My First Three Months As A First-Time Mom

Three months ago on the 8th, I had my beautiful little girl, Vera. She has been my entire world since she came onto this Earth. While she has been a huge blessing in my life, it has also been a major transformation for me and my husband, both being first-time parents. The only time we have worked with babies was with my husband’s nieces and nephews. We also have a wonderfully needy dog who has a special diet and allergies, so some could say that may have prepared us a bit.

But in reality, my husband and I weren’t ready.

I had read many blogs and books in preparation for having Vera, but having our first baby has really been like searching in the dark with no flashlight. There are many things that the books and blogs and Internet research didn’t prepare us for, such as being pooped on, puked on, teething at 2 months, severe acid reflux, no weight gain, and more. The only thing we were prepared for was the lack of sleep.

As Vera has grown into her third month, things have been getting easier. Vera sleeps for five hours every night, and had even slept nine hours the one night because she hadn’t napped much during the day. We also know that she has four teeth popping through, all her canines, and have prepared extensively for drooling by purchasing a ton of burp cloths and bibs. Thankfully, Vera’s acid reflux has been taken care of by medicating and changing to a different formula that is easier for her to digest.

So I won’t lie to you other first-time parents, it’s rough. Being a parent is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. But I also love it. I wouldn’t change anything. I love learning this new way of life and learning about our beautiful daughter as her personality grows. I love learning that Vera’s favorite color so far is orange, or that she loves to smile as soon as she wakes up and makes eye contact with me or my husband, or that her favorite teething toy is her own fist.

If I can offer any advice to you as a new parent, it is to be extremely patient. Your patience will definitely be tested, especially at 2 or 3 in the morning when you had just fallen back asleep and your little one starts to cry again. You will want to yell and cry. Walk away if you have to, just to get that little break. Remember that your baby is crying because that’s the only way they know how to communicate to you. They’re not doing it to make you angry. And although it’s really annoying to be told to just wait and that it does get better, it’s true. It really does get easier and it really does get better. Hang in there, because you’re doing an amazing job at parenting!