Becoming a mother was the hardest and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. There is nothing I love more than being [her] mom.

The 1st couple of weeks were the most difficult. The most painful. The most challenging. But looking back I hadn’t realized a couple things:

• We weren’t ready. Even though we spent the entire time preparing. She still surprised us 3 weeks early.

• Everything scared us. As first time parents, this is a thing.

• We didn’t realize our energy was rubbing off on her. This means anxiety, worry, fear - those rub off on them too, even if it’s not what you want them to feel.