Kate is almost nine weeks old now and we've learned a lot since we brought her home!
1. Breastfeeding is much more difficult than I ever imagined. I think it took us a good solid six weeks to get to where we need to be. During this time there were lots of tears and frustration over why my body wasn't making enough milk for Kate, but we finally got there!! Although, about the time I was making enough to stop supplementing, it was almost time to go back to work. I have been back to work for one (long and sad) week and let me tell ya, that pump goes with me every day!
2. Mom is WAY more excited about poop than Dad is! Counting those diapers in the beginning was the best way for me to know how much she was eating, since there was a concern about her weight in the first few weeks.
3. It's ok to change Doctors, sometimes the vibe just isn't right.
4. I could stare (and have) at Kates face for hours. I have memorized and fallen in love with every inch of her! I never could have anticipated the degree and depth that I would fall in love. She's everything to me...is it possible to love too much...bec if it is, than I do.
5. When you don't sleep for several nights in a row, parents can get cranky. It's important to realize it's a sleep thing; kiss and know that it will all be ok.
6. There is nothing more frustrating and painful than not being able to soothe your baby. I read the books and asked for advice, but when you can't figure out what your baby is trying to tell you there is no greater feeling of helplessness and heartbreak.
7. There is no such thing as TMI between Mothers! I must have called Holly millions of times with "is this normal?" and "what do I do when...?", it takes time to figure it all out!
8. I love to take pictures- I have taken dozens of photos of Kate every day since she was born! I just can't stop snapping pictures of her! Pictures and diapers...things we go thru at mock speed!!
9. I've never been super great at answering my phone, but the "silent" option on phones was invented for moms! I promise I will call you back before Kate graduates from college!
10. My Dad said it best in a card: "The days are long, but the years are short." So at eight weeks, I haven't technically learned the "years are short" piece of that lesson yet. But as I'm reading my friends' Facebook updates about how they can't believe their babies are in Kindergarten/First/Second grades, etc., I know it must be true. My goal is to savor every single one of these sleepless moments. Because one day, I'll be putting her on a bus and sending her off to school, all the while wishing she was this tiny and falling asleep in my arms again.
So, I think this will conclude my first post! Although, I did want to mention those first real smiles...not the "i have gas, so i'm smiling" but the real "mommy/daddy, i love you" smiles! Kate had hers at three weeks. Chris caught one of the first smiles with his camera phone!
