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Sleep Deprived? Join the Club!

A First-time Mom Tells It Like It Is

By Lisa A. Goldstein

and closing our compact stroller at home just a few days earlier. I opened it without a problem and had a pleasant time enjoying the unseasonably warm afternoon, that is, until it came time to leave. I put my daughter in her car seat and then proceeded to spend more than 30 minutes trying to figure out how to get the stroller to collapse. By the time I succeeded, I was in tears, and she was crying in the car. But now, I really know this stroller inside and out!

And how could I forget the time my sleep deprivation caused me to trap a close relative in my own home? With the steady stream of visitors in those early weeks, I got a lot of exercise traipsing up and down the stairs from the living room to open the front door. As we're currently renting the second floor of our house, I first have to find a safe place for the baby and then open both the living room door at the top of the stairs and the front door at the bottom of the stairs.

The day a dear relative came to visit, I thought I'd make it easier on myself by leaving the front door unlocked. As long as the door at the top of the stairs to our apartment was locked, I figured we'd be safe. I'd take care of the front door later. We enjoyed a pleasant visit, and then we said goodbye. I locked the door after her, figuring she'd let herself out downstairs without a problem. I lef

Want to see more?

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• You Deserve a Break Today: New Moms Need Nurturing, Too
• Baby's Day Out
• Talk about it!