A Baby Does Change Everything. Part One.

I thought I knew what parenthood was going to be like. I thought I had a plan. I thought I would want to raise my kids just the way I was raised. I didn't think my thoughts, opinions, and feelings would be altered so much by some baby.

I was wrong.

I thought breastfeeding would be hard.

I read an entire book on breastfeeding. An entire book. I figured if I needed to know that much about a baby eating from me, it was going to be difficult. It talked about different positions, plugged ducts, lactation consultants, all these people having issues that need fixed, blah, blah, blah.

BUT

Breastfeeding has been wonderful. And, lucky for me, so easy. I am so thankful my ride down this road has been so smooth. Of course we've had hiccups, but nothing major.

I thought labor wouldn't be too painful.

BUT

It was. I wasn't nervous one bit about giving birth. Honest. I figured millions of women have given birth and a lot have done it all natural. No big deal. I got this. Yikes! It hurt. A lot.

I thought I wasn't going to have a c-section.

BUT

I did. I didn't even read about c-sections. I read hundreds (no exaggeration) of birth stories during my pregnancy and I skipped over ever. single. c-section story.

I thought Mason would sleep in his own room at 3 months.

BUT

That's about the time he started sleep in our bed full time. I can't even imagine him being in a different room from me. Makes me shiver.

I thought baby wearing was for hippies.

BUT

I love it. It provides me with the exercise I don't want to do and keeps Mason (and my back) happy when all he wants is to be held. Have you ever seen the movie Away We Go? I'm pretty sure that's what made me feel the way I did. And, now I laugh because I am a lot like the "crazy mom" in that movie.

I thought my hormones would go back to normal after birth.

BUT

Oh boy, they didn't. The baby blues are unavoidable and made me feel extremely vulnerable. I was sad, I was overjoyed, I was selfish, I was in love, I was on a roller coaster. While Tyler fed Mason his first bottle, I cried in the shower. When my mom left me (the first and second time) I cried and couldn't stop. When certain people wanted to hold Mason for extended periods of time, I wanted to cry. Lots of crying. The baby blues did go away as they are supposed to, but I didn't feel back to my normal self for 4 1/2 months. That's when the sun, the moon, and I aligned and all was right again.

I thought I would go late.

BUT

I went into labor early! Surprise! Not too early, but it seemed like it since I was just sure I would have to be induced a week or two after November 11th had passed. My bag wasn't packed. I learned my lesson.

I thought I could easily leave the hospital wearing the shoes I walked in there with.

BUT

They were extremely tight. I was so lucky I never swelled up during my pregnancy. I thought I dodged a bullet. However, after my c-section, my ankles and feet were huge! I had to do some major loosening of my tennis shoes and squeeze my feet into them. They stayed swollen for quite a while after that, too.