Put the baby book down and step away from the internet

While I was pregnant a friend recommended a book that tells you what to expect week by week during your pregnancy. I looked forward to curling up in bed every Sunday night, snuggling my "pregnancy pillow" and reading out loud to Will, letting him know that this week I would experience severe heartburn and a constant need to pee. When I found out there was another book in the series, letting you know what to expect week by week of your baby's life, I had to have it... big mistake.

According to this book, Nathan should be sleeping through the night. And he should only need to eat every 4-5 hours. And he should be grasping objects. In reality, Nathan wakes up every night at 2 am and 4:30 am, like clockwork. He eats every 2 hours, making it nearly impossible to run any errands or spend anytime in public without having to whip my boob out for all the world to see! And his hands are constantly curled up in tiny little fists - which I find absolutely adorable because he looks like he's saying "Put up your dukes" all the time :)

There is an overwhelming amount of information available these days. It's certainly comforting to be able to read Mommy message boards and "talk" about issues my friends without kids have no interest in - how many times a week does your little one poop? And we have since switched to Target's brand of diapers, half the cost of Pampers, after reading hundreds of 5 star reviews online.

But there are also parenting websites who mysteriously get your email address and proceed to send you weekly emails with subject lines like "5 milestones your child should have reached by now". Not to mention those friends and family who love to tell you that their baby held their own bottle at 6 months or began walking at 10 months.

With so much information and advice out there, it's enough to drive a new parent crazy. If you worry too much about what your baby should be doing, you'll overlook the amazing things your baby is doing. So the next time I get an opinion I didn't ask for or hear about a milestone Nathan hasn't quite reached yet, I'll try and take away some good from it, then toss the rest out with the dirty diapers.