So, I’m afraid I’ve hit my max. Â With a diagnosis of Shingles yesterday, a dead car battery today and Nick going back to work on Monday it’s just not looking so optimistic for Mama Sarah. Â The Shingles particularly worries me because although it’s not painful yet and we caught it early, it has the potential to be very painful and incapacitating for me. Â For those not familiar with Shingles, it attacks those with weak immune systems under extreme duress. Â I qualify in both categories as I already have Rheumatoid Arthritis and the last 10 days have been some of the most stressful of my entire life. Â So I guess that’s how one gets Shingles.
My key concern right now is making sure that I have enough time to keep myself healthy, since the last thing I need is an Arthritis flare-up on top of all this other stuff. Â After talking about it at length last night, Nick and I decided that I needed a support team (translation: my family) to assist me for the next few weeks. Â Never thought I’d need to ask for help, but I guess that’s just yet another humbling lesson that I’ve learned in the first 10 days of being a Mom.
So, looks like Nia and I will be home to MN this weekend and staying through Thanksgiving. Â We’ll then be heading back for 10 days to see Nick’s parents in DC and then returning again to MN through Christmas. Â Put that all together and I have support through the end of the year!
So fret not MN friends, looks like you’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet the babe. Â And Daddy will have plenty of time to master Spanish (which we really need him to do so we can go to Peru). Â I think this is going to be a win/win. Â And you know me, I’m all about win/win. Â Or maybe I’m just about minimizing my misery lately and maximizing my sleep (and health)!
Great idea, nothing like family to help take care of you. Shingles is not fun, hopefully you can take Valtrex while nursing, a super drug for the pain, etc.
Take care of yourself. Healing thoughts coming your way. Xoxo
Safe Travels for you and baby! You’re lucky to have such a great family.
Sending you thoughts of healing and strength! You’re BEING courageous and strong by asking for help :) Enjoy the time with your family and feel better soon!
Good for you. Make sure when someone says “I’ll take the baby, you go sleep.” That you actually go sleep. It is not a sign of weakness. You can’t be sleeping more than a few minutes a night so you need to sleep whenever you can. Enjoy the family time.
Family is key after babies are born – you are making an excellent decision! And, omg, I’ve never seen your whole fam together like that, does Nia look like a Miller or what??!! Adorable. Get well soon!
Asking for help when you need it makes you the BEST MOMMY EVER. Do take care of yourself and let others take care of you and Nia so you can be 100% as soon as possible. Glad you will have family and good friends around – best medicine ever!
Having support will ease your mind. I didn’t feel that having family around allowed me any extra sleep though. Hopefully you will feel differently! I found that the deep trenches of parenthood could not be asked of grandparents or aunties. Night wakings for diaper changes and nursing still fell to my shoulders. Hopefully YOU will be able to take full advantage of napping with Nia and having someone else cook and clean! Pure bliss. Good luck Sarah!