Lovely thread.
minipie has said it perfectly (and hello minipie, congrats on the second baby, we 'spoke' a few times about the hellish sleep issue with our now-3 year olds a few times when I was using a different name! Hope the baby is a better sleeper than your DD!)
I think I had a very odd sort of period of mourning for my old life when I had DD. Nothing like pnd and I didn't struggle to bond with her or anything but it really hit me hard how little autonomy I now had over my life. And I was prepared for this (as much as I could be) - it wasn't like I was fondly imagining it would be nothing but newborn snuggles and wafting violins. Still, it hit me like a bolt of lightning and I was, with hindsight, very rocked by it for several months. I adored my old life, was late having DD after just being us (me and DH) in a very long and happy rel/ship and I was selfish with my time. Long lie-ins, weekend naps, spontaneous dinner plans. I worked from home too so was always happy pottering on my own, having nobody to answer to.
Like minipie says, I would never want to go back to that now!! (and trust me, you couldn't have loved your old life more than I loved mine)
Yes, it was a huge adjustment (torpedo imagery works well!) BUT - once that adjustment had taken place, I couldn't honestly go back there for more than a couple of days. It would seem so... empty. Futile. Lonely. Pointless.
As for the wonderful things about having a (now almost 3 yo) DD: can I just say (if nobody else already has?) - SKIN!!! Her skin is so so so perfect, I want to stroke it ALL the time. Her perfect soft little cheek, her smooth hands, her warm tummy. This might sound weird but I am seriously hoping other parents know what I mean! She is almost edible, her skin is so impossibly perfect.
Her gappy smile - I have NO time these days and yet somehow I find myself wasting 15 mins at a time looking through recent (and less recent) pics of her on my phone just because I love her smile so much 
Cuddles. They've slightly diminished in frequency recently which I am devastated about but fortunately she is still a major cuddle monster, jsut on her terms these days. If I did nothing for the rest of my life but cuddle her, that would suit me just fine (and I am an ambitious sort of person, honestly!)
Rediscovering stuff, as other posters have mentioned, that you used ot love as a child.
Cliched and icky sounding, perhaps, but seeing the world through (your) child's eyes is the best feeling in the world and honestly does make everything feel fresh and exciting and not jaded.
Dosney movies, as other have said 
Feeling needed. It's a thing I used to hate and it used to make me feel burdened and trapped. Not with DD.
Kids books are (mostly) good to incredible.
The cuteness. Confusions they make with words and ideas. Watching their little brains ticking over when they meet a new concept or idea or person.
Oh, and SKIN!!!! SKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN, I tell you.
If it helps OP I was not broody before my DD, wasn't a massive fan of children per se (didn't dislike them but wasn't fussed) and it took me years and years to reluctantly decide I should probably try this. So I get where the doubts come from. But if someone like me can become evangelical on this, I wouldn't worry.
Oh and ignore the miseries who want to point out all the bad stuff. We have plenty of bad days too (and I had a non sleeper) but it all works out HUGELY to the good.