10 Things I Have Learned As A First-time Mom
I will be the first to admit that you cannot prepare for every moment when it comes to being a mom.
So I want to share with you the little things that the books do not talk about. The things that no one tells you, unless you ask. The things that you may not have thought of. If you hope to be a mom someday, are soon to be one, or have raised a baby already, you will relate. I am sure. Enjoy…
1. Diapers. They come in all shapes and sizes (really). I did not know diaper sizes vary by brand. So if your baby is in size 1 in Huggies, it may still be in Newborns, in Pampers. My suggestion is to always check the poundage for that brand! I definitely made that mistake. Also, can I just say that Target-brand diapers rock?
2. If you think your fingernails grow fast with prenatal vitamins, wait til you see your baby’s! Cutting baby fingernails is NOT easy. I have cut her skin numerous times (and feel guilty everytime). I just had no clue how difficult it really is and unfortunately they have to be cut often!
3. Clothes are like diapers – they vary in size by brand. From my experience, the better the quality, the more true to size clothes are. Don’t just look at the tag to determine if it will fit – inspect the clothing. If it looks short and it says it’s a certain size, assume the first. It probably is short.
4. Put a limit on the number toys you have – even at the baby stage. I thought babies needed a ton of toys – but I realized that they gravitate to certain ones and can only play with one toy at a time. No need to have a whole store full! Plus, babies find the oddest things as toys, but think it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.
5. Babies will sleep where they want to sleep. I had these dreams that Mazy would sleep in her crib from the first night she came home from the hospital. I have learned since then, that a bouncy seat is a beautiful thing when your baby has acid reflux! Have to do what is best for your child!
6. You live life in 3 hour increments. Honestly, living life in such short time periods, helps to not plan too far in the future. That may sound weird, but I find myself living from day to day more, not worrying about tomorrow because there is no time to think about tomorrow. In the “todays”, there is enough to think about, so no need to worry about tomorrow.
7. Onesies have that little “flap” on the top and I always wondered what that was for. When a blowout happens, it really does work to pull the onesie down, over the shoulders, instead of having to pull it up and over (to prevent the whole body getting full of the blowout)!
8. Shoes, as cute as they are, are a bit impractical. It takes a well-made shoe, to make it stay on!
9. When you first get spit up on in those first few weeks, you might change your clothes. Then you realize after a few times, that it’s just not worth it. Just let it dry because you know it will just happen again!
10. Being a mom is truly unexplainable. There are no words to capture the beauty of what it means to be a mother. Whether you are a mom to a biological child or a mom to a child who just needs love, you are a mom. Mothering goes far beyond these experiences – it comes from within the heart.
This is just a sampling of the few things I have learned. I could probably write 10 posts about what I have learned, so I hope to continue this idea as the weeks and months go on!
**What are some of the things you have learned since being a mom?
