Silas

I'm in love.

John and I met our nephew Silas for the first time last week. He's a little over a month old now and beyond adorable. I thought our visit was a great opportunity for me to learn how to change a diaper and hold a newborn. I was able to accomplish both, and now I feel like I can conquer the world. Motherhood? Bring it on!

While spending time with Silas, I learned a few things.

1. Holding a baby is not all that difficult.

I used to be terrified of holding a baby. I wasn't sure about the positioning, how to support their heads, if I was holding them too tightly, etc. And then if they start crying, it's all downhill from there. But I was able to hold baby Silas with ease. He was so cute and snuggly and I honestly never wanted to let go.

2. Babies poop. A lot.

So this is something I actually already knew on some level. But it wasn't until last week that I truly realized how much babies poop. For example, I was cradling Silas in my arms and when I lifted him up, I saw that his diaper had leaked and there was poop on my J. Crew jacket. I decided at that moment that I was not going to wear anything nice around Lil Bit once he's born. 

3. Changing diapers is easy.

I told Julie that the number one thing I wanted to do in Maryland was learn how to change a baby's diaper. At first, it seemed like such an overwhelming, complicated task. But she showed me how to wipe, powder, and put on a diaper and in the end, I felt it wasn't so bad. Sure, it's not exactly a fun or pleasant task, but you gotta do whatcha gotta do.

4. Babies are stronger than you think.

So remember when I said babies poop a lot? Well, with that comes multiple outfit changes. Before, I just imagined one onesie a day. Nope - you gotta change 'em when there's an accident, and there will be plenty of them. I was really nervous to pull Silas' arms through the holes, but Julie reassured me that babies are really strong and I won't hurt him. So I successfully changed Silas out of and into a new onesie. I was on a roll...

5. John will make a wonderful dad (and I won't be too shabby as a mom).

John was so good with Silas. He's just a natural when it comes to children. He's amazing with our other nephew Eli. And I'm getting better as well. I actually played with him and made him laugh, which is the first time I've ever made a child laugh. I was on a high.

Spending time with Silas and Eli this week makes me so excited for motherhood. At first, I wasn't sure how well I'd do raising a boy. But now I feel so confident and excited to meet our little guy.