Motherhood Check-in: Six Months

I cannot believe I've been a mother for 6 months! Time continues to fly by, and life just continues to move forward. I think the Gregorys have found our new normal, and we are getting through the days a lot easier than we were three months ago. Being a mom has certainly changed me. I worry so much more than I did when I didn't have a little life to take care of, but I think I've become more patient and I certainly have a deeper understanding of love.I caught myself referring to Finn as "my son" the other day, and I realized I hadn't used that phrase before. I typically call him Finn, or even "my baby", but "my son" had a different tone to it - one that stuck with me long after the conversation had ended.I'm not sure what it is about that phrase, but maybe it's the reality of Finn being a real, live, human being. That might sound silly, but calling him "baby" limits him to the little baby that he is now. "My son" allows me to think of all the different phases of his life as he grows. I've already watch him grow from a tiny infant to a chatty 6-month-old, who is developing quite the personality. What happens in the next six months? Who will he be a year from now? How will I feel on his first day of school?It's safe to say that motherhood has a steep learning curve. Most days I don't have enough time to sit and think about how I feel because there's always something to do. I'd say though, that over the last few months I've learned a few things:

1. Nobody really knows anything for sure - we are all just guessing. When Finn has a fussy day, we find ourselves running through the options of what it could be. Need a nap? Teething? Fever? Growth spurt? We try pretty much everything until something works. The best part? If it worked one day, it may not work the next. Car rides used to put Finn to sleep, but now he hates his carseat. The one thing that has consistently been a life saver? Lady Gaga Paparazzi Lullaby. It's hilarious! It's like the music puts Finn into a trance and he quiets down. Sometimes it takes playing it through 10 times, but eventually he will fall asleep. Thank you Gaga!
2. Your body will bounce back eventually. Gosh, those first few months were tough. I wasn't sleeping, I wanted to eat all the food, and I felt horrible about my self image. I'm feeling good these days. Clothes fit again and I have energy back. I'm still breastfeeding, so that's the worst, but all-in-all, mama's got her groove back. LOL.
3. Breastfeeding - it's not for the faint at heart. I always wanted to breastfeed, but I was not realistic about how hard it would be. Finn and I weren't good at nursing for whatever reason, but we made it through an entire month before I introduced a bottle. The bottle was my saving grace. We realized Finn wasn't eating enough while nursing, so we had to supplement. Talk about a blow to the ego. Nothing like kicking me when I'm down, mother nature. But supplementing was what my baby needed, so I had to get over the insecurities quickly. (Side note - why does that make mom's insecure to begin with? Is it the fear of judgment from others? Can't we all just accept that we gotta do what we gotta do?) Now that Finn has teeth, I'm pumping exclusively. I told myself I'd go six months - but now that I'm here, I am gonna try for two more!
4. Dads have needs, too. Gosh, I feel bad for dads sometimes. The moms get all the attention, all the sympathy. The dads seem to get lost in the background. It took David a few weeks to warm up to the idea of being a dad, and I could tell he was bothered by it. He wanted to feel those feelings, but he wasn't getting the bonding time that I was. In the last few months I have watched David become more patient, more mature, more helpful, more of pretty much everything. Can we all just give dads a minute of our gratitude? Thanks for doing all of the hard stuff with very little reward! Love you, my man!
5. You still have to take care of number one. I would be lying if I haven't had days, even weeks, where I felt out of sorts and stuck in a funk. I think a lot of it has to do with our new routined lifestyle. Finn is in bed by 7pm every night, so to avoid getting off schedule, that means we are pretty much at home by then every. single. day. It's boring some days. It's easy to start feeling down when this is the way you feel. A few weeks back I told myself I'd do one thing each week that would take me out of my comfort zone. Not surprisingly, most of those things involve some sort of exercise class. Spin, barre, yoga. When I put myself first and prioritize my health, I'm a better mom and a better wife. Thankfully I have a husband who understands that about me and is willing to get some one-on-one time with his little man.

What have you learned as a new mom?