13 Cherished Moments Only Full-time Moms Will Experience

There are hundreds of precious experiences that only mothers get the chance to experience. How can a mother count all the little smiles her children give or even all the funny and frustrating messes that happen day-to-day? It's part of the calling.

But it's a little different for stay-at-home moms - these mothers get the chance to see a different facet of parenting. They get to see the realization in their child's eyes when they figure out something they haven't been able to do before, over and over again. They get to see the miniscule changes that take place in their child from hour to hour, day-to-day.

These 13 moments are tiny things only stay-at-home-moms experience:

Rocking a sick child all night long without the worry of having to go into the office the next day. You'll still be exhausted, but you'll be home to nurse that little boy or girl back to health - it's such a satisfying feeling.
Spending long hours in the library choosing books with your children and reading them all in one sitting when you get home.
Knowing your home is where your most important work is done and treating it with the respect it deserves.
Never having to worry about missing the important milestones of your children because you're always where the action is.
Waking up and deciding it's a good day to take your little ones to the zoo, and then actually going.
The beautiful simplicity of a peanut butter and jam sandwich with a glass of milk for lunch.
The sweaty little bodies running in from the summer sandbox, begging you to join them to make mud pies.
Reading your child's favorite book over and over and over again, because you have the time.
The freedom of saying 'no' to the dishes and 'yes' to one more game of Old Maid.
Being home when the school calls to tell you your child has just thrown up and being the one to rescue her.
Being home whenever your children are, giving them more chances to tell you what's happening their world.
The tired heaviness that takes place around your child's nap time and you realize you can take a nap, too.
The sweetness of having a baby fall asleep in your arms and knowing you can choose to just let them be.

The day-to-day sameness of motherhood sometimes can be the biggest challenge and that's why these precious moments are so very dear - because many of them won't happen again in the exact same way.

These little things are wonderful and fleeting. So read that book for the fifth time, cuddle your children when they're sick and make waffles for dinner, for one day they'll be all grown up. Once they do grow up, you'll be able to have new adventures but these moments when they are young only come around once.