What I've learned so far.

So Will is 5 weeks and 2 days as I write this. He's napping and I only have about 15 minutes before he'll want to eat again. So, here it goes:

1. Just when you think you've got a schedule/figured this whole thing out - baby will do a 180. He'll want to eat every hour and half instead of 3 hours. Or, he'll sleep for an hour stretch one night but the next go 4 hours. You think "he naps around 11 or 12 each morning/afternoon" and the next day he's wide awake until 2pm. So, throw any schedule out the window. Not sure you can have one of those until baby is actually older.

2. He's going to cry. There are going to be times when he just cries - he's not hungry (he just had 4 ounces), his diaper isn't wet or dirty. He pooped two hours ago, so no worries there. He isn't cold/hot...he's just fussy. And it can be hard! You have this picture that your baby will stop crying the moment to pick him up and hold him - and that works sometimes. But, sometimes it doesn't. He's just overtired, gassy, cranky, etc. And, why shouldn't he be? I have days where I'm like that, too!

3. Every day is just a season. Looking back to two weeks ago, Will had to get up every hour and half to two hours to eat. Now, he's prety much making it to the three hour mark (from his last feeding - not actually sleeping 3 hours). Just two weeks ago he was getting about 2 ounces of food. Now, he gets four - and it won't be long before this kid wants 5! I can't beleive our little baby has changed/grown so much already!

4. You're going to cry. I said it. I don't have PPD - but, I will say, the baby blues are no joke. Some days I feel like my life as I knew it has completely died. And, that's true - but then I realize that we're establishing a new "normal". And, that no matter what's going on, this little boy is everything I've ever wanted - and I love him more than anything - and that life as I knew it may have been great, but this is so much better. Sometimes you may cry for no reason - maybe it's because baby is crying and you aren't enough to calm him down - or because it's been 4 days and you haven't left the house except to go for a walk in the neighborhood. Or because it's 3pm and you haven't brushed your teeth yet. And - that's ok. It's ok to cry. It's okay to tell your husband how hard this is - and how stay-at-home-moms DO NOT HAVE IT EASY. Sure, when the kids get older it gets a bit easier - but it's always hard. It's always hard to give up life as you knew it for something unknown no matter what that something is.

5. It's the best thing EVER. Seriously - even on the bad days, everytime I look at Will, I can't beleive he grew inside of me for 9 months and is here in our arms. He's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. Everytime I look at him I appreciate my own parents so much more. I love Greg and I love my family...but, I'm 100% sure that this love is even more than that. And, I thank God every day for Will - and for the ability to have him and know this love.