Reflecting on the First 10 1/2 Months of Being a Mommy...

Happy Tuesday, ladies! I hope everyone is enjoying this cloudy day. We got past Monday and that is already something to celebrate, right? I tried to make the most of yesterday, which seems to have helped me get back to my usual weekday pace today. (I am praying it sticks.) Something I've noticed lately is that when I work out a good chunk of my to-do list (whether it be in one day or over the course of several days), I am able to reflect a little better at some point and relax a little more. Today I am finding that all of that work yesterday has helped me out today.  After weeks of telling Reagan that he doesn't have to cry but can instead simply say "Hey!" when he wakes up and we will come get him, it seems to have finally taken. After the annoying alert on Justin's phone this morning, we both heard little knees and hands scrambling in the bed across the hall. Then, clear as day, we heard the sweetest, happiest, much-too-alert for that early in the morning "Hi!". We both had to laugh. He even did it again at 9 o'clock. You just can't hear that sweet voice, and enjoy that sort of satisfaction from realizing you got through to your baby and not at least attempt to enjoy your day. I was welcomed with hugs and kisses and the sweetest of smiles when I got him out of bed for the day. He played and pulled out a million different things in our room while I got ready. I managed to get dressed and put on my makeup quickly. I looked at myself in the mirror and decided today is just not one of those days when I should care about the remnants of a baby bump. I wish I could say it were gone most days, or at least that I think sensibly about it every day, but alas I can not. Today though, I am going to be grateful, as I should be. The only one that knows that bump is there still is me. My clothes are modest and cover it well. That small bump is just one more remnant of one of the happiest parts of my life. I prayed for that bump. I prayed for the scar just beneath it, and every stretch mark that remains. More importantly, I prayed for the beautiful little boy that called it his home for 10 months (because we all know they lay low those first few weeks). It is where I watched my belly grow; where I rested my hand for months as if my angel baby knew it were there for him already. It is where my sweet boy and I first got to know each other. Each hiccup brought on the flutter (and eventual strong punches) of kicking legs and swinging arms, as if he were angry and trying to run from them. It's where I felt him "hide" from the nurse each month as she tried to locate his heartbeat. I say hide because only seconds before she would walk into the room, he would be a little Mexican jumping bean in there. He was nosy even back then because I swear he only got still to listen to the other voices in the exam room. It is where my sweet boy learned mine and Justin's voices. It is where he learned my heartbeat, and where I first got to hear his. As I order prints to display for his 1st birthday party in just a little over a month, I am amazed by this little person playing and exploring around me. The separation anxiety bug seems to finally be letting up, and his natural curiosity is motivating his every move. He's moving furniture, trying to climb into his playpen where I just moved the party decorations, and stopping off to grab a sip of water from his cup on the floor every now and then. He's crawling off to his room, knowing I will follow him, and then motioning to sit in his rocking chair alone (because apparently he knows how). I think of this independence and am so grateful to see it, and yet so surprised at the same time.  In so many ways life has gotten easier now with a baby in our home. Then again, I wonder if maybe life is still just as crazy, only in different ways now. Perhaps it is us that have adjusted to the ever-changing needs and wants of our baby boy. Perhaps in the initial change we weren't as prepared as we thought and fought it harder than we realized. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe we didn't fight it. I think maybe in seeing all of the new changes and needs, learning about this new person who needed us so much, and trying to learn at the same time what we needed from each other that we just gave in and let ourselves become so incredibly overwhelmed. Somewhere in there I think we got it together a little better. We learned to have meltdowns and then shake it off and pull it together. We learned to stop sometimes and accept the things we can't control. Haha! Okay, so we are still learning as we go. I should simply say- I think we have had to accept what we have to accept, learn what we are continuously being taught, and live knowing we never know exactly what is around the corner (or, more relatively speaking, in the next five seconds). I think we fight harder though. I think somewhere in there, you just have moments where you realize you can either sink or swim. The last 10 1/2 months have been full of moments like that for me. Here is one (actually, the very first one)-

