When you’re pregnant, people will never hesitate to tell you to enjoy that time, because parenthood changes everything …  and it’s not that I didn’t believe them, but more that I hadn’t experienced it first-hand … and so therefore it didn’t really resonate.

Until now, that is!

Maya’s only 9 days old but I think it’s safe to say I finally “get” it.

Our lives have completely been changed–in the most amazing of ways. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t already feeling exhausted … I think in time it will get easier but for now, all the initial adrenaline/excitement of Maya’s birth and motherhood has been replaced with reality (this little person needs me for everything and my husband can’t help with feedings yet) and I’m completely zonked.

[I also tend to forget I had major abdominal surgery only 9 days ago and perhaps am trying to do too much…but I digress.]

For an anal-retentive, time-obsessed person like myself, it’s not easy to live in un-regimented three-hour increments … but that’s what having a newborn is all about. They very much live in three-hour cycles of wake, eat, play, sleep (or some variation of that) … and I’m not in control.

Basically our days are like this:

11 PM: feed/change

3 AM: feed/change

6or 7 AM: feed/change

10 AM: feed/change

1 PM: feed/change

4 or 5 PM: feed/change

7 or 8 PM: feed/change

10 or 11 PM: feed/change

REPEAT!! Oh, and of course, there’s nap time, play time, tummy time, cuddle time, etc. in between all of these feedings — but really, each feeding is about 30 min. give or take, and so it is pretty time consuming when you add it all up.

My husband went back to work today which meant it was just me … so far, so good for day one… but I’m not gonna lie–when he came home at lunch, it was a nice little break in the day! Mostly because Maya’s experiencing a bit of a growth spurt (quite common 7-10 days after birth) and so she’s wanting to eat every 2, 2 1/2 hours, which means running errands or doing laundry isn’t quite as easy as it could be. Not that I can drive or lift much right now anyway … but still.

This is an adjustment period for me in so many ways … and what’s hard to grasp is that it’s a temporary adjustment period because in 11 weeks, I’ll go back to work and need to adjust to a whole new normal … which is why it’s so critical to me to enjoy and savor this time home with Maya now.

Doting on my daughter is pretty much the only aspect of parenthood that doesn’t exist in three-hour increments! 😉 And it’s one aspect I will never tire of!