The First Week

I'm not sure there is anything quite so sweet as the first week at home with a newborn. The sleep deprivation is real, but somehow that seemed to be swallowed up for me in that first week and I found myself staring at her beautiful face through the smallest hours of the morning, in no hurry to place her back into her crib even though she and the rest of the world slept.

Even after the first week and into the first month, I would wake with her small cries and feel no frustration, only excitement that I could pick her up and feed her and snuggle her again. Perspective had a lot to do with it, I think.  I know how fast they grow.  In fact, one day as I was cradling Eliza's perfect little face in my hands, thinking about baby McKenzie and marveling at how much Eliza looks like her, I happened to see the Now McKenzie out of the corner of my eye with her long legs sprawled all over the couch and her hair beautiful and billowy around her teenage face, and my brain screamed. How in the world?! Wasn't I just holding McKenzie just like this? 

I was.

And now I'm not. And before I know it I'll catch a glimpse of Eliza sprawled out in the same way and I'll wonder how in the world. Somehow, that perspective makes those midnight feedings feel beautiful and precious.

It helps that she's such a good sleeper, too. She wakes up hungry, of course, but then falls right back asleep, content and happy to give me another good chunk of time before she needs me again. 

Sometimes she keeps her eyes open for a while, and those are some perfect moments, too. Especially when she can't quite align them.

It really must be so weird to be a newborn.

Her eyes are so bright and beautiful - we love it when we can stare into them. And that cute little stand up hair in the back! Precious.

We all love to cuddle her, and it makes my heart so happy to see her snuggled by her adoring siblings.

She has us all smitten - and we all would stand and move the world for her just to see her smile.