This picture is branded in my mind and onto my heart. This was not the first time I held him. This was actually 2 days after he was born. Up until that morning, I know at least for myself that I was feeling just a little cocky. Recovery was going well for me, much better than I had anticipated. Reagan was staying in our room except for when the nurses took him twice a day to check on him. He was nursing whenever he wanted to. He would smile every time that they brought him back to us and snuggle on us when we held him. We were changing his diapers and watching him sleep. I knew it would get harder, but I really couldn't imagine it. That morning, I sat waiting for them to bring me my baby back from the nursery. I watched the on-call pediatrician walk in and smiled at her; fully confident that she was just going to tell me how perfect and beautiful our sweet boy was. Instead, she was cold and abrupt. She told us she suspected jaundice and then went on to tell me she was having blood work done in the nursery to confirm her suspicions. She then added that not nursing him enough would have caused it to show up, and that it would also explain his weight loss. (He had lost nearly a pound in 48 hours.) She explained the protocol for ridding babies of jaundice while in the hospital, and, while writing up an appointment for Monday morning with our pediatrician (whom she shares a practice), immediately suggested supplementing with formula. I listened and nodded and said "yes, ma'am" so many times that I can not even remember. My head spun with so many thoughts. My heart raced as I tried to control all of the emotions running through me in those few, short minutes. When she walked out of the room I tried to comprehend who exactly I was mad at. I was upset with the nurses briefly because they were the ones who told me to nurse him only when he showed signs of hunger rather than on the traditional every-two-hour schedule I had anticipated. I was upset with our pediatrician because there had been no mention of it the day before when he checked on our son. Then there was this doctor. She had spoken about my baby and what all concerns I should have about him with as much empathy and consideration as you give to a car running low on fuel and your need to stop at a gas station soon. She hadn't even known his name. Then I stopped and pointed the finger at the most responsible person of anyone- me. In my mind, in less than 48 hours I had screwed up my baby. I had taken this precious, innocent little person that I had promised God I would take care of if He would trust me with him, and I had neglected to notice his need. I had let myself believe I was doing everything right and that I hadn't missed anything. I had let myself believe it was that easy. The thought of my sweet boy in the nursery brought me to tears. I knew he had already had his blood taken 2 days before and having it done once more wouldn't be remembered, but at that moment I felt responsible. If it hadn't been for me, he wouldn't have to have it done. He would have been back in our room, being cuddled and loved on. Maybe I shouldn't have kept him in our room after all. I remember that horrible feeling- that sinking, helpless, "I am the most stupid mommy" feeling as if it were right now. I kept trying not to cry because I was paranoid that they would think I had postpartum and worry about me. The doctor hadn't even checked on me for the day yet, so this was a concern to me. When the nurse brought me our baby though, I couldn't help it. (I owe that poor woman a huge apology because she ended up crying and actually stopping to hand Reagan to me before she left. She didn't even know why I was upset.)  Everyone kept telling me that it was no big deal and that most babies get it. I already knew this. Truly I did. I had read about it, gone in expecting that it MAY happen, and even reminding myself that I had had it when I was born. In that moment though, after letting myself think I had it all under control, I was not reasonable. My mother was an angel that day. She came to visit with my sister, and I remember telling her what the doctor had told us. At first, she said the same as everyone else. It wasn't because she didn't care, but because she was reasonable and had been in my place before. She knew what I didn't seem to be able to accept right then- everything would be okay and no one was to blame. That is the thing about a real mother though- you always need them in one way or another. That morning, I needed her sanity and her certainty. I needed her empathy and her understanding. She saw my tears and rather than telling me what I thought everyone else was thinking (which was that I was completely and utterly insane and stupid), she understood. She understood that I was so full of emotion- not just hormones, but real, new, scary emotions. She understood everything I was thinking and held my hand. I quit blaming myself right then and there. I was still scared. Being a mommy is always scary- ALWAYS. You have to decide though- what are you going to do? That morning, full of emotion and scared as I was, I could either give in to all of that self-hate, disappointment, shame, and doubt that was beating me up at the core, or... 

