You Blank It All Out, But You’d Do It All Over Again

You blank out a lot of things within that first few months of having a newborn. 

It’s probably the sleep exhaustion, but it’s like the labor pains – you just don’t remember it. It kind of just becomes a blur.

You don’t remember the colic or how miserable your little one was (and how miserable you were with their screams). 

You don’t remember the endless laundry that you went through between the swaddle blankets, onesies, and sleepers.

You don’t remember the pain of nursing. The thrush, mastitis, and the clogged ducts. 

You don’t remember the nights tripping through the kitchen and going through the motions to put a bottle together. You’re so exhausted that you’re basically doing it in your sleep. (And maybe you even fall asleep in the chair with the baby in your arms.)

You don’t remember the pain and disgusting parts of recovery. Your body transitioning from a glowing pregnant woman to the flabby, sore, and uncomfortable post-baby body. 

It kind of all just gets forgotten about. As you’re living it, you’re thinking you can never do this again and that this is your last child. But then, you forget about all of it and you have baby fever. You have baby fever because of all the things you DO remember. 

That first giggle and smile. 

The first time they got the hiccups and were petrified because they didn’t know what was happening. 

The first time they do tummy time. The struggle they go through but then their little face feeling so accomplished as they lift their head up and see you. 

The snuggles. The hours of rocking in that chair and just holding them in your arms. 

That first bath. They’re looking up at you like, “What the heck, Mom?” but they eventually warm up to it and enjoy the water. 

The newborn stage can break you, it’s true. It’s hard and it’s utterly exhausting, but it’s those moments – all of those firsts – that your little one experiences that make it all so worth it. 

So worth it that you blank out all of the difficult stuff. 

And you know, you’d do it all over again . . . 

Just to experience the good stuff again.