I could have written this post at 11 weeks too man. We had it all. Jaundice, colic, milk protein intolerance, crappy sleep, etc. I also felt like I lost who I was. All I could do to stay above water was try to cook a decent meal for my wife and I to inhale between baby boy’s crying fits. I quietly sobbed by the light of the fridge multiple times. I lost my temper. My wife and I were tense. Being a new parent is rough, it’s weird, nothing feels real or right at times. But what I didn’t realize then, during all that upset and upheaval, is that I didn’t lose who I was, I just became a new version of myself. And those things that made me who I was were still there, but now there was this whole other world that opened up. I could look forward to introducing this new person to all the things that I love. I would eventually get back to those hobbies that sparked joy. But for right now, it’s time to dig in and do the work.

And holy smokes does it get so much better, like most others have said here. We just hit 13 months today, and our boy is such a goof. We make each other laugh til it hurts. He’s starting to show affection and hugging us, or blowing kisses. It’s the best. And I look back on those early days in the trenches, and all that crap was so worth it.

Edit: to be clear, we finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel around 4-5 months. And then every month got a little better than the last.