With the help of the sweet nurse who had seen my upset that morning, I was given some much needed and much appreciated nursing tips. My mother stood by my side, helping me as well. Both answered my questions and responded to the uncertainty and confusion they saw on my face at times. The plan was made. Reagan would come to our room every couple of hours. I would have to wake him (MUCH harder than it sounds back then), and then nurse him for as long as he would nurse. When he was done, I would have to call the nursery so a nurse could come get him. In the nursery, he would be put under a special light that would help rid him of any signs of jaundice. The more time in the nursery, the more effective the light would be. The more effective it was, the better his test the next morning would hopefully be. If his test came back good, we would be leaving the hospital together the next day. At first, Reagan would return to our room and offer me the biggest smile. It was as though he were looking at me and saying "Hey, Mommy! I am so happy to see you and Daddy.". After two trips to the nursery though, I noticed he seemed more tired. He quit smiling up at me after he nursed, and instead began to snuggle up close as if he knew I were fixing to hand him back to the nurse. My heart ached because all I could think in that moment was how much I wanted to hold him and keep him close. If I could just hold him all day, he would be happier and I would be happier and that would fix everything is what I wanted to think. Selfishly, I did for just a minute. A few times, I even prayed a little that the nurses would forget to come to the room and I would have more time with him. I would think of my own mother though. How many times had her heart broken as she worked to make me better when I was sick, or to teach me right from wrong all for the sake of doing what was best for me. That was the love I wanted to offer my sweet baby. That was what he would benefit from; not just in that moment, but from there on out. At one point I held him close and remember telling him that if he would just hang in there and bear with us through what had to seem like craziness to him, Mommy and Daddy would take him home and I would do everything I could to help us figure out this nursing thing. I remember realizing right then that I couldn't just promise to do something, but that I actually had to work through anything to make that promise happen. I didn't know how nursing would work out. I had no guarantee and I knew that. Still, I knew right then that I was going to have to let up on my dreams of being the perfect mommy; always smiling, always cradling her baby with pride, never having a moment of weakness. I could only ever do what I thought was best for him and that was what I would have to accept going forward.  A week later, he got it. He was waking himself up to be fed and latching without any issues. Our pediatrician never mentioned supplementing as an option, and showed no concern for the pound Reagan lost that weekend. In fact, he explained that babies typically lose weight after they are born. Birth weight is affected by them being swollen (just like a mommy's weight when she gives birth). Nursing takes time. I have to shout out to our nurses, too. They actually gave me a breast pump and offered to feed Reagan whatever I had to offer while he was with them. While he was under the light, they were supplementing with my own breast milk using a syringe. We went home using this same trick, and eventually decided to use the Tommee Tippee bottles we had bought just in case. Reagan, thankfully, never got confused and 6 weeks later was turning away from the bottles and would only take from me every time.  That hasn't been the only time I felt like I missed something, or that I've messed up. It was the first time though. It was also the first time I learned one of the most important lessons as a mommy. Being a mommy is hard. That is the truth. You can not possibly know everything. You can read everything. You can talk to everyone. You can make all the plans you want. You will never know it all though. I can not know it all. The same God that made the ultimate decision to give you that baby, is the only One that knows it all. I only know this- I love our sweet boy more than I ever could have imagined (and I imagined that I would love him to such a great degree before I ever met him or carried him inside of me). I love him so much that I want to always know him. I will always love him, but I want to always like him. This means taking care of him when he is sick, and watching him like a hawk. It means telling him no and listening to the disappointed tears that follow because he is human and wants what he wants when he wants it. This means losing sleep at times, and crying in the shower at times when I let myself get overwhelmed by the uncertainty that comes with being a mommy.

