babies are hard work

I just had a baby girl a month ago and life has been a blur since. What everyone says is true, babies ARE hard work. We all hear it, “you’re going to be tired, get your sleep now before the baby comes.” It doesn’t really make sense that you can stock pile sleep, but that aside these warnings still do not prepare you for a baby.
I was discussing with my esthetician yesterday, why these warnings are such a failure. I was prepared to be tired and worn out, and yet not prepared for what transpired this past month. During our conversation, it came to me, each of the warnings we’re given is something all of us have experienced before, it’s the combination that we have not been through that gets you.
I’ve been tired. In university I spent a summer working two jobs, one that went from 12AM to 8AM, and another than often started at 10AM and could go to 10PM if I did a double shift. THAT was tiring.
I’ve been physically exhausted before.
I’ve had daunting responsibilities before- taking care of other’s children and keeping them safe.
I’ve been emotionally drained before. My Dad has battled a very physically debilitating disease for the past 2 years, and it’s killed me to watch him deteriorate. It still does.
What I haven’t been through is all of this at once, and more. My body, mind and soul has been given up to this new life. It’s so much more than anyone could ever express to you. Something incommunicable to some degree. But at least if someone had told me more than that I’d be tired, I might have seen more clearly what was ahead.
What everyone is correct about is that it does get better every day, or at least you get more used to the demands. And it’s unbelievably rewarding.
I have never been fueled by love to do so much for someone else as I am for this child. That is what gets me through each crying fit, bout of frustration or emotional meltdown, it is the love. So cliche but undeniably true. I adore her and as abused as I can feel by all of her wants and needs I preserver (almost) gladly.