LIFE WITH BABY: what Hayden taught me in OUR FIRST MONTH

 

Along with the joy the little man has brought us, I've also learned a great deal in the last six weeks. Two big life lessons stand out.  

The first lesson: this is all temporary.  A good friend recently told me to take in every phase with Hayden: the good, the hard, all of it.  Because it changes. As overwhelmingly amazing as some times are, other times are overwhelming frustrating. But they don't last. I'm noticing the hardest times are really about adjusting to life around us; these difficult times have little to do with the actual baby. I'm also noticing how quickly each baby phase is, too. I don't want to miss a thing. On the contrary, I want to learn as much as I can about the little guy and help him enjoy each new phase of life (THE WONDER WEEKS is a great book to help navigate the baby. I have my mom to thank for that recommendation.)

The second lesson: trust myself more.  I had a decent amount of anxiety the first month (which evidently is very common). Anxiety mixed with sleep deprivation (nursing/feeding a newborn) made me second guess myself. A group of friends just discussed how common indecisiveness is for new moms. It struck me how true that was. Over the past few weeks, Hayden has taught me to rely on my natural instincts and feel stronger and more decisive. It also helps to commiserate with other moms or couples going through this phase of life. 

What all did you guys learn early on in parenthood? I'd love hear! 



favorite picks for the babes in our lives