Poppy is one week old!

So Poppy is officially one week old now! She is just as gorgeous and sweet as ever, and Paul and I can't stop looking at her.
It feels weird that it's been a whole week, and the 3 days in the hospital seem like a blur now. Although I'm pretty sure it happened, seeing as we now have a baby and I have a flatter (somewhat) stomach and scar to prove it!
The C-section was definitely not as bad as I'd imagined it to be. It was all pretty fast, actually. We arrived at 3:30, after which they started my IV and had me change into the hospital gown, and shortly thereafter I was being wheeled to the OR with Paul by my side to start the epidural and morphine. The medicine worked really fast, and before I knew it they had the screen in place and were starting the surgery. The actual surgery was painless, although I could feel tugging sensations and a lot of pressure up near my chest. I could also hear everything the doctors were saying including when they were making the incision, and heard their laughter when Poppy, who came out bum-first, started peeing and pooping on her way out. Within 10 to 15 minutes, we could finally hear some little coughs and sneezes and knew that she was out. Paul got to go take pictures while the nurses cleaned her and suctioned out her throat and nose, and after that was taken care of, the proud daddy brought her over to me for our emotional first meeting. I was in love the moment I set eyes on her. My first thought was, "Is that my baby"? Maybe because I think she looks like Paul, or because I just didn't know what she would look like. In any case, she's definitely more gorgeous and beautiful than I'd ever imagined. The next 20 minutes were difficult because I badly wanted to hold my new little girl, but I was happy knowing that Paul was able to see her and be by her side the minute she came out.
The next few days were slightly painful, tiring, and getting used to a schedule of feeding and taking care of precious Poppy. It's quite the adjustment! Change is very difficult for me, and dealing with the residual pain as well as the hormonal adjustments hasn't been easy.
I have to say how grateful I am for Paul. He is the most wonderful husband and father in the world. Not only does he love Poppy as unconditionally as I do, he makes sure I'm feeling well and that I'm taken care of, too. I knew how much I loved him before, but having Poppy and seeing the joy and love in his eyes and knowing how much he cares for both of us makes my heart skip a beat.
Today Poppy had her one week appointment with the pediatrician, and she's doing great and is completely healthy! She has almost regained her birth weight and now weighs 8 lbs 3 oz. Her ears, eyes and nose look great, her heart sounds good, and overall she is doing well (besides deciding to wake up at all hours of the night and not wanting to go back to sleep)! We couldn't be more grateful and happy.