I never thought that so much could happen in just 10 weeks. Ten weeks that have felt like eternity and the quickest time of my life all at the same time. Ten weeks that have caused me to experience so much emotion - from being happy, to scared, to excited, to nervous, to feeling so much LOVE. I never knew I could cry so much in such a short amount of time. Tears of happiness or sometimes I'd tell AJ "I don't know why I'm crying."
Before the baby arrives, every couple hears “get your sleep now while you can” or “enjoy your time together now before the baby comes.” AJ and I would give them a fake laugh and move the conversation along while I was thinking to myself "Oh no." But, what no one ever told us was how much love we would feel. How I would love this perfect little baby SO much. How I would love my husband even more than I ever thought possible. How I would love every single second of waking up at 3 o’clock in the morning to feed and bond with our girl. How rocking her to sleep would become my favorite thing in this entire universe. No one ever told me how watching AJ give her a bath would melt my heart. How her first smile would make me want to burst into tears. How she would become my little buddy who is always by my side. How I would make up and sing the most ridiculous songs just to see her smile. How my relationship with AJ would grow into something so much more than a marriage. How I could never ever get sick of sitting and staring at my sweet baby all day long. And especially how I would not be able to imagine my life before she was ever in it.
These are all reasons why AJ and I promised each other we would never say words to an expecting couple such as "get your sleep now" - because parenthood is so much more than catching up on sleep. It's waking up in the middle of the night to love on, bond with, and nurture your child. It's comforting them so they know that mommy and daddy will always be there. This is a feeling that is so powerful that it truly cannot be put into words. You can only experience it.
I really don't know what I did to deserve such a perfect little family - a husband who has taken to fatherhood so well and loves taking care of his Janie and me. And our girl. Our little Audrey Jane. Our sweet Janie who is one of the happiest and sweetest little girls in this entire universe. How did I get so lucky? Audrey Jane is named after my grandmother, Audrey Jean, who I was not lucky enough to meet. All of my life I have been told how beautiful, fun, happy, and loving she was. It already seems that our Janie has taken after her and this has caused my heart to become so full.
I could look at the images below over and over every day. She is only 10 weeks old and already I long for these days. Holding my finger with her perfect little wrinkly hand while passing out on my chest after she nurses - all while cooing like a little morning dove. Her newborn days are over, but the rest of her life is ahead of us. I cannot wait to see what new adventures she takes AJ and me on.
