Rosemary is now three and a half months old, and life with her is a lifelong dream come true. Truly. Derek and I are immensely thankful to have welcomed a healthy baby girl into our lives, and we have already made some of the sweetest memories as a family of three. It’s wild to look at her and remember where we were just over a year ago – praying for a little one to love, acting in faith, and trusting God to fulfill a desire He had placed in both our hearts. Now here we are. Every day we get to see an actual, living, breathing, answered prayer. It’s amazing.
The first few weeks were hard, though. Adjusting to a new normal with little to no sleep, getting to know this new, tiny person I had just birthed, and dealing with the deeply felt emotions that come postpartum. I cried almost daily – missing my mom and grandmother, struggling with breastfeeding, feeling like I wasn’t giving Rosemary her best shot, stressed and burdened by early visits – unsure of how to navigate this, frustrated and upset that our start wasn’t panning out as I had hoped it would. When Derek headed back to work, it was just Rosemary and me, and I felt inadequate and isolated from the rest of the world.
But things slowly got easier, routine a bit more comfortable, and Rosemary more understood. I had family and friends I could talk to – who could speak life and encouragement to me as a new and exhausted mom, and for that, I’m grateful. God had equipped me with all that I needed to be Rosemary’s mom – loving her even more than I ever could, and I needed to rely on His goodness, grace, and strength to sustain me in this new role as Mom.
I’ve learned a whole new level of patience. As someone who likes being productive and checking off my to-do list, I quickly learned that life with a new baby required making adjustments to best meet her needs. I couldn’t go at the pace I had gone before Rosemary was born, and that was okay! I came to appreciate the slower days and the small wins… like making the bed, putting on makeup or doing my hair. Our daily life forever changed, and while it took some time to adjust, we’ve found a good groove, and the days have only gotten sweeter.
Rosemary is an absolute joy! She has the sweetest disposition, is super smiley and happy, and loves to snuggle. She regularly wakes up with a smile, and I love the way she clings to me when I hold her. Rosemary is talking more everyday, enjoys bath time and reading and play, and loves to sing. She loves praise and worship, being outdoors (and Derek loves teaching her about the weather!), meeting friends and family, and is very observant of the world around her.
Rosemary is the most beautiful little girl, and I love getting to be her momma. It’s a unique and special relationship that we have. Sometimes, it’s like we already have our own inside jokes, we’ll share little looks with one another, and she simply wants to be where I am, doing what I’m doing. It’s the coolest, sweetest thing.
We are still figuring out sleep. Rosemary has gotten up to eight hour stretches at night but has had a couple shorter stretches again recently. Maybe a little sleep regression, maybe a bit of a growth spurt, but she is thriving!
As for me, I’m soaking up the little moments and milestones, appreciating the days that won’t be here forever, giving Rosemary all the love and snuggles that I can. This little girl really is a heritage from the Lord and a reward (Psalm 127:3), and I’m grateful to be here for her, for all of it.
