3 weeks old

Today, Charlotte is 3 weeks old.  I'm 3 weeks post-op.  Kaitlyn is back to school.  Samantha is growing like crazy. We're starting to get back to normal.

Isn't it amazing how someone can only be alive for 3 weeks, but you can't quite remember life without them?  Charlotte has fit in with our family just perfectly.  She's pretty darned laid back and incredibly loved and spoiled.

I don't know Charlotte's weight for sure.  Or her length, but it's pretty obvious she's growing.  Her face has fattened up a bit and the newborn clothes are just too short.  Her feet though are still pretty darn tiny, with her toes nice and long, just like a little monkey.

She has found her routine.  It's pretty simple and typical for a newborn.  Diaper change, nurse, sleep, wait an hour and 45 minutes and repeat.  At night, she's much more generous with the time between diaper changes.  The longest she's gone is nearly 5 hours, but it's much more typical for her to do 2- 3 to 4 hour stretches before getting up.  While I am looking forward to those beautiful 8-12 stretches, I can't complain.  She's a far better sleeper than Samantha is.

Samantha has developed an interesting sleep pattern.  Basically, stay up until 4 in the morning for one reason or another, strip naked numerous times in that period, throw diapers over the baby gate keeping her from escaping her room and then sleep until noon despite how much I do to try and wake her.  I could literally put her in the bathtub and she will not wake up.  I've tried.  The past couple of days, I've been able to get her up at 8.  And while I can keep her from napping during the day, no matter what I do, at 6, she's passed out cold.  Only to wake up at 11, stay up until 4 and then be grumpy.

We're working on it.  I think that if I can get her up early one day, keep her awake until like 8-9, then put her in bed, then repeat for a week, we might be able to get a better routine.  That, or we will have to accept that she is just a night owl...

Samantha absolutely adores Charlotte.  She keeps going up to her and saying "awww, cute little baby."  Then, she puts her arms out and says mine.  She gets angry that I don't just hand her over and let her carry her through the house.  It means I'm terrified to leave them alone lol. 

With Charlotte at home, Samantha's head looks even more gigantic than ever before.  She has been the one with the biggest head, that's for sure!

Charlotte finally lost her umbilical cord on Monday, which meant last night she got her first bath.  She was so calm and serene through it.  The part about getting dried off and dressed, not as much.

Time is going by so darn quickly.  Before I know it, she'll be right next to Samantha stealing the top piece of bread off of my sandwich. 

My 2 week post-op appointment was yesterday.  I'm down 22 lbs of the 42 I gained so far.  Not too shabby for doing absolutely nothing but sitting on my butt most of the time and eating whatever I want.  Dusty said it's pretty easy to do though when in a matter of seconds you're nearly 9 lbs down.  But still.  ;)

My incision is healing really nicely.  I thought my last scar was an improvement, but this scar is amazing.  It's so low, there is nothing I could possibly consider wearing in public that would allow the incision site to be seen.  Even so, it's already pretty darn thin and hard to see.  My doctor thinks I will be bikini ready by the summer.  While I'm not so sure about that, it's still nice to hear.  I go back in another month for my big 6 week check up!

Kaitlyn went back to school yesterday.  I think it might take her a little bit to adjust to getting up and getting ready in the morning.  And doing homework instead of playing.  And going to bed at a decent hour.  Tomorrow, she has try outs for the school talent show.  She really wants to sing, so here's hoping she does well and makes it.  Parents are not allowed at auditions, so we won't really know much until the schedule is out.