yeah yeah yeah

There are a lot of things that people say to you that you don't really take to heart until you actually experience them. They say certain things to advise you, warn you, counsel you; but you don't necessarily really appreciate those comments until you experience the situation first hand. You kind of give the "yeah yeah yeah" response.
For instance, someone says, "you won't really appreciate your free time until after you no longer have any." Your thoughts immediately go to "yeah yeah yeah, I know, whatever." Of course you don't say that. You just smile and nod and say, "oh I know," when in all actuality, you have NO idea. You think you have a good idea. But, you don't. You can't; until you have really experienced whatever it is.
Here are list of these that I have now experienced and fully appreciate.
...you won't really appreciate your free time until you no longer have any...
...all the aggravation and stress of sleepless nights and crying babies will melt away when you see your child smile or hear him laugh...
...you will forget about the stress and pain and crappy stuff that is pregnancy and/or childbirth when you have your child in your arms...
...breastfeeding is hard & extremely stressful...
...you never realized before how much you could truly love someone until you meet your child...

The list could go on and on. Being a mother has given me a new appreciation for my mother. Just telling her stuff that is going on with Cole and finding out that, as a baby, I did the same things, yet she never told me about them. Such as, screaming for hours on end, for days on end. I called her for some sympathy and she proceeded to tell me about how I did the exact same thing. The first thought that came into my mind was...you've never told me this before. How could you not have told me I was such a pain in the butt? Why didn't you remind me of that day in and day out while I was growing up? Like, "you owe me, you little so-and-so...you kept me up for hours and nearly drove me clinically insane." It's because she's my mother. It was part of the job that she signed up for, and she knew that it was all worth it in the end. I realize that now. Even when Cole cries and screams and I can't figure out what's wrong and I get SO frustrated, I still love him more than words and would never rub it in his face that he was so hard to deal with sometimes. Well, probably wouldn't. :)
I love Cole so much I want 30 more just like him. But, it also makes me not want to have any more kids because there's no way the second could be as good as the first. I just don't see how it's possible for lightning to strike twice. I'm also worried the second would be much worse. What if I only thought Cole was bad (during the first month or so), and the second lets me know what bad really is?!
I am just rambling at this point, but I just can't help but tell everyone how blessed I am. I love my family so much and I can't wait to see what the future holds for my little boy.