Week by Week ... A Second Installment

This week has been a wonderful adventure for the Jameson family! Whether navigating 2AM feedings, or conquering diaper changes with only a minimum of fuss, or avoiding the occassional projectile spit-up ~ Leon and Gret are enjoying these early days of new parenting.

And thus far, our little Sydney is putting up with us and exhibiting tremendous tolerance for our blunders ...

(you know, like giving her the first sponge bath and getting soap in her eyes, oh dear ... we've already problem solved THAT little snag! And here's a shot from a successful bath with Grandma Jameson helping out!)

The first night was tough, we won't lie. And what we quickly realized during the successful nights since is that, as with so many things in life, attitude and mindset make all the difference. We would guess that most new parents carry, in the way-way-way back of their mind, a belief that "in time" things will return to "normal". 40-weeks of intentional preparation still doesn't quite pack the same wallop as that first night, when suddenly it becomes clear that the new normal is: this. And it's great and awesome and overwhelming and challenging all at once.

We have a little notebook in the nursery wherein we record the "ins and outs" of Sydney's day-to-day experiences. To make this little book more than just a physical rundown of Sydney's life, each night we take time to write down three things: today's beautiful moment, how Sydney grew today, and what Mommy and Daddy learned ... here are some highlights:

• We learned, "that when we take our time and are in the moment, there's no place we'd rather be. Our life won't go back - so much lies ahead."
• We learned, "That [we] each have given of ourselves for our family and we trust that the other knows it and loves them for it."
• We learned, "That we can't seem to beat the spit-up, no matter how hard we try, but we are determined to triumph yet!"
• We learned, "Too much stimuli and too many visitors leads to a long night for all! Help!"
• Finally, "Each day we learn more and more about working together ... and are stronger for it."

It's kind of exciting to wake up each day to a totally new sense of "expected." After 10 years of married life, it's sort of a strange thing to have no real idea of what the day will bring ... that in and of itself has been a challenge. But, we are realizing that being patient and open to whatever comes, being sensitive to and focused on all that God has granted us, and most of all "shelving" self in the interest of our family, our spouse and our child makes these days of total "new" absolutely awesome.

What more could anyone ask from a "normal" life?