AIBU to ask you all the lovely things about having kids are?

[Katlow]

So, me and my husband are TTC.
Very scared, very excited.
I'm posting here for traffic really, I just want to hear some of the good parts of parenting. I've been reading a lot of negative things today and it's scaring me a little bit!

They do make you proud. I'm not a pushy parent, it's just very special to see them hitting their milestones and learning new things. My son is two next month. I also quite like the sense of continuous challenge because just as you feel you've got one stage sorted then everything changes (although that can also be a bit knackering!). I feel like before I had my son I used to be running here there and everywhere and now I feel like I take more pleasure in the small things like spending a weekend with him, going to the park, to the swimming pool and so on. And no one will ever love you as much as your small child, even though it's bloody hard work!

Another post on this thread has reminded me that the moment when my son sees my face when I arrive back after work - can't be beaten. No one has ever been so happy to see me!

You will have a really shit day (child/work/argument/news/anything) and your child will give you a hug and you will honestly feel it into your heart.

You get to experience things again, you’ll see how amazing the world is if you just stop to look (and you will have to stop and look).

When you first hear their voice, when they first write their own name or write mummy. All these things are amazing

Holding my DD's hand. Her wittiness and creativity.

I love snuggling on the sofa watching movies with her. Or reading together.

She drives me mad but brings me such joy.

I second the smiles in the morning and after naps, it’s incredible.
Just the presence of their little wriggly bodies, their little arms round your neck for a cuddle.
Their face when they’re asleep. I don’t know how many photos I’ve got of my dd sleeping but it will never ever be enough.
Their absolute wonder at everything in the world, and their natural kindness is really moving at times.
The mispronunciations that just become part of your family language.
The slow movements when they’re just newborn, and their big slow stretches when they wake up.
Going from marvelling at their first word, to having full on conversations with them and getting to know their thoughts on things. It blows you away.

One of my favourite things is collecting my daughter from nursery in the summer when they’ve outside all day. Bright eyes, big smile, head to toe filthy, walking home in the sun with her all sun soaked and smelling like sun cream.

This thread is an absolute tonic, isn't it?

To the pp with a small baby who said it hasn't all been smooth sailing - it really isn't, there are so many ups and downs in parenting, you will never attain perfection and crucially neither will they! Those early days are so hard but rest assured you will have many fine memories like this to look back on

Their little hands are really helpful if you drop something under the fridge or down a narrow gap where you can't reach.

What I'd say is I could explain to you the bad things about being parent (eg sleep deprivation, torrent of bodily fluids, tantrums etc) but I could never really explain the good things. (Not helpful i know)
The love you feel & happiness they give you is indescribable.
Good luck OP

Oh and wait till they are teens and can get technology to do whatever you want it to. DS1 taught me how to do Powerpoint for an hour long presentation and afterwards a colleague said to me, 'That was the best use of Powerpoint I have ever seen'. Definitely credit due to DS not me.

The amount of times DS2 has sorted out my phone, defragged my computer etc, all without any fuss, is amazing. And they were so patient when we got a new TV and I couldn't work out how to change channels for about a year!

Toddlers are the most hilarious and adorable beings on the planet all at once.

Newborns are magical - they don't know where they are or who they are or even that those are concepts to not know but they are curious, right from the very first second.

Preteens are cool because they are starting to form complex opinions on different things and you can have really interesting conversations with them. And it's nice when they start to be a bit more independent.