Sense of humor
The only way to deal with the huge life change a baby wreaks on your household is to be able to laugh about it. Yes, it's serious business. But who says you can't find hilarity in the fact that you're interested in the size and shape of your baby's poop, and that you refer to your husband as Daddy? Even better: You don't just have to laugh at yourself. It's pretty funny when Daddy forgets to put a towel over his shoulder before he burps the baby, and spitup befouls his shirt. Also, don't forget the leaky breasts, the leaky diapers, the leaky noses... Have fun!

Creativity
Like a Boy Scout, a new mom is (ideally) always prepared. Unfortunately, new moms are running on fewer brain cells and less sleep than your average Boy Scout, so we can be forgiven for being a little disorganized sometimes. Regardless, you have to be ready for the steady stream of surprises your baby will present, like the sudden bout of vomiting just as you strap him into the car seat. Or the random three-hour morning nap that would be great any other day, except that you have somewhere to be in an hour. Or when he hurls his last pacifier out the car window as you sit in traffic. You know you've earned your mom patch when you concoct a solution to these situations. (Hint: Always have a backup paci and baby wipes in the glove compartment, and if you have to shift your baby into his car seat when he's sleeping, set it right next to his crib before the switch to keep the movement to a minimum.) They don't call necessity the mother of invention for nothing.

Type B personality
You were going to be one kind of parent when you were pregnant: perfect and in control. Let those notions go. Babies have their own ideas on how to spend their days, and you can't be too controlling, or no one will be happy. Try to go with the flow as much as you can. While you're both getting to know each other in the first months, take advice from the Beatles and let it be: Your baby's natural rhythms will emerge, and you can build a workable schedule from the patterns you've observed. If she has her morning nap at 9 a.m., don't sign up for Mommy & Me at 10. Meet your mom friends at a café and let her sleep in her stroller. "Help the baby adapt to the family routine, but be willing to compromise," says Dr. Greene. "Balance will happen if you're trying or not. And how much fun you have in the meantime depends on your willingness to roll with it."

Julie Tilsner is a mom of two and the author of Mommy Yoga: The 50 Stretches of Motherhood.