The New Year's Resolution for Every New Mom

No sparkly dress, no sling back pumps, no hot red lips, no midnight kiss, no cab ride home. Glass of champagne? Sure, right after I finish drinking my mother’s milk tea. 

My first New Year’s Eve as a new mom was different, and is one I will never forget. My son was 6 days old, my husband was working, and I was alone with my new born babe, a bowl of mac and cheese, and a glass of champagne that I was afraid to drink because I was a first time nursing mom.  

I can remember the feel of my sons tiny body in my arms, the sense of awe and wonder I felt nursing him, and the warmth and security I felt in that tiny apartment with my baby in my arms and the glowing Christmas tree beside me. I remember not having a care in the world except for loving on my sweet new baby. I can remember the sense of overwhelming joy that I felt knowing that God had blessed me with the hard yet wonderful job of raising and loving one of His children. 

That special night will most likely never happen again. Even with a second, third, or fourth baby, the likely hood that I would have an evening in my living room, uninterrupted, with just my baby is not probable. 

For all of the first time moms who are trying to figure out just what happened to their old life and how much they need to do prepare for the New Year, I want to remind you of this. 

There will come a time when you will not be able to hold your baby all night long. There will come a time when your toddler goes to bed at 7 and you don’t dare make a peep for fear he won’t go back to sleep. There will come a time when you will pay the babysitter, squeeze into that sparkly dress and have a night out on the town with your hubby. 

There will come a time when you drive your teenage kids to their first new year’s party, and are asked to stop a few houses back for fear of being seen. Then one day, a long time from now, there will be that day when your son or daughter texts you from their house on the other side of the country to say happy New Year. 

So, new mom, I want you to know, that I would do anything to go back to that special night when I held my new born all night long. If I could go back to that night, my resolution would be oh so simple. It would not be to fit into my pre pregnancy jeans again or to pump more after every feeding. It would not be to read more parenting books on sleep training or when to introduce a bottle. No, my one and only New Year’s resolution would be to hold that baby more. To savor every moment of being able to sit in one place for hours and hours holding, loving and staring into those beautiful eyes. 

My mother always told me you can never spoil a baby and now I know that is absolutely true. So if you’re looking for a new year’s resolution I’ve got just the one for you:  hold and rock that new born as long and as often as you like.