Welcome to the World Addyson

It's a happy time here for our family! I have a new sweet little niece named Addyson. She was born yesterday morning to two wonderful parents and two awesome big sisters. I have to say with how ecstatic I am for my Brother-in-Law and his family, I am also feeling a little sad and emotional. I am in awe of how fast time has gone and my own sweet baby girl is just about a year old(in 2 weeks). The time has soared, yet crawled at the same time. I miss the days of holding a fresh and warm, tiny 6lb 9oz baby in my arms, feeling the softest skin on earth. But I have to admit, the first few weeks of my daughter's life didn't go quite as I would have liked.

We had a lot of trouble learning to nurse. I told my story here. It was a very painful time for me, both physically and emotionally. I dreaded every time she needed to eat. I considered quitting nursing every time she woke up. When she wasn't nursing, I was thinking about the next time she needed to. This is not what I had planned for us. I thought breastfeeding would be a cinch. Something I didn't need to read about before-hand, something that would come naturally. Well it didn't, and I was left thinking about the pain every time she would latch. Unfortunately, these thoughts consumed me, and I felt as though I couldn't enjoy my new baby. That was an awful feeling. Not wanting your newborn to wake up for fear of the pain of nursing. The first few weeks of having a new baby is so precious, you can never get that time back. I find myself really saddened by that and the fact that we had such trouble that I don't feel I thoroughly enjoyed it or took it all in. With all of that said, I want you to know, I couldn't be more in love with this beautiful girl my husband and I created, and in the long run my experience has not hindered our relationship. It is just one tiny bump in the road that we got through, and I hope for future babies I may have that we can work to make things different.

I am happy to report that after a week or so of pumping, a week of finger, cup or spoon feeding and 7 or 8 months of using a nipple shield we are doing it all natural. Now we are at almost a year and I am still her #1 source of nourishment. I couldn't be more happy or feel more empowered. This is what my body was meant for and I am using it the way it was intended. Such an amazing feeling.
I am so glad it turned out the way it did.

Anyone who has had a baby knows how fast the time goes, and how precious those first few weeks of life really are. Cherish every moment, take it all in, because before you know it that baby is going to be 1 year old. She is going to be walking and getting into everything possible, she's going to have fits because she can't have something. But don't worry, she is also going to give you the sweetest kisses, the biggest, tightest hugs, and a smile that will melt your heart over and over again.

Thank you for reading my jumbled up feelings and thoughts.
Any words of wisdom for the new(again) parents? This is their 3rd and last child(all girls).