One Week...

Has it really only been eight short days since Elizabeth joined our family?

We're all still getting used to our little addition. She's a sleepy little newborn. She loves to cuddle up on my chest and doze, both hands tucked under her chin. She loves to lay on Chad's belly and snooze, little mouth open. She loves laying in her swing, sleeping away as it rocks and plays music. She loves to sit next to her big brother in her Snuggle Nest and nap while Joseph watches morning cartoons.

I like to stare at her while she's sleeping. She's so perfect and delicate. Her little chubby cheeks and toothless smiles melt me. The way she turns her body to mine as we snuggle, the way she calms instantly the moment I pick her up...it makes me a little sad to realize that this time in her life is going to be so short. I think it's all a little more precious this time around. We now know, from experience, how quickly it will pass. Soon, she'll be walking and talking. Soon, her personality will start to show through. Soon, she'll throw tantrums and talk back and make me rub my temples and pray for patience. For now, though, I cherish this time and try to embed each moment into my memory.

In the meantime, Joseph's being a great big brother. We're still going through a bit of an adjustment, but overall, it seems to be going smoothly. *knock on wood* Poor little Elizabeth will have to be tough at an early age if she wants to survive his kisses. We keep telling him that baby kisses are much softer than little boy kisses. And baby hugs are way more gentle than little boy hugs. He's starting to get it. In the meantime, we try not to have a heart attack whenever he goes in for a hug or kiss.

He's also already sharing his toys. What little girl wouldn't love to play with astronauts and dinosaurs? Sharing Daddy on the other hand...

Side note: Interestingly enough, he has no problem with the fact that I'm holding and feeding her. It's when Daddy does so, that he gets a little upset. "Daddy! She's Mommy's baby." Or sometimes, "Daddy! She's my baby."

Overall, it seems easier than it was with Joseph. Maybe it's a matter of perspective. After all, when we had Joseph, we had no idea how much more challenging it is to chase after an active toddler and preschooler. Maybe it's a matter of experience. We're much more comfortable with the whole baby thing. We know what it's like to be up and down throughout the night. We're used to sleeping lightly, listening for the patter of little feet or a small voice crying out in the night.

The one thing that hasn't changed is the fear. At a week old, they're so delicate, so fragile. I wake frequently through the night to put my hand on her stomach to be sure she's still okay - a habit I only recently broke with Joseph.

We've had a couple of outings, a few visitors, some fun things to blog. I'm finding it a bit hard to get on the computer for any length of time. Never fear, dear readers! I'll find my feet soon and will be back to almost daily blogging. In the meantime, enjoy the cuteness. Check out Rachel's blog to see some of the amazing pictures she's taken. It's going to be hard to figure out which one to use on her birth announcement. Oh dear...I may just have to use two or three...dozen.