Countdown from Week 3

5 lessons learned the first 3 weeks

• Babies cry- When they’re hungry, tired, cold, wet, need to burp, want to be held….they cry. Most of the time they are adorable, wonderful, sweet angels….but all of them cry.
• Breastfeeding is not easy- I know it’s best for us both and that it is absolutely a rewarding experience, but I had no idea how much work it would be. (Again, I’ll be devoting a special blog to this topic later).
• The Art of Burping- One of nurses told us we would hardly have a need for burping because I was breastfeeding…she was wrong, the boy got gas!
• Every other mom knows everything- Just listen, smile & nod.
• Babies get toe-jam (especially between those fingers)- I noticed this after the first few days, kinda gross.           

4 items I’m so glad I had

• Diaper Genie- Big shock. Who wants to take out the trash multiple times a day? And no one wants the stench of dirty diaper lingering throughout the house.
• My Breast Friend- I thought it was pretty silly until I used it the first time….it’s basically a Boppy  that straps on and is complete with a ‘headrest’ for baby and a pocket for your cell or remote! Thanks to sister-in-law, Amy, for letting me borrow!
• Swaddlers- When all else fails, swaddle!
• New sweats & PJs- Because that’s all I wore for the first few weeks 

3 items we wished we had

• Gas Drops- Like I said, the boy is gassy! Sometimes we burp him for 15 minutes straight and still 20 minutes later when we put him down he lets out another…We use these at almost every feeding.
• Bottle Warmer-When we introduced the bottle the first few times it was almost painful waiting for it to heat by hot water. It was first on the Wal-Mart list soon after.
• Travel Wipes-Something I didn't even think about until our first outing and I had none. Oops.             

2 things I wish I’d known

• Newborns eat every 2-3 hrs- I thought you ‘never woke a sleeping baby’….Actually, for the first week or so (until they are back to their birth weight) it’s all you do, even in the middle of the night, even if they don't want to.
• When food goes in…something is bound to come out- Pretty much every single time. So if for some reason in a sleep deprived panic you decide to go ahead and feed your naked baby so he’ll stop crying, don’t do it. You will get messy. 

1 sweet boy