Our 1st Family Picture                                                                    10 1/2 Months Later Family Picture

Loving him also means enjoying this beautiful life that I am allowed to be a part of every day. It means basking in the quiet moments, when naps are successful or playing alone with his toys is all he wants. It means cheering for things that we take for granted every day, but he is learning to do them for the first time. It means talking to someone and waiting, who knows exactly how long, for him to understand and respond. Being a mommy is hard, but it is the most worthwhile thing I have signed up for. The best advice I think you can give a woman who is about to be a mommy is this- being a mommy is hard, but it is worth every ounce of fight you have. If you love your baby, you will fight to do what is best for them with such a love and such a strength that you just can not imagine. 

So this ended up being longer than I expected. Like I said though, sometimes you even have time to think straight. :)

10 months

Sweet Boy, where to start? You are still dealing with a bit of seperation anxiety, but it seems to be getting better now. You still want to be held when you want to be held, but I think your natural curiosity is finally starting to get the better of you again. You have begun exploring the house. In fact, Mommy and Daddy have had to start shutting the bathroom door, and sometimes even our bedroom door, just to keep you from going in there alone. You love to crawl to rooms, and then wait in the doorway for us. You just scrunch up your nose and smile so big when you see us coming for you. 

You now have 6 teeth! You have 2 on the bottom, and 4 on the top. You have wasted no time in putting those little chompers to work either. You want anything and everything that Mommy and Daddy are eating. After you decided you didn't like your baby oatmeal anymore, Mommy had to find something else for your breakfast. You seemed pretty happy with toast or Eggo waffles at first, but then you had some of Daddy's grits one morning and that was that. You eat a whole bag of grits for breakfast every day. Being the big boy you are, you stop to push any bits of grits off your lips and into your mouth. (Even though this just makes more of it come out on your chubby, little finger. You love to eat your food pouches and your yogurt for lunch. For dinner, you eat your babyfood, but you also come over to taste whatever Mommy and Daddy are eating. The Gerber Vanilla Wheat Biscuits are your favorite cookie/snack, and you cannot seem to get enough of goldfish. Oh, and if french fries are anywhere to be found...it is all over. You eat them like a champ. :)

You are sleeping in your room all through the night now. Daddy puts you in our bed to nurse before we go to bed, but you stay asleep through it all. You wake up with Daddy's alarm at 7, and nurse again. Daddy puts you back in your bed before he leaves. You cried for a day or two about this, but now you are an absolute angel. You sit up in your bed and listen for the front door to shut. Once you know Daddy has left, you lay back down and go straight to sleep. Around 9-9:30 every day, I watch you stand up in your bed and wait for me. Sometimes when you sleep, Daddy and I here you talking to yourself. You are so adorable, Angel Baby. 

For some reason you have started pulling Mommy's hair while you nurse. Even if you are sound asleep for a midnight feeding, you will reach up and find my hair to play with. If you are being especially playful, you will try to shove it in your mouth. You know it makes Mommy squeal, and you just giggle at yourself. Silly boy. 

You are very reserved around other people. It takes you a pretty long time to warm up to them, and you study them very hard. Sometimes it is just all too much and you start to cry. As long and Mommy and Daddy are near by in these moments though, you calm down pretty quickly. You are opening up more during lap-reading at the library every week. You have started to recognize your friend Aidan and his mommy, and will even smile when you see them. You still don't like to eat in front of people though. You always opt to watch those around you rather than eat your food (even if that food is donut holes). You will sometimes give high-fives to other people now, but sometimes you still seem to think that it is too silly. You are quite bashful around some people. You love burying your sweet smile into Mommy's chest now when you get nervous. Of course, this just makes you even more adorable. 

While Mommy is distracted taking pictures...

You actually took your first step this month. You wanted a vanilla wheat biscuit from Daddy, and you took your very first step to try to get it. You did it multiple times afterwards, but you figured crawling would get you there faster. Still, we were SOOOO excited.

