Wednesday, October 22, 2014

What I've Learned in the First Month of Parenthood


Our beautiful little blessing turned 1 month old, and I've learned a lot in this first month about being a parent. Obviously, I will continue to learn with each passing day, but for now let's just focus on this month's lessons learned. 

- The Hubs is an angel in human form. He is keeping me sane and making sure I take care of myself. 
- Babies are the only age group that can get away with farting and burping and it actually be considered adorable. 
- Babies are surprisingly strong burpers  and farters, and both sounds are HILARIOUS when they come from something so tiny. 
- At some point you can get used to only getting 3 hours of sleep at a time. The last time I slept for longer than 3 hours was my birthday, and that was because it was my birthday present (The Hubs woke up with her and gave her a bottle instead). It was actually almost too much sleep after 3 weeks of not getting that kind of sleep, and I got a little sick due to the overindulgence. 
- Your parents will (gently) laugh and roll their eyes at your fretting because they know EXACTLY how you feel. 
- People love to buy baby clothes because they're adorable, and she will probably outgrow them before she gets to wear them more than once. 
- Also, baby clothes sizing is insane - some brands are tight while others are still big and they're supposedly the same size! Sheesh. 
- If you're lucky, your loved ones will bring you food when they visit. If you're REALLY lucky, they'll clean your house. We were REALLY lucky! ;)
- Every thing you do for yourself (e.g., leaving her in the bassinet so you can pee) will make you feel guilty and like a bad parent, no matter how necessary or inconsequential. 
- You are stronger than you realize, even as you cry and cry, as you watch your 2-week-old go through blood tests, IVs, and catheters to make sure she's ultimately ok (which she is now, thank goodness, but I never want to have to take her to the hospital again. It was a mere UTI, but in someone so young they have to make sure the infection doesn't spread, hence all the horrible tests.) You also again realize how blessed you are by The Hubs. Seriously, I will figure out how to clone his heart and brain into duplicate bodies of hot celebrities, then sell him as a mail-order groom and we will become GAZILLIONAIRES. 
- You will miss your baby when it is sleeping in its bassinet and you finally have time to sit and do something for yourself. You will also still check its breathing every 10 minutes despite all the precautions you took before placing her in there. 
- You will miss your partner even when they're sitting in the same room as you. We have resolved this by cuddling on the couch when she's sleeping. 
- The best part of the day is any moment holding her when she's not crying. When she's crying and being in your arms starts to soothe her, and she burrows into you and sighs. When she falls asleep on your chest listening to your heartbeat, and you smell the top of her head and inhale the sweetness that emanates. All the good moments outweigh the lack of sleep and stress of keeping this tiny human safe. 

And to think there is still so much to learn. 

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