Learning to be a Mother

I've not taken many photos so I thought I would share some things that I've learned about myself, Bryce and being a mother (in no particular order)



1. Sacrifice- I knew that my parents gave a lot of themselves in raising me, but I never imagined how much goes into being a mother. I have to thank my Mom and Dad for all of it. My world revolves around Bryce. From when I eat, sleep, bathe, etc. I give him all that I am.

2. Swaddles or 'Snugglies' as I like to call them- Bryce loves to be in them when he sleeps. As soon as he shows signs of tiredness I wrap him up and he quickly quiets. As I've learned it needs to be the Snuggle Me brand, several others that I have tried don't fit right and/or the Velcro isn't strong enough.

3. Milk arrival- Wow, that was as painful as the aftermath of giving birth. At least the engorgement only lasted a few days and now we are in sync....and have I finally, after waiting some 20 years, have breasts! I have also learned that fabric nursing pads, though they may be more comfortable, are mostly useless. I’ve had numerous leaks, usually in the privacy of my own home. So I use disposables exclusively when we go out, but it feels like I have a diaper over my breasts!

4. No need to register for clothes- I found out that I have a lot of friends and family that LOVE to shop for baby clothes. I had registered for a few neutral newborn things and got those. And now (Thankfully) we have almost all the clothes Bryce will need for the first 9 months! They are all very adorable, and it’s been fun dressing him up like a doll and posing him for photos.

5. Those little mirrors they sell so you can 'see' your baby in the back are a joke. Yes, I can see that I have a baby in the back, but I can't see if he is alive! They need to make them so the baby is bigger than a thumbtack. If anyone knows of a good brand I can purchase let me know. Thankfully he won't be rear facing forever.

6. I don't get anything done- (even with family help) I assumed that I could get focused and write my dissertation and get housework done between feedings, but thus far I can't say that I do. Many days I just find myself cuddling him all day and am quite content on telling Ryan when he calls that we didn't accomplish anything all day...which in my former life I would have been greatly disappointed in myself.

7. Saddened when family leaves- I’ve been very thankful for all of the help from our families. I assumed that I would be relieved when the waves of family visits/help journeyed home to get back to my life, but I was terribly sad and wished they would come back. After my parents and Ryan left, all on the same day, I sat down and cried and asked Bryce whether we were going to get through the week. Well, we did, but not without me questioning my parenting skills. Makes me wish that we were back in Oregon and done with this TX journey.

8. Agonizing to watch Bryce cry- I never imagined that my heart would hurt so when Bryce cries and I can't calm him. Thankfully only a handful of times has this happened. Usually it only takes a short burst of bellows and I figure him out. He does have a very high pitched scream that gets my attention quickly. Maybe at some stage I'll have to let him 'cry it out', but I'll likely be in the other room crying myself. I can't imagine having a colicky baby and I feel horrible for anyone that has.

9. Breastfeeding is very rewarding- I'm glad that Bryce and I have had a fairly smooth breastfeeding partnership. I think it’s wonderful that we get to share those times together, just the two of us. I enjoy the late night feedings (if only they weren’t in the middle of the night) as we are all alone. I wish that our society was more understanding and open to this practice. I don't think that it should have to be done in hiding, as I am now finding that there are few public places that are conducive for comfortable feedings. It’s exciting to know that I have nourished Bryce since the day he was conceived and that it has made him a very healthy boy. Last we measured he’s over 11 pounds.

10. Using pacifiers are both a godsend and a nuisance- Bryce loves his pacifier (and has had no nipple confusion) but it pains me that he can’t keep it in his mouth. Much of the time he cries when it falls out and I spend much of my time putting it back in. Propping it in only works for so long. He may find his fingers or thumb someday, but for now we use the pacifier, as his hands are strapped down by the snugglie.

11. LOVE IT when Bryce smiles- I never imagined how his smile brightens my day. I spend much of my day just trying to get him to smile, and a lot of it trying to photograph it. He started this new trick about 3 weeks ago after he and I had an early morning feeding. It would be the perfect greeting card if you could bottle that up somehow and mail it.

12. Pumping is fun- This may sound odd but I enjoy pumping milk. It’s quite calming to listen to the rhythmic sound of the pump and interesting to watch the spray fill the bottle. I feel like I accomplished something at the end when I store it away in the freezer. I’ve had to buy extra pumping supplies as I am getting tired of washing them so frequently.

13. Burp cloths- you can't have enough, they need to be BIG, as bobble head Bryce (my loving nickname for him at times) can't aim, and they need to be available everywhere. None of those cutesy little ones I bought. Recently, we have started using bibs and they seem to help some, but Bryce often misses those too. I’m hoping this is just a phase, as it has been much more of an issue these past few weeks.

14. The camera/camcorder is always around- I’ve slacked off a bit in the past week, but before that I had the camera out numerous times a day ‘capturing’ Bryce’s life, not that much is going on yet. It’s frustrating because our camera has a significant delay from when we snap the photo and what it takes so we often miss the best shots…especially those smiling moments. Our initial videos were quite boring, but as he gets more active we have a few good shots of him under his play tent.

15. Behind in the baby book- I thought that I would be more diligent about keeping up on Bryce’s baby book, but until now, I haven’t done anything. I’d better get to it before I forget key elements. This week I headed to Hobby Lobby and picked up baby boy scrapbooking supplies.