Case of the Mondays

This week did not start off so hot. All of our company left on Sunday and we were finally alone with the baby. This was nice but a little intimidating. Plus Troy was going back to work on Monday so it would just be Lainey and me. I knew this was nothing I couldn't handle and she really is a great baby but still. My "baby blues" also kicked in at this time so I found myself uncontrollably weepy due to my hormones. I was encouraged when Monday actually started off okay. Troy stayed long enough in the morning so I could get a shower and get dressed. Then Lainey napped in her swing. She was mostly awake the rest of the day and just hung out and looked around and was generally good. However, I started to not feel so hot as the day went on. I was tired and feeling run down and my left boob hurt. Not to be too graphic, but Lainey had done a number on that nipple with her "efficient eating" (that's what the pediatrician said because she feeds for about 10 minutes on one side per feeding and that's about every 3 hours). So I had been putting lanolin cream on it to try to help it heal. Then I realized late in the day that my left breast was really sore and hot to the touch. I remember saying to Troy on the phone, "I just really hope I don't have mastitis or something." Well, somewhere around 6-7 that evening, I was pretty sure that's exactly what I did have. I looked it up online and I had about half of the symptoms (swollen, red in one area, hot to the touch). I had also read about my friend Meredith's misadventure with mastitis (although poor Meredith had it much worse than the usual case). By this point, I was at the end of my rope and was so exhausted and upset. Troy had come home from work only to immediately leave to help our friend Rob pick up a piece of furniture. I texted him, desperate for him to come home and thankfully he was on his way. But I felt bad...he came home to me feeling awful and not even wanting to take care of our baby. I think it scared him a little bit that I just thinking about feeding her made me cry. That night continued to just get worse. The fever and flu-like symptoms kicked in and I had an awful night. Thankfully Lainey slept well and only woke up once in the night to eat and then went right back down.

So Monday was pretty awful for my first day home alone with the baby. Tuesday was so much better. My Mom came in the morning and took me to the doctor and they got me on some antibiotics. Then she took us to Lainey's 2 week appointment where the doctor said she is perfect and we totally agreed. :) Lainey now weighs 7 lbs, 12 oz (2 oz more than her birth weight!) and the doctor was really impressed. She also has great muscle tone and is already strong and holding her head up pretty well. All in all she's just a great baby and we are so lucky. We are also lucky to have such great friends and family. After our appointments my Mom bought some groceries for us and helped clean up the house while I took a nap. She even got dinner ready before she left to go back home. I can't even begin to say how helpful she has been over the past two weeks!

So...things are starting to look up and we're all getting a little better at the Benton household to adjusting to our new life. Lainey is so cute and sweet that it's hard not to be encouraged to just move forward for her sake. And Troy has been wonderful and helpful and a perfect Dad. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and I will leave you with these adorable images so as not to completely depress everyone. :)