You have started opening and closing doors more now. You think it is hilarious to close your bedroom door on Mommy. You have managed to figure out how to turn door knobs as well. Even though 

Mommy locks you out of the bathroom when Daddy has you on the weekends, you will chase after me when you see me. You fiddle with the door knob and scratch the door as you sit down outside the door. It is a little creepy to be honest. (Feel free to stop any day now.) 

When Daddy snaps his fingers to get your attention, you noticed that he points at you. Now you have started to point...at everything. When you see something you like or that you want us to look at, you point. When you are telling someone hi, or even letting them know that you see them, you point at them. When we tell you no and you do not like it and do not want to listen, you point at us and say "nuh-nuh" (no, no) with a grin. When you know you have to listen, but don't want to, you have started to throw your head back and whine (with fake tears that last about 4 seconds). One night you threw your head back too far and too fast, and you ended up falling backwards on the floor from where you were standing. You were so surprised that when you laid there quietly for a second- and then you cried. You don't throw it back so hard, or as often, anymore. 

The biggest thing you get in trouble for these days is standing in your highchair. You figured out you could do it a couple of weeks ago. After a few days of telling you not to, Mommy had to pop your hand one morning. You were NOT happy because I would not let you do what you wanted to do. Afterwards, you used your play-phone to "call" Daddy and tell on me. I know because I heard you saying "Hi...Dada...*jibberish*...Mama...*jibberish*", and then hang up. When I walked around the corner, you just looked at me very matter-of-fact like. Let me also mention that this was the first time you had ever actually talked into your play phone. Now when you try to stand in your highchair, you stop when Mommy tells you to, or even when I give you a warning look. 

You love when Daddy comes home. You stop whatever you are doing, so you can see him when he gets home. You are so excited on the weekends when you get to play with him in the morning without Mommy. It is adorable. You even look for him when you wake up from your afternoon naps now. In fact, you got upset Monday when he wasn't here after your nap. You didn't realize you had taken your nap early and that he was still at work, so you looked past me in your room and asked for Dada. You also looked all over the house for him afterwards. You and your daddy are so very sweet. 

"Old McDonald" -*sigh*- it is your favorite song. You can NOT get enough of it. Mommy has had to sing it so much in the last month that she and Daddy bought you a cd with the song on it. You always stop fussing when you hear it. It is your absolute favorite song. (Mommy wishes she could say the same.) You are so sweet though. You have started singing "e-i-e-i-eeeeee" when you hear it on or when you want us to play it. Cutest. Thing. Ever. 

So far, you can say quite a few words. Here is a quick list- 

1. Hey/Hi

2. Dada/Daddy

3. Mama

4. BabA/Babeeeeee (Baby, &, yes, I completely meant to capitalize that "A")

5. Num-num

6. Yeah

7. Nuh-nuh (no,no)

You are such a big boy, Reagan. Mommy and Daddy are loving being able to watch you grow every day. You are a natural explorer most definitely, and you have so much energy. You never stop moving. You are cautious around people, but that is a good thing. You love to talk, and have so very much to say. It is absolutely adorable to hear you and watch your facial expressions. You already know that you like to do whatever it is that you want to, making you upset when you are told 'no'. Still, you quickly "forgive" us for stopping you and find something else that you can do. We love you so much, Angel Baby, and we know how incredibly special you are. We are doing our best to keep you safe, and while you may not believe us (especially not now) we really are trying to doing the right thing for you- especially when we tell you no. We love to watch you interact with us more and more every day. Your personality is so amazing and so wonderful. You have made our lives so full with love so far, and that love just keeps on growing. We love you, Sweet Boy. Don't ever forget that.

Tuesday Talks- Schedule

Seriously, I can not handle. CAN. NOT. HANDLE. This is where I found Little Bit jabbering Tuesday. What is really adorable (as if this isn't enough) is that when I rounded the corner to find him, he looked up at me with this beautiful, proud smile and said "Hey!". He has since played under this desk every day since Tuesday. It is apparently the best spot for a game of pee-pi (peekaboo). We are just seeing more and more of his personality every day. 

