Ready or Not, Baby Makes Three…

It’s that moment the doctor says “Ok mum, ready to meet your Daughter?” No word has ever had carried such weight before. Daughter… Mum… Ready?? What does being ready have to do with it??? Nine short months had come and gone and ready or not she was here.

My due date came and went and the nurses kept saying you will miss this quiet time where you can do what you want when you want. But I was so ready for this baby to arrive I was trying anything. In the last few days of my pregnancy you would have found me attempting interesting yoga positions, eating all the spicy food I could find, and trying an array of odd breathing techniques 3 days past her due date and she was here. I could hardly believe it. There was this beautiful baby girl it was as if I had known her all along and she had always been a part of me.

The drive home from the hospital with our new baby in our car was surreal! We of course had an influx of visitors for the first few weeks then came the day that everyone went home, and my husband went back to work and all of a sudden I as alone with this 6 week old baby. That morning I had my first mommy meltdown where it was just her and I. As she gooed and gawed in her crib I sat down next to her and I said “Ok take it easy on me as we are in this together and both learning our way here.” I know I’m probably not the first person to have a heartfelt conversation with a baby but I needed to tell someone that I didn’t know what I was doing. Then she looked my way and gave me this gummy smile and I knew we would be ok.

Three months into this new world of parenthood and every minute is so precious. Don’t get me wrong it doesn’t come without it’s own struggles, sleepless nights, self doubts and it’s unlimited unknowns. Constant thoughts of what cry was that: tired, hungry, diaper. Reading every book I could on how to get your baby on a schedule, sleeping right, growing properly. I was going cross eyed on conflicting strategies then I finally threw out the rule book “Who am I kidding she is a newborn; my newborn, my Maddy. We will figure out our own way.”

Maddy has just discovered her toes a whole new world of exploration is upon us. I sit back and watch in awe of how reaching for her toes and grasping her toys can bring on such belly rumbling laughter and limitless joy.

As adults our days get wrapped up in work life, daily errands and the nauseating drive home that we forget that life should be uncomplicated and exciting. We can learn a lot from babies. Only 3 months old and she’s teaching me new things every day. She may be the toughest boss I have ever had, screaming in my ear at least once a day, making me jump up as a moments notice to attend to her every need, making me work into the wee hours of the evening, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I’m a mom, it’s what I do.

By Jessica Upton: I always knew I would be a mother and a wife one day. I was the kinda girl who looked down at my left hand saying “One day there will be a ring on there”; the kinda girl who used to look in the mirror saying “One day there will be a baby in there”. I just never thought I would meet my husband online and buy his mothers house embark on a massive 3 year renovation and get pregnant 2 months into starting a new job, a job I loved. Not knowing that this newest profession of becoming a parent was going to be my favorite job ever.

We now have our beautiful baby girl, Madison Emily Sutherland. And the three of us are about to embark on an incredible adventure together.That’s the thing about life; it doesn’t work off a script or follow anyone’s plans. Follow along as I take you through my year of maternity leave, it’s bound to be a rollercoaster.