Post-Partum

{Note: finally uploaded pics and posted 8/13; sorry for the delay, photo-clamorers.}

So I am typing this in the middle of the night, in a hospital room, delirious from lack of sleep and knock-you-out postpartum contraction pain.  But Charlotte isn't having any of that pesky sleeping-in-the-bassinet business, so she's in my arms, she's incredibly sweet, and I'm trying to focus on the good parts of being a new mommy instead of the hard ones.

I don't think she likes sleeping-baby pics as much as I like taking them...

Because, for real.  This postpartum recovery has been by far the hardest of all three babies.

One downside of a super-fast delivery (still a story for another day) (but no, seriously, I pushed once) is that Charlotte didn't spend enough time engaged in the birth canal to squeeze out all the... gunk.  So she has spent much of the last day and a half gagging and choking and throwing up a fairly gross combination of mucous and colostrum and clumpy blood.  Nice, huh?

(Oh I'm so glad this is the first thing I'm telling the internet about my new daughter.)

So there's that.

And then there's me.  I am post-epidural itchy (still totally worth it), my back is super sore (three for three on sunny-side-up deliveries), and the post-delivery contractions are more painful than anything I got to in labor.  Yes, I said it.  More painful than labor.  I think every doctor or nurse who has come in here has casually remarked that they do indeed get worse with each subsequent child.  Well, super.  Thanks.  Not helpful.

So, um.  This hasn't been the most awesome of hospital stays.  But with Nathan and Anneliese out of town, Mark has been super-available.  And considering it's our third baby and we both know what we're doing now, he's also been super-helpful and useful and basically a rock star.

except for keeping hats on... he's had a few daddy baby hat fails

Clearly it takes having three children to get the hospital thing down to an art form and work really well together.  We're definitely calling that part a win.

much better, Daddy... now you can have your rock star sticker back

And it hasn't been all bad. 

I mean there's this beautiful sweet baby...

And Another Nathan came with hugs for Charlotte and gobs of snacks and drinks and goodies for Mark and me...

We got to show Nathan and Anneliese their new baby sister on skype...

And oh yeah, that whole beautiful baby Charlotte thing again.

So we're really doing mostly okay.  And we're very excited to bring her home tomorrow!