Almost Eight Weeks In

While countless ups and downs come with having a baby, here are the ones that have affected me the most. I’m sharing this list because talking to my mom friends (of both humans and dogs) and auntie friends has been extremely helpful. Listening to their stories and hearing their words of encouragement has meant everything to me. Hearing that I can handle this has meant everything as well. 

Top ten most difficult and most rewarding aspects of having a newborn:

Most difficult: 10) Comprehending that you are now responsible for a human life other than your own. 9) Worrying about whether or not what’s happening with the new human is “normal.” 8) Not enough sleep/disrupted sleep. 7) Feeling like a milk machine. 6) Wondering if a good night’s sleep will ever happen again. 5) Understanding that you are living a whole new life for the rest of your life. 4) Experiencing the steepest of learning curves. 3) Integrating the new human with the pups you already have and love. 2) Asking for help and realizing how lucky you are to have people to ask. 1) Accepting that while there is no crying in baseball, there is crying in parenting. 

Most rewarding: 10) No longer pregnant! Yes! 9) Finally meeting your new family member. 8) Having a happy, healthy baby. 7) Finally calling him the name you chose with your significant other and hearing others use his name as well! 6) Watching him smile at you for the first time. 5) Seeing him discover new things. 4) Observing him observing the world around him. 3) Watching the pups learn to interact with their new brother. 2) Realizing that this human is a combination of you and your other favorite human. 1) Thinking about all the fun and exciting times ahead.