WEEK 1

Lou. She’s been with us over a week now and we are nothing short of utterly, completely, over-the-moon in love. We’re just in awe. Constantly amazed by her ability to thrive. The faces she makes (the girl sure knows how to crank an eyebrow). The way she arches her back after she eats. Her milk coma. Her hiccups! We can’t stop staring at her and I don’t think that’s going to ever change. 

We’ve been surrounded by a lot of love and support this week. We’re blessed. It’s made our transition from ‘expecting parents’ to ‘being parents’ less exhausting than I had mentally prepared myself for. Lucy is also proving to be a very content, peaceful newborn. We assume this won’t last forever, but we’re so grateful in the meantime. She seems to (kinda) understand days and nights (knock on wood) which equals some long chunks of sleep (4 hours, whaaaaat?!) for Mommy and Daddy. And she wakes up happy, which makes us very happy!

Some highlights from week one... 

Hospital Vacation. We assumed we’d want to rush right out of there just as soon as they’d let us, but we ended up staying the full allotted time. It was great to hide out and get to know each other. And have nurses a click away! We also assumed we wouldn’t want Lucy to leave our room to sleep in the nursery. But at 1AM after giving birth at 5AM and having gone into the labor the previous day at 2AM, we were both SO exhausted that we decided we felt she was safer being looked after than staying with our tired bodies. And honestly, it was such a good decision. Definitely hard to watch her leave, but we were able to let our sleep deprived selves recover and were better parents for it the next few days. Plus the nurses told us Lou was their favorite baby (obviously). 

We brought Lucy home on Valentine’s Day. So fitting. Jason ran out to the store and came home with some groceries and 3 red roses. We exchanged cards and cried happy tears holding Lucy between us. 

My Mom came to stay with us on Friday and brought Beasley back home to meet his baby sister. I was a bit nervous at first, he sat in front of us with a goofy look on his face as if she was a squeak toy I’d brought home for him to play with... my heart dropped a bit. We’re still watching them together closely, but he’s gotten to understand Lou’s role in our family pack and I’m confident he’ll be/is the great family dog we expected and hoped he’d be. 

Over the weekend, Lou got to meet more family, she especially loved her cousins (and oh, man, did they love her). When Lou turns 1, they’ll be 3 and 5. They all have looked so much alike as newborns, I can only assume they’ll look like sisters. It was the sweetest thing ever to see them all together, I’d really been looking forward to it. ‘It’s baby WOO-CY!’ 

Grandpa cooked dinner, a celebratory BBQ for Lucy (her first of MANY). Looking around the table at my parents, sisters, brother-in-law, nieces, my husband, and now, our daughter, was more happiness and love than I could ever imagine. (Daughter... Saying daughter is so new and awesome.) 

Welcome to the world Lucy, it’s a better place now that you’re here.