Time for Reflection

So we've almost reached the three week mark, and everything is going great! Maddie is sleeping more, Dianne and I are getting used to sleeping less, and everything else is falling into place.

We also thought that since we have quite a few friends who read this who are either having or will probably shortly be having babies, we'd lay down some truth for you.

Sleep.
Everyone says "sleep now because you won't be sleeping when the baby comes." This is true but it doesn't quite do justice to how little sleep you get or how tired you really are. I thought that it would be hard to wake up, and I'd be a little tired during the day. Wrong! True getting up is hard but the complete level of exhaustion throughout the day is quite a shock. It makes it hard to do the simplest things like call a friend, clean a room, or move. What's worse is that you really can't catch up on your sleep by going to bed early or sleeping in on the weekends. So fair warning, sleep is tough.

Feeding.
The baby eats all the time! I know that the eventual goal is to get her on some kind of feeding schedule, and hopefully we will, but this early in the game it's more important to feed her whenever she wants, which is all the time! Also, breastfeeding is hard (so Dianne tells me). It's not some simple little process where the baby knows exactly what to do right away (or at least Maddie didn't). You have to work at it and perfect it which takes some time and patience.

Playing.
Playing is fun. Making faces, reading books, making noises... it's all good. I am really excited for when she starts to make faces back and giggle and such. It's funny because sometimes I'm super tired and Dianne has Maddie, so I should go take a nap or something, but I can't tear myself away from watching her and playing with her. Basically, kids are awesome.

Attention.
You have to be near the baby all the time. And usually that means holding, soothing, playing or feeding her. Sometimes if your lucky she'll sleep in her bouncer and you can get something done (like take a nap or go to the bathroom or get something to drink or pay bills or relax or eat or do laundry) but she still needs to be right next to you. I didn't realize the amount of attention the baby needs at all times.

Poo.
Babies poo a lot. Get used to it. Green, yellow, brown, black, smooth, thick, liquid, soft, hard, projectile... you get it all. Oh, and it smells funny.

Parenthood.
Parenthood is the greatest thing since pop rocks candy. Even with the tough parts and the unexpected turns, it is so much fun. Having a child that depends on you for everything is stressful, but it's also the best feeling ever. It's fun to think that you basically get to shape this little person into who they will eventually be for the rest of their life. It makes you really take a look at the way you live your life and make sure that you are setting the right example.

As they say, your children are your legacy.

To all my friends who have a minion on the way: Congrats! I can hardly explain how great it is.

To all my friends who are thinking about having kids: Get to it! Maddie needs playmates.

To all my other friends: If you ever feel like babysitting, give me a call.