Being a mom is hard work. I thought that I was prepared. I read all the books, logged on to all the websites and even took several classes to prepare for the arrival of our baby. What I have learned after one month of motherhood is that nothing can fully prepare you for the arrival of a newborn.
Jericho Leilani Kerr was born on January 14th, 2013 at 9:58am. She weighed 8lbs 2oz and measured 21 inches long. My little girl entered the world quietly with a full head of curly black hair and the largest cheeks I have ever seen. The first week was one of the toughest and scariest. Just three days out of the hospital and Jericho had a slight fever and didn’t want to nurse, so I placed the first of several calls to her pediatrician.
I was in tears after Jericho’s first doctor visit. Her pediatrician explained that when a newborn has a fever/cold they automatically must be admitted to the hospital because they are so fragile. Fortunately Jericho’s fever broke before it got to the point of needing hospitalization but I was a nervous wreck! Thankfully my mother moved in to help with the baby (hers and mine!). What a blessing! Without her support I would be so overwhelmed and exhausted. I’ve learned so much just from watching my mom handle Jericho. From the way she holds her, how she burps her, how she soothes her and most importantly how she gets her to go to sleep. For the first few weeks Jericho slept all day and partied all night. Her grandmother was able to flip her schedule in one day. Now Jericho sleeps several hours through the night and everyone is able to get much more rest.
My husband has been a great support as well. He’s changed plenty of diapers, and volunteered for many an overnight feeding. I can always count on him to pick up Jericho when she is fussy to calm her down. If he’s not holding the baby he’s holding a camera to take pictures of the baby. Jericho is already a daddy’s girl and loves to smile and coo at her father and ham it up for the camera!
Overall my first month of motherhood has been a rollercoaster, highs and lows. But the lows are fleeting and the highs are some of the sweetest things I’ve ever known. My heart melts when I feel Jericho’s tiny arms grip me tight when I walk with her, when I smell her sweet breath and when she cuddles up into my shoulder. I love her so much and just want her to be happy. This experience has given me a new appreciation for mothers, especially my own. I want to say thank you to everyone that offered up advice, support and prayers for my family. I appreciate every kind word and when Jericho is a little older I hope to introduce her to the QVC family on air. In the meantime I’m going to enjoy my last few weeks with Jericho before I return to work on April 10th. Keep up with me and Jericho on Facebook and I’ll see you soon!