1) And finally…learn to say “yes”.
It seems like mothers always know how to say this word, unless it is in response to the question, “Do you need help?” Yes, yes, yes…you do need help! It does not mean you are any less of a supermom. Take any and all offers of help with meals, cleaning, or even just sitting with baby while you sleep! People just love to cuddle brand new babies…and they will flock to your side if you let them. A few days after bringing Emma home, I ended up back in the hospital for 5 days with a post-surgical infection. The hospital was 85 miles away, and we had a 10 year-old daughter at home who needed to be in school. This also coincidentally happened the same day all the grandparents had to travel cross-country to go home. We had to accept help from neighbors and friends, period. Accepting help is not a sign of weakness…it is a sign that you are human! Vow to pay it forward in the future, but humble yourself enough to realize we all need a hand sometimes.
It all boils down to this: When you look back at this time, what do you want to remember? Do you want to remember how stressed you felt because you tried to tackle everything on your own, and tried to be perfect on top of it all? Do you want to remember that you were too tired, and felt so blah, that you couldn’t really enjoy this amazing miracle you had welcomed home? Or do you want to remember the people who stepped up to help you navigate the first few weeks of life with your new addition? Or remember the time you spent taking in all those incredible little things that newborns do to melt our hearts? This time goes by so fast…take the time to enjoy every coo, every nap taken on your chest, and every tiny finger and toe. And when they wrap those tiny little fingers around your finger and give you that first smile, meant just for you…know that your baby doesn’t want perfection. They just want you.
