How to get music from my laptop music library to my iphone?

I've done this before. I just ripped a CD onto my laptop, and all the songs are stored in my laptop music library. Somehow with ITunes, I got the CD music onto my iphone. It's been so long since I've done it and it was so confusing I don't think I remember how. It was a long process too. Would anyone happen to know how to do this and explain it to me in dummy terms?

Added (1). Oh and also, I forgot how I downloaded ITunes onto my laptop when I first got my iphone. I had to get on iTunes to activate it, and it seems like when I plugged my phone into the laptop it just downloaded. I'm not sure though. I'm trying to install it onto my computer now from the apple website but it seems frozen:/

There's a setting in iTunes that can be checked to prevent the iPhone from automatically downloading when connected. (In iTunes/Preferences/Devices) This is actually the desired setting as it allows you to make sure you have everything ready for downloading to your iPhone before you download. Then you just need to hit a 'Sync" button on any of the iTunes screens and your iPhone will update.

To have iTunes download your new music, you need to add the music to the iTunes Library. Drag the music files onto the opened iTunes screen and wait while they are added into the library. Next build any Playlists you wish ("iTunes help"can explain the how to) when loading is complete, Once that is done, when you connect your iPhone, you can either have iTunes set to automatically update your iPhone, or you can click on a "Sync" button on any of the screens available when you select your iPhone in the "Devices" menu on the left side of the iTunes screen.

There are actually uTube videos that show how to do the various steps. Do a search for "learning iTunes on uTube" and you'll find some good ones.

Apple's website gets pretty busy and bogs down on weekends often. Hang in there and you'll get your download. It's still free.