During those first months of our new life with a baby, I honestly thought we were done - Ian was going to be our only child because I didn’t think I would ever be able to go through that again.
Prior to Ian’s birth, everyone kept telling me the same thing: the first few months are hard. And, they were right. Hard might even be an understatement. Those first months suck… bad. It was hard to get use to the lack of sleep. It was hard to try and comfort a screaming baby, when I had no clue why he was screaming. It was hard to adjust to the fact that I was no longer the first priority. It was hard to transition from being a selfish person… to a selfless parent. It was hard to get up each morning and go to work… only to come home and keep working until I was finally able to fall crawl into bed. Hard? Yes.
Rewarding? Completely. After conquering those first few months, I look back and would do it all over again in a heartbeat (just not anytime soon , okay?). Why? It’s not because I’ve somehow just suddenly forgotten how rough it actually was. Trust me, I will never forget. It’s because I now get to reap the rewards of those difficult months every single day. From waking up a sleeping baby, who starts my day with the sweetest smile… to picking up an excited boy from daycare, who seems so thankful that I’m there to get him. Ian gives me a greater purpose in life and, for that, I am so thankful.
Trust me – I’m not one to give motherly advice. I’m surprised that Ian actually survived the first months, especially considering all of the mistakes I made (and sadly, continue to make). BUT, I do know one thing that I feel certain I should share with those new (and soon-to-be new) moms out there: Those first few months suck. BUT, despite how challenging and difficult they are, I promise you it will all be completely, perfectly, and wonderfully worth every second. Hang in there – it only gets better each day!
And, if I was able to survive it, then trust me – anyone can!
