In a little less than 2 weeks, I will have been a mom for 5 months. It’s been a hot minute since I have given you all an update with how life has changed since having little Oliver. So I thought it was about time to share some of my experience of life as a new mom.
It is true what they say, a lot does change. I went into pregnancy preparing myself for the difficulties and hardships that having a baby might bring. But I have really been surprised at how much I love it. Of course there have been moments of struggle, but I am truly happier than I have ever been.
So let’s jump into all the juicy details!
Is he sleeping through the night?
I thought we might as well start with the question that every wants to know the answer to. Is baby sleeping?! And I am so happy to finally report, YES! He has been sleeping through the night for about 2-3 weeks. There have been a few nights that he has woken up once randomly to eat. Like last night he was up 3 times! But he will usually go down for the night around 9 and wake up at 7. But the ironic thing is that I have actually had a hard time sleeping through the night! My guess is that I have been so trained to wake up multiple times in the middle of the night that I naturally wake up. Hopefully my body will be able to adjust soon. Any tips mommas?!
What is his basic schedule?
This little dude is like clockwork. He wakes up everyday at 7 or right around that time. I will feed him and he will stay awake for about an hour after that. He is always the happiest in the morning. It is my favorite time with him. I will usually leave for work shortly after feeding him, so I try to get as many baby cuddles as I can. He will go down for another nap and wake up at 10 to eat. Afternoons can be different from day to day. If it is the weekend and we are running around with errands, he might stay up for hours distracted by the environment. This may cause him to get fussy since he is tired, but too overstimulated to sleep. If we are home, he will easily go down for a nap in his crib. During the work week, I will come home around 4 and feed him again. We catch up and cuddle for about an hour before he goes down for about a 45 minute nap. Around 8pm, I will feed him for the last time, bath him, put him in pjs, and read him a bed time story. Between 8:30-9:00 he will go down for the night.
What are some of your favorite baby products?
Oliver is finally getting to the point where he has started to interact with little toys. He is definitely teething, so he loves chewing on Sophia the Giraffe and this Oball teether. He still loves his Graco swing, especially when he is fussy or tired. We just purchased the Skip Hop activity center and he likes to play in it for about 10-15 minutes and then he wants out. I have also been using the Ergo Carrier for hiking and I do like it, but I think I am just a tad short for it. I am still breast feeding, but while I am at work he really likes drinking from the Comotomo bottles. Let me know if you would be interested in a dedicated blog post on all my favorite baby products from newborn to six months and I can write that for you!
Have you lost the baby weight?
I really think that breast feeding helped me get back to my pre baby size rather quickly. 8 weeks after birth, I had lost most of my weight. But it took me 4 more weeks to loose those last few pounds. I still have a very faint line on my tummy from pregnancy, but I honestly don’t mind it. My stomach is definitely not as tight as it was pre-baby, but I think if I kicked it into gear with some ab exercises I could get it back. I don’t really work out, but I have started to reintroduce physically activity as you can read about in my Busy Girl’s Guide to Fitness.
What has been the hardest part of motherhood?
Originally it was the lack of sleep. But now that I am slowing getting that back, I would have to say being away from him. Going back to work was really tough. I have adjusted since then and find that I am pretty distracted during the work day. But coming home, I will sometimes get emotional thinking about all the smiles and laughs I missed during the day. Deciding what to do about child care was one of the most difficult decisions of my life. But I am so thankful that my sister was able to move to Vegas to be our live in nanny! We have been so blessed with having her here.
I am so grateful for all of the joy and adventure this little boy has brought to my life. And it is only the beginning. Fear has a way of making us hesitant to jump into the pool of unknown. But this leap I have taken has been one of great reward.
What have been some of your greatest joys and difficulties of motherhood? Share your thoughts below!