To be fair, it takes a few weeks for everything to end up where it should. We don't look human at first.

Blood, yes. Entire limbs and organs simply taken from the body as the transmutation begins? I confess I have very little personal knowledge of alchemists who've performed the transmutation, but those I do know were unprepared for that.

I don't know very much about growing up, I've always been twenty whatever the number is. As far as I remember. But I'd think that as one grows, one just changes and learns naturally.