ABOUT HM…THE NEWBORN PHASE
So I have come to the conclusion that having a Newborn baby is quite possibly THE most beautiful thing in life, next to saying “I do” and being pregnant. Then comes quite possibly one of the not so nice things about being a parent, those infamous “poopy diapers”. Now, don’t get me wrong, having a new born there is nothing but beauty and cuteness about holding that baby in your arms, especially when you realize that it is YOUR OWN baby, BUT when that first poopy diaper comes along, well then the game of rock, paper, scissors, with your spouse, seems like a fair way to determine who gets that job. As I am by no means a pro at this whole mom thing, I am definitely getting the hang of what it takes to raise a baby to now what is almost a full-blown toddler.
The Newborn Phase is the start of something …well AMAZING, but it’s also the end of what used to be a social life and well FREE TIME! The old saying anything worth while is worth working for… I am not afraid of hard work, but being a good parent is more then hard work, it is dedication, consistency and well just pure LOVE. Hard work in the beginning is honestly the easy part, it’s the endless nights of no sleep, that you sit there and realize, “WOW, I must be crazy, BUT I can’t wait to hold that little girl in my arms again, even if I am beyond sleep-deprieved.” There were and still are so many moments when I forget how tired I am because when that little face looks at me and smiles or just shows ANY emotion for that matter, I just want to be there to make her feel better or just enjoy that happy moment with her.
Having a newborn in your life is definitely a life changing moment that some people , mostly first-time parents, aren’t exactly sure how to prepare for or welcome into their life. The newborn phase is all about constant adjustments in figuring out what works and what doesn’t work. For instance I realized that being proactive with baby’s gear like diapers, bottles for formula ( or breast milk) is essential to making that “crying”time a minimum. As a new parent you also realize that a crying newborn is VERY normal and every newborn has a different type of cry, depending on what they are actually crying about. Most cries are for one of the following three reasons:
1. I’m wet- please change me
2. I’m hungry- please feed me
3. I’m tired & well just don’t what else to do…LOL
Once you realize that having a newborn baby is ALL good, along with some of the not AS GOOD moments, then you start to appreciate the little things in life, and take time to notice the little moments that we like to call “firsts”. For me a big moment was when she learned how to flip herself over, or hold her head up ( not very long at first)but it sure did make tummy time ALOT more exciting. Another big moment during the newborn phase was when they start being able to look at you and as their parent you realize that they are not ONLY looking at you , but taking YOU in!
As a mother or father, the newborn phase is something that while in the moment seems like it never will end,but once it’s done, the toddler stage creeps in and you start thinking about how much you miss the newborn phase. Personally, I miss being able to rock my daughter to sleep and watch her fall asleep deeper and deeper in my arms. You feel the weight of their little bodies get heavier and heavier into your arms and realize that to them YOU are their ENTIRE WORLD!
Oh yeah and about that social life…it will never be the same, at first it may seem like it will never happen again but then as time goes by you realize that having a newborn opens up a WHOLE new realm of friendships, i.e the start of a whole new social life. Play dates won’t occur until a little later on , around 6 months is good time to start, but just remember you heard it hear, soak up that “newborn” phase because it doesn’t last too long and it is over before you know it!