A dear friend of mine recently had her baby and it has me reminiscing about the days when we had a newborn at home. As our twins are just a few weeks away from turning four, I can’t believe it’s been that long since we have had newborns! I got to hold her new son last week and I think it’s the first time holding a newborn since the twins. My eyes immediately welled up with tears because, in my opinion, holding a newborn is one of the best feelings in the world. So here are a few of the reasons why the newborn stage has always been my favorite.
- I mentioned this just a moment ago, but I absolutely love holding newborns! They just sink right into you with their gentle little bodies and get all comfortable before falling asleep. I also have always been a fan of baby wearing so I used to just hold them as much as I could. I loved letting them sleep on your chest or in your arms, I loved wearing them while doing things around the house or running errands. And as a mom, holding your baby while feeding them just creates this special bond you don’t forget. I miss the days of just sitting on the couch and relaxing while holding one of our newborn children.
- I love the nights with newborns. I know this might sound crazy because it is so so exhausting. But it is also a special time between you and your newborn. And the fact that you’re on such an odd sleep schedule creates this little world of just your family. It is a magical time where everything else exists outside that little world. You get to decide when you want to slowly start letting outside things back in and other’s may want you to feel guilty about that timeline, but do not let them. It is hard, but this is a great time for boundaries and remembering that it’s all about you as the mom, your husband as the dad and this precious baby you just brought into the world.
- I love a newborn’s facial expressions. When they are sleeping they look so content and peaceful, but then when they are awake they can be so animated. Sometimes when looking at a newborns eyes, I feel like I’m looking into those of an old soul but it’s really this brand new life experiencing everything for the first time. Their little smirks and smiles are the best, and you can’t help but smile yourself.
There are things to love about every stage your baby goes through, the way their face lights up when they see you, when they start crawling, or saying “mama” and “papa”. When they start walking and eating solids, everything is a blessing. But to me, one of the most special times are those early days with a newborn. Yes, it’s tiring because you are waking up every 1-2 hours to feed them or change diapers. And often you wonder if you’re doing things right, you worry about how long they sleep or if they are too warm/cold. There is a lot of adjustment and change, but your sole job in those days are getting to know yourself as a mom, getting to know your little one and just love them as much as possible. Taking the time to hold them and cherish each minute you have…it really and truly is a time you never get back. It’s this miracle that grew inside of you and now you’ve officially stepped into parenthood, which comes with many challenges and blessings. Each day will be filled with both, so if you are in that season with a newborn, I’d say sit and hold them as much as you can. Soak it all in to have the memories with you forever.
