Looking back on the days after my son was born, I have a difficult time pinpointing what the best part of having a baby would be. Before he was born I assumed, "no longer being pregnant" would be at the top of the list and, honestly, it still is; my pregnancy ending was a definite plus. But when other moms share the best part about having a newborn, I'm always reminded of absolutely everything else that made having a newborn so unbelievable and life-changing and, well, wonderful.
Of course, having a newborn is also exhausting. I was up every two hours, without fail, and was nothing short of a human cow; constantly dispensing milk whenever my son deemed it necessary which was, you know, always. I was scared of everything, even going to sleep, for fear that I would wake up to see that my son hadn't, and wouldn't. I didn't leave the house; I didn't speak to very many people; I didn't do much of anything except care for a baby and attempt to adequately adjust to something as profound and new and overwhelming as parenthood.
But amidst the constant fear and self-doubt and exhaustion, there was so much awesome. Just, like, all the awesome you could possibly handle. I loved watching my son's small body rise and fall as he slept on my chest while I wrote or read or watched television. I couldn't get enough of my son's smile, especially when he flashed a grin as he slept. I couldn't stop staring at my partner when he rocked our son to sleep, kissing the top of his head and whispering in his tiny ears how much he loved him. I was infatuated with my son's smell; a delightful mix of myself, my partner, lavender and spilt milk.
Having a newborn can be challenging, but it's also so damn wonderful, which is why I asked 13 moms to share the best part about having a newborn. Babies: when they're not totally exhausting, they're totally amazing.