Love is made not found

So my little girl is growing and changing...she is moving from inanimate doll, sleeping and eating and not responding to the world much.... to animated little girl. She smiles and makes eye contact and gazes at interesting objects. She also voices her wants and needs in no uncertain terms :-)
As she interacts more I find myself getting to know her more... and as this happens I find I am starting to feel the layers of love that felt missing in the early days. I had expected to feel a deep and strong love for her right away - like a "good" mother should. I was secretly concerned that, while I felt love for her on an unthinking level, after the excitement of the first few days I didn't feel the overwhelming, heart-full, singing inside love that I had imagined... I didn't feel "in love" with her....and I had moments of looking at her and feeling nothing at all.
As she changes however I realise that there is the initial instinctive love that is there just because it needs to be, this is more subtle and transient... and then there is the deeper love that comes from actually getting to know her as a little person...and this is the love that is growing over time. This is the love of knowing this little person intimately, of loving the way she expresses her individuality, of loving the way she becomes her individuality.
Phew.... its a relief!
This fits neatly within my belief that true love is made not found. We don't suddenly meet the person we will love deeply and truly. The special loves in our lives are something we create through effort, through willingness to be open to a person and the richness of who they are, through being prepared to open our lives to another and share our deepest intimacies, through making the effort to observe another person, to really understand them and their world, and through taking the time and creating the space in our hearts to love. We don't just bump into this in the street - we make it happen when we are able, willing and open to it. Special love is baked when all or most of the ingredients are in the bowl...not picked up off the shelf pre-packaged. Deep love is not heat and eat, it is not microwavable, and we cannot dial for home delivery :-) This is what I think... and it gives me hope because I don't have to wait for the perfect dish to be served to me... I am the cook. :-)