Reflections on Our First Month as Parents

I'll start this post by repeating the words that everyone keeps saying to us, "It gets better.  Really, it does."  So, our first month is really more like our first 3 weeks, since we didn't take her home for a week.  The first month is really difficult - the lack of sleep, figuring out her cues/cries, the lack of sleep, the complete obliteration of anything resembling your life before the baby, the lack of sleep and did I mention the lack of sleep. 


Of course you love your baby, but it is a little difficult to remember that at all hours of the morning when she's crying.  Everyone says to sleep when the baby does, but that's very difficult.  I have things that need to get done, especially since I didn't get to get everything done before the baby that I wanted to do.  Not to mention, when she sleeps, I've got to manage to go to the bathroom, eat something, clean up after myself, etc.  We've done our best to still manage to nap here and there.  I will say that we've quickly learned that all the "rules" for babies are more like guidelines.  Really, you just do what works for your baby and your situation. 


If I'm being perfectly honest, I've had moments when I've wondered what the heck I've gotten myself into and why I made this choice, when I've looked back wistfully at our carefree life pre-baby with complete envy, and when I've thought that I'll never be good at this mom thing.  I'm guessing that I'm not alone with that.  Add on the post-partum hormone swing and it can feel like a rollercoaster.  I've never been much of a weepy type of gal, but this month has seen a whole new side of me and a massive increase in the productivity of my tear ducts.  Happy tears, sad tears, frustrated tears... all kinds. 


The other thing you hear a lot is that it's totally worth it.  Well, I hope they're all right about the getting better and the totally worth it - I'm sure they are.  Here's to the months of it getting better and it being totally worth it. :)  After all she really is a cutie and in the quiet moments she really does bring a smile to my face (and one of those little happy, sappy, sentimental tears).