the sweetest girl

You should know one of my labor and delivery rules: no crotch shots. You can look without fear.

My to do list this evening consisted of ignoring my to do list and snuggling a newborn for a few hours, so you'll just have to wait on stories and enjoy photos instead. Because I'm about to go back to that delicious little munchkin and cuddle her right up to my bedtime. Which should have been an hour ago.

Mom thought my steady hand at liquid eyeliner and mascara were photo-worthy. Or maybe she thought it was funny that I was primping while my legs were immobilized (due to the epidural) in preparation for a process that, at the best of times, is a LOT of work and rather messy.

Is it so wrong that all three of us were playing Scrabble on our devices in the hours spent waiting?

Mom: Ok, guys. Show me your pushing faces!

 

Ta da! And just like that, from a fake push face to a baby! 

Proud dad... and father-with-newborn photos still make me choke up with envy and anguish. Every time, even when it's my own newborn with their own father.

Blake meeting Vesper for the first time. He's going in for the kiss.

And again. He can't stop kissing her, or ruffling her head like she's some Little Leaguer he's proud of. He also remarks regularly that "Vesper is SO. STINKIN'. CUTE!"

Home again. Vesper is a sweet baby that has made it easy on all of us by sleeping solidly for 3-4 hours at a stretch. If I time my night-owl tendencies just right, she only wakes me once in the wee hours, but I do still have to get up early so I can be present for Blake in the mornings.

Finally, because we wanted to capture this newborn phase that is rapidly coming to a close (I figure I have another week at most of the really new newborn look and habits), we had a professional come take some photos of our family. Here's her sneak peek, at least until I can go through the additional pictures from the past week and muster up some stories to tell!