One Week

Our sweetest little heart at exactly one week old... I'm going to have to work backwards here a bit to bring us up to date, as I can't believe that sleeping peacefully in his room at the moment is our almost four week old son. Motherhood is amazing, as was giving birth, both of which will be addressed in a future post. For now, I'll fill you in on the last few weeks.

So, week one. Our first week with a baby was incredible, enchanting, magical, and challenging. Lui and I were both anxious to get home from the hospital and out of the constant stream of nurses, doctors, and interruptions, so we checked out a day early and brought Leo home the day after I gave birth. We arrived home on May 6th, around 6:30pm, to a welcoming party of my mom and step-dad and Lui's parents, visiting from Mexico. Mom had prepared her signature "home from the hospital" dish of homemade chicken soup with dumplings, wheat bread, stew, cornbread and salad. We ate dinner together in a bit of a sleep-deprived daze and marveled at this little angel we call our son.

The first few nights at home, Luis and I weren't sure how exactly you get a newborn to sleep. Like, where does he sleep? How long should he sleep? How do I keep him asleep? Etc., etc., etc. I was up with the babe every hour and a half for the first few nights (which thankfully has stretched to every three hours now), and will forever treasure in my heart those first few early morning hours alone with my baby. I literally felt the presence of heaven in our home and loved the quietness of getting to know my son, feeding him in the stillness of the wee early hours.

Leo was healthy from the day he was born, and his first week was full of perfect advances. He made all the messy and wet diapers he was supposed to make, he ate every ounce he was supposed to eat, and he melted his parents' hearts just as he was sent here to do. By the fourth or fifth night, he started sleeping a bit better and settling into more of a routine with his feedings. Our home was so peaceful in that first week, full of flowers and family and
sleepiness.

His first visit to the doctor found him in good health, with a bit of jaundice that we watched closely for a couple of weeks, but with a strong body and a healthy set of lungs. He was born with curly hair and big eyes and a sweet, sweet disposition. We at first couldn't tell who he looked like, but as he's grown he's definitely becoming his daddy's son.

Luis was home with me the entire first week and I look back on that time now with a sense of nostalgia... the three of us becoming a family, the three of us falling in love, the three of us feeling the weight and the anticipation and the dream and the miracle of it all...

Oh yes, week one was sweet indeed. Welcome home, baby boy.