The first four weeks

Having a newborn baby is just one of the absolute best parts of motherhood for me.  Just set aside the sleep deprivation, postpartum issues, feeding issues, and so on for a moment and think about that new baby.  That precious, tiny, innocent, adorably perfect baby.  The newborn smell.  I love every moment, and I try to savor them because they are gone so quickly.

Here are a few of those moments from the hospital...

Amazing newborn hair...fluffy and soft, like down on a duckling...

Introductions...

Here he is ready to go home.  This was one of those crazy out of control moments - Ryan shows up with the 4 older kids to pick me up, their hair is all crazy and messy and they look a little homeless.  The carseat base is NOT installed in the car.  I can barely walk and am pretty hormonal.  I know that's how it happened, I remember it clearly.  I look at these pictures, though, of that tiny perfect newborn, and somehow I want to go back and relive it all again.  Seriously, newborns are like a vortex, like a black hole, or the bermuda triangle - they just suck you right in every single time...

Some more sweet moments, my rewards for middle of the night feedings...

The effect that this baby has had on my children could also be described as vortex-like.  They come straight home and are pulled right toward him by his newborn magnetism...

Ryan and I did some last minute Christmas shopping together, and baby Bennett had his first little outing...

I had the sense to snap a few quick shots with my nice camera, and I SO wish I had more...

Yes, the first four weeks were exhausting, painful, and an all around emotional roller coaster.  This was my absolute worst recovery ever.  But they were also perfect and amazing, and I will add (my favorite Dutch word) gezellig.