Two Weeks with Riley

Two Weeks 

Looks like I'm back to counting life in weeks!

These past two weeks with Riley have been unimaginable.  This tiny creature is teaching me humility and love in a way that I've never experienced.  Each moment is foreign and beautiful, and I could not feel more blessed.  There have been endless moments where I wonder how I am so lucky to be this little girl's mother.  She makes everything so much more meaningful and different.  Songs have a different meaning to them (I no longer think only of Charley when gushy songs come on - sorry Charley!), time and days are framed differently, food is no longer for pleasure (there is so little time to savor it), sleep seems like a gift from the gods... but above all else, every moment feels new because it is new to Riley.  I can't help myself but think that a rainy day is her first rainy day, and a trip to the grocery store is her first trip...  everything feels new to me because it is all so genuinely new to her, and I am so thankful that I get to experience all of these firsts with her.  In many ways it feels like I am getting a chance at a second childhood through her, but this time I will actually remember it all.  This experience is bringing about a feeling of nostalgia.

The past two weeks have also been hard - she has brought me to my knees...  I've never felt exhaustion like this before.  Riley is eating every 45 minutes to 3 hours, so rest in between is difficult to come by.  I also wasn't prepared for my own period of healing as well as the pain that comes with breastfeeding.  I guess nature can be a bit cruel like that - it'll give you the most important and challenging responsibility of your life while also putting your body through one of the most physically demanding experiences you'll ever face. But it is so very worth it. 

Life is good.  It is so good... and I can't believe I get to do this.  I just love Riley so much, and thank God every day for her.

Favorite pieces/moments of motherhood: seeing new facial expressions each day, watching for glimpses of family members in her features, listening to lullaby stations on Pandora, the smell of baby lotion, cuddling with her when she is wearing a cozy onesie, knowing that this baby is ours and I don't have to give her back to anyone...

Unexpected, comical and challenging aspects of motherhood:the amount of laundry I do for her, the amount of sleep we aren't getting, the worry I feel for her, the pressure of driving safely with this precious cargo, the difficulty of finding time to make a phone call or take a shower, the doubts I sometimes have in myself as her caregiver...

I'm not the best photographer, but here are a few photos from Riley's first two weeks!