I have wanted to do a new mom blog post since before Henley was born.  I just knew that once she was here I would have some encouraging words for new moms that would brighten their day and prepare them for the road ahead.

Well…  I dunno if thats the case today but I can certainly share my experience with you thus far and offer my words of wisdom from the last 9 weeks!

9 weeks certainly doesn’t make me a pro.. heck, I’m not even sure if it makes me a seasoned mom yet!  But here it goes!

I’ll admit that I’m winging it today.  This post was not what was scheduled to be shared today, but its on my heart and I’m going for it!!

The good news about winging it is that its chock full of goodness because these are all points that are on the forefront of my mind so you know that they have to be true!

P.S. I also referred to babies as “her” and “she” this entire post because it was better than writing “he/she” or “it” or “they” the entire time!

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Be Ready To Lose All Sense of Modesty.

Labor and delivery is intense and in that moment you won’t care who is around or who sees what.

Dry Shampoo.

Get some!  My life is about 85% of dry shampoo.  Just trust me.

Take Time For Yourself.

And I dont mean a hot bath with candles burning and relaxing music playing every other night… I mean take a hot shower and enjoy it.  Then, go enjoy a hot meal!  Its so easy to think “Well I’ll get this done while she’s sleeping” and thats a good thought process 90% of the time.  But the other 10% of the time should be utilized for hot showers and warm food!  You’ll appreciate those two things so much more as a mom!

Trust Your Husband.

I can only speak from my experience, but your husband will probably be so much more capable than you ever imagined.  When we first brought Henley home, I was certain that Brad had been taking parenting classes without me because he was so confident, so certain, so knowledgable, and it really seemed like he had the magic touch for a while there!

Butt Paste.

Get some.  It’s the only type of diaper cream you will ever need.  Henley had diaper rash for a few days and Destine didn’t seem to help at all despite our efforts.  A one time application of Buttpaste and that mess was GONE.  Completely healed.  So yeah, Buttpaste, get some.

Mittens.

Dont waste your money.. For real, they slide right off!!  Your best option is to buy the newborn sleepers with the fold over mittens.   Henley lived in those the first 6 weeks of her life and we still use them for bedtime!

Video Monitors.

Go ahead and splurge on the video monitor.  We originally registered for a sound only monitor thinking that we didnt need anything fancy.  We later changed our minds and opted for the video monitor and I am So glad we did!!  Henley stirs a lot in her sleep and makes noises that concerned me for the first few weeks.  I was certain something was wrong by the sounds coming out of her but turns out she’s just a really loud sleeper that occasionally grunts and wines and giggles in her sleep!  Get the video monitor and save yourself the 18 thousand trips to check on your baby with every sound you hear!

Wine.

Get yourself some wine.  There will be nights that your baby may or may not have a breakdown and theres nothing you can do to console her.  You just gotta let her scream it out!  So, for those nights, I suggest wine.  As brad so accurately said one night- “Its always diaper, food, and wine.”  Why the wine?  “Because if the first two dont make her happy then you’re gonna need a need a glass”!

Gerber Soothe Probiotic Colic Drops

Get some of these too.  Henley used to be really gassy at night which made the meltdowns long and intense but after using these drops the problem seems to be nonexistent!

They say…

…To sleep when the baby is sleeping.  I have two takes on this.  First, I believe that you better listen to them because the moment that you decide to stay up late and mess around on your phone or watch a late night show, she’ll without a doubt be awake the moment that you lay your head down on the pillow.  The flip side to that is dont listen to them.  Sometimes the only time that you’re going to get stuff done is when she’s asleep, so if that means washing bottles at midnight because you finally got her sound asleep then thats just the way it is!  I guess my point is to prioritize the reason that you’re still awake when she’s not!

Invest In A Pretty and Comfy Robe.

You’re going to be up a lot at night and there will also be mornings where you dont have a single care for what you look like.  In those cases a nice robe will come in handy and you’ll feel a little more put together.  (Or at least I did!)  Here’s the one that I bought and if you wait for a sale, you’re bound to catch it at 20% off!   

http://www.pinkblushmaternity.com/p-23092-navy-blue-bamboo-deliverynursing-maternity-robe.aspx?DepartmentID=2

Always Have The Diaper Ready.

This sounds obvious to anyone thats been around a baby, but there will come a day that you think you’re fast enough.  Trust me when I say that no matter how fast you think you are, the moment that you don’t have the clean diaper ready is the moment that she will pee (or poop) everywhere.  You may think you’re fast, but she’s faster!

Expect The Blow Out.

And laugh it off when it happens because its a gloriously hilarious moment that you’ll have to pull every ounce of courage to get through!

It Can Wait.

The laundry, the dishes, the sweeping of the floors… it can all wait.  If that precious little bundle of joy has her eyes open then thats the only thing in the world that you need to focus on.  The floors and the dishes and the laundry will still be there later and you’ll be a lot happier snuggling your baby when she’s awake than washing some stinking dishes.

Those Books You Read…

…Are not the gospil.  Remember that.  Every baby, every family, and every situation is different.  The truth is that you’ll figure it out day by day and theres a good chance that the book you read wont even apply to you or your situation.  So!  Take it with a grain of salt, don’t go into this with unrealistic expectations, and keep an open mind.

Friends.

Believe me when I say that there will come a moment in this new adventure when you’re positive that you can’t do this.  You’ll be certain that you’re a bad mom already, you’ll feel full of guilt for nothing and everything at the same time, you’ll want to cry but you wont be sure over what exactly, and you’ll just feel down right overwhelmed!!  On those nights, text your mom-friends.  Have a support system in place of moms that have been through those exact moments, those exact feelings, and have made it through to the other side!  They will be your saving grace and they will truly make you feel like you are, in fact, not losing your mind.  Text them.  They’ll enjoy sharing their wisdom with you!  Dont be ashamed.  We’ve all been there, and we’ll all be there again at some point!

Judgement.

Dont worry about being judged.  Remember that you’re her mom.  You know whats best for you, for her, and for your family as a whole.  It doesn’t make a difference what anyone else thinks or the opinions they have.

Be Present.

Its only been 9 weeks, but I literally feel like we just brought her home from the hospital yesterday and I have every indication that time isn’t going to be slowing down.  So, my final advice is to savor the moment and cherish them with every ounce of your heart because it’ll be gone in the blink of an eye.

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That’s all I have for you today folks!!  The last bit of truth is that theres a little girl in my lap thats getting awfully fidgety and she’s ready for some attention so thats all for today’s post and hopefully you found these helpful or entertaining in one way or another!  Hugs to you all!!  Enjoy some iPhone photos of Henley below!