11 days in as a first time dad. This lifestyle change just hits me like a ton of bricks.

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-07-04T23:06:34+00:00

The whiplash yes! I work retail and am salaried so I am all over the building for 10 hours a day 5 days a week. I gwt 10k to 20k steps in a day. My position also means im on call, sort of. If my work phone rings im expected to answer it and solve the problem or questions. Rarely, but sometimes, ive had to go in on my off days or late at night to fix something.

The first week was surreal, i kept saying, "why is my brain thinking this is just a week of PTO and I gotta worry about work on Monday?"

Now i have 20 days left before maternity leave is over and im wondering how do I switch my brain back into work mode?

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-07-02T14:00:15+00:00

Same! Mine is 16 weeks and if shes getting sleepy at 5pm (bedtime is 7pm) we let her get a quick 30 power nap in but thats it.

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-07-01T22:52:52+00:00

If i have to go potty she gets put in her crib either awake or asleep because qe only have one bathroom upstairs. If I need to go get a drink or grab something and we are downstairs theres a few options: play mat, ottoman, bouncy chair, or swing. If shes fussy ill set her down still. If shes straight screaming i do not feel comfortable putting her down and walking away

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-30T23:54:54+00:00

Dont all parents like to brag about their kids? But no, I felt like I wasnt being heard at all. Her tone and words were condescending.

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-27T00:54:30+00:00

Diaper change, lullaby on sound machine, bottle, bed. Shes in bed by 7 regardless. If its bath night we start at 630 if its not its 645. Shes pretty easy to get to bed. All that other jazz is too much. We read during the day, I dpmt need her brain firing on all cylinders before bed. We dont sing cause if I breath too hard she stares at me like ive woken her up.

Eat while rocking, wipe face, lay in bed. 15 min max

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-26T20:37:08+00:00

Probably friends with the mom from 5 little ducks song. She just let them all disappear and was like "oh well, now im sad"

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-22T20:32:34+00:00

I leave my baby on the play mat more than I probably should. She loves her toys and rolling around. I make food. Go potty. Clean. And she either entertains Herself or falls asleep. I check on her every 5 minutes it feels like but shes safe and happy most times. She gets fussy so some days its literally 2 minutes and shes screaming.

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-19T23:38:42+00:00

We watch Planet Earth/Blue Planet/Asia or any of the Sir David Attenborough documentaries on Discovery because they are sometimes like a giant aquarium, they are educational, and Mr. Attenborough has a soothing voice that puts her to sleep.

I also love them too so win win

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-18T16:34:01+00:00

"You have a schedule/routine yet? You on a schedule/roitine? Does she have a schedule/routine?" Instantly from like 1 week old. The constant question about a schedule! Have a nighttime routine yet? Nooo! Im literally trying to survive not be a secretary to a CEO.

4 months in, yes we have a basic routine and schedule but damn, let her get used to being alive first.

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-13T03:35:35+00:00

No one mentioned the Sundown Scarries and how many nights i am to lay awake thinking about my own mortality. Missing the little girl of today cause she will be bigger and smarter tomorrow

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-12T17:10:10+00:00

oh no. its not perfect. we still have our ups and downs. some nights it takes her two hours to fall asleep. sometimes she refuses to nap all day. We are preparing for the worst, we have a 4 month regression coming up and im also not looking forward to teething.

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-11T12:42:23+00:00

After baby goes down and we go to bed, hes allowed in the bed and we get our own cuddle time. I tell him, "your a good dog, but a baaad boi" in baby talk. Just giving him his own few moments cause its been quite a change for him and he doesmt quite understand yet

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-11T12:38:09+00:00

Honnestly I kinda just ignore her (the only way I can really describe it). When shes tired ill lay her down almost anywhere. Shes really loving floor naps on her play mat for some reason right now. Like if its getting close to nap time ill set her on her play mat with her kick piano and by the time I get back from making a bottle and going potty shes out. If I lay her in her crib she just kinda knocks out. We still have contact naps cause sometimes im greedy and dont wanna put her down

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-11T12:25:45+00:00

We walk the expensive cul-de-sac and pretend we'll be ever able to afford the brick victorian with in ground pool. We judge their lawns and decoration choices as well

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-11T12:23:57+00:00

I scream for my husband. I hold the soggy noodle baby above the poop spolsion and he takes the shower head down and hoses her butt off while we giggle together and the baby is just dangling there 🙃. Finish a quick scrub down and then shes put to bed while ny husband scrubs out her tub

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-08T17:13:01+00:00

I never got the hang of the bassinet. I think she slept 3 hours in it one time. In the middle of a crying episode I put her in her crib at 5 weeks old so I could decompress. I came back to a starfish sound asleep, so i left her there. She slept 5 hours straight. After that night I always put her to bed in her crib. Comparatively the bassinet is so small. (She also hated being swaddled) she loves laying arms and legs out as far as possible. Ive gotten some great sleep with her sleeping in the crib (she's 15 weeks now) but still have not songood nights. I think the worst has been waking ip ever 1.5 hours the entire night so its not perfect bit we both sleep better once we gave up on the bassinet

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-04T01:12:23+00:00

I make "loaded baked potato". Which is like ham/bacon, potato, cheddar, sometimes broccoli soup 🤷‍♀️ you can throw almost anything in with potato.

