The good stuff:
- newborn babies smell really cool. Take a big deep sniff of their head's and inhale all those yummy pheromones. That's what they're there for.
- it will be the only time in their lives that you can put them somewhere and they'll still be there when you come back.
- it's also a time when they'll happily sleep on you for hours, and hours.
- they aren't too busy running amok to cuddle.
- when their eyes first start to focus and they look at this big, previously fuzzy thing that is your face, and you can tell that they think it's the best thing in the world.
- did I mention the smell? It's like a drug.

Making it easier:
- do what feels right NOW. Don't worry about creating bad habits if you use a dummy or carry them to sleep or whatever it is that you are doing. The goalposts change so often that it really doesn't matter.
- enjoy each phase as it comes. There's something good (and not so good) about every stage of their lives, don't wish their lives away by thinking, 'oh, I can't wait until they are over this'. Just enjoy the good bits.