On Friday, July 25th at 4:08pm, Asa and I welcomed our daughter into the world. At 8lbs 4oz, she was perfection and immediately daddy's little girl.

People ask us who we think she looks like, and honestly, we aren't sure. But, she does have some visible qualities from each of us already. She has my husband's cowlick and curved toes, and my big feet and long fingers. It also looks like she is going to share our blue eye color. And of course, she's a total cutie :)

The first week at home went by all too quickly. My husband didn't work all week which was something that I really enjoyed - it was nice having him around. We also had lots of visitors who brought meals and gifts which was definitely appreciated. Obviously, there has been an adjustment with having a baby around, but we made it through - nothing too unbearable yet.

Motherhood has been about what I expected. Actually, I sort of fell into it rather easily. It has been an enjoyable experience so far learning and experiencing new things, having a new priority and responsibility, and making sacrifices for my family. I hope I'm being the best mom I can be to my little girl!

Things I learned this past week:
+ there truly are not enough hours in the day
+ caffeine and naps are a must
+ nursing is painful at first and at times inconvenient, but totally worth it
+ thank goodness we chose to use cloth diapers instead of disposables - babies go through so many of them!
+ eight hours of uninterrupted sleep at night is no longer an option (hence why naps are a must)
+ my husband is the best at changing diapers and shhing our baby when she's crying
+ I have more patience than I thought
+ raising children is definitely a team effort and I'm so thankful for my husband and all he does
+ what once was thought to be a burden is now a blessing
+ knowing I'm no longer pregnant gives me a whole new sense of freedom

I am now a mama to a beautiful girl - what a precious gift!