I recently read a blog post in which the author wrote a letter to her past pregnant self. It was a reaction to an awesome video floating around you tube about what a mother would say to herself or to other mothers if she knew then what she knows now. If I had the time I'd link to all of these things but Cole is napping and I want to write so google it if you want to see it.
Here's what I would tell myself:
1) You think bed rest is hard? Try motherhood.
2) Research the pump more. It's something you're going to put on your boobs twice a day for the next year.
3) The breastfeeding will fall into place, as will the boobs.
4) You can be a good mother, even if you didn't have a good one yourself.
5) Forget what the books say -- do what you think is right for your child.
There's so much more, but those to me are the most important and the advice I keep thinking to myself time and again.
So in 4 days my son will be six months old. It really has been a wild and crazy ride, but one that happened in the blink of an eye. I can still remember the moment he was born like it was last night. But the real last night seems kind of fuzzy to me. That's what motherhood and sleep deprivation have done to me, I guess.
Cole has been waking up every hour and a half every night for the past week and a half. It has been exhausting. Because I was fighting a clogged duct this weekend, we had to forego the middle of the night bottle Keith had been giving him, so I have gotten much less sleep as a result. I feel as though I am truly starting to look my age. On a lighter note, when I have time over the next few days I will be posting pictures of our visit to Long Island to see my grandmother, who - I realized - I hadn't seen for almost a year -what with bed rest and then the baby being born. It was a fun visit and my grandmother was all smiles practically the whole time we were there. If you know my grandmother, you know that getting her to stay smiling is no easy feat.
My mini holiday vacation begins tonight. God knows I need it.
I would tell myself to sleep as much as possible the first two weeks of the baby's life since they really wake up and start fussing at three weeks
ReplyDeleteGreat advice and I agree with it all - especially number 5!
ReplyDeleteAs for the sleep deprivation, I totally understand. Kale has been waking up every hour to two hours for the past TWO MONTHS. I keep blaming the teeth. Any sign of chompers for Cole?
Randalin- there's the drool and the constant thumb sucking and putting everything in his mouth. He gets little while cysts that I think are teeth and then they go away. I'm just waiting for them to pop out like they did for Kale.
ReplyDeleteOOOps: I meant "white"
ReplyDelete