4 Weeks In: The Unexpected Truths of New Parenthood

Overview

I had my first kid (baby girl!) almost 4 weeks ago, and the question I keep getting is, “What’s the most surprising thing about having a newborn?” Each time, I answer a bit differently because I keep learning more and more. Here’s what I’ve figured out so far:

• Going from 0 to 1 kid is wild. You think you’re ready, but no one is ever really ready. You just jump in.
• Babies don’t sleep when they’re tired. You’ve got to soothe them to sleep, and there’s no “cry it out” in the first few months. If they don’t sleep past an hour, they get overtired and cranky.
• Babies are minimalists (diaper and boob, basically), but minimizing crying means needing a lot of stuff.
• They go through 12+ diapers a day, and the first week’s poops (meconium) are next level.
• Gross stuff (like changing diapers and dealing with spit-ups) becomes surprisingly easy.
• Babies are super noisy sleepers—we call ours “little dragon”.
• Cutting the umbilical cord is tricky—it’s slippery and tough.
• It’s amazing how much you can love something that doesn’t give anything back.

The toughest thing has been getting her to sleep. We sneakily scoop up the baby, gently caressing her until she’s drifting off to dreamland. We tiptoe and whisper, like secret agents on a mission. She’s finally in a deep, deep sleep. Ever so carefully, we tiptoe to the bassinet, laying her down feet first, hand on her chest. And then, the moment her head touches the mattress… those little eyes pop wide open!👀