Parenthood!

A little over two months ago I became a Mother & my husband became a Father! And, I've said this before, but I truly believe this transition is something a couple can never truly prepare for (fully) when it's a first child. Maybe it's different with kiddo #2 or #3. Not sure.

Nothing could have prepared me for the amazing, heart-exploding moment when labor was finally over, and we got to see our little girl for the first time.

Nothing could have prepared me for how every aspect of our life changed and shifted to care for the needs of this new, little life.

Nothing could have prepared me for how every little coo and smile from Joy melts my heart into a giant pile of super happy mush!

Her life is just incredible, and in every way she's brought so much joy, happiness and wonder into our lives, marriage and family. I think the thing that has surprised me the most, is how much I LOVE the newborn stage. I have never been a baby person, never really liked babysitting or wanted to hang out with the kids in kids church (and as a general rule, this totally still applies to who I am), but I have loved every second of it with our daughter. People always used to tell me, "Oh, it's different with your own children..." when I would share my hesitations about becoming a parent. And they were right!

Every little cry or bit of sadness Joy might experience just makes me want to comfort her and make everything alright. And on the flip side, every smile just lights up the room and makes Alex & I so excited to have this precious little blessing in our lives.

It's such an incredible journey so far, and I am just so excited to see each new stage as she continues to grow. Thinking about how her personality will continue to develop, and what her voice is going to sound like as she begins saying words, and what her sense of humor will be like, and how she'll look as she moves out of the baby phase into being a toddler! It's all just so fun, and has caught me so off guard with how natural it feels and how much excitement I have around things that I have literally never thought about before in my life!

What a blessing to be able to raise, love and care for a whole human. To play a pivotal role in who Joy is going to be for the rest of her life. I know my hearts desire is to just fill her heart and spirit with so much love, fearlessness, adventure and to teach her to be a person who brings light and beauty into this darkening world. I believe her name is prophetic of who she is, and she indeed is already a carrier of joy, and I pray every day that God keeps giving us the wisdom to help shape her into exactly who He has created her to be.

So--- just my thoughts on parenthood so far :) (Photos added for cuteness!)

One Week!

One Month!

Two Months!