The First Two Weeks

Henry James at two weeks old

The first two weeks of motherhood were rough. Whatever expectations I had were oh so very wrong.
I didn't think breastfeeding would be difficult, first off. I mean, I have gigantic hooters. I was made for this! Henry didn't have a good latch, he had a downright awful latch. He actually lost too much weight, losing a pound from birth to his fourth day outside the belly. I was ill prepared for the atomic bomb siren that is my son's cry.

The biggest unexpected side affect was just how much I love my husband. Truly, I had no idea just how much having a baby would instantly magnify one thousand time the capacity I have of loving him. I knew that I would be overwhelmed with love and caring for this little new life, but was caught completely unawares by the new affection for the one who helped create him. When I looked at Henry in those first moments and hours, I could only think of Shawn. It is not his fathering that has brought this entirely new level of wholehearted loving, it is simply becoming a mother that has done it.

Whatever hurdles we jumped those first weeks of parenthood, we were greeted by constant and unconditional tenderness by not only us, but by each other.