First time Parents

Conrad at 6:00-9:00 pm any given day.

What a sad little face. He's got that pout down to an art!

I never thought that I would be the kind of first time parent that I am. I thought I would be super laid back and not wake up out of a deep sleep after hearing the slightest baby cough, or cry when my son got his first shots, or ask a million questions like a freaked out, overly concerned first time parent. At our first doctors appointment Dustin and I wrote a long list of questions to ask the pediatrician, and one of our concerns was that our baby's ears were too small. I thought that the hole was too small and he wouldn't be able to hear. What a retard! My Doctor smiled and reasured me that there was nothing wrong with Conrad's ears and that they were a normal size (I wish I had kept that list for my scrap book!)

 I thought I would be laid back, but freaked out like a first time parent and kept a spread sheet of each bowel movement my son made & at what time,  how much milk he ate, when he breast fed, how long he fed on each breast, how long his naps were and when he slept! We recorded his every move for able 2 weeks until I realized that I didn't work as a nanny anymore, and didn't need to show my boss what their child was doing every moment of the day, I was the parent now, and I needed to chill out!

As first time parents, my husband and I don't have the freedom to frolic off together here or there, and co-showers aren't what they used to be. One of us always seems to have an ear pressed up against the shower door thinking we've heard the baby. Our son was born with what we refer to as a "sex-dar".  Any little bit of intimacy that my husband and I think we're going to get away with is crushed once our son hears mommy and daddy getting on the bus headed to freaky town. Yes, he's got a sex-dar, much like a gay-dar, but a sex-dar. Go figure!

As first time parents, you have to schedual eating dinner. Dustin gets to eat while I take care of Conrad, and then I eat as he takes car of Conrad. The same goes for anything else you want to do around the house with a new baby. If you want to do laundry, you have to have someone there to watch the baby, If you want to take a shower, eat a sandwich, fold towels, or wipe your butt, you have to have another set of hands to help you out. Unless of course,  your baby likes to swing which mine doesn't!

Life is interesting as a new mom....The older lady at Lowes felt it necessary to assist me in holding my sons head up because he kind of bobbles around right now. She's all "You really gotta' watch his neck sweet heart, he can get injured!" What a jerk I am just letting my sons head fall all over the place. How dare I put him in danger. What a terrible young mother I am!  I appreciate tid bits of advice from my "mom" friends, but my "mom" friends don't call me "sweet heart" and make me feel like an idiot! 

Then theres the crying. Everyday from about 6-9 (or 10-11 if we're having a REALLY fussy night) my son cries. (Sometimes, if i'm lucky, he'll just whine, but most of the time, he cries like he's been drop kicked all day and it breaks my heart!) He's either is over stimulated, tired, needs to go on a walk, or the most common, he has gas. And when we've tried everything and can't get him to stop crying, I put him in the bath fully clothed. 

Conrad getting happy again after his nightly freak-out sesh

I put him in his baby bath so he stays dry, and let the water run for a while (an hour) until he calms the f down so I can think straight and take a deep breath.... Most people put their kid in a swing, I put my son in the bathroom to listen to the water! The swing was a piece of crap. The only swing he likes in Avery's swing. He LOVES Avery's swing and HATES his swing! 

Throw mommy a bone Conrad! 

Conrad in his swing, not really into it.

As a new Mom, I do the best I can, try to take advice when I feel we'll benifit, take each hour at a time and love my baby the best that I can. I will say though, that juggling a marriage, keeping a good attitude all the time, having food ready for your hungry husband when he gets home from work, having energy to carry a conversation at the end of the day, making time for myself and for God have been a lot to manage. I hear it gets easier...I'm waiting for it to get easier!

A sleeping baby...a new parents delight!