What they don’t tell you about the newborn phase

Is it truly possible to prepare for life with a newborn?

It’s a unique time of life for both baby and parents—while your child adjusts to, well, pretty much everything, you’re still healing from childbirth and learning the ropes of parenting.

It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s also not something we’d trade for anything.

In an essay that’s going viral, mom of two Alex Miles explains how time with a newborn is challenging—and fleeting.

“They don’t tell you about missing the newborn phase,” she writes. “You hear about the rough late nights and early mornings but you don’t hear about how much you’ll crave that intoxicating newborn scent after it’s gone.”

“How is it possible to miss someone so much even when they’re in your arms?

With every sized-up diaper and onesie too small, with that hospital bracelet sitting on the shelf, and seeing them hit their milestones, your heart breaks a little…but it also doesn’t.

Parenting is funny. You want them to grow and you want them out of certain phases and when they do, you are simultaneously left with excitement and joy and a heart ripped to pieces.

You’re told ‘it goes by fast’ and you can’t help but nod or roll your eyes but when you finally live it you quickly realize—it goes by fast. Faster than anything you can imagine.

So as you’re kissing your newborn’s cheek for the 300th time tonight, be sure to breathe in that scent a little more and when you’re on the 23rd round of top chef in your toddler’s kitchen, ask them for one more delicious plastic cupcake.

Because time is a thief and it goes by fast.”