Baby's first blood draw*

Milo had to have a blood test yesterday.

He was actually quite brave.

He wasn't very happy about it. And unfortunately, it revealed that he had a bacterial infection. On the other hand, it explains why he's had a fever since last Tuesday evening, and why we've spent the past week doing a lot of this:

He's been so lethargic. On the upside, I have been getting lots of cuddles.

Today, we had to go back to the doctor, and Milo had to get a catheter to check if the infection is in his urinary tract. It is. So, all the pain was worth it to find out that we can start antibiotics and he will start feeling better soon. In fact, since the nurse gave him an antibiotic shot, his fever has stayed down.

He even played for a while this afternoon.

Smiling

There's still a worry that perhaps he also has a kidney infection, but the antibiotics should take care of that too. We have to visit the doctor again tomorrow to make sure he's progressing as expected. But right now, he's sleeping quietly -- with no fever.

This isn't the first time Milo's been sick but it is the first time he's had such a high fever. And it's the first time we haven't really known what was wrong right away. It's been a stressful few days. Seeing my baby in pain has been painful for me. Wondering what was wrong and thinking of all the possibilities has been maddening. Even now, I worry about what caused the infection. Is it something physiological? Is he going to suffer from UTIs often? Was there something I could have done to prevent it? I may not have all the answers -- to these questions and others. No one ever does.

We just have to do the best for our kids and hope for the best. Sometimes you just have to let go and trust yourself. That's probably the hardest part for me.

*First from his arm. He had heel sticks as a newborn.