Things every new mommy should know...

As a first time mom, I've googled just about everything you could possible need to know about a baby. In my many searches I found lots of lists, "15 Ways to Soothe a Baby," "New Mom Must-Haves," "New Mom Survival Tips," "Things Every New Mom Should Know." No where did I see a list of things a new mom should NEVER do. I'm going to try to help you by making this list as I learn these things the hard way.


1. Never put up the foot rest on the recliner when trying to put your baby to sleep. During our first week home, Kherington and I were in the living room getting ready for the night ahead of us. She had just finished a bottle and fallen asleep in my arms. She was asleep, but I wasn't ready to put her down yet, so I put the foot rest up to get comfortable. We had a little mommy/daughter bonding time before I finally thought she was sleeping soundly enough to put her down. I pulled the handle to put the foot rest down, and it made the most atrocious sound and propelled us out of the chair. Kherington's arms shot out to the side and instantly started crying. Back to the drawing board...


2. Never try to hold your baby to get their PKU test. On the day that Kherington turned 2 weeks old, I had to take her back to the hospital for them to do do the 2nd heel stick for the PKU. Luckily my mother-in-law was visiting that week, so she was there to help. As we walked into the hospital, I was nauseous thinking about the germs. It was as if I could see them floating around in the air. The walk to the 4th floor was a long one. They filled out the paper work and took us into a room. Kherington was still in her car seat, so the nurse told us that it would be better if one of us would hold her. She was locked in her car seat as secure as a murderer at Alcatraz, so it took a hot second to get her out. I held her in the position that the nurse instructed and they stuck a lifesized needle in her foot. If that had been the end of it I would have been fine, but they had to squeeze the blood out of her foot for what seemed like an eternity! A 'wave of nausea' (as Mama Jane would say) came over me, and I started feeling hot and very weak. I'm not one to ask for help so I tried to stick it out. I finally realized that I was on the verge of passing out and I pictured Kherington and I laying on the hospital floor...not a pretty sight. "Somebody's got to get here!" I finally said. Leslie quickly grabbed her and I sat down on the bed. You may be thinking 'what a drama queen,' but I'm telling you that I literally almost passed out!

3. Don't waste your time dressing your baby in her cutest duds to go to the doctor. The night before Kherington's 1 week check up, I got her bag all packed and picked out a cute outfit for her to wear. I just couldn't wait for the nurse and doctor (and anyone else who noticed or cared) to see how cute she looked in her brown onesie with big flowers and her pink pants with ruffles on the hiney. Trust me...she looked adorable. Once at the doctor, we were pointed to room 4 and told to take everything off of her except her diaper. In my head I'm thinking, "Are you sure you don't want to take a look at her first. She looks really cute. :)" Reluctantly I took off her clothes. Not long after, the nurse came in to weigh her. Next, the doctor came in, Kherington still in her diaper only, and took a look at her. Just like that, her check-up was over. So, the moral of this story is...I know that you have tons of cute outfits that your bundle of joy has to wear before they outgrow them, but the doctor's office is not the time or place. The awful outfit that's in the back of the dresser drawer that you never intended on putting your baby in (since it's so u-g-l-y it's probably really easy to get off and on) will probably be the better choice. Here's another helpful hint. Since it may be the only time he/she dons the outfit, make sure you take a picture and email it to that well meaning person that bought it for him/her to show your appreciation for the hideous thing.

That's all I have for now, but that's just from Kherington's first three weeks. I'll keep this list going as I learn more. :)