Week 8

Charlotte is 2 months and is as cute as ever.  She is getting heavier and looks more like a little Buddha everyday.  She half rolled over to her side right before Grandma Kathy left.  Her eyes are turning darker (still hazel but more brown than gray).  Her head hair is falling out but her eyelashes are long, the envy of her poor, short eyelashed mother.  Mom, on the other hand, is dealing with the early rheumatoid arthritis as best as she can.  Bottlefeeding hurts (damn hand) and carrying her for longer than a few minutes hurts as well.  She is on Arcoxia which, as mentioned in week 7, is not compatible with breastfeeding.  She has gotten rid of the Medela Symphony and back to the Medela PUMP IN STYLE (ha - like that is bloody possible). The pumping and dumping is yielding far more than expected - Charlotte was getting the breast milk after all!  She is trying all things - even including stopping all 'cold' consumption of drinks and foods like yogurt.  She is soaking her hands and feet.  In an attempt to minimize the pain in her joints, she has rejoined Weight Watchers (not really joined - just doing it) and it is not horrible (are they still doing points these days?  I still am, and get 10 more a day because of breastfeeding - yay!).  She has joined a gym and even purchased a swimsuit (with cute boy shorts - thank goodness for lower cut suits these days).   She is wearing a wrist brace for her motherhood-onset carpal tunnel syndrome.  She is trying, and wants nothing more than for things to become a tad easier - for her and for Charlotte.

This is what she looked like a minute after she was born (less bloody though):


Her in the big bed:




Yet another one with Daddy in the big bed:


Matt being attacked by the Bla Bla in his sleep:


"Whatcha talkin' 'bout Willis" look (RIP Gary Coleman):


Finally!  The smile comes through: