During the first few weeks postpartum people were constantly telling me “it gets better with time.” During that time it feels as if it’s never going to get better. I felt like this period was going to be my life forever. I wondered if I was really able to do this parenting thing. The sleepless nights felt like they’d never end.
Time went on and it did get better in month two. Time was the healing factor. Your baby will learn day from night, and you will get adjusted to a “new normal.” We all had to learn a new normal with COVID and we also have to learn a new normal as parents.
I’ve spent 2 months watching Rory grow. It feels like it’s been an eternity with him on this earth already and so much has changed. I think Jill Biden wrote it best in her memoir Where The Light Enters when she wrote, “We get used to the people we know, and it can be tempting to think they’ll always be that way…..You have to keep getting to know these new people, the same but different, with features that remind you of the children you used to know but with new ideas, new hopes, new problems, and new aspirations.”
Key Takeaways from Month 2
- If you are breastfeeding your milk supply will get better in the second month! I felt like Rory was on me constantly in the first month. It was stressful. I wrote an entire post dedicated to breastfeeding and the challenges. Check it out if you need some motivation or tips. This month has been so much better as my milk supply came in. I cannot stress enough to get the Hakka. I catch 2-4 oz. nearly every feeding now!
- Read to your babies! There has been a huge growth in Rory’s interest in hearing songs and books over the past month. His smile beams when he hears songs and looks at books. I am so passionate about that this I started a “book of the month” post series.
- You will likely be changing clothes out constantly (ok not constantly, but it feels like it at the rate they grow!) I keep a bag in his closet of clothes that he’s outgrown simply so I can get them ready for storage. It makes for easy organizing.
- Keep a sense of humor. There is some truth to “laughter is the best medicine.” In the first month a friend stopped by to drop off a gift. I was in a robe, messy hair, teeth hadn’t been brushed, hadn’t showered in days, I got about an hour of sleep that night, and was trying to nap. I looked like a zombie. She couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. In the moment I wanted to cry but I was so grateful she stopped by. It reminded me to laugh and that’s exactly what I needed in the moment. A sense of humor will help you get through the stress. Remind yourself each situation is only temporary!
- The independence in baby will grow and you will have time for yourself. Rory is content being on his own for nearly 40 minutes now. By this I mean he’s able to lay on his own in the crib, hang in his swing, or lay on a blanket. He is content by himself. During the first month, he needed to be held almost constantly. My days were holding him 24-7. I could do nothing for myself it seemed. It feels so good to be able to cook a meal or do a full workout routine without holding a baby.
- I have learned the beauty of slowing down. The 2-month phase is a time more or less where you and baby have really had time to bond and figure things out. Rory got so good at breastfeeding and I was able to start reading again during my breastfeeding sessions with him. This has become a relaxing time for me. I’ve slowed down in a sense that not everything in the house needs to be done RIGHT NOW. In fact I have dirty dishes from 2 days ago in the sink. I have laundry from 3 days ago in the dryer that’s been sitting there. Pre-baby this would have never happened. I’ve really been ok with letting it be. If you are a new parent and reading this, I hope you can learn to let those household things be. It’s hard, I know it is. But there will eventually be time to get it done. I am grateful for a husband who reminds me of that. He reminds me the most important thing right now is baby. It’s so true. At the end of each day all that matters is that you gave baby the love, security, and comfort they need.
- Enjoy the little things in life, for someday you will realize they were the big things. The cover photo of this blog shows us celebrating Rory’s 2nd month of life. I love this quote so much. It’s simple but sometimes so hard for us to soak in the little things. This was a little celebration, but it honestly is enjoy the little things in life that matter. So enjoy those little moments with your babes, celebrate every month, celebrate every milestone, because that’s what this journey is all about.
We all manage time differently, but the time you are given is what you make of it. The time Rory has been on this earth is the same time we were road tripping last summer. That 2 month time looks so different. We went all over the place, slept in our car, and hiked loads of miles. We were blessed with the gift of time for that road trip. We learned, we grew, we reflected and the experience got better and we learned more with time. That’s exactly how the parenting journey goes.
You got this! Keep going, it gets better.
