1. Zip-up onesies are the only clothes you need.
While I enjoy putting Jacob in cute little outfits, the easiest thing to put on a baby is a zip-up onesie. It’s quick, painless and nearly squirm-proof. If I do this again, I’ll be stocking up on those! Who ever those buttons was a good idea?
2. Babies are rabid when it comes to food.
I’ve never seen go for food like a hungry baby — blindly rooting for that boob (or bottle in my case) like they’re convulsing. It’s actually a little scary — they move their heads from side to side so fast, you keep accidentally poking them in the cheek!
3. Rocking chairs truly are heaven.
I always heard you need a rocking chair but I didn’t know how life saving it would be. I sit in that thing for hours. It’s our peaceful place, for sleeping, eating, dreaming, thinking. This is where the magic happens (and the one we bought is about to break because we use it like crazy)!
4. Babies don’t poop that much.
For some reason, I thought babies pooped like all the time. But at 3 months old, Jacob poops an average of once every other day — not so bad. And poopy diapers aren’t a big deal (I had only changed about 3 of them total before him.) Of course I know life will change when we introduce real food.
5. You really do check to see if they are breathing.
Like all the time. I check a couple times a night — and we even have a device to let us know if he for some reason stops breathing. It’s hard not to be paranoid with the risk of SIDS so I’ll probably keep doing this until he’s out of the risk range — or maybe I will do it forever.
6. I can thrive on much less sleep than I thought.
I’d say my sleeping average has gone down by 2 hours — and more on many nights. Yet, somehow, I’ve managed to just deal with it. I thought work would be a nightmare but it’s been totally fine. I thought I would be a zombie but it’s just a different kind of tired – a do-able tired, a mom-tired.
7. Baby smiles make it all better.
It may have taken him a good 8 weeks to get there, but we have a very smiley baby these days and it makes any hard moment easier. His smile erases anything negative and I’ll do anything to make it appear. Sometimes we just stand there together, hold him and stare at his smiles…in disbelief that we (God) made this beautiful, wonderful, miraculous boy.