the first week

Britton is now a week old. This week has flown by, and my overly-hormonal self is tired but happy. My sister Jessica came to visit last Monday, the day we left the hospital. Suffice it to say, last Monday night was the most interesting night, as I really had no idea what I was doing. Since then I have been averaging anywhere between 4 and 6 hours of sleep per 24 hour period, and I can feel that pretty soon it will hit me. I can honestly say that without Jessica's help I may not have made it through that first night. Britton is happy to feed at 1:00 a.m., then stay up wide-eyed until 4:00 a.m., with a few more feedings in the meantime. She may have her day and night mixed up, but it is up to me to adjust to meet her schedule. Me, the hub, and Jessica made such a strong team. But Jessica left today, and the hub goes back to work tomorrow. Tomorrow starts the first week where it will be just me and the baby all day.

Breastfeeding is going well. Jessica helped me through the difficulties, and without her I may have already turned to bottles. But now that I have gotten the hang of it, and Britton has proved to be a strong eater, I am finding myself addicted to breastfeeding. It is our special time, and I really do treasure it.

We have another doctor's appointment this week to make sure Britton is gaining weight. I have been pumping between feedings, getting a good amount of milk, so I know that she is getting enough to eat. Jessica taught me to swaddle her, which makes her so content.

I find myself so utterly and completely in love with this little person. I miss her when I am in a different room. I had no idea what this process was all about, and now I find that it is even better than I could have ever imagined. I feel like the words to describe this haven't been invented yet.