We’ve asked a few friends and fellow-bloggers to drop-in and share while we take some time to get to know this amazing little person, Hudson, whom we’ve just welcomed to the world. We’ll no doubt be dropping in here and on babymine.net from time to time, but we’re so grateful for these wonderful guest posts and hope you enjoy them as well. 

Leigh writes Marvelous Kiddo, which features the most incredible birth stories alongside beautiful images and articles and glimpses into her life with her family. As an uber-stylish, baby-wearing mother in New York, Leigh is also an inspiration. I am so happy she is sharing some thoughts on parenthood with us (and I can’t stop staring at these sweet, sweet photos)!

One of the things that has struck me the most with the births of my two children is how instantly upon meeting the new member of the family it becomes absurd to imagine life without that person in it. This might sound silly or like I’m stating the obvious, but for me, there is something about meeting my babies that creates a kind of amnesia for whatever came before.  My husband and I spent seven blissful years together before our oldest came along, and suddenly, with his arrival it was like a huge missing piece of our hearts had found it’s place.  Likewise, a little over two years later, with much anticipation, we met our second son and immediately we couldn’t imagine what we had done without him!  The magnitude of the feeling was almost more surprising the second time around because while I was pregnant, already being a parent I thought I got it.  I knew what it felt like to love a child so much.  And wouldn’t it be hard to love a second as much?  But when my youngest arrived, he taught all of us that the mathematics of love are not so easy to predict.  The love we all fell into that morning was big and specific and sweeter than any of us had imagined.  It was a feeling that once again made it hard to remember what life had been like before.

[Photos by Liz Rubincam, 2007 and 2009 respectively]

Hi Everyone!  I’m Bridget from Tales of Me & the Husband totally delighted to be here as a guest while Aron and Ashley love on their new little man.  Congratulations to you two… to you three, actually!  I’m sure he will quickly learn how lucky he is to be a Hither and Thither kid… think of all the places this lucky dude will get to go!  I mean, you all have seen the amazing travelogues on the right side of this page now, haven’t you?! I can see it now.  Learning to walk on the island of Mykonos, eating his first apple in front of the Louvre, and his first words?  I’m thinking they will be: “Buon giorno!”

Okay, perhaps I am getting carried away.  Aron and Ashley, enjoy your downtime with your little guy, and when the time is right, oh the places you three will go!

Ashley and I are just about on the exact same schedule for giving birth… both to boys too.  It’s been fun watching her expanding belly through their blog as mine was doing the very same thing.  So, Ashley may share some of these following sentiments… the things I’m looking forward to about being a Mom…

I am really looking forward to the little feet that will fit into those shoes.  I’m looking forward to counting each and every toe, running my finger along the bottom of them, and watching them stretch and arch as I discover whether my little man is ticklish or not.

I am really looking forward to breastfeeding.  I hope it feels natural and that he and I both learn the ropes quickly.  I know this is not always the case.  But I do imagine myself looking down as the love hormone runs through my body and he gets some hearty food from his Mama.

I am really looking forward to wearing him in my Moby wrap.  I know it will be an adjustment, for me and for him, when he takes his exit from my warm, dark belly and is all of a sudden in a bright and strange world.  So, I hope to mimic his first home for him as best I can by giving him a comfy place where he can still hear my heartbeat and feel my body close to him (and let’s be honest, selfishly, I’m going to want that too!).

I am really looking forward to getting to know him.  While I feel like I know him a little bit now, he is still a stranger to me in so many ways.  What will his personality be like?  What is it already like?  It’s crazy to think it’s already forming and he’s not even arrived.  I can’t wait to meet him.

So, those are just a few of the things I’m looking forward to in the coming weeks.  And by the time you are reading this, Aron and Ashley (and most likely myself!) will be in the throes of it!  Here’s to hoping we are all faring well and getting some sleep!