Comments on: Parenthood Surprises

By: April

April — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:22:09 +0000

Nichole: I’m starting to really get that needing time to yourself thing. I feel a bit guilty mainly because I know taking care of Jocelyn is challenging at this stage and a lot more so for anyone other than me. I really need to get some exercise but not sure how to leave the baby long enough to do so.
Sarah: The thought of reliving these past two months does not appeal to me in the slightest, hopefully that will fade over time. Pregnancy fills you with excitement though, I know you’ll enjoy your new baby!
AFreeMan: I’ll keep all that in mind!
Aunt Nat: Babies are definitely producers of a lot of vile substances and require a lot of laundry (we experienced a clothes ruining event when already running late for a party at my boss’s house). We’ve been pretty lucky on the crying front since we got the feeding under control. Though yesterday I had to leave Jocelyn with Matthew for about two hours and apparently she cried for about an hour and a half of that time. Poor things, both Matthew and Jocelyn. It’s really hard to let him comfort her when she cries for a long time, I need to get better at that.

By: Prolife Aunt Natalie

Prolife Aunt Natalie — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 01:19:20 +0000

Sleep: the funniest (truest) card I ever got was from my boss at the college of nursing: “Enjoy that new baby. And remember…Sleep isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

The conspiracy: Those baby congratulations cards? They all depict rosy- cheeked, smiling, angelic little bundles of joy (sometimes smiling in peaceful slumber) surrounded by stars, flowers, toys, etc. It’s a conspiracy, I tell you! Show us their red, grunting little faces as they overfill their diapers, spilling over and soaking into the car seat liner, just when you’re running late on your way to an important appointment….. and once you’ve gotten everything cleaned up and into a clean outfit, somebody turns on the spitup fountain!

And how ’bout that crying? If I sat in a chair and screamed at the top of my lungs, no way could I sustain it for like more than 15 minutes. I would be completely hoarse, and exhausted. If I tried to keep crying, nothing would come out but a croak. So how can a baby cry for prolonged periods of time without losing their voice? How does that work?

Parenting: The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love !

By: A Free Man

A Free Man — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:40:51 +0000

God – the unsolicited advice. That’s the worst. I’ve learned to ignore it now, largely because people are stupid. But early on I listened to far too much of it, to my and to Zach’s detriment.

By: Sarah W

Sarah W — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:03:29 +0000

I love the pic…..too precious! In some ways I think you just wrote my feelings on Andrew when I became a mom. What a comfort to know that I was not the only one! Even the poops! ha! Sounds like things are getting easier now though…..boy I am not sure I am ready to go through these stages again with #2!!

By: Nichole

Nichole — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:50:48 +0000

That sounds like some seriously hideous poopy.

Regarding the guilt: Do what’s right for you, Matt and your baby. I’ve gotten pretty good about not worrying about what everyone else is doing. Even so, I still feel guilty frequently. But it’s mostly over wanting time to myself, not over fearing that I’ve damaged the kids.