Charlie Ann's First 13 Days

On the morning Charlie Ann joined our family, my parents met us in the recovery room.  It was 5am and they had been awake most of the night waiting for our phone call. What a sweet moment it was when my parents introduced themselves to their first grandchild.

Mom and Charlie Ann meeting for the first time.

Grandpa and Charlie Ann on her first day.

Charlie Ann is ready to go home from the hospital.

We stayed one night and headed home the following evening. My time at Fullerton Hospital was wonderful, the nurses were the best and I felt so taken care of.

Our first evening at home - 3 days old.

Tummy time - 4 days old.

Charlie Ann & Dad - 4 days old.

Grandma & CA.  Already holding that head up that first week!

Eyes and nose still swollen - 5 days old.

My mom got to stay with us until Charlie Ann was 6 days old.  It was so hard to see her go.  Those few days she was here after the hospital were so helpful!  I felt like I could actually do this Mom thing after all her help :)

My mom left in the afternoon of CA's 6th day and my mother-in-law arrived that night.     

Jarod puts Charlie Ann to sleep in the warm sheets fresh out of the dryer - 6 days old.

My mother-in-law stayed with us for Charlie Ann's second week.  What a great help she was cleaning and cooking some amazing meals (especially apple pie).

However, that second week was a tough one.  My new found confidence as a mother quickly vanished as soon as my mom left.  I felt I could no longer console my daughter's crying spells or soothe her to sleep.  I was extremely exhausted/delirious due to the marathon of child birth and from plummeting head first into an every 2-3 hour nursing schedule, both day and night.  Jarod was at the end of his semester and crunched by his own deadlines for papers and exams, and he was unable to be as much help as we both wanted.  So before I turned psychotic (I'm only halfway joking), I decided to join my mother-in-law on her flight back to Missouri in order to stay with my parents for some extra help.  I would stay until Christmas break, when Jarod would join us for the Holidays.  So, on 38 hours of no sleep, I scrambled  together all of Charlie Ann's newborn clothes and her blankets, and a few items for myself.  All else would be borrowed, given or bought for our 6 weeks in the Midwest.  

So bleary eyed and overwhelmed, I kissed Jarod goodbye and headed for the airport.

But what a good and perfect idea it was! With Judy's help, we managed a 6am flight Thanksgiving morning with a 13 day old baby from LA to Springfield, MO.  Phew! The moment I saw my Dad at baggage claim, I started crying.  It was a perfect moment knowing I had made the best decision for myself and little Charlie Ann.  And that was the start of the boost of confidence I needed to try to be a good mother to my baby girl.