First Year of Parenting with DockATot Grand

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O.M.G. Lizzie turned ONE yesterday!  I cannot believe how fast a year goes!  It sounds cliché, but I need time to slow down.  The first year of parenting is such an amazing experience and I can’t believe it has buzzed by. 

 

One thing I noticed in the first year of parenting is the amount of information you read.  I read a ton before she was born and I’m constantly looking something up.  Most of the articles will scare you to death.  According to the internet I will never sleep again, will walk around insanely depressed, hate my husband and constantly be sick.  What you read on the internet is not always true.

 

I find there are very few articles out there highlighting the joys of parenting and it is shocking.  Is parenting that bad?  And if it is, why does everyone had kids?  I’m here to tell you that you can’t believe everything on the internet and that the first year of parenting is actually amazing.

 

My Love For My Husband Grew

I loved Mike when we got married and each day my love for him grew a little more.  However, the first time I saw him hold Lizzie my heart exploded!  It was the sweetest thing I had ever seen in my entire life.  He was more in love with her than he was with me and that was amazing. 

 

I never once hated him or resented him (like every article on the internet said I would).  In fact, he was a better mom than me sometimes 😊 (it’s an inside joke).  He encouraged me, he took the time to understand my feelings, he loved me and most importantly he loved our daughter. 

 

I had a c-section then fractured my sacrum, so my recovery was slow and long.  The amount of patience he had with all of it was inspiring.  We worked as a team and that is the one reason why I never had any ill feelings towards him.  And that is the secret!   

 

Not Everyone Has Post-Partum Depression

I believe that post-partum depression is real and it can affect anyone.  However, I believe that the internet is full of so many articles about it you actually feel like something is wrong with you if you don’t have it.

 

I personally didn’t have it, however it was so much in my face that I felt bad for not having it.  And I felt bad telling people that I loved the newborn stage.  I felt bad telling people that I was only a little tired and made it through that day and I felt bad when I didn’t want to go back to work to escape.

 

So I’m telling you it’s ok if you feel pure joy and amazement after your baby is born.  It’s ok if you feel like this is what you were meant to do your whole life.  And it is ok if you can’t find a single article out there you relate to.  Because someone out there feels the same way you do.

 

It’s As Hard As You Make It

Like anything in life, the first year of parenting is as hard as you make it.  If you want to be drowning in diapers and see no end in sight then that is what your life will be.  If you choose to see the diaper phase as a temporary phase (because it is) then that is all it will be.

 

Everything if life it about your outlook and you attitude.  If it is positive then you will find the positive in every situation.  I’m sure you are thinking, this girl is crazy, she enjoys changing diapers?  Haha, no!  I know that one day she will be potty trained and there will be no more diapers.  I love the way she laughs when I change her and I love that she has to play with a wipe package when I change her.  She comes up with new little noises and I get to hear to them up close.  So I focus on the fun and positive and not the poop!

 

What Did You Think Was Going To Happen?

This leads me to my next favorite line in general “What did you think was going to happen?”  You have a baby, what did you think was going to happen?  Do you really think that life would go back exactly the same as before you had a baby?  I’m being serious here.

 

You have to know that in the first year of parenting that life will change drastically, if you don’t, then you have not read enough BS articles on the internet 😊 Life is going to change and it will change in the most wonderful way possible.  In fact, when people ask me how I like being a parent my standard response is “it’s way more fun than I thought it would be.”  It’s been the best surprise in my life! 

 

You Will Sleep and So Will Your Baby

Some babies are born to sleep and others aren’t, but all babies can be trained!  Lizzie is a naturally sleepy baby, but I also put a ton of time into healthy sleep habits early on.  So while part of it is nature another part is nurture.

 

If you are terrified about loosing sleep, then put the time in and figure out how you can get your baby to sleep.  I read Healthy Sleep Habits by Dr. Weissbluth  and took Taking Cara Babies, which is an  internet-based video class. Both were invaluable to me and Lizzie.  My biggest tip is sleep begets sleep.  If you keep that in mind you will have smooth sailing! 

 

 

DockATot Grand

My other saving grace was the DockATot.  We religiously used our DockATot the first six months, it was a life saver.  I knew I had a safe place to put her anywhere in the house. You can read about how I used it in this post here.   Now that Lizzie is a year old we graduated to the DockATot Grand.  The DockATot Grand is for children 9-36 months. It’s functional, modern looking and ideal for our lifestyle.

 

We use our DockATot Grand in the living room when it’s time to settle down.  Lizzie took to it right away.  We initially pulled it out at night, once she was in her PJ’s.  All we did was set her dolly in it and she crawled right in, picked up the dolly and laid down.

 

We use it when it’s close to nap time, too.  When we bring it out, she knows it’s time to settle down and relax.  We clean up all her toys, then get it out and let her have a book and her dolly in it.

 

I love that I can lay on the ground right next to her and snuggle up to her little face without overpowering her.  The shape of the DockATot allows her to have her own defined space.  The DockATot Grand is substantially larger than the DockATot Delux so having a spot to store it can be tricky when living in a condo.  We keep ours under the media stand. I don’t mind it at all because the covers are super modern and blend in with you home.  We have the Carrara Marble cover and its sleek and modern looking. 

 

I love baby products that are functional with a modern look to them.  It lets me continue to have my style and incorporate all the things I need for my baby.  The DockATot is designed in Sweden and made in Europe.  I actually tend to like European products a lot, they have an advanced design and function while meeting general standards.

 

I can officially say that DockATot helps me through my first years of parenting and I firmly believe every new mom should have one!