i think the experience of motherhood is nicely described by the following:

this evening, after changing anna's poopy diaper, i set about the task of clearing her nose, since she has caught the next round of viruses coming from kindergarten. as i bent over her, delicately pulling on a rather large, gooey booger so as to get it out intact, i paused and looked at her little nose, in particular her little teeny tiny absolutely perfect nostrils, and i was moved nearly to tears by the perfection and symmetry and incredible-ness that somehow these were created from just a tiny little bunch of cells, and for the millionth time i sat back and wondered at the magic of it.

and then i finished pulling the crusty bits out of her nose.