The first four months

So, Bumble is 16 weeks old - 16 of the longest & fastest weeks of my life.  I can't believe that we've got this far already.  I guess what I want to do is reflect on the best bits, the worst bits, the things I wish I worried about less and those I should have worried about more and look forward to the next 16 weeks!

The best bits - in no specific order - the first smile; the first laugh; seeing my husband being the amazing father I knew he would be; the endless wonder of a baby experiencing the world; so many firsts (swim, walk in the park, wedding, night away etc etc etc) and growing in confidence in my "mummy skills".

The worst bits - the sleep deprivation; the physical recovery; the endless fear that something will happen to him; his first illness; jabs and the breastfeeding failure.

I do wish I'd worried less about my ability to keep Bumble happy and listened to my husband when he told me just getting through each day is enough at the beginning. 

I wish I'd realised earlier that I am enough for Bumble and that Bumble's dad will fill in any gaps - parenting is most definitely a team sport! 

I wish I'd been able to worry less about things beyond my control and possibly worried more about making sure that I got as much rest/food/help as I needed.  

I still wish I could feel less guilty about leaving when I go out for a run or shopping or with friends but I guess that's something that I'll either get used to or will get less as Bumble ages.  

But, it has been an amazing journey and I can't wait to experience the highs (and lows) of the next 16 weeks.  As hard as it is to believe, in 16 weeks my maternity leave will almost be over and we'll be facing a whole new set of challenges but in the meantime we've got weaning, sitting up, rolling over and probably even crawling to look forward to, not to mention many, many more smiles!