The BEST things about having a baby - newborn-1year...

[growyourown77]

Currently 29 weeks pregnant....many of my friends love, love, love to tell DH and I just how tired, grumpy, no social life, fed up, lost etc we'll be once our baby arrives (cheerful I know!). So I'm looking for some positive inspiration of why we all do this....

So, just to balance it out a bit, tell me about all the reasons why it's worth it... what are the best thing, the most positive things about having a baby and watching them grow.

The noise my daughter makes after she sneezes, like a little surprised sigh. And the smell of her sweet milky breath, swear it makes my heart skip a beat.

I have another one, the way DD rests her little hand on my wrist when she's having her bottle :-) xx

Getting to meet your most favourite person in the world, the love of your life. You can't imagine loving someone like you love this helpless little creature. And you don't mind that they ruined your body on their way to meet you because they're here - you've been waiting all your life to meet them!
Plus the blind love they have for you as newborns, it's just basic and primal and all they need is you and your smell and your warmth and nothing else matters because you are everything to them.
That's pretty nice, even at 3am when you're the only people in the world, just feeding and cuddling.

Falling asleep with their head on your shoulder, mouth slightly open

Lifting their little legs up in their sleep for a fart

Giggling after sneezing

Rubbing their face into your chest when they're tired or a bit shy

Grabbing something, looking at it for one second, and then eagerly putting it in their mouth

I have never been a morning person - it used to take me a good hour to lose the frown and properly wake up. But now my 9mo is sooo happy and excited to see me in the mornings, it's IMPOSSIBLE to be grumpy!

When they wake up and see you in the morning and have the biggest smile in the world!

To be honest, after listening to other parents I was petrified of having a baby, I love my sleep, love going out, love having (childless) friends over.

Well, they were all wrong. I do EVERYTHING I did before, except now everything is better because DD is with us. Just walking around a museum or having a walk in the park is now an exciting outing. We took her out to restaurants with us from birth and even now at 2.4 she behaves perfectly and we eat out with our friends 2-3 times a week.

I have no idea what I did before, I feel like I was just waiting to have a baby so life could get good! (and if you knew me in real life, I never even wanted kids so you can really trust what I'm saying ;))

Nothing is as bad as people say - getting up in the night doesn't last that long and I didn't mind it because I was getting up to grab DD and bring her to bed for a cuddle.

Changing them is actually great, when they're young and you change them they just stare into your eyes the whole time and it's brilliant.

And for everyone that told me I would be walking around my house holding a screaming child despairing, they were wrong. There's always a reason that they cry and you can always fix it!

Congratulations! I'm having DD2 in June and I can't wait!!!

Sorry, that post was really long

Seeing their personality emerging slowly. It's amazing.
Sniffing them, feeling their warmth, feeling their little hand on yours
Watching them sleep
The exciting milestones - smiling, babbling, rolling over, crawling, walking. Small things but absolutely thrilling.
Saying "my son," or "my daughter" - surreal!
Taking them out of the bath and drying them, feeling how soft and new they are, just perfect. Squeezing gorgeous baby bums :)

I know what you mean by those "just you wait..." type comments. I wish so much i'd kept a list of them, to go back to everyone and tell them how full of shit they were!

I had a crash c-section and, even one week after he was born I felt far far happier than I did through pregnancy.

Right now he's snuggled up on my tummy looking utterly adorable.

Yesterday his eyes lit up at his new mobile!

He loves nappy changes as I wiggle his legs in the air when I do it which makes him smile.

I have lots of fun playing dress ups with him - and he doesn't mind! Even though we have mostly second hand clothes I love planning his outfits and he looks really cute.

Every time he is put in the bath he makes the most adorable frown until he remembers that actually he really likes bath time.

My social life has taken off - I'm out every day with various groups an friends (looking forward to having to stay in tomorrow for a courier, actually).

Oh gosh there is just just so much that is amazing and wonderful and endlessly positive.

The way their eyes find you as soon as you enter the room and their little faces when they see you coming to pick them up, their scrummy milky sweet breath when they're sleeping next to you, giggles at all the silly faces you pull, unlimited love all because you're mummy and the centre if their world, the cuddles when they fall asleep on you and you just stare at them and think oh wow you are so precious, little hands all bunched up and resting on you as you feed, snuggles in bed, the smell of their skin, lovely squidgy fat thighs that make them squeal with laughter when you squish them, the truly astonishing rate that they grow up at, watching them learn new things, the faces they pull upon first tasting real food, did I mention the cuddles, I think I'm going on a bit now but you get the idea!

Hard work? Oh yes. Worth it? A million times over.

Congratulations and good luck, the happiest days of your lives are yet to come, and they'll come in the form of a tiny cuddly baby smelling faintly of milk :)

When my 7 week old first smiled, I welled up. When he wakes up and smiles when he first sees me in the morning. Cuddles and watching him fall asleep in my arms. Oh and he is soooo cute when he has hiccups, even during a wedding ceromony!

When my 7 week old first smiled, I welled up. When he wakes up and smiles when he first sees me in the morning. Cuddles and watching him fall asleep in my arms. Oh and he is soooo cute when he has hiccups, even during a wedding ceromony!

Ignore the naysayers! It's fantastic! My PILs did this all the time "just wait until..." was their mantra. None of it was true and after a horrid pg I thought it was wonderful! It's all lovely and agree with all the things but seeing their personality emerging is literally astonishing, there really is no other baby like them. The giggles, singing to themselves when they wake up (gorgeous!). My dd is also obsessed with blowing raspberries which ate utterly hilarious and is you do it back to her she'll have a whole conversation in raspberry! Quite often when she sings to herself it is interspersed with raspberries. Their breath, watching them sleep, their massive pleasure at really simple things like peek-a-boo. First everything - waving, clapping, and my dd quite often bounces up and down and waves her arms when her toys play music - so cute! Oh you're going to love it! It's really hard to stop and not list more!

My 7 month old just learned to blow raspberries, it's adorable along with everything else she's ever done being a parent is worth giving up everything else

The first time DD at about 22 months waited until DH had got off the sofa/out of bed before scrambling up, taking his place and on his return saying very earnestly (but with a cheeky smile) "no room, Daddy".

When they think you look sad (even if you're not) and say "Mummy sad" then give you the best hug ever.

God, I am jealous of you and the next few years!

Life takes on a whole new, amazing and frankly mind blowing meaning. Your life will take on a far deeper meaning. Having children is the best. Personally, although I would say I had a very happy and fulfilling life previously, I've never been happier since my two little guys came along! Good luck- you're going to love it!

& another one! The little snuffly noises she makes when have a good kick about in the bath!