Dad's perspective

Just a few things to add to Michelle's account below.

I'm so proud of Michelle! She was relaxed and in control right up to delivery. One of the nurses even wondered aloud, "is she really in labor?" just an hour before the baby was born.

My favorite memory is from a few hours after birth. Michelle was resting, the nurses were changing shifts, and I was holding Charlotte and walking around the room. I walked by the window, pulled the drapes aside a bit, and saw...a few pinks and grays and blues of Charlotte's very first sunrise. It only lasted a few minutes before the nurses returned, we were moved to another room, diagnostics were performed...but sharing that sunrise alone with Charlotte was pretty special. I'm glad everyone timed it so perfectly!

A few other notes and new pictures:

It wasn't on the video, but one of Elanor's first reactions to Charlotte was to assess her features. She started with, "she has a nose like mine!" and then said "but she has no teeth." After a short pause she asked, "Can we go to the store and buy some to put in her mouth?" I guess in her limited experience, Target sells pretty much everything.

Sophie's comment was a little more typical with, "She's so cute!" followed shortly by, "I think she loves her big sister."

Both girls have been great with her, though I'm sure it helps that I'm able to stay home and spend time with them. Thank you FMLA! Here are some more pictures of my lovely girls: