Dear New Mommy...

Even if you have never been able to take naps in the past, you will learn.  In fact, you will sleep anywhere and everywhere if given the opportunity, even if it means folding yourself in half to fit horizontally in the portion of the backseat of your car not occupied by a carseat.

You will find that letting your baby sleep in his own crib, in his own room, from Day 1 was the right choice - but that doesn't mean you will not tiptoe into his room to check that he is breathing.  Over and over again.

You will miss him while he naps. No really, you will.

Everyone and anyone will want to come over and see your baby the first week.  You won't want to.  Say no.

You will wonder if your dream to have 6 children was created by a madwoman because pregnancy was harder than you thought it would be, motherhood was harder than you thought it would be, and mostly because you don't see how you could love another child as much as you love your first. 

You will find that those first few months of motherhood will make you want to call up your own Mom just to say thank you for having you.

Breastfeeding truly is as painful and difficult as you anticipated.  But you will want to keep doing it because you know it's best for him... and it will get better.

You will find that baby hugs are the sweetest thing in the world.

You will find that when someone critiques your parenting, you will hate it more than you thought you would.

The idea of going back to work will seem blissful the first few weeks, but when the time comes, the thought  of leaving your baby in daycare will hurt.

Your standards for cleanliness and personal appearance will drop.  Drastically.  You won't care.

You will find that your first few Mom Scares make you realize just how precious your baby is.  After the first, you will know that you would give anything for them.

You will find that despite the many mistakes in your past, becoming a parent was the best thing you've ever done.