The First Few Weeks

One of my best friends had her first baby today.  Steve, Evelyn, and I are so excited for our friends Amy, Chad, and baby Anya!  For the past few weeks while waiting for this new sweet girl to arrive I have been thinking a lot about how I survived the first few weeks of new mommy-hood.  I've been meaning to post these thoughts, but it just never happened.  So today, on the birthday of a very special girl, I give the new mommy a few tips for making it through the best/hardest/craziest time of your life!

1. Take a shower every day.  I missed a few days here and there right at the beginning.  I thought I was doing myself a favor by saving the time of showering, dressing, combing my hair.  The truth was I just felt gross if I didn't, and it's amazing what a shower will do to make you feel like a real person.  If possible, take it at a time when you can actually enjoy 5 minutes alone.  Which leads me to...
2. Let ANYONE who wants to come over to "help."  Ok, not anyone.  But anyone who you would trust with holding your baby while you go take a shower.  Or pump.  Or take a nap.  Or...gasp...read a magazine!  You don't need to entertain.  They really don't want to see you.  They will listen patiently while you tell the birth story, but just hand over that baby and go do something!
3. About that magazine, subscribe to one.  Books seem daunting at the beginning, but a magazine article that you can skim or even just look at the pictures is great for feeling like yourself again.  
4. Set a goal for yourself everyday.  For the first few days, it might just brush your teeth.  Full confession, I had to make that my goal one or two days right at the beginning.  Soon you will be able to set bigger goals: do a load of laundry, write a few thank you notes, boil some pasta for dinner.  If you have a doctor's appointment, make that the day's goal.  Just don't put too much pressure on yourself on the days you don't meet your goal.  Unless it's the doctor's appointment, you really need to go to that.  
5. Get out of the house.  By yourself!  Feed the baby, and then go to the grocery store, Target, Starbucks, wherever.  Even if it's just 20 minutes, you will feel like a new person when you get back.
6. If you breastfeed, start pumping as soon as you can.  It will only make life easier later.  We STILL have frozen breastmilk and I stopped breastfeeding a month and a half ago.  
7. Get that baby used to a bottle!  It makes getting out of the house for a bit that much easier.  Plus, nothing is better than one feeding a day being Daddy's responsibility.  Good for Dad, good for baby, good for you!  
8. As soon as possible, start a bedtime "routine".  We started at 3 weeks: bath, jammies, book, bottle, bed.  The routine has had to be adjusted as Evelyn has gotten older, but she is the easiest baby to put to bed because of the routine.  
9. Follow Baby Sideburns and Mommy Shorts on Facebook.  They are hilarious and say the things you think deep down but are a little bit afraid to say outloud!  
10. Take all advice, especially mine, with a grain of salt!  Instinct kicks in and you will know what to do.  Don't be afraid to ask questions, but do what works for your new family!  

Look at that!  Made it to a top 10 list!  I could probably keep going, but it's really late and the morning bottle still comes pretty early these days!  We couldn't be happier for our friends, and can't wait to meet baby Anya soon!