I have been an official mommy for 12 days now (and about 5 weeks earlier than expected might I add). It's been the best 12 days of my life with the day I found out I was pregnant running a close second. It's also been hard work...imagine that!
Here are some things I've learned so far:
*Planning is good in theory but just doesn't always work in practice anymore. I learned this when my plan of nursing did not go as planned. I really wanted to do this for all the reasons new mommies want to but unfortunately we were not able to do it for a variety reasons and made the decision to go to the bottle. This was very hard for my ego to handle but Leo is so happy and much more active and gaining weight and being a little guy that's what's important!
*Never make fun of another mommie because you might become her! So those mom's that call the doctor's for every little thing...I became one of them this week. Leo went 2 days without pooping and I was ready to rush him to urgent care. I got him into the doctor and he was perfectly fine...just learning how to use his new system. I've also found myself taking his temp whenever I think he feels the least bit warm. My anxiety was very high in the beginning but it's getting better and better everyday...it probably won't ever go away completely because how could it when I love Leo so much. I guess I'm a real mommy now!
*Poop and spit up is no longer gross. I mean it's still gross but I just don't notice how gross it is. It used to make me gag to just get a little on my hand but not anymore.
*Trust your baby...he'll tell you what he needs! So I did the same thing I did during pregnancy and googled and read way too much. Information is good but sometimes it takes the focus off of the real person in charge...your baby. I was so worried he wasn't eating enough so I'd set my alarm to feed him. Guess what...if he's hungry he'll tell me! The leader in our committed couples group at church put it best: "We wouldn't have lasted as long as we have as a species if we depended on our tired moms to set alarms to feed us. Babies are the alarms." He's also a doctor I'll trust that he knows what he's talking about :)
*My husband is totally capable and doesn't need my instruction. Having a baby can be stressful on mommies and daddies but I think it can be even more stressful on the daddy because he's left out and I think most of us want to direct them and correct them at first but they know what they're doing! Tim has been so amazing and the biggest help to me ever. I've learned he can cook, clean, and do the laundry and really doesn't mind. I just need to LET him do it. He can also change a diaper and feed and snuggle the baby just as good as I can. I'm so thankful that I have a husband that shares this new work load even after finishing up his finals in his master's level classes and working 9-10 hour days at work.
*Baby Blues do come and they do go away. I got the baby blues and would cry over most anything happy, sad, exciting...previews to movies and mother's day commercials. The whole time I was thinking, "Oh great I'm going to be the 10% that gets postpartum" After the poop ordeal though I'm happy to say that the tears haven't come for 3 days now! You just feel very overwhelmed and happy that you turn back into a 13 year old girl for a few days.
*Nothing is as amazing as when your baby looks at you. Nothing.
*You can begin a schedule right away for your baby! Leo (crossing my fingers) is on a pretty set schedule already for his feedings and sleeping. He eats every 3-4 hours. Goes to sleep around 9-10 at night and has been sleeping until about 1:30-2 gets a change and a feeding and then sleeps until 6-7 in the morning! I usually talk to him constantly when he's awake during the day but at night I try to keep very quiet so he knows that it's business time and not play time and it's worked! He eats and goes right back to sleep. I snuggle him for a little bit just to make sure he's sleeping really well and then he's back down in his bassinet.
*I've also learned that I have a million more things to learn and change and grow and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.
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