"The days go by slow, but the year goes by fast" is one of the truest statements I've ever heard. The days go on forever. Especially when your baby is sick or cranky. I remember looking back at the days when Paige wasn't sleeping through the night and was colicky and just thinking "This will never end!! Make it stop!" but it did end. And it stopped. And now as silly as it seems, I miss those days. So as hard as this may be for you to accept, cherish those late nights. Hold your tiny baby really close. Because guess what? Soon (much sooner than you realize), there won't be any more late nights or tiny baby.
"Trials end." That little quote is the only thing I wrote in my journal about this little section because I think I'll understand what I meant in a few years down the road, but I'll expound on it here. Trials. Oh boy, we had so many trials with Paige. I honestly think a lot of it came from her being the first baby and us having no experience. But on top of first time parenting, we suffered through colic, acid reflux, and milk allergies. It was rough for us! I think back and all I remember is crying and praying. We just wanted to get through. Just survive, honestly. We thought it would never end. But it did! It did end! Every single trial we had is now gone. Of course, now there are more, but when are there not? I think that's something I wish I had realized as I was going through that. I wish I had been able to see that this would only last me a short time. God doesn't give us trials to make us miserable. He gives them to us because it's what we need, to grow and to become what He needs us to be. And knowing that as well as knowing that our trials come to an end (whether it's a week, a month, a year, or this mortal lifetime) has made me accept life as it is and be so much happier. Because we aren't here to be upset and sad, we're here to be happy.
"Don't stress, don't rush." One of the things that made being a first time parent so difficult, was that I thought I had to do every single thing right away. "Ah! She cried for one second! Make a bottle as fast as you can!" No. Because babies can cry. They can! It's stressful when they cry, ohh I get that so much. But it's okay if they cry. It's okay to take a few minutes while they cry and make a bottle. Don't stress. Don't rush. Because everything will get done, and everything will be okay. Now if they fall down the stairs, maybe don't take a few minutes. I'd get down there, probably.
"Your maternal instinct is better than a book" I didn't read a single parenting book except for one book on colic. It was the best. I wasn't concerned with time tables. Is Paige rolling over yet? Why is she so behind? My baby isn't eating solids when she's supposed to!? My baby cries more than the average baby- it says so right in this book!!! I really, truly think that's one of the best things I did as a mom. To relieve stress, don't read the parenting books! Because you have maternal instincts. You know what's best for your baby! And if you have doubts, talk to your spouse. And then your doctor. Because the three of you know your baby best.
"Get rid of, or change your list." In the craziness of having a baby, it's sometimes hard to just sit back and enjoy your baby. I had a really hard time with this. I always had something that needed to be done, and I wanted to finish it so I could cross it off my list. So I made a different list instead. I would write something along the lines of "Play with Paige" and that was it. And then in my spare time, like when she would nap, I would do things like the dishes, or laundry. But I think it's interesting that when I put Paige first, I found a lot less things that needed to be "crossed off the list".
"Don't dread growth." When Paige was first born, I dreaded her growing up. I wanted her to be 8 lbs forever because she was just so cute and snuggly. It's okay to maybe be a little disappointed because you want them to be that small and sweet forever, but oh my goodness, it only gets better. Watching them grow up and become a little bit more independent and seeing their cute personalities emerge and hearing them laugh and clap, and seeing them wave and say hi to strangers at the store- oh, my heart. This is my favorite stage! I can't believe I ever dreaded her growing up- she's so much more fun now and we can play together! Of course, I miss the times she would actually snuggle or fall asleep in my arms, but I love it now just as much as I loved it then!
Whew! I know it's not much, and it might not be the most helpful, but I hope that maybe this can give a first time mom some peace. It gets easier, I promise. You can do it! Now off to play with my little one year old! I can hardly believe it! :)
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