We’ve been home with Miss Clara since Tuesday. And we are loving it.
Clara is the sweetest baby…just a little model newborn citizen. She sleeps really well (usually 11-12 hours at night, waking up to eat, of course…but only every 4 hours or so). She rarely cries, unless she’s hungry, wet, or needs to burp. When she wakes up during the day, she just looks around quietly, taking everything in. As I recall, William (now five) had a similar disposition as an infant, and he was quite a handful as a toddler–so I’m not off the hook with this one. But there is something to be said for easing into life with a new baby, and she’s sure making the transition easy on us.
I know that everybody has their favorite and least favorite stages of babyhood, and a lot of people are terribly bored by newborns (for me, about 12-18 months is the pits). But I just love this time. It’s so easy to get lost in a newborn baby–the crinkly little face, soft head, the yawns and grimaces and sleepy smiles, the warm lump they make in your arms. I’m usually a person who gets easily bored by the more mindless parenting tasks, and yet when I have had newborns, I feel content to just put my brain on hold for most of the day and sink into their sweet, slow little world.
The only problem? Is that it goes by too fast. Pretty soon Clara will be sleeping less, growing bigger, expressing herself more and more. Then rolling around, sitting, crawling, standing, walking. I’ll love watching her get big and getting to know her as she grows, but I’ll always miss this time.
Which makes me wonder how I’ll ever REALLY be at peace with not having more children. Nine months of pregnancy is a lot to go through just to get a couple months worth of sweet new-baby-ness, but I have to admit that part of me looks at her and thinks, eh, I could do it all again just for a little more of this.
I love the pouty face!!! Too cute. Congrats on your baby!
Oh, that pout! That perfect little pout. I smiled the entire way through this post. I can’t wait for newborn babydom again. I wonder if I’ll say the same, because right now, I swear - I’m not doing this again. But that little warm lump…oh, you said it so perfectly.
Oh, what a sweetie!!! She’s definitely a keeper!
Soooo cute!!! I know what you mean - those sweet first few months are so fleeting.
With my two it seems that every age has its charm - I think “omg this is such a great age” and then they change, and then I fall in love with them all over again
OH. My. God. So adorable!! I love the pout!!
THAT is one sad puss and one spectacular little girls outfit after all those boys. having fun dressing her?
She’s adorable. I thought of you today when I was in target and they had this whole section of pink toys - like a pink pound toy and a pink and white blocks - like you could totally do that since you probably have all those toys in primary colors. Seeing the whole pink section was so cute!! Enjoy this time because as you have already noticed it does go by so fast!
I can relate completely. Sadly, there will definitely be no more newborns at my house though.
Clara is absolutely beautiful. Drink it in!
I’m laughing because part of what made it easy for us to stop at two kids was that neither of us loves the infant stage and the thought of reliving those torturous (to us) three months again helped tip the scales. Yes, yes, the precious new life, crinkly face, adorable yawns, yada yada.
I hope that by my late 50s or early 60s, I get to hold a grandbaby (and please, not before then!), but I’m done.
That said, I’m quite eager to hold your adorable baby. I just don’t need one of my own.
Enjoy little Clara!
AH! I know. Oh, she is just perfect.
Steph
Just adorable!! She definitely has the pout down! Enjoy her!
Oh, man, is she ever sweet. I loved the newborn days too; they just ran together in a haze of happiness for me. Sigh.
Thanks everyone, for the baby-compliments…she is quite the sweetie, isn’t she? Yes, we are having fun dressing her–thankfully, my sister-in-law had two HUGE tubs of adorable clothes for my niece, so we’ve bought hardly anything and still have a huge wardrobe to choose from. The outfit she’s wearing in the pic is from Gymboree and features an ostrich in a tutu and then tutu ruffles on the pants. ADORABLE….
She is adorable! What a sweet little pout. I know what you mean about the newborn stage. My first little guy is almost 8 months and I really miss that snuggly little newborn stage. Of course, now is a ton of fun, but I miss him being tiny.
Congrats on little Clara!
I’m completely with you on all of that. Except for the having more babies thing.
I could totally tell the outfit was from Gymboree. I had a similar one that had angel wings on the back. Oh, no– they were cupid wings. But I called them angel wings because it seemed more fitting.
She’s beautiful. I miss those days.
What a face! She’s so sweet! Congratulations.
I envy you. This age was torture for me and she seems so perfect.
I can’t wait to meet her.
I can not tell you how the words you wrote today spoke for me! I am a mother of four and absolutely love the stage you are currently in. I am entering the 12-18 mo. period and although I love and cherish this time I abore the repetitive tasks! We have said this is our last baby…but every now and then I miss the “warm lump” in my arms too! And oh, you are right…how your mind can rest during this period. Please, enjoy…and I feel your joy and sorrow on how short this time is!…BTW I have one little girl…and you are in for such a treat. God Bless!
I love the newborn stage, but it’s so fleeting and older baby/toddlerhood is not my cup of tea. I can hardly wait to be the mother of two independent, fully verbal SCHOOLKIDS.