the first month with a newborn.

Nothing prepares you for the first month with a newborn. We've read books and talked to parents of all ages and backgrounds. But there's nothing quite like actually experiencing the combination of wonder, joy, frustration, gratefulness, and nostalgia - topped with a good dose of sleep depravation, of course.

Typical morning: Arden is ready to greet the day. No one else is.

Ben was able to take three weeks off work to stay home with me and the baby (one week of paternity leave, two weeks of vacation), which was really great, especially since we don't have family around to help out. Australia has pretty good family leave policies, but unfortunately because we're not PRs/citizens, Ben wasn't able to get government-approved parental leave (Australian fathers can get up to three months of paternity leave).

"We're at a nice restaurant? Don't worry, I won't start screaming for milk until right before your food comes out!"

Parenthood is a huge lifestyle change. The lack of sleep was really hard for the first week or two, but we've kind of gotten used to the rhythm of waking every 1.5/2 hours throughout the night. Our conversations have shifted from politics, news and work/uni happenings... to the amount, colour and consistency of our daughter's poop. But aside from that, Ben and I are adjusting pretty well. Hopefully we'll be able to carve out some couple-time in the near future, but so far we haven't lost our collective sense of humour. Or sanity.

A little incidental smile!

Australia seems to have a really good baby/child healthcare system in place. A few days after we were discharged from the hospital, a midwife came to our apartment to check on us and answer any questions we had. The City of Melbourne also provides maternal and child health services, scheduling appointments for various baby milestones (one week, two weeks, four weeks, eight weeks, etc.) for weigh-ins and more question-answering. We actually live a 5-minute walk away from one of the clinics, which is super convenient! Also, having a baby in Australia has introduced us to a whole new world of Australian slang. For example, a pacifier is called a "dummy", and a baby carseat is called a "car capsule". Needless to say, putting our baby registry together was a learning experience.

the Kortlevers and Melbourne.

We miss our families dearly, but are so grateful to be able to FaceTime with them whenever we want, as well as keep in touch daily via e-mails and the text messaging app Viber. It's not the same as in-person visits and interactions, but at least with technology they can see some of Arden's cute faces (and tantrums), as well as watch her grow every week.

FaceTime with our Michigan family

Arden has had a few in-person visitors so far: mostly some of my friends from uni, as well as two of our friends from Seattle who stayed with us for a really fun weekend. Ben and I try to take Arden out during the weekends - mostly so we don't go stir-crazy, but also because Melbourne is such an amazing and family-friendly city (especially during this time of year, when Spring meets Summer) and it would be a shame not to enjoy some of the events the city has to offer. At the moment, Arden does the best in the Moby Wrap, a cloth baby carrier. Ben and I rented a stroller for a few months (since we're not sure how long we'll be living here, we decided not to buy one), which Arden only tolerates if we're constantly moving.

Being a "stay at home mom" is pretty challenging for me during these early stages, especially because Arden wants to be held all the time. I often describe my days as "doing everything and nothing at the same time" - constantly breastfeeding, rocking her to sleep (unfortunately she won't sleep anywhere but in our arms, so no naps for us yet!), and entertaining her when she's awake and aware. I know these days won't last forever, and that someday I'll yearn for the time when all Arden wanted was to be held, fed and snuggled. Lately I've been wearing the Moby Wrap around the house while she naps in it so I can partake in frivolous activities - like eating lunch or doing a load of laundry. Having her in the carrier lets me use my hand(s) freely, but of course she doesn't settle unless I constantly bounce or walk around, which keeps things interesting!

How I'll be writing blog entries from now on...

Despite the lifestyle adjustments and inevitable newborn-raising chaos, I am very grateful for the ability to be with Arden every moment and watch her grow. She's only a month old now, but she changes so much every day. Ben and I are incredibly blessed to have her, and are looking forward to seeing more of her personality (and hopefully night-time sleeping skills!) develop.

CK