He Should Be Better in 3 to 5 Days

This is my guy. He's cute, no?

But clearly, not starving.

He's got a great heart and the sweetest smile, but bum ears. They hear okay (thank God) but they keep slowing him down. In his 7+ months here, he's had 6+ ear infections. It's kind of a bummer. My crazy La Leche friends try to say that breastfed babies don't get ear infections. Bullshit. They get them. Or at least this one did. And does.

So, we got to take him to an ENT specialist on Monday. I say we because we have a family rule--if both parents can be at the appointment, both parents are at the appointment. It saves a lot of rehashing later and it is the most supportive thing we can do for each other and our kids. I try not to take it for granted.

Anyway, back to the ENT specialist. He's a nice guy and quick with the look-see in the eyes, ears, nose, and throat. He seems to appreciate that I've listed Henry's occupation on the registration form as "Baby". And he's reasonable in offering that we may need to eventually talk about doing tubes in the ears for Henry but we can try a couple other things first to defer that. But then he notes that while the ears are okay (today), Henry seems to have tonsilitis. Then he says the most unreasonable thing a doctor can say--He should be better in 3 to 5 days.

Now, I hate to see my baby unhappy. And I don't want him to be in pain. And I *do* want to comfort him. But 3 to 5 days? How did I not know that this was going to be part of the parenthood deal? How did I ever think that life would go on as usual and that my professional life would be unaffected? And how do you not feel horribly guilty for even thinking that?

3 to 5 days. Three to five days. Come on honey, get better.

I'll start clearing the calendar.