New mom: What she's learned in six weeks

1. This is still hard. It's getting easier, but I'm not sure if it's because Asher is starting to better adjust or because we are becoming numb to it.

2. This kid is so freaking cute I cannot stand it. (Am I bad mom that I seem to think he's cuter and enjoy him much more when he's well-behaved?)

3. Breastfeeding gets awesome(ish). I am starting to look forward to some of the early morning nursing sessions. His wide eyes looking at me. Knowing that I'm the only one that can provide for him in this way. Sigh. Meanwhile, I guess my supply has steadied. I don't feel any different unless hours go by without feeding or pumping - then I feel it. For a while I was worried that my breasts were broke, but then I realized they are just working pretty darn well.

4. Growth spurts are dreaded. We had one - that lasted a whole week - at three weeks.

5. Milk supply can be directly related to sleep. By the end of the day, Asher nurses much longer. I think it's because my supply is less and it takes longer to get what he needs. The lactation nurse told me the best thing to do is rest more. Apparently, the body secretes a hormone that tells you to produce more milk when sleeping. She said even a 15 minute nap can help. So, I've tried to work in as many naps as possible, but some days Asher doesn't cooperate. Those are the days I'm glad I have a mini supply in the freezer for back up.

6. Pumping is weird. I pump every morning after his first feeding. This is usually between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. My body is supposed to recognize this happening daily and provide more milk during that time. I guess it's working. The key is to relax, relax, relax. Me? I was staring at the bottles wondering why nothing was coming out and worrying that my child must be starving if this was my flow. When I relaxed, hooked the pump pieces on with my nursing tank and put my feet up - more milk! It's still not as much as what Asher is likely consuming at every feeding, but we're making progress.

7. He smiles. Ah, he smiles and it's beautiful.

8. His hair is falling out. He has the hairline of an old man. It's not coming out the back, it's coming off the top. I hope it stops soon.

9. I hate cleaning bottles and breast pump parts. Daily. Multiple times. Blah.

10. Asher has his "witching hour" daily. It used to be late afternoon. Now, it's shifted to evening. Every night from 9 until 11 he screams. Sometimes it's because he needs to poop and we think "OK, he'll calm down now." Wrong. He keeps screaming. And I try to feed him a lot during this time wondering if he's hungry. And like clockwork, he settles down around 11. I hope he grows out of this soon before we lose our minds.

11. Our house is being taken over with baby stuff. It drives me bonkers.

12. I hate baby acne. I want it to go away and leave my baby boy's face alone.

13. Asher isn't fond of his car seat. He screamed around the Beltline the other day. Sometimes he'll sleep, but after about 1.5 hours in it, he's miserable. Sweaty and miserable. I don't know how we're going to manage trips to the beach and such.

14. He also doesn't seem to enjoy stroller rides. I have tried multiple times and it never fails that when I get out off of our street and into the neighborhood, he screams. And he doesn't stop. I'm never going to lose this weight if this keeps up.