12 weeks in

Reindeer baby!!

So I am here to tell all new moms out there that it gets better.  Sleep gets better.  Stress levels go down. Breastfeeding becomes easy.  Naps become predictable and longer.  Crying, both yours and the baby's, dwindles off. Your body starts to feel normal again.

Twelve weeks ago yesterday Cillian arrived, via emergency c-section.  I clearly remember bringing him home after three long, sleep-deprived nights at the hospital.  We walked in the door after the most stressful car ride of our lives, greeted our lonely cat and put baby Cillian into a swaddle blanket in his crib.  We climbed into bed because everyone told us to sleep when the baby sleeps but then the thought hit me that if I was sleeping, who would be looking after this little tiny human??
Even though we were completely responsible for him during our hospital stay, a nurse was always a button away.  So that first afternoon home, while Chris had a lovely, stress free nap, I stared at the baby.

Was he breathing? Was he alive? I was terrified.  I didn't want him to wake up because I had no idea what to do with him, but I also was scared he was sleeping too soundly.  Maybe he was sick? Was he getting enough to eat? Was he wet? Would he tell me if he was wet? How often should I change him.  And the list went on.

Now, twelve weeks later, I think we have things under control.  I think back fondly on those first few days and weeks as I stumbled through life as a brand new mommy, and I think that if I only had given myself a  little more credit a lot of the early stresses would have been water under the bridge. Chris remembers a moment, maybe two days after we came home from the hospital and we were still waking Cillian up to eat every three hours, where he had the thought that he was never, ever going to be able to do anything ever again in life.  Because every three hours we had to feed the baby, but then after feeding him we had to sleep, so if we slept how would we ever do anything ever? See how a lack of sleep can completely skew a person's reality?

So my advice to all the new mom's out there is this:  trust your gut, you know your baby and just keep doing what you're doing because the baby will be fine.  Enjoy these early moments because you'll close your eyes and your newborn is a big boy.  Dressed as a reindeer.

Happy Thursday!!!