Is there anything you, um, forgot to do in your first few months as a new mom?
Luckily, both the baby and I were perfectly healthy, and the midwives sent us home by 5:30 a.m. It sort of felt like we’d been out at a really intense and weird all-night party: we snuck back in the door just before daylight, ate the leftover Chinese food we’d ordered an hour before my contractions started, and went to bed.
I’m very glad my birth experience was such a swift and positive one, but I often wish we’d had more time to gather our thoughts, take it all in, and get that classic Facebook photo: the tired but happy new mom, hair brushed and cheeks rosy. If I get a do-over with a second child, I hope the momentousness of the occasion—and the miracle of birthing another person, who will grow into a funny little human with a personality of his own—will hit me a little harder.
In the grand scheme of things, however, I don’t think my son cares about whether his baby book was completed, or forgotten entirely. He’d rather his mama use her spare time to take him to the park or get down on the floor and play trains. Readjusting my expectations to match my new, busy reality is one of the biggest lessons I’m learning as a new mom. Forget about those lofty parenting goals—my priorities are way different now, and it’s OK.