L is 3 months old. Crazy, right? They say time goes by quickly when you have a child, and they’re not kidding (whoever “they” are). I’ve learned that these past three months, along with some other things.

Parenting is hard. There are long nights with tears (on both ends) and early mornings. You are completely controlled by someone 30 years younger than you (in my case at least). If you had a schedule beforehand, it’s gone now. You have a new one and it revolves around feeding and napping. And even if you’re like me, and don’t let their eating/napping schedule get in the way of your day, you’re still stopping in the middle of a cafe to ensure she gets food, to ensure she falls asleep.

Free time is hard to come by, especially if you’re a working mother like myself. Because when you get home, you just want to be with them. Cleaning takes a backseat (and so do friends, sadly, at least for the first month). You can read when they nap, maybe, but sometimes you just find yourself just staring at them.

You’re tired. A lot. Until they start sleeping the night (which ours has), and then you find yourself celebrating these things with such enthusiasm you’d thinks they graduated college. The first smile. The first giggle. Toys have names that you repeat to friends, and don’t feel weird about at all. They becomes the center of your world.

So, yes, it’s hard. It’s extremely tough and no amount of reading or parenting classes can prepare you for it. But also? It’s the best experience in the world.