Things I Wish I Had Known Before Having a Baby

* Today is a special day, because my sweet blog friend Claire is taking over the blog to share advice about motherhood!! For those of us who aren’t moms yet, this post is so helpful and just full of wonderful tips! I’m guest posting over at her blog, Casual Claire, talking about marriage today. Be sure to show Claire some love here, then stop by her blog to see my guest post! 🙂

Hello! My name is Claire and I blog over at Casual Claire about marriage, motherhood, recipes, crafts, and much more, and I am thrilled to be here on Just Bee Blog today! I adore Hannah’s posts on marriage, traveling, and everything in between. I was thrilled when she asked me to write about things I wish I knew before having a baby, because there is so much I could say on this subject. Luckily for you, I’ve condensed all my thoughts into a few short paragraphs.

My husband and I married fresh out of college in 2011. Flash forward a few years, and seven months ago my husband and I were blessed with the most amazing experience in the world – becoming parents to a beautiful baby girl named Maddie Grace, or MG as we often call her. She’s easily the best thing that has ever happened to either of us. She is so fun, full of life, and does this nose wrinkle when she smiles and laughs that could melt the coldest of hearts. While these seven months have been full of wonder and joy, they have also been very challenging and difficult. So without further ado, here are the things I wish I had known before having a baby.

Free Time is Rare, Valuable, and Precious

I was busy before having a baby. I mean I was really busy. I worked part time all through law school while also being very involved in school activities, and managing somewhat of a social life. At that time I thought I didn’t have spare time. I was wrong. I had spare time then, and some peaceful quiet moments to relax, but I didn’t value it. {How do I blog if I don’t have spare time? I multitask while breastfeeding, trapped underneath a sleeping baby, and at night when my husband gets home.}

So is Sleep

Hahaha wait what is sleep? Just kidding, we sleep some, but our baby doesn’t sleep much which means neither do we. I always tell people the first month with our baby went by so slowly – because we weren’t sleeping at all. I’m still not sure I’ll ever know what it feels like to sleep more than 3 hours at a time.

Being a Mom is Terrifying

Is my baby sick? She bumped her head could she have a concussion? OMG I forgot to use chlorox wipes on the highchair at chick fil a, she probably has Ebola now. I kid, sort of. As a mom you are always wanting your child to be healthy and happy, and you are going to be constantly worried that your baby isn’t. And then there’s the fears for the future – what if kids are mean to her, what if she doesn’t get into her dream college, what if something terrible happens to her?

There are Days Where You Will Feel Like A Failure

I mean, it’s just going to happen. There have been several times where I’ve broken out in tears because I feel like I’m letting down my baby and doing a terrible job. It’s likely that your baby will fall off a bed or couch at some point, you are going to get so sick of your baby crying, you’re going to be frustrated, you’re going to want breaks from your baby, and you’re going to need help.

But You Won’t Be.

You just won’t. Instincts will kick in and you will be amazing. While in the midst of those tears from feeling like a failure your baby will fall asleep with her arms wrapped around you, or give you the most adorable smile you’ve ever seen. Then be prepared to be amazed every time your child picks up a new skill or learns something new, and you will know that you are doing something right.

It’s the Best Thing in the World

The first time you see your baby you will feel a happiness that you have never felt before. It’s impossible to explain but know that all the difficult aspects of parenting are 100% worthwhile. I look forward to going through all of this again, hopefully several times, in the future.

Is there anything you would add to this? Have any questions about motherhood, me, or life in general? Leave a comment below – I’ll be checking them! Interested in more of me? I would love to have you follow along! I’m on Bloglovin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.