So this week our video is only late by 2 days. Progress! Okay, so still not great, but we are working on it. Y'all would not believe how many times I had to start this one over. Little Bit was completely adorable in the background every time, but I was losing my concentration like you wouldn't believe. (Well, you've seen how adorable he is, so you might can imagine.) I ended up having to wait until nap time to finish my thought. Quick note- I promise I will not make any future videos this long.  I will be back next week with not just a video (hopefully I can catch Little Bit in the next one), but also with a 10 month birthday update. In fact, I think that may need to be the topic. I so want y'all to see my sweet boy in action. Y'all, you just will not believe what our sweet boy has been into up to this past month. Let's just say that Justin and I are keeping the coffee industry in business. Truly, we ought to buy stock in it. It takes so much to keep up with him. Even so, I can honestly say that we would not have it any other way. Can not wait to share! Hope you are enjoying the close of your week!

Donut Tuesdays & Trying New Things

Eating his donut hole like a big boy!

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Poor Justin has been working this week to help me with a new project. I am sure he is ready to escape to his everyday work with computer issues by now. You can only work the same problem with the same person so many times, I imagine. Being the sweetheart he is though, he is still smiling through it. It is a bit late being posted, but I had some big requests with this one. I am trying something a little different. Now please don't laugh {or do and be nice enough never to tell me}, but I am going to try to post weekly videos. It won't be anything crazy, nothing staged, no grand performances or speeches. It will just be bits of our everyday life; moments that catch my attention and that I want to savor forever. Hope y'all enjoy!

Mommyhood (A Few Tips from What I Have Learned So Far)

Just back from our 1st Mother's Day/ 1st Shreveport Trip.

