The first week home was... crazy. Mike was able to get work off so that he could spend some time bonding with both Genelle and I. It was so nice having him there with us. I was grateful I didn't have to spend my first days as a new parent alone.
Together, we stayed up late while I fed Genelle, and slept in to recover from the lack of sleep. A routine developed where I fed Genelle, Mike would burp and change her diaper then I would need her again. It was nice splitting up the duties, so I didn't feel overwhelmed with doing everything.
My milk came in the day we got home, and when it did I freaked out. All of a sudden, where my boobs had been sore because Genelle was pulling on them, they were sore do to the lack of pulling on them. I almost started crying while I waited for Genelle to wake up from a nap one day because my boobs were so full of milk they had become hard. I desperately searched around for some way to relieve the pressure, but our breast pump hadn't been delivered yet (because of the affordable care act, our insurance provided a mechanical double breast pump, but only after confirmation that a baby had been born). Luckily Genelle woke up soon after so relief was soon mine.
Feeding Genelle after my milk came in became quite the spectacle. Because Genelle and I were still learning, most meals one if not both of us ended up soaked. It took a while for the two of us to get the swing of things, I'll admit there are still times when I'll accidentally shoot Genelle in the face/ear/hair with milk, and while I would like to say I know what I'm doing, I realize now more than ever that I may never have full control over my body ever again.
If nothing else, this first week really taught me to laugh, especially in those moments when I feel tried to the point of breaking down.
Most particularly I remember being so sleep deprived that I would wake up several times in the middle of the night (on my own) to try and feed Genelle, only to find she wasn't in my arms as I thought. I'd frantically search the folds of my cover frightened by the thought that she could be suffocating from the weight, only to realize that she was safe in her bed, and that I had been trying to feed the comforter this entire time. It scared me to think of my daughter's life being put into jeopardy by me not doing something so easy as putting her back in her bed after eating. But as scary as that was, I couldn't help laughing in relief.
During that first week, we had a lot of visitors. First my Grandpa Hebdon and his wife Nola stopped by, t
hen my brother Rhett, who was living close by at the time, came over. He is quite the baby-whisperer. If you ever get the chance, have him hold yours, I guarantee you the little one will fall fast asleep! Then a couple of days later my Mom was able to come by and see Genelle as well.
It was so nice having family come by and meet Genelle. Mike and I are so grateful for everyone who made the trip, in the first week, and the weeks to come. We were especially grateful as well, for family and friends who brought over dinner and helped keep Genelle and I company!
A HUGE shoutout goes to my cousin, Candice Gwilliam and her sweet family who dropped off food, not once but THREE times! My lovely ex-step mom, Jeanne who rescued us with a lasagna and with a bottle of nipple cream, Mike's mom who came by several times to help watch and hold Genelle so I could fold laundry or caught a few Zzs. I'd also my visiting teachers at the time (who may never read this blog), Heather Hill and Teri Draper, who not only brought a small mountain of food, but of cookies, and redvines and all manner of sweets too!!
Thank you!!
