Six Weeks

We have arrived!

From the minute we found out we were having a baby, our lives have been full of milestones, and markers and countdowns. First we were focused on the day we could take a test, then it was all about our first doctor appointment, then the twelve week mark so we could share the news with friends and family, and from then on the pregnancy was filled with milestones we anxiously waited to reach- trimester markers, our first ultrasound, reaching full term, and of course- the due date. Throughout the 40+ weeks we kept an eye on the calendar, always looking forward to what's next.

But it didn't stop there...Now that Piper has arrived, there are more milestones to reach. Making it though our first night, the 48 hour stay in the hospital, her one-week appointment, the two week mark when the doctor said I would feel at least moderately healed from the delivery, her one month check up...

But perhaps the biggest milestone of her short little life, is the six week mark. It's not so much about her development (which is just fine so far...) as it is about Dustin and me. This baby has completely rocked our world. Completely. To the point that at times I not only was our life unfamiliar, but I didn't even recognize myself. I've heard that the beginning of life as a new mom is spent "in the fog", which doesn't lift until around six weeks, so we've anxiously been awaiting that point, hoping that it would signify a bit of accomplishment and normalcy, to our otherwise upside-down life.

And thankfully (so very thankfully) I can say that it has. We are by no means experts at the whole parenting thing, but slowly but surely we are coming into our own a bit, and getting settled. We don't have a set routine yet, but the day to day grind is getting easier. My crying jags have ended (or at least greatly diminished), I'm not panicked about leaving the house, and we are a teeny bit less bleary eyed than a month ago...

There were multiple points over the last few weeks that I honestly wasn't sure we'd survive. I worried that our lives were irreversibly changed for the worst, that my body was ruined, my mind was mush, and our relationship was doomed. As I related my fears and struggles to other moms, I heard the same comments over and over- "The first month is the hardest of your life", "I hated the newborn stage", "Don't worry, it gets better", "This too shall pass". It felt good to hear from people that had been there, felt the same way, and lived to tell. We enjoyed the good moments as much as possible, soaking in the fleeting time with our sweet little peanut. But in the darker times, I clung to the promise of six weeks, setting my sights on what I was told was the promised land of parenting.

And somehow, we made it.

We still have a long way to go in our journey with Piper. More challenges to face, more weight to lose, more fights to weather, and more lessons to learn. But for now I will wear the experience of the last six weeks like a badge of honor. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, but we made it through.