3 weeks a mommy.

They tell you that until you're taking care of your newborn, you won't understand just how difficult it can be. Ladies about to be new moms? It's true. You are never prepared.

No matter what kind of labor you had, you will be sore. I don't mean sore like you were working out all day sore. I mean you were just hit by a truck sore. Labor takes a lot out of your body and those couple days stay at the hospital are needed simply to give you the help of the nurses until you go home. Then (I guarantee it!) you will miss the nurses.

Scott was an instant dad. He wanted and took on the night screams, and helped me out as much as he could. Because of the intense tearing I had, the first couple weeks were extremely difficult on me sitting down and getting up. There is a lot of that during the first couple weeks. Being handed the baby instead of getting up to get him was such a blessing. The only time we got frustrated with each other was during the night.

Jude starts crying. Scott doesn't wake up for anything, so I smack Scott a few times to go get the baby. He snaps "What?!" I say something to the affect of, "The damn baby is crying!" He gets up and picks up Jude, saying "shh shh shh" and trying to get him to quiet down. Sometimes, this worked. Other times, I would say, "He's hungry, give him to me." Scott would hand him over and go back to sleep. If not, he would continue to cry while we put down each others ideas as to why he was crying. We never had a full on fight or anything like that, but we definitely lost patience with just about everything when there was little to no sleep going on. Fortunately, once day broke, everything was forgiven and giggled at.

They say, sleep when the baby sleeps. Granted, this does not always work. Sometimes you just can't. For instance, today I decided to shower and clean house instead of sleep while Jude took his nap. Last night wasn't a terrible night, so I'm a bit tired, but I feel so much more clean. BUT, do try to sleep as much as you can when the baby is sleeping. Why? Because if you don't, as soon as you do decide to sleep, he will wake up. You will climb into bed after checking on your bundle of cute joy, still sleeping away, and you will fall into the covers. You'll turn off your light and smile as you close your eyes. Your thoughts will get hazy as you start to nod off... and then you'll hear him stir. Your eyes will pop open, but you'll continue to lay there, hoping that the noise you heard was a sleep noise, and that he'll continue sleeping. You start to nod off again, and a wail of impatience from your bundle of joy will cut through any happiness and hope of sleep that you have and you will feel the most intense irritation of your life.

So, truly, sleep when the baby sleeps. You won't be sleeping any other time.