I put my little 3 week 6 day old infant down in his bassinet after a 10:30 pm feeding. He slept an entire 4 hours and I swear woke up as a little boy. He felt heavier, fuller, with a thicker body, longer torso and limbs, bigger hands...even his hair seemed a little longer. Had his fleece onesie (already a 3 month size) even become a little snug? I think so!
I changed his diaper, nursed him then burped him and held him close for way longer than necessary before laying my sweet little slumbering baby back down in his bassinet. Who am I kidding? I was clinging to him for dear life, afraid that the next time he woke, he'd stand up and walk away from me a grown man!
Even after i finally managed to put him back down I sat there for way too long just watching him breathing and growing before my very eyes. I didn't want to sleep, even knowing he would be awake for his next feeding in 3, 2 maybe even 1 hour. I might have even been wishing a tiny bit that he would wake right back up so I could scoop him back into my arms and he could rest his cherub cheek on my shoulder and wrap his tiny arm around mine. What is sleep when you are so completely, helplessly in love anyways? I don't want to miss one precious moment with this perfect little man. The next day, at 2:53 pm, he would already be 4 weeks old.
Midnight snacks rule. Midnight snacks make nighttime feeds more bearable. Give yourself something to look forward to. Before bed, prepare a fully stocked nursing station wherever you plan on nursing the baby,. water, snacks, blanket, phone, charger, etc. That way, when the baby is ready and you rush to your rocking chair, you aren't left sitting there for 30+ minutes thinking of the water that's in the other room and how hungry you are! And, if you ask me, just go ahead and indulge. My snack of choice is M&Ms with Chex mix. Perfect mix of salty and sweet to occupy those long, dark hours. I would not have survived the first two weeks without a mug of this mix by the rocking chair. Snacking really helped to keep me awake.
I changed his diaper, nursed him then burped him and held him close for way longer than necessary before laying my sweet little slumbering baby back down in his bassinet. Who am I kidding? I was clinging to him for dear life, afraid that the next time he woke, he'd stand up and walk away from me a grown man!
Even after i finally managed to put him back down I sat there for way too long just watching him breathing and growing before my very eyes. I didn't want to sleep, even knowing he would be awake for his next feeding in 3, 2 maybe even 1 hour. I might have even been wishing a tiny bit that he would wake right back up so I could scoop him back into my arms and he could rest his cherub cheek on my shoulder and wrap his tiny arm around mine. What is sleep when you are so completely, helplessly in love anyways? I don't want to miss one precious moment with this perfect little man. The next day, at 2:53 pm, he would already be 4 weeks old.
Things I've Learned my first month as a mom
How to Live on Love. I quickly learned what living on love really means. Because there's no other way to explain how a human being can function on such little sleep for so many days! I have to giggle at posts I see on facebook of people complaining about only getting 4 or 5 hours of sleep...what's that even like?! That much sleep could keep me going for a week at this point!Midnight snacks rule. Midnight snacks make nighttime feeds more bearable. Give yourself something to look forward to. Before bed, prepare a fully stocked nursing station wherever you plan on nursing the baby,. water, snacks, blanket, phone, charger, etc. That way, when the baby is ready and you rush to your rocking chair, you aren't left sitting there for 30+ minutes thinking of the water that's in the other room and how hungry you are! And, if you ask me, just go ahead and indulge. My snack of choice is M&Ms with Chex mix. Perfect mix of salty and sweet to occupy those long, dark hours. I would not have survived the first two weeks without a mug of this mix by the rocking chair. Snacking really helped to keep me awake.
Daytime snacks rule. I think you are probably catch onto a theme here. And it shouldn't come as a surprise that I clearly haven't stopped thinking about food!
The challenge with both nighttime and daytime snacks is it has to be something you don't have to refrigerate (unless your nursing area is complete with a fridge...which would be pretty sweet). I have spent some time finding great snack options to keep on hand for anytime feedings! Take a look at all of the yummy options on my Snacks Pinterest Board!
Make Lists. Between feedings, burping, spit ups, diaper changes, outfit changes, baths, laundry, snuggling, etc., you might get 5 minutes every other day to do one of the million other things you have on your mind. But add in sleep deprivation and chances are when you do have a second, your going to be brain dead and not able to remember anything you wanted to do. I started keeping a list on my phone and it really helps. I have made far better use of free time since doing that. As soon as I think of something I can't get to, I put it on the list and that way don't have to use brain power to try to remember what it was later on! Plus, it feels so good to check things off! Don't forget to put sleep, shower and eat on there for yourself.
Also, grocery lists. Since you won't be able to get out to the store yourself for a little while, you really need to be prepared to let someone else know exactly what you need - a list guarantees nothing is forgotten. Don't forget those snacks!
Cherish Every Single Second. No explanation needed. Being a mom is the best thing ever and babies grow way to fast (see above).
Also, grocery lists. Since you won't be able to get out to the store yourself for a little while, you really need to be prepared to let someone else know exactly what you need - a list guarantees nothing is forgotten. Don't forget those snacks!
Cherish Every Single Second. No explanation needed. Being a mom is the best thing ever and babies grow way to fast (see above).
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