on motherhood--so far...

i am a mom now. weird right? but great. 

audrey is 4 weeks old already, which seems crazy. it seems like she just got here, but has always been here, and somehow like it was forever ago that i was pregnant.

here i am in all my 40 weeks and 3 days pregnant glory. thank goodness i was able to talk my OB into inducing me a few days earlier than they were planning to! i look at this picture and it seems like so long ago. and a little surreal and like a dream. you're pregnant for so long, and then just like that...you aren't anymore. but then you have a sweet little bundle to take home.

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here are a few things i've learned about motherhood over the past 4 weeks:

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1. nursing. before having a baby i always wanted to and planned on nursing, but it seriously seemed soooo strange. so i just figured it was something that until i had to do it, it would just be weird to me. i'd hear women saying how much they looooved nursing and i'd just think...weird. but i have to say i quite enjoy it. it's a nice bonding time with my sweet girl and pretty amazing that my body can sustain this little person. just me and my boobs. who'd've thought? 

1.1. pumping is pretty much the most unglamorous thing in the world. i feel a bit like a cow hooked up to a machine. this being said, it's quite satisfying as well to see that my body is working to make food for my baby. wild.

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2. stores {besides the grocery store probably} are NOT stroller friendly. at all. neither are doors. but surprisingly enough, people are friendly and are nice enough to hold said doors open for me while i push a big stroller through it.

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3. drive-thrus are my friend. having a drive through that i can go through when i have audrey in tow is a serious life saver. if i don't have to get the carseat out of the car and carry it inside to do something...i'm all for that. thank you BYU dry cleaners for having a drive-thru.

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4. i'm grateful for my hubby in a whole new way. seriously though. i said to him the other night, "how do people do this on their own? how are they single parents?" i don't know how they do it. but i'm insanely thankful to have a wonderful husband who does so much for me and audrey and loves us and takes such good care of us. and who is always doing things for me, no matter how many things i ask him to do. i love that man.

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5. efficiency is at a whole new level. if audrey is taking a nap, i never know how long she'll be asleep. it could be 3 hours, it could be 20 minutes. if i want to get some cleaning/cooking/organizing done, i need to be efficient! 

5.1. with this is thinking ahead. if i know i'm about to feed her, or going to be in a position for a bit where i'll be unable to get up and move around i have to think ahead to what i might need. have i gone to the bathroom, do i have my water close be, do i have a snack/the remote/blanket/pillow/etc.etc.etc. within reaching distance? 

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6. being at home all day is almost as much of an adjustment for me as having a newborn baby. i'm a really extroverted person, and i've been working full-time for years, so i'm not used to being at home all day with no adults to talk to or interact with. just my little bug. we look forward to and take advantage of spending time with Lala, going to visit Daddy at work, and running errands!  

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7. i just love this little girl so much. i look at her and i'm amazed that she's mine. that we made her and i grew her and birthed her. and then she's here and she's perfect! what a miracle! 

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8. two hour stretches of sleep are not enough. ha. i can handle 3 during the night between feedings, but we've had a couple nights of feedings every two hours, and i thought i was going to die. luckily we're now getting into a little but of a rhythm with things and {knock on wood} audrey generally sleeps about 4-5 hours for the first stretch and 2-3 for the second. bless that sweet child.

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i have to say motherhood is pretty amazing so far. i've had some tears and some 'moments' for sure, but being audrey's mommy is the best. i love my little family.