My friend Jessica and I went to the same high school, but I was a couple years ahead and we didn't really know each other. I take that back, I knew of her as one of my brother's friends and she thought I was the "cool, older sister." Now, the couple years is nothing, we live just neighborhoods apart, have been doing very similar jobs and have grown to be great friends.
Jess was my "guest blogger" when we had Elyse. She started her own blog right before her daughter, Addison was born. I decided this afternoon to go back and read some of Jessica's early posts when she first had her daughter, and boy, did it make me feel better!
That first week was SO HARD. Not feeling well on top of figuring out how to take care of a baby full-time on an average of one hour of unrestful sleep is a very bad combination. I've been a little hard on myself at times as I know not everyone understands, or at least, doesn't remember how hard it was that first baby, during that first week. I even have a really good baby. She is a not a screamer and she sleeps! Someone asked me if she has cried yet where I haven't been able to fix it. The answer... no! I know our day is coming, but so far so good! It is her Mom and Dad that have taken some time to adjust to life with her. Our baby girl? She's doing great!
I read Jess' post after her first week at home with her new baby daughter. Thank you, Jessica! We are not alone. We are not crazy. And, it does get better. So, for all you first-time mamas-to-be, please remember this! Focus on taking care of yourself, your baby and your husband. The rest can wait and it will day-by-day, get easier! Each day as you spend more and more one-on-one time with your little one, you will slowly figure each other out AND THEN GET SOME MUCH NEEDED SLEEP!
PS: Please let me clarify. It still isn't easy by any stretch, it is just getting easier! (wink)
2 comments:
You ARE much too hard on yourself!!
I'd say it's pretty darn amazing that, when your little girl is just over a week old, you're able to have the kind of perspective you do, to be able to reassure other new moms out there that it does get easier.
I found it so much easier the second time around because I had experienced that FIRST WEEK with a newborn....but it wasn't until many months later that I was able to look back on that time and see it for what it was: a beautiful new beginning! And I didn't have a "hard" baby, either! ;)
You're doing awesome!!! :)
Jen - thank you SO MUCH! I think we just get overwhelmed by the advice sometimes. We were hearing a lot that we needed to work harder to not have her days and nights mixed up. But, the doctor reassured us yesterday too. She IS only two weeks old and it is going to be like that for a while. Thanks so much!!
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