You will mess up.

You will mess up and that's ok. Every mom does, it's a part of life. You will find yourself up at 3 am with a crying baby and not know what it wants. You've fed them, burped them, changed their diaper, and given them gas drops. No matter what you do, they keep crying. And then you start crying. Now you're both blubbering with no end in sight wondering how in the world you're going to get through this. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel. This chaos will slow down and eventually crawl to a stop. Your hormones WILL stop ruling your life. Trust me, I thought I would never stop crying. I cried when she cried. I cried when I read something about motherhood. I bawled when I watched a video of parents coming home from being overseas and reuniting with their families. I cried when I held her sleeping body on my chest because this perfect creature was mine. I was chosen to be her mommy and I could not be more grateful. I cried because I knew I had and would again fail my baby in both small and big ways. The first week home was pure hell. That may have been the hormones doing. I also had a c-section and was in constant pain, which did not help one bit. In this, I thought I had failed my child too. After 25 hours of labor and only progressing to 5 cm along with starting to swell, they decided a c-section was best. After my hormones subsided and I once again regained control of them, I came to terms with my delivery. No, I did not push this baby out of my body, though I did so badly want to. I still grew this amazing, wonderful, beyond beautiful, 8lb 7oz 21 inch long baby girl in this body and for that I will forever be proud of myself. I am currently growing baby number two, which will join us mid February. I pray for a vaginal delivery, but above all, I pray for a safe birth and healthy baby. With this realization, I know I have made mistakes, but ultimately I figured it out. My child is a happy, safe, healthy, and thriving two year old little girl. This simple fact proves that I figured motherhood out, you can too.

When it comes to the small details of parenting, there is no right or wrong way to raise your baby. If you take care of basic needs and love your baby, everything will be ok. In a few days, weeks, months, and years, you will look back and appreciate the hard times because they made you a better mother. Now when your kids cry, you know it's not the end of the world. Both of you will survive.

If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time. I hope this helped in some small way. I know it would have helped me during those first days and weeks as a new mother. I wish you all the luck in your journey. My last piece of advice, love that baby without fail, without conditions, and without hesitation. It is the best feeling in the world and comes with the greatest reward.

My very new daughter.

And my now adorable and awesome two year old.