I remember after having Cooper and being in the hospital for 2 days with some amazing nurses, I asked if I could take them home with me. Though taking your baby home with you for the first time is incredibly exciting, it's also a bit scary. You are responsible for this human life who is completely dependent on you for everything. Add in him starving because of my low milk supply and his acid reflux, I never thought I would make it to one year. But here we are....we made it and Cooper is still alive and growing :) We got past the "I'm so tired I don't know what day it is" moments, the "there is no way you can have anything more to spit up in your body" moments, and the "please, please, please just go to sleep" moments. We made it!
I'm obviously no expert at all since I have only been a mom for a year now, but here are some things I have learned in my 1st year of Motherhood that I would share with a first time mom:
- Nothing can prepare you for having a newborn. It is very good to take classes, read (Baby Wise is my favorite), and seek counsel from other Moms, but nothing can really prepare for that first month with your little love.
- It is OKAY if you have to supplement. I took the breastfeeding classes, read the books, had a lactation consultant, and was very passionate that I would breastfeed no matter how hard it is! Well, I had no idea that I would struggle greatly with low milk supply (I never even felt my milk come in) and that my poor baby would be starving and crying nonstop. The doctor basically told me that I had to supplement (against my wishes) or Cooper would have to go to the hospital and get an IV since he was losing weight and not having wet diapers. I had no choice but to supplement. I am so thankful that we live in a time where there is great formula out there so our poor babies wouldn't be malnourished or even die, which is probably what happened back in the day if a women had this issue. Long Story short, some women have to supplement and that is okay.
- Some babies are easy, some babies are difficult and it has nothing to do with your parenting. Cooper was not an easy newborn, which I can't really blame him...he was hungry and had acid reflux and spit up all the time. He was more of a fussy newborn, while there are other newborns who just sleep, eat, and are super content.
- Things get SO much easy after 3 months. I remember there was something about that 3 months mark where I was finally feeling like a normal person again. Cooper was sleeping through the night, sleeping in his own crib and he was finally on a good schedule.
- "The days are long, but the years are short." I'm sure you have heard this quote and yes, it is true. Some days seem very, very long. And the first 3 months are long, but after that I blinked and he was a year old.
- Being a Stay at Home Mom is lonely, but worth it. This is probably no surprise especially when you only have one child who can't communicate with you yet. It's hard when you can't leave your house because your child is having a rough day or needs to nap, or is sick. It's hard when you go days without talking to anyone. It's hard going from 2 incomes to 1. Is it worth it? Absolutely. I love, love, love being with him everyday and teaching him and watching him change and learn. It is lonely, but it's so worth it.
- It will get better. People will tell you that all the time and it's so true. The time when you are up all night and don't think you will ever get a good night sleep again, you will. The time when you don't think you child will ever do _____, he will. It does get better!
- Don't compare your child to other children and don't go on and on with how much your child can do (unless it's to your spouse or the grandparents). Everyone says this but it really is hard not to compare your child's progress with others, especially during the 1st year. I think it's worse with you 1st child because you want so badly for them to hit their milestones on time. Some babies hit them a lot sooner, some babies a lot later, but they will ALL catch up and in Kindergarten, they will all be walking, talking, and potty trained :)
- "The lows are really low, but the highs are really high". My good friend says this and it is so true. The lows of motherhood can be pretty low and harder than you imagine. But the highs are even higher than you ever thought possible. And those highs and joy that you feel when you look at your sweet blessing and he laughs so hard makes you forget about all the lows.
- God is Sovereign. I believe we are way more scared and worried as new parents than our own parent's generation. All I hear about is don't do ____ because your child will get _____. Or this particular food is horrible for your child and will cause _____. God is Sovereign! I'm not at all saying that I will let my child play in the street or allow him to eat junk food all day. God gave us wisdom to do what is best for our child. But I am saying that your child will not get Autism or cancer or a horrible illness just because you fed them formula, vaccinated them, or gave them non organic food. It is because God lovingly chose that particular path for your family for a greater purpose to glorify Him with.
- God is Faithful. He chose me specifically to be Cooper's Mom. He created his life so perfectly inside me and his personality and demeanor is exactly how God created him. It is a huge calling and blessing to be a Mom. God is so faithful to give you wisdom, strength, and encouragement just when you need it.
I LOVE being a Mom! It truly is a blessing and JOY. I know I have so much more to learn about Motherhood as I have just started, but I am thankful to be on this crazy journey.
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