Baby Crew Part Two

Oh how we love baby Crew! He is so perfect. Again, I am so grateful for my sister and all of these amazing shots of the first few moments of Crew's life. I wish I could remember all the details of the hours following his birth, but they were quite a blur. I do, however, remember how much love I had in my heart at that time. I felt like my heart might burst and that I could cry at any moment as I reflected on my most precious blessing. 

These shots were all taken during glamorous afterbirth so as much as I tried to attend to what was going on with Crew, my attention was being occupied elsewhere. Something worth remembering was that as Rob removed the placenta he lifted it above his head and announced, "home, sweet home!". We have a shot of it and David's face has "that is seriously disgusting" written all over it! Hah!

I watched from bed as Crew was checked and given his first bath. I just kept thinking  "I can't believe how cute he came out!". I know I'm bias, but he was such a beautiful newborn. No cone head. No bumps or bruises. He was so perfect. 

I absolutely love technology in that family could meet baby Crew via FaceTime soon after his birth. This little boy came out being loved by so many people!

Perhaps the most tangible love I witnessed that day was David's for his new little Crew. I'm trying not to get ahead of myself, but this first few days were so foretelling of the kind of dad David would be. He is  so attentive, loving, involved, intuitive...he is simply amazing. He was emotional during the delivery and couldn't wait to hold our little guy. He was able to do skin to skin right after me and as I watched my boys bond I think my heart grew two sizes. There is something so special about watching the man you love take on the responsibility of fatherhood. I have no words for the love I felt for him that day. It was such a sacred experience and I think I might have been given a tiny glimpse of what David and I are working so hard daily to someday obtain: a life together forever of this kind of eternal love. It was like Heavenly Father gave me a brief moment of clarity of what celestial glory might feel like and everything made sense for a moment. Every parental lecture. Every young woman's lesson. The law of chastity. My temple marriage. The wait was worth it and I felt so very blessed and validated for my choices.

(Don't mind my lovely double chin)

I still can't believe how alert Crew has been right from the very beginning. I have a strong feeling that he was super excited to come to this earth and experience all it has to offer. I need to remember this when he constantly has dirt under his nails from making mud pies, jumping off things that could result in broken bones, rolling down hills in his church clothes, etc.

My epidural took a while to subside in my left leg. In fact, I was a fall risk for over 24 hours because I actually collapsed in the bathroom as I tried to put pressure on it (luckily David was right there to catch me). They wheeled me down to postpartum and I felt like they needed to have balloons released, confetti, a parade with dancers, and a big banner that said "Congrats! You did it!". Instead they give you a giant water bottle. Oh well. At least I felt victorious and so in love!