You guys. There is a tiny little boy napping. In his crib. In his room and I am actually hands-free and writing this post! Call me crazy, but that is a feat in and of itself. In our first week, we were thrown through the ringer with seemingly endless nights, wailing banshee cries, "threenager" management and getting our sea legs back at this whole new-baby-in-the-house thing. Not gonna lie, it's been challenging to say the least. Sleep deprivation and exhaustion are a pretty tough combination to live through fueled with lots of coffee, but something we keep reminding ourselves of is that this is temporary. This is temporary.

Now, five weeks later, dare I say we're handling this new(ish) lifestyle like a boss? No, Akira isn't sleeping through the night yet. Yes, we are still tired beyond belief. But all of this is not for naught. All of this is what grounds us and makes us want to be better parents, maybe even better people. In the few minutes of quiet that we have between naps or feedings or both, it's what brings Jesse and me closer together knowing that we are in it together and making it all happen. Because you know what? These early days will eventually fade and it will all seem like a blur. Those newborn coos, that fresh baby smell, the absence of imminent sibling rivalry--all of that will one day disappear. No matter how difficult it feels in that moment, I know that we as a family are always about to turn a corner and reach some sort of milestone. For now, we just have to keep on keepin' on, one cup pot of coffee at a time.



PHOTOS COURTESY OF KALEEN ENKE (follow her on Instagram!)