1. Hard work pays off. Going through 9 months of carrying someone inside of you, eating your best for them, worrying constantly about them, and being up many nights is hard work. You're carrying the weight of your baby, which in the end mine was a whopping 10 lbs 8 oz, the placenta, water weight, and the extra weight that you have gained. I wont hide anything, i gained about 45-50 pounds throughout my pregnancy. The last month all i could wear was leggings and a pair of keds, even some of my maternity shirts didn't fit my belly well in the end. My feet were swollen beyond belief, and over all carrying that much weight in one spot was just rough. BUT anyone who's been pregnant knows the joy and comfort in laying down and watching the little life inside your belly move from one end to the other, pushing their little hands and feet on the inside of your belly. Then the day comes, you might push for hours after a long labor, and then there he is. Hard work pays off, and you have the most beautiful baby in your arms, and nothing can replace that moment when they first look into your eyes.
2. Patience is key. There is no amount of reading and researching that could prepare you enough to have a baby. Patience during labor, during nursing, in the sleepless nights when your baby wont stop crying. You need to find patience in your self and look at your precious baby, and realize its a learning process for the both of you. There will be rough patched but in the end everything will be alright. I remember the first two months of Parker's life, the nursing was hard to get used to. I almost gave up many times due to the pain and frustration and all the cluster feedings. But you just have to breathe, collect yourself, and slow down and realize you're doing your best, and you're learning together.
3. Everything is just a phase. From day one there is going to be hard times. As mentioned in number 2, breastfeeding was a struggle. Some babies get it, latch perfectly, and have no problems. The very first time I nursed Parker, he got it. He latched on and ate for a while. But after that first feeding it was very hard to get him to latch on and eventually out of frustration and being scared of the pain, I reverted to the terrible nipple shield. Now, the nipple shield made thing so much easier, but it was also a pain to hurry and put on and keep it from falling off when you have a hangry baby waiting to eat. But, after about 2 months, when all the pain of sore nipples was gone, i said sayonara to the nipple shield and threw it out, no looking back. And he got it, he is a pro eater, and now instead of a terrifying experience, its a great bonding time. Everything is just a phase because our babies are constantly learning, and so are we. Lately bedtime has been a struggle, but even in the past few days I have noticed a change and things have been getting easier and I have realized not to over stress things because I have realized things are always changing. I'm sure that when bed time becomes a breeze, that something else will pop up. But we celebrate the small successes right?
4. He has taught me how to enjoy early mornings. Before baby I could easily sleep in till 11 am on my days off work. I would groggily wake up, check my phone, and slowly make my way down the stares to eat some breakfast and hop on the laptop. Now days my mornings (and the rest of the day) revolve around him, and I love it. Many days he will wake up at 7 in the morning ready to start the day. Since 7 is far too early for me, i bring him up to bed with me and lay next to him. He's so incredibly happy in the morning, a simple hi brings a massive smile across his face. Waking up to Parker has made waking up at 7 so worth it. I would pick that over sleeping in any day. (well, sleeping in occasionally would be nice too...)
5. There will never be a love greater than your child. From the second I heard his heartbeat I fell in love. I felt no doubts about anything, I could not wait for the day I could hold him in my arms. and when that day came, a love over came me when I looked in his eyes, one that I had never felt before. I was in charge of taking care of this child, and loving him with all of my heart. And there is no day that goes buy that I feel like I can't do this just because I'm a single mom. His love keeps me going, it encourages me to do more with my life so that I can give him more and show him that anything is possible. He is my greatest love and my greatest motivation.
And trust me, he has taught me so much more. Babies are the greatest gift from god, and its definitely a life changing experience to say the least!
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