I Remember This

 

We had our baby! This baby has brought balance to the force at least for us, and is a GIRL!  That's three of each for us now, and a total of six kids, which makes us a special kind of insane.  We are so happy!

It seems no matter how many newborns I've had, there are things I still forget about this stage.
Until it happens again.

And I remember it all, for at least a little while.
Little things, wonderful things, funny things.

Like, the fact that it's only been a few minutes and I want to wake the baby up cause it's been too long since I've held her.
Or that I catch myself just staring at her, in complete wonder and amazement at the miracle of this new life. It's as though time stops and everything slows down.

I remember now,

Those teeny-tiny diapers!
The ooey-gooey-ness of that floppy body.
The peace and calm around the baby, even sometimes while all hell is breaking loose around.

I feel guilty when I 'startle' the baby, since the poor thing seems so disturbed when it's arms flail out in that classic reflex.
The smell of a newborn is heaven.
Neck nuzzles.
Milk oozing out of the corner of their mouth after a feeding.

Their buttery-soft newborn skin.  And rabbit-soft hair.
Baby socks that never, ever stay on.
Checking several times during those first few nights to be sure baby is breathing.
The strangest whimpering sounds they make while totally asleep.

And I remember more, of course....

How awkward it is to dress a newborn!  Their arms don't seem to want to go through sleeves.  In fact, they look weird with clothes on at all, really.  Like you just dressed up the cat or something.

How slippery those suckers are to hold on to.
Baby bottoms!! - Seriously, need I say more?
Skin wrinkles that will soon fill out - way too soon.
Angel smiles - those smiles directed away from everyone else in the room, and make us wonder WHO they see and smile at that we can't.

The power of those explosive newborn poops!  It seems to take over their whole being. And leak out of amazing places.
Folding tiny laundry.
The unfurling of eyelashes.  I can't tell they are there right away(eyes swollen from birth), then gradually they uncurl and furl out. Like, surprise, baby has eyelashes!
That newborn cry - programmed as it would seem to set off EVERY alarm in my whole entire body.  I'll do ANYTHING to make it stop!

There's nothing better than having baby asleep on my chest, curled up and warm and happy.  I feel 'empty' when the baby isn't there.
I sit and think, of how much I needed this baby, even when I didn't realize just how MUCH I needed this baby.

And then it's all gone, I'll blink, the baby will have changed, and in as little as three weeks or so, will look completely different.  The newborn stage will be over, and guess what, I won't even notice, because that tricky little baby will faunt it's first few smiles at me, I'll melt, and that will be the end of it.

But at least for now, I remember this.