Welcome to Motherhood

The only thing better than a good night's sleep is waking up to a smiling baby after a night of no sleep. 

Sweet morning smiles at 7 weeks

After only 10 months I've learned that motherhood is about sacrifices i.e. very little sleep, about patience, about vulnerability, and about strength that you never knew you could ever possess. I've learned more about myself in the past 10 months than I ever thought possible. Not only as a mother, but as a daughter, friend, and wife.

Our Eleanor Elizabeth was born on December 25, 2014 at 5:22pm weighing 8lbs. 6 oz. and since then she has taught me what life is all about. I planned and organized and set expectations of what life would be like with our babe earth side, despite the countless remarks about how routine goes right out the window once you have a baby, only to realize that everyone was right. No book, no website, no solicited advice could have ever prepared me for what was to come. And while my type A personality yearned for some answers and explanations to why Eleanor didn't sleep more than 45 minutes or why she cried in my arms and no one else's, I know now that sometimes you need to stop looking for answers and trust that the universe will give you the strength to go with your gut and trust your mama instincts.

After 39 hours of labor, this mama couldn't have been happier to be holding her baby girl.

Today I find myself giving tons of unsolicited advice to new mommies about breast feeding, starting solids, bathtime routines, sleeping patterns, etc. all while remembering to end my rants with the ever so popular, "But do what works best for you and your family." There are enough mommy wars these days and judgements flying from every direction that the last thing I want to do is to contribute to the hardship of being a first time mom. However, I don't remember ever being quite so passionate about anything than I am about being a mom, so if you're a new mom and I'm anywhere near you beware of the advice vomit that I'm bound to spew. But trust that I would never be insulted by someone asking me to kindly shut the hell up. 

I can't believe how little she was.

In the coming weeks, I want to share with my readers (reader maybe? hah) some of what I've learned, some of the hardest things we've gone through, and some of the most incredible things that come with becoming a first time parent. I also just want to have a space of my own to come and remind myself of what it was like. A place that I can come and take a look of what we accomplished as a family, and to remind myself just how grand life is!

Nothing sweeter than a napping babe.