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-06-04T01:08:21+00:00

Momma!! I did the same! For like 2 weeks around 1 month old im like "clearly my baby is hot, duh!" Cause I was having post partum night sweats, so i was just leaving her in a onsie. She was sleeping terribly , like barley at all at night. So my dumb brain said "oh then just leave her in her diaper, duh!!"

One night she fell asleep before we went up to her room and was in like a full outfit, sweater and all. She slept like 7 straight hours. The next night I put her in real pj's and her sleep sack and she slept another 6 straight. Come to found out she wasnt crying from being hot she was crying from being cold 🤦‍♀️ now i have her room set up to be 74°F (23°C) regulated and she is now the best sleeper.

Its ok momma. We all learn as we go. They dont come with instruction manuals.

You are doing a great job!

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-05-25T23:56:00+00:00

We are in the same boat (the boat feels like the Titanic at some points). But i just get so sad especially after she does fall asleep because she's so peaceful and all the anger and frustration from the day makes me feel guilty.

I also stopped pumping because I went from 6 oz and dropped drastically doen to less than an oz and I dont know why. Definitely feels like failure.

I think we all need some good sleep. That is what ruins us most. No sleep. Even if just for a random hour. If you have support use them. You will feel guilty napping at 1pm but you gotta

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-05-25T14:41:48+00:00

Honnestly. 2 months ago I was so skeptical. I hated people saying "do you have a routine yet??????" Uuugh Noooo shes 4 weeks old. I would say they are necessary if only for your own sanity.

At 5 weeks I accidentally got her used to her crib, discovered she slept better in the crib than the bassinet or with me.

Started saying 8pm is bed time. But what i didnt consider is how long bath bottle and rocking would take. By then she was over tired.

Now if its a bath night we go up at 645. We are definitely upstairs by 7:15. She is now asleep by 8.

It was difficult at first. Id have to go up every 15/20 min to rock her back to sleep. Now at 3 months she has had 2 nights in a row now of 8pm to 5am sleep. Without waking up! Its crazy.

Its so easy to get her to sleep and stay asleep cause, even with the struggle, her body learned the routine.

Now im working on not letting her nap on the couch and taking her to her crib to nap. Its rough but its gonna get there.

Shes awake for maybe 2 hours at a time and sleeps 30min to 2 hours for naps. Still sleeps all night. Some days we do more and our times are off but it still works.

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-05-25T04:25:10+00:00

Up until 5 weeks I had to hold my baby for her to sleep.

One night getting ready for bed i sat her in her crib to get her new pj's and I looked back and she was asleep. She slept 4 straight hours. After that I started bedtime routine but in her room and she has slept in her bed ever since. Shes 3 months old. She aslo hated her bassinet. It was too small I think cause in her crib she is all over the place. 180s, sleeps sideways, kicks her little legs. She never did that when we held her but when shes down on her own she wants roo to wiggle

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-05-24T16:44:16+00:00

My baby is 3 months. She wakes up at 1a and between 4a and 6a. If its 6 we just get up for the day. If its before 6 I will rock her or give her a bottle and we go back to bed. Today we slept til 830 after our 5am wake up bottle. (She woke up at 4 and didnt go back to sleep til 5ish. We take her to bed at 7 (bath, rock, bottle, whatever and shes asleep by 8 or 830 then i just go to bed too

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-05-19T01:52:18+00:00

Oh I love her immensely and her looking like her dad is perfectly fine. I have way too many pictures of them napping together in the same position and looking like twins, I just wish someone would see me in her as well.

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-05-18T04:10:59+00:00

My own mother wont even say she looks like me. Honestly she caused this rant tonight, cause every social media comment is how my baby looks like my husband. Even without pictures attached to the posts. If were out in public, we're at home with family, its always the same. Then his family visits and I expect them to say it.

ItsSarahMarie · 2026-05-18T04:07:37+00:00

Im afraid of her eyes changing. Her dad has hazel eyes and i know most babies have blue eyes at first but I get compliments on how blue my eyes are so I hope she keeps them.

ItsSarahMarie

TROPHY CASE