Pictures from the first 3 weeks

Life has been absolutely perfect.

Dan has had these three weeks off. His first day back to work was today. 

Everyone told me that no one could prepare me for life with a newborn. That it was harder than I would ever imagine. That I would be more exhausted than ever. 

I ran into a coworker a few weeks after his first was born and he said, "Its so true what they say. No matter how hard they tell you it is - you don't really believe them - it is so much harder."

If I mentioned being tired while pregnant - people would say "oh just you wait! you think you are tired now?!"

I know I am going to eat my words. And I would like each one of you to knock on wood. AND I know that we will have our moments - and when she starts crawling all around life will get crazier. 

But I am here to say that life with a newborn has been a million times easier than I ever thought. And with hardly any sleep - I have so much more energy than I did while pregnant. 

I love this little girl so much. I could hold her and stare at her for ever. I could listen to her little newborn noises and her purring all day. I could watch her facial expressions while asleep (from laughing out loud, to grumpy faces, to the pouty bottom lip) constantly. I love that when she hears a loud noise her hands fly up in the air like she's falling (startle reflexes). I love that when Morning Joe is on she talks and uses her hands like she is on some political platform. I love that she gets so calm and content when Dan or I hold her. I love watching Dan with her. I keep thinking that I am so incredibly blessed to have these 12 weeks with her. I also think about how she will get so big, so quickly and I will be back at work before we know it, and I need to cherish these moments. 

She really is such a good baby. She cries when she is hungry (I mean, who doesn't??). She will let out the saddest little whimper of pain if she has gas. She likes to be held, but she is perfectly content in her little bouncer or on her playmat. She sleeps all night in her bassinet (well .. in two hour chunks before she's ready to eat again). She lets anyone hold her.

Basically - if she isn't happy - she is hungry. Otherwise, she is perfect content. 

If all babies are like Olivia, I can see why the Duggars had so many.

People tell me to sleep when the baby sleeps. And I do at night - so about 3 - 2 hour chunks. But during the day, I just want to hold her and stare at her and enjoy her. Sleep can wait, they'll be plenty of time for that. For now, I am going to enjoy my 3 week old, because pretty soon she'll no longer be a newborn, she'll be a baby. And I'm not yet ready for that.

All that to preface - here is an insane number of pictures that we took from the first 3 weeks. Mostly cell phone shots. And I know its photo overload, but family has been asking for them. 

All these pictures are giving me a headache:

First bath, censored:

Talking on the phone:

First beer, while watching revenge:

Dan feeding her:

And my mom took these, which are much better than our cell phone shots: