Never gets old...

I am exhausted.  Yes I am.  My baby is almost 7 week old and I still feel like I'm in the first week of postpartum recovery.  I'm sleep-deprived, irritable, puffy and not altogether back to feeling like myself.  It took 5 babies for me to get hit by the bus, but it's happened.  Ah well, considering that this is our last little one, I guess it's good I get to experience the whole gamut of parenthood.

That said, I wouldn't trade it for anything.  These times are fleeting, both the good and frustrating.  Even after 5 babies, I still cherish every moment I have with her.  I still love seeing all the firsts.  I don't wish for her to grow up faster or hurry up and do ... (insert whatever new skill you might like here).  I love having a new little person here to get to know.

Some of the things that make my heart melt are:

• The crooked, fleeting newborn smiles, either while sleeping or awake and alert
• The back arching stretches with no fear of falling
• Dark newborn eyes that are so clear and "fresh", seemingly full of wisdom and purity 
• The little baby yawns 
• The arms going straight out to the sides when startled
• Baby feet with toes that she spreads wide when just sitting on my lap
• The lip quivers when cold, hungry or distressed
• The frantic crying when she's hungry or needing comfort... followed by an instant quiet that comes as I put her anywhere near a breastfeeding position
• The soft sighing sound that happens as she swallows the nourishing and perfect food my body makes
• The baby eyes rolling back in bliss as she drinks
• The sweet hands that knead my skin as she nurses
• The crossed eyes that happen when she's trying to focus
• The little heater that is her body when she is asleep
• The little legs that go into froggy position whenever she's on my chest
• The tiny head that nuzzles itself into my neck

These are just a few of the sweet things I can think of right now, but there are many more.  I have treasured each one of these things as I've watched my babies grow.  It NEVER gets old.  I never get tired of seeing it.  I try to take a "Heart Picture" so I can remember this feeling as the years go by, but it's hard to recapture.  And so I do my best to stay in the moment, being thankful for the gifts the Heavenly Father has given me in my children, because they are precious.