First month reflections

Ben turned one-month old on February 23. In celebration, Tyler stayed up with Ben after his 6 a.m. early-bird feeding, while I caught a few more zzz's. After being jolted awake every two hours for the past four weeks by high-pitched shrieks, there was no better gift than to slowly stir and stretch under the sheets, knowing that my baby was warm and cozy with his dad. (I should have mentioned that during pregnancy, one of my top fears of new mommyhood was the forfeit of sleeping in on Saturdays!)

At this milestone in our new journey, I feel compelled to offer some tips to the moms-to-be out there...and there are many! So here's a list of things that have made my life easier in the first month of my new baby's life.

1. my donut. No, not the kind that comes from Krispy Kreme (although I wouldn't have turned those down either!). I'm talking about the inflatable one that the hospital will give you so that sitting directly in a chair for the first two weeks of postpartum will not reduce you to tears.
   
2. small goals. The successes and accomplishments of a day are not to be judged by clean laundry and cooked meals, but by a full tummy (his) and brushed teeth (mine).
   
3. help. This is a big one! It comes in all forms, and should be accepted in all circumstances. From my mom bringing the baby to me in the middle of the night during my first week, to Tyler emptying the dishwasher when it seems like an insurmountable task, to the sweet, sweet friends who have ensured that I have neither had to cook or venture to the grocery store in a whole month with their generous and thoughtful gifts of dinners. And then there have been all the phone calls and visits that have been the highlights of my days - you never know how much all those simple things are appreciated until your sole purpose and responsibilty becomes feeding and caring for an infant. Tyler and I can't thank you all enough!

I had a bunch more tips when I started this post two days ago, but before this turns into his 5-week post, I'll just stop here!

Ben and his big sister, Zoe.

She's a much more cooperative model, having years of experience under her belt,

and was happy to get back in front of the camera for a change!

Just so that people will believe me when I say this sweet baby has a dark side...(but then again, how would you like having someone take your picture while you're screaming your head off?!)

Lunch with Aunt Jess!