Happy thoughts

I would not want people to dwell solely on what might be considered the "negative" side of having a child (i.e. the details of labour etc.). It is a completely overwhelming and wonderful experience.
Greg and I love Rebecca so much. Sometimes we just sit and stare at her. The experience of having a child has certainly brought us closer together and now Rebecca (taking care of her, making her happy and spending time with her) is our mutual focus. If you have ever had a perfect day - when you are so happy that you feel as though your heart will burst - well, that is how we feel almost all the time. This is not to say that we don't get frustrated or stressed or anything like that - we certainly do - but, it only takes a few minutes with Rebecca to make us deliriously happy again.
This is a thought I shared with a friend in a recent email that explains some of my initial feelings:
"My Christmas was very different than I expected (naturally). I didn't even manage to decorate at home - but since I spent most of my time with my parents or Greg's parents, that didn't really matter. Greg tried to take a picture of Rebecca inside her Christmas stocking, but it didn't really work out. I have to say - to have a newborn at home during the holiday season was hectic in many ways, but it also gave me a different perspective on Christmas. Despite the fact that it is a celebration that focuses on the birth of a child - I had never truly considered it from a maternal angle before. The hopes and anticipations associated with the birth of a new baby are amazingly powerful, and the feeling that a tiny child can make a huge difference to the world, can make people smile, and can profoundly change the way you look at your life, are such a big part of things. Everything else - so many of my usual Christmas traditions, all the little things that usually are a fundamental part of Christmas for me - really became secondary, and I never for a minute felt like anything less than one of the luckiest people around."