my baby is smiling and talking to me, or my 3-year old just wrote "Mom" for the first time, or because my little angel-demon just made me laugh so hard I couldn't take it anymore.

So, yes, motherhood changes you. It certainly changed me. But I don't think it's changed the essential me I've always been. Some days I just have to look a little harder to appreciate the improvements upon the original.