Hello Kate!
As you snuggle that new, yummy little bundle of royal joy (now, we have learned, you have named George) I realize that, even for someone who probably has her own staff of child rearers within an arm’s length, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed. That’s okay. Contrary to your life circumstances, this is completely normal.
In all your abundant down time, please take a moment to read my three biggest pieces of advice for surviving your first year of motherhood. After all, I AM a mother of a one year old now, so I basically know everything.
1. try to breastfeed.
Not only is it best for that little future king, and the snuggles are so great, and it’s cheaper than formula (LOLOLOLOL LIKE YOU EVEN NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THAT) but it also will help you speedily drop the three pounds of baby weight you gained. And don’t worry if it takes you and George a while to get used to it. It took my son and me three weeks to really get it down to a science. Also, don’t worry if you can’t breastfeed or decide you don’t want to. It doesn’t make you any less of a mother. So long as you are feeding your son SOMETHING, you’re good. But regardless of what you do, people (tabloids?) are going to have an opinion. Which brings me to my next piece of advice…
2. comparison is the thief of joy.
You may have royal girlfriends who are giving birth around the same time as you and so you naturally compare George to their kids’ growth and demeanor. Or maybe you know people who had children a little bit before you so they ask you questions about George’s behavior/development/whatever. Or maybe you’re curious about something so you Google it. JUST DON’T. It will steal every ounce of baby-inspired joy you have in your body. The second you ask someone something about their kid, or Google something about “normal milestones”, you’ll be freaking out because George isn’t sleeping all the way through the night yet or talking soon enough or walking fast enough or using the “pincer grasp” or spelling out complete sentences in sign language on his first birthday. It’s poison. Go with your gut instincts. No one knows that kid better than you do.
3. the first year is not indicative of your child’s entire life.
The first three months of your kid’s life may damn near kill you. That’s normal. The first year of his life may be the most challenging 365 days you face as a woman. But hear this — it gets better. Every day it gets better. One day, you’ll wake up in an overtired panic around 4am only to find that your baby actually hasn’t woken up yet, and you’ll rush to his royal cribside to find him soundly sleeping for the first time, and you’ll cry tears of joy and think to yourself that you never thought you’d get there but you did. And one day, you’ll get to the end of your day and realize that, for the first time, there wasn’t a single meltdown (from George or you) and you’ll think to yourself foolishly, “I could have another…”
So when (not IF, but WHEN) things get rough, know this — you’re made to do this. And even on days you don’t think you’re doing it, you are. Because just by being George’s mama, you’re doing it.
Oh you’re also a princess but whatever.
Last thing — is the hair/makeup team you had come to the hospital cheap? Just curious. I’d like to hire them for my next baby delivery.
Cheers, Kate and George! (Oh and William too, I GUESS.)
fueled by diet coke 
In case you don’t already know, you’re funny. 🙂
YOU AH
Point #3 is SO true. The best advice my sister gave me after I had my son is that just when you think you can’t possibly go on, something changes for the better. And it consistently gets better. I stop sometimes and remind myself of this when things get tough.
yes! you get to a point when you look back & think “oh my gosh. why was i so miserable again?” lol
Yes, #3 is SO true. Now that my baby is almost 3 (yes, THREE years old), I can barely remeber the hard times from that first year. With my oldest child who’s almost 6, I’m even nostalgic about that first year. He was SO good! He slept SO well! Breastfeeding was SO great! Even though somewhere in the back of my mind I seem to remember he might have had colic the first 3 months and didn’t learn how to latch properly until 6 weeks. It’s like they say about how women forget the pain of childbirth? The same is true of the pains of that first year.
i suppose it’s good that this is the way things work, so that the human race doesn’t die off. 😉
YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU. This post is really, really, really, really good. Like, awesome. Like, you are a brilliant writer.
Good stuff, girlfran.
i love you x a million.
mostly because you think i’m brilliant but also because you are the greatest.
I have to say as a new mom your advice made me stop, think, and smile. Thank you.
aw i’m so glad! 🙂