by POPSUGAR Moms 16

Having a baby changes a mom's life, but the bundle of joy also alters the way she looks at the world and lives each day. Here are some of the purest perks that come with being a mother.

1. You see everything for the first time again through the child's eyes — even ants are amazing.
2. A single gummy smile can save even the biggest wreck of a day.
3. When the infant fusses, your mere presence calms him.
4. If you rest your child on your chest, your hearts beat in unison.
5. When he laughs, he shakes, drools, and almost keels over, but it's the most adorable thing you've ever seen. So you make him do it again and again.
6. You think about the future in bigger and brighter ways. You picture him heading off to kindergarten and graduating from high school.
7. You anticipate and even dream of little things like a cutting tooth, a single step, or a two syllable utterance: "mama."
8. You forget about things you used to care so much about, because they actually don't matter at all.
9. You finally understand what "a mother's instinct" means.
10. Your will to live intensifies because you don't want to miss a moment of your child's spectacular life.

How has your baby made your life better?