This is life with a newborn. At least mine.
Day 1: Realize you’ve been up for about 40+ hours when you finally go to sleep.
Night 1: Your baby won’t sleep in the crib and will only sleep next to you in the bed. Expect every nurse to yell at you, and feel relief when they don’t.
Day 2: Thank goodness for the hospital gown.
Night 2: Realize you have the best baby ever because she sleeps for about 5 hours straight.
Day 3: Fight the urge to burn the hospital gown. Count every minute until you can leave the hospital.
Night 3: Five hours of straight sleep turns to 3 hours…and she won’t sleep in the crib at home.
Don’t be fooled: She’s resting in the hospital bed on a pillow.
Day 4: Wonder if your baby was bitten by a radioactive spider because that’s the only possible explanation for the color of her poo.
Night 4: Your baby refuses to sleep in the crib. Have visions of a teenager still sleeping between you and your husband.
Day 5 AM: Snicker at your husband for having to change a diaper he put on 30 seconds before.
Day 5 PM: Curse karma when you go through 3 diapers before you can even get the baby off the changing table.
Night 5: Your baby spends part of the night in the crib! Although you’re initially excited, during an early morning potty break, stop by the crib and hold your breath until you see her little chest rise up and down.
Day 6: Poke your baby while she’s in the crib because you can’t tell if she’s breathing.
Night 7: Your baby spits up all of the milk in her tummy around 11 PM. Spend the rest of the night nursing her every hour to make up for it.
Night 8: Realize you’ve never been so thankful to wake up to nurse every 3 hours again.
Day 9: Wonder if the hospital will deliver food to your house.
Day 14 AM: You are wiped. Worry that exhaustion has finally set in.
Day 14 PM: Realize a fever should not come with normal exhaustion. Begin antibiotics for mastitis.
Day 15: Hear that your stitches are healing nicely. Walk the dog for the first time in weeks.
Scout is 3 weeks old tomorrow!
March 12th, 2014 at 2:21 pm
Aaaaah, and what a picture! Note, though, I did read all the words. The last couple of days, I’ve been actively restraining myself from “more, more, more!” comments here, knowing time would bring its reward.
Keep rocking. 🙂
March 12th, 2014 at 2:23 pm
Awwww, what a sweet picture!!
Wait, were there words I was supposed to read as well? 😉
Glad you are feeling better. 3 hour stretches is pretty good.
March 12th, 2014 at 2:36 pm
Welcome to life with a newborn. This is when you hope your mom was right when she said “this too shall pass” and wish pain and death to everyone who says “cherish it, it won’t last long.”
March 12th, 2014 at 2:37 pm
Congratulations on that pretty little lady!! As my “baby” will be 8 this year – this was a nice reminder of the newborn days (Especially the continuous feeding to make up for the spit up!).
March 12th, 2014 at 2:37 pm
She’s lovely!
When can she start eating Pop-Tarts?
March 12th, 2014 at 2:44 pm
what a beauty. i know you are tired now but it won’t last forever. don’t you just want to punch everyone who says that? but it’s true, i swear ) beth
March 12th, 2014 at 2:56 pm
She is gorgeous!!!
P.S. I read the whole thing. And totally remember the nurses being mad at me for sleeping with my babies. Also remember not caring and doing it anyway.
March 12th, 2014 at 2:56 pm
She’s gorgeous! Mama, it gets better! Another 20 years, but it gets better.
March 12th, 2014 at 3:00 pm
I experienced Night 5 and Day 4 on more than just one occasion. I became such a light sleeper after having Logan, but yet I couldn’t sleep without hearing his little noises either. It was a vicious cycle.
March 12th, 2014 at 3:02 pm
My friend just texted to say that they are on the way home with her baby born on Monday. I think this post will definitely be a shared one. 🙂
March 12th, 2014 at 3:07 pm
Oh I remember the days. I can give you mine with an 8 year old and a 5 year old.
Morning: Wake to your 5 year old’s face mere inches from your own. Get scared and practically fall off the bed. Try to be happy, happy, happy without coffee when you wake the daughter.
Few minutes later: Try again to wake the 8 year old. Throw clothing at the 5 year old who is running naked down the hallway. Tell him to grab a poptart off the table.
Much later: Threaten the daughter with making her wears jeans if she doesn’t get up immediately. Hear giggles in the bathroom and run in to find your son has flushed the poptart and is using his sister’s toothbrush.
And later: The bus is coming in ten minutes, the daughter is shoving food into her mouth and simultaneously complaining because, “I don’t like this dress. I want my sparkle jeans.” You have no idea where your son is.
Bus time: They are chasing each other in the driveway. One will fall and when the bus arrives, will be in tears still. You try to calm them while shoving them towards the doors the entire time. Smile at the bus driver. Think about hugging the man in your joy when the doors close.
Inside: Wait for the next hour for the phone to ring because one of them has gone to the nurse and is sick.
The rest of the day: Try to find your house again, realizing they’ll be home in a few hours and all your efforts are futile.
😀 Enjoy these moments! Scout is absolutely beautiful!
March 12th, 2014 at 3:56 pm
She’s so precious! And I love your recap!
March 12th, 2014 at 4:05 pm
Happy 3-week birthday – to your nipples!
March 19th, 2014 at 9:43 am
My nipples seriously deserve an award for making it this long.
March 19th, 2014 at 10:30 am
They do. I remember those days, thanks to the Nipple Memory Phenomenon.
March 12th, 2014 at 4:06 pm
She’s adorable, Thoughtsy! I gotta say, I appreciate the reality that you present of the first few days of motherhood. Too many parents paint a rosy picture and “our dream has finally come true” image. I’m glad you could focus on the truly important aspects of bringing a newborn home, like radioactive poop and an overabundance of sleep deprivation.
