So, I’m pretty sure this kid is going to turn me into an alcoholic. (Certainly said jokingly, but for any parents who are call what it’s like to be in the trenches with a 7-week-old baby who won’t sleep, you get the comical sentiment.)
Someone gave me a onesie that says Mommy’s little alarm clock. It might be true if the baby ever let me sleep, but he’s in a bad habit of waking up every hour on the hour. Everyone told us to wake him up after 2 hours during the day so he’d sleep 3 hours at night. Sounds like great advice. My only question is how do I get him to sleep 2 hours?! HA
Because we do foster care, I definitely thought having a child in the house full time wouldn’t be that much different. Man, I have never been so wrong in my entire life. Sleep deprivation is a band form of torture. I now understand why. It makes people absolutely f****** crazy!
Yet, there’s no greater joy than spending each moment with this little bundle of joy. Breastfeeding takes as many hours as a part-time job. Sleep deprivation will make you do and say the craziest things. Intimacy really has to be a priority in marriage if you still want to be getting some, and weight loss hasn’t been a problem because there’s really no time to meal plan, buy groceries, make food, and eat. I’m surprised more personal trainers don’t recommend a popcorn and trail mix diet for weight loss. It is super effective!
I’ve talked to so many friends and strangers, and joked about the frustrations of parenting a newborn. It’s more or less cathartic to speak about how difficult it is; however, I wouldn’t change a thing. I mean I’d love to sleep and eat and date my husband and have time for sexy romantic dinners and back massages that lead to sex, but if it means not having this little puddins, I don’t want it. This is only a season of life, and I only get it for so long. I am going to enjoy the crap out of every single sleepless and sexless moment. I hope other parents might find some encouragement in these words. Pinterest parenting is not a thing, and there’s really no routine with a newborn. You just have to do what works for you and the baby to make it through these precious moments. Keep it up Mom and Dad. If you are loving that baby and providing for him or her, then You’re doing a fantastic job!
12 week update
Wow, I don’t even remember the newborn phase. I am so glad I wrote this season of life down because it all seems like a vague memory. Our life was so difficult around week 6. Now at week 12, I can say our son has been sleeping through the night. (For babies at this age, that means 5+ hours at a time.) He wakes up at 3am and 6am and this feels manageable. Reading the 7-week post is so funny. I now recall how Rowan used to wake up every hour and how incredibly exhausting it was, but I don’t remember it. (Perhaps the body’s way of forgetting a ‘trauma’ in order to repopulate the earth…. Or one hypothesis I’ve heard.)
If you’re at 12 weeks and baby is still not sleeping and you still have no time to eat, remember, this too shall pass. One day at a time. The other night my husband prayed:
“God, give us faith to trust you, perseverance to enjoy the present moment, and courage to hope for the future.”
Amen!
Katie's Corner 