Guest Post: Beaktweets

There is no greater cliche in parenting than, "Time flies." Everyone says it to you, every step of the way. And yet, it is so true that it won't soon stop being a phrase we share with expecting and new parents.

My best advice for new moms is to just enjoy it. We live in a culture that puts a lot of pressure on doing it right. We are inundated with too much information which leaves us less willing to simply trust our own instincts.

A day when I really did just sit and hold her and enjoy her

One of my most vivid memories from the first month of my daughter's life is sitting on the couch, holding her and watching TV, thinking I should have been doing more. Tummy time or reading books or some other educational game. She was merely a few weeks old and already I was stressed about how well I was performing as a mother. I wish I could go back and tell my new-mom self to take a deep breath and be confident that cuddling my little baby as she took in her brand new world was exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

When well-meaning people tell you "It goes by so fast," as if you've never been told that before, I guess it is just their way of reminding you that all the other stuff can wait. The laundry, the dishes, the cooking, the educational activities and schedules for sleeping and eating- it will all happen in time. But those first few weeks are a gift. A chance to disconnect from the outside world, to take a break from normal chores and activities and a time to commit your energy to simply loving your brand new baby.