March 19th, 2014 at 9:44 am
We hit a 4-hour stretch last night! I deserved it though because she got poo on my pj pants.
March 12th, 2014 at 4:30 pm
Beautiful baby!!
Oh, does this bring back memories. Sorry about the mastitis. I used lanolin to prevent cracking and it helped a lot.
March 12th, 2014 at 4:46 pm
Aw, her superpower is radioactive spider poo. That’s adorable! As is she. As are you. 🙂
March 12th, 2014 at 5:17 pm
This is pretty spot-on! She’s gorgeous by the way!
March 12th, 2014 at 5:26 pm
Nice pic! Nice synopsis of 3 weeks! Happy 3 weeks Scout! Wait! You didn’t name her Braxton Hicks Thoughtsy? I thought we’d agreed….
March 12th, 2014 at 6:30 pm
She is gorgeous! Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird! I LOVE it!
Congrats!
March 12th, 2014 at 6:31 pm
Beautiful!
March 12th, 2014 at 7:29 pm
Awwwww sooo adorable! Congrats!
March 12th, 2014 at 7:31 pm
Please forgive me, but I just read an email message from a parishioner whose niece lost triplets. Your post–my God, this kid is beautiful–lifted the weight in my chest a little. Thank you, John
March 19th, 2014 at 9:44 am
That is horrible. The family is my thoughts.
March 12th, 2014 at 7:40 pm
BAAABBBYYY!! So excited for your little family!
March 12th, 2014 at 8:17 pm
So very sweet!!!
March 12th, 2014 at 9:13 pm
Reblogged this on Grateful Gabbing.
March 12th, 2014 at 9:15 pm
Oh Scout you are adorable 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
March 12th, 2014 at 9:44 pm
She’s beautiful. 🙂
March 13th, 2014 at 12:19 am
Gorgeous baby! I remember those days in the hospital and then the sleepless nights because I was too worried something was happening. I know its hard now but try to savor every moment. 🙂
March 13th, 2014 at 2:42 am
Awww, adorable!
And I did read the words… every one. Hope you’re feeling better soon. Happy 3 week birthday Scout!
March 13th, 2014 at 4:57 am
Congratuations!
March 13th, 2014 at 6:51 am
Ahhhhh….so much to look forward to. 🙂 I bet you’re loving her even more than Poptarts.
March 13th, 2014 at 7:46 am
Such a beautiful girl… which was completely predictable. Good luck w/ the new routines.
March 13th, 2014 at 8:07 am
What, you wrote something in this post? I just gazed at the beautiful baby. Sorry to hear she has radioactive spider poo.
March 13th, 2014 at 8:21 am
My life with a newborn was very similar. We put our daughter in the crib the first night and then told her how to work the TV remote and to help herself to anything in the fridge if she woke before us. We were very surprised when she was up….15 minutes later.
She’s beautiful. And I’m going to add my voice to the chorus of people telling you it will get easier.
March 13th, 2014 at 9:01 am
I read the post too, but AWWWW…she is SUCH A CUTIE! Doesn’t the cuteness make the radioactive poo somewhat tolerable? 😉
March 13th, 2014 at 5:07 pm
She is stunning and, most importantly, looks smart and hilarious. She’s about to take the world by storm.
March 13th, 2014 at 5:57 pm
Look at those cheeks! Adorable! I also was really missing the easy and not-cooked-by-me food of the hospital right when we got home.
March 13th, 2014 at 11:59 pm
Have you introduced her to zombie cinema yet? If not, what are you waiting for? The clock is ticking…And, oh yes, the kid is a cutie pie!
March 19th, 2014 at 9:46 am
Radley is very concerned about the zombie toys we have in her room. He thinks we’re going to ruin her.
March 14th, 2014 at 3:18 pm
Great pic! Hectic but happy times!
March 14th, 2014 at 5:59 pm
Aw, she is beyond adorable and all sweetness! Enjoy her and the sleepless nights. Don’t enjoy the mastitis, because I had that too and it wasn’t pretty.
March 16th, 2014 at 4:59 pm
She’s beautiful and awesome, just like her mama. I had no idea, congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 17th, 2014 at 10:46 am
Been waiting for the infamous pic! Adorableness! Hang in there, it gets easier. Kinda. 🙂
March 17th, 2014 at 9:20 pm
Good read. Have one daughter myself and another one’s on her way. Touché
March 18th, 2014 at 12:19 pm
She is an extremely pretty baby. I’m so happy for you!!! Hugs!! Enjoy it because it WILL fly by.
March 21st, 2014 at 12:49 am
Wow, congratulations! Adorable! Welcome to the “learn to take 1 minute showers and function on 3 hours of sleep” show! 😉
March 26th, 2014 at 3:56 pm
LOOK AT THOSE CHEEKS.
Also, can you feed her Pop-tarts yet?
March 28th, 2014 at 9:47 am
Sooooo true. Just to give a quick recap – I actually went to L&D on a Monday morning thinking my water broke, but nope. Got sent home sometime in the afternoon. Then the next morning I went into real labor, Peanut wasn’t born until 1:05 AM the NEXT morning so the “stay in the hospital for 48 hours after delivery” started on Wednesday. So I was in the hospital until Friday – so I basically felt like I was in the hospital for a week. I did like that they brought me food though… and no joke, I did not sleep AT ALL while in the hospital. I think it was the adrenaline. But, I’m paying for it now. I am so super tired! Don’t worry about the baby falling asleep while he’s nursing, worry about me falling asleep while he’s nursing! Shew!