welcome, baby

Baby Evelyn was born almost two weeks ago on August 7, which just so happened to be our fourth wedding anniversary.

We are overjoyed with her, and also completely overwhelmed.  It is so true that you can read everything you can possibly get your hands on about parenting and you will still be completely unprepared.

I was not prepared for some of the ways this was going to be hard.  I was not prepared for how long it would take for both of us to get the hang of nursing or how it would feel like I would be feeding the baby all.the.time.  I was not prepared for how hard would be to figure out what kind of schedule we are on (if one at all) and how to work feedings and diaper changes and naps into everything else that goes on in life.  I was not prepared for how the baby blues would hit me for no good reason at the same time every evening.  Those are the biggest surprises so far.

But I was also not prepared for how much I would love this baby girl, how she can do absolutely nothing and I just adore her and how I just want to rock her all day.  I was not prepared for the dreams I would start having at night about how protective I feel of her.  I was not prepared for the joy she would bring everyone around her.  I was not prepared for how I want to have her to myself, and how I know I need to share her with her grandparents and all the lovely people that come to visit us, but really I just want to monopolize her.

I’m not going to lie–these past couple of weeks have been hard.  (I was so scared about labor and delivery, but that, aside from a bit of a traumatic epidural experience, was apparently the easy part.)  But these past couple of weeks have also been transformative and renewing.

I’ll be back at some point with some food.  But for now I have a baby to go cuddle.

{Photo by Bella Baby Photography}