"Pull. Yourself. Together."- Edna {"The Incredibles"} I don't know about you, but I hear this in my head ALOT. I don't think I've ever had to reevaluate my day to day life in such a short span of time as I have these past 9 months. Being a mommy is hard work, and that is all there is to it. With Little Bit asleep (and back up due to arrive in less than an hour) I am going to list some tips I have learned that have helped me keep it together so far.
Be Patient. I know that this one sounds like common sense. Much of the things I have come to realize in my first year of mommyhood do. If you are anything like me, you are well aware that patience will be required during the middle of the night feedings, teething tantrums, and during those sudden bouts of separation anxiety of which nobody warns you. What I didn't realize however was how patient I would have to be in just our day to day living. I have found that in order to keep up with the ever-changing needs of our sweet boy, I have to adjust our routines, schedules, and everyday habits at random. I wish I could tell you "Oh, at week 2, change this..." or "By 4 months you will want to stop...", but I think the best advice that I can give is to be aware of you and your baby's needs and adjust accordingly. More importantly though- be patient with each change. Unfortunately, while my baby has been more than helpful in telling me of his needs and wants, he is not aware of the changes required to meet them. He is also not aware and none too keen when I make such changes. Just because he starts crying and fussing at 9 o'clock at night to be fed and put to sleep, does not actually equal a desire to be fed and put to bed. (What can I say? Apparently Justin and I are fun people.) Every change I make, I have studied, researched, thought about long and hard before putting in place. I'm mentally prepared as much as I can be for any tears or slight heartache that may ensue with the sudden change. Ex. Putting Reagan to bed in his own bed was not only rough for him, but me. Even so, I have a heads up. I know what to look for and expect. Unfortunately, my sweet boy doesn't, and therefore he does not always approve instantly of the decisions I make. It takes time for him to adjust. It doesn't make the new change a failure or even a mistake. I constantly have to remind myself of this. Almost 95% of the time, it is worth it in the end and I find that not only was my judgement call right, but Little Bit is better satisfied.
Keep Your Husband Informed. Yes, I am the mommy. Most details are left to me when it comes to our baby. When it came to trying babyfood, switching from Huggies wipes back to Pampers, and even moving onto solids, Justin simply smiled and nodded in agreement. When it came to moving Reagan into his bed for naps, putting him to bed earlier, teaching Reagan "no", and learning which cries to run to and which ones to be patient through- well, I felt those required conversations. I look at it like this. You don't find a problem at work and go about correcting it all on your own. You have a meeting with your coworkers and discuss the issue, the plan of action, and the problems that will arise if failure occurs. You do this not to be bossy, but to succeed. Of all that I have feared in the last 26 years, there is nothing more scary than the thought of failing as a wife and mother. Including Justin and keeping him up to date, helps keep me from feeling like a failure at either. I have to be fair. The fact that I am able to stay at home puts me at an advantage when it comes to our family. He misses out on roughly 45 hours a week with Reagan. While he is AMAZING at catching up every afternoon and every weekend, it is my job as his wife and Reagan's mommy to make sure he knows it all. It helps me too. By keeping him informed, I end up with a better partner every day. He feels my hurt, my frustration, and my worry at times, and he either supports my decision or helps me find a solution that works for our situation. The best part is, on those really good days (like "things went so well you are almost afraid to breathe for fear of messing it up" days), he is right there with me celebrating and enjoying it too. 
Be Honest with Yourself. I thought I knew myself pretty well before becoming a mommy. In reality, I have had to reevaluate my priorities and take note of the personal foundation that makes me tick. I have found some of what I considered strengths to be weaknesses in my new role, and I have found skills and character traits that I didn't even realize I had. Some things I found simply to be more important and helpful to me than I had originally realized. One thing I have had to accept (and that has most definitely helped me to keep my sanity) is that I am a planner, a note-taker, a scheduler. Pen and paper are my best friend. Oh, and don't even get me started on to-do lists. *long sigh* With this acceptance I bought my new planner. I don't even want to think for how long my brain would run on "frazzled" without it. My point is- I have had to learn to stop and rethink the direction I am heading and the decisions I am making. It is normal and okay. The mommy world is full of women who are more than happy to tell you where you are failing and what you should think. Better that I stop and decide for myself than to listen to everyone else's voice. 
Write Down Everything You Find Important. So this one works off of the last tip a little bit. Even if planners have never been your thing, it may not hurt to have one, or at least to have a notepad. I chose the Simplified Planner. It is pretty- something I appreciate on days when I have nails that have not been filed or painted in months and my tshirt has what appears to be baby oatmeal splatter-dried across it. It is durable- a definite plus when my 9 month old thinks everything must be touched and explored. It is my brain on paper- enough said. While I dream of buying a weekly planner in the future so that I can enjoy both the book binding and the pretty printed covers Emily Ley promises for next year, my daily planner has worked best for so many reasons. While I don't have my day planned hour by hour, I use that little section to keep track of Little Bit. When he nurses, when he naps, what he eats and when he ate it...it is all there. I LOVE this feature. It has helped me tremendously in taking note of Reagan's habits. Babies actually do fall on a schedule all their own. I thought this was crazy and was to the point of tears at one point because every book and expert assured me he had one and I just needed to plan around it. Sure enough, when I started writing it all in every day, I realized my seemingly emotional baby was a pretty smooth-operating machine. Even now, yes, we have a schedule, but our daily routine typically follows his ques. Keeping track of this info has also helped calm any worries I ever have about Reagan eating enough. At first I worried if he nursed often enough. Then I worried he wasn't eating enough baby food. With solids now in the picture, I feel so much better when doubt creeps up to be able to look back on just what exactly I have been feeding him. It sounds crazy, I'm sure, but our days go by in a blur. Taking five minutes when needed to review what life has actually been like for the last few days or weeks takes a huge weight off of my shoulders. I'm also able to log when he learns a new skill (ex. crawling) or what projects I have managed to complete. It's remembering the little things that mean so much.
I hope this helps another mommy / mommy-to-be out there somewhere. Justin is home now and Little Bit is awake, so I had better say goodbye for now before they raid the office. Anyone else have any tips or thoughts they would like to share? Please leave them in the comments below! Happy Almost-the-Weekend!