Yes, I do happen to know the way to Sesame Street.

I am a mom, that is what I am. Each pregnancy is etched in my mind so clearly. It's all there; the sickness, the heartburn, the exhaustion, the first movement, the first kick, the first heartbeat. I remember each birth; each pain, each incision, the first cry, the first look, the first moment of love. Never will I forget. I am a mom. I cherish the memory of the first bath, the first bottle, the first diaper change. I can clearly recall the sleepless nights, the colicky evenings when no one slept, the spit up, the throw up, and covering up to nurse in public. I am a mom.

As they each grew, the needs and sounds of our household changed, but I still carry those sounds with me. The bickering and teasing, the squeals of joy and yelps of pain, the contented sighs and the belly laughs, all still echo in my mind. I am a mom. I remember every skinned knee, pinched finger, pulled hair, and stubbed toe. I remember nights filled with fever and little sleep, and days filled with cartoons, sippy cups and laughter. I can still see the joy of the discovery of learning; letters, colors, shapes, sounds, it was all so amazing. I remember it all. I am a mom.

I once had a closet of suits and dresses, I now have a dresser full of sweats and t-shirts. I once carried a designer purse, then came the designer diaper bag. Once it was coffee with friends, then it became juice boxes at the park, I once knew the plot to quite a few prime time soaps, now I can tell you every train on Thomas and Friends, as well as every member of the Justice League. I know all the words to Steve's mail song, how to stop Swiper, and just who it is that lives in the pineapple under the sea. That is my world and I try to stay knowledgeable about current events, and yes, I do happen to know the way to Sesame Street. I am, after all, a mom.

I have watched my kids grow with a heart filled with joy, a body filled with pain, a stomach filled with butterflies, and eyes, at times, filled with tears. Remember, I am a mom. Now we're on to girlfriends, learners licenses, contacts, cell phones, lap tops and video games. I look at a man standing 6' 5" and I see a little boy only 3' 3" holding a metal lunch box heading to preschool. I want to give them roots, I want to give them wings. I want them to soar, I want to catch them if they fall. I want them to have a wonderful life, I want them to never move away from home. I am a mom.

Motherhood, no greater joy, no greater heartache to be found anywhere on earth. I know, I am, after all, a mom.