Here we are. Brooke turns one this week, so you can expect a whole lot of sentimental posts this week and sob posts on Instagram. I might be a slight mess this week. However, this post is meant to be kind of funny, very real, and only slightly sentimental. People say, you really can’t prepare for parenting until you are there. You can read a ton of books while you are expecting, but actually living the whole parenting thing is way different from the books. Plus, I firmly believe that every child is different, thus your parenting should be different for each child. Here we go:
Labor wasn’t as bad as I dreamed it would be (I know this isn’t the case for all).
Breastfeeding is no joke, its exhausting.
Be sure you actually buy nursing bras – trust me, its no fun to have to go to Target and buy them when your milk comes in.
NICU nurses are amazing.
Its not horrible to give your new baby a bottle and nurse (we had to in the NICU).
You will be flooded with a ton of emotions leaving the hospital.
Do buy a mirror for your backseat so you can see your baby.
Do buy a ton of burp cloths.
Babies spit up way more than I ever imagined.
You will get use to living with spit up or poop on you constantly.
The first two weeks of parenting will be a blur.
Invest in a good stroller, and don’t be ashamed to be pushing it around the house at 1am.
Always have extra diapers and wipes. Always.
& always have a change of clothes for the baby or two.
Be prepared to feel your heart get bigger and bigger. My love grows everyday Brooke.
You will laugh a lot.
You might even have to levitate your baby to change a blow out.
You will feel overwhelmed.
The baby food aisle is intimidating.
Put your pediatricians number on speed dial.
Swaddle. Swaddle. Swaddle. Use an Ollie Swaddle.
Start a bedtime routine on day one and stick to it. This worked wonders for us and Brooke slept through night at 6 weeks.
Nothing will prepare you for the joy you feel hearing them say “mama” or “dada” for the first time.
& there is no joy like a babies laugh.
Prepare for your house to be covered in toys.
Don’t get too wrapped up in percentiles and developmental milestones (easier said than done).
Its normal to feel helpless sometimes. Your baby can’t communicate with you and sometimes, you have to guess at whats wrong.
Buy onesies for the first five months, then more “outfits”. Onesies are way more practical at first.
Take advantage of cuddle time.
Seriously, you can’t prepare yourself for the amount of love you will feel everyday.
Soak in every moment.
I’m sure there a thousand more things I learned in the first year of parenting but these are few that came to mind quickly. I absolute love #momlife – being a parent is incredibly rewarding and one of the biggest joys I have ever felt. It is the best job in the world.
Kelley @ A Moyer Adventure
Yep all babies are different! We have only dealt with spit up on a handful of occasions. We dealt with colic for a few weeks in the beginning. We’ve only had a blow out a few times. And we don’t use burp cloths often even though we have a ton haha. Instead, we use a ton of bibs because my little girl is very messy with her bottles. But you got one thing right that’s the same for all babies…there’s no joy like a baby’s laugh. As I sit here and listen to her squeals and laughs while playing, I can’t help but feel my heart fill up with happiness. Yay for year one! I’m wishing time would slow down some because we’re half way there ourselves.