Camden is now seven months old. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone, but I also can’t believe it’s only been seven months. I love being a mom! It’s like being in a new relationship when you get that amazing RUSH except the feeling doesn’t ever stop. It gets stronger the more I get to know him.
I find myself making excuses to go home to see him on my lunch break. And, I look down at my phone even more during the day hoping there is a new text with pictures or a video from our nanny. Both Camden and I are learning new things and growing every day. Thankfully, it is only Camden who is getting bigger. Physically, I do NOT miss being nine months pregnant or even a few weeks post C-section.
Before Baby
Before I share more about my new mom life, let me first set the stage. Until Camden was born, I’d never really been around a baby. I’d never changed a diaper and I was terrified I would hurt him accidently. I thought he’d be so fragile I would have to be careful even touching him.
It’s no surprise that I thought all the diapers I got at my baby shower would last many months. Spoiler Alert: They lasted less than one month. As an aside, the pee bar that turns blue when a diaper is wet is an awesome invention. Don’t laugh, but I was even worried about how to talk to him. What do I say? Would I sound ridiculous? Clearly, my baby expectations and fears were far off from the wonderful, crazy reality.
After Baby
The control freak in me is getting quite the workout. I keep trying to get a system down, but I never can. The constant change makes it difficult to get a handle on things. For example, one-week Camden just stopped taking the bottle. We tried every bottle on the market and none worked. Then, one day he just decided to start taking the bottle again – all 10 of them.
Here are a few other mom experiences that I have a new love-hate relationship with:
Clutter
My house is now filled with baby stuff. And, most of it is stuff I don’t need or use much. He has so many pieces of baby specific furniture and apparatuses. I know many moms swear by the boppy pillow, but I never really understood or got the allure. On the flip side, I put all the six months and older baby clothes away in storage thinking I wouldn’t need them for a long time. Yes, that was a big, inconvenient fail.
Going Out
We can’t go anywhere without be stopped. When I’m running late which is often, this becomes a challenge. It just like when I used to walk my old housemate’s dog. People don’t notice me and go straight for Camden. Friendly reminder: please don’t touch him without asking or wake him up because you want to see him.
Peer Pressure
I find myself baby comparing with other moms – sizes, developmental progress and falling into that unhealthy comparison trap. I am trying so hard to avoid it. What helps me is that I don’t like it any better when others compare me to other mothers. It seems like it is suddenly okay to comment on my post-baby body, breast feeding practices and “so when is the second one coming?”. The silliest thing though is when friends and family point out that Camden looks just like Rob. Yes, he does look a lot like his dad, but I find myself still wanting them to say he looks like me too.
Basically, even when I’m being driven crazy, I love being a mom. I’m learning to turn my daily new mom challenges into fun life experiences. No time to eat? Watch me engulf my food in seconds. No changing table in a public restroom? No problem. With Camden’s help, I am getting better and better at multi-tasking every day. Who needs sleep?
