My son may not be to too happy with me for posting this picture someday. And I am sure I will have some embarrassing pictures of me placed for all to see. I’ll take it like a big girl because it will be worth it! I am not putting this picture out to irritate my little man, but because it tells a story and sparks a memory.
You see, while it sounds exhausting and overwhelming, this day is a day I will cherish, vomit and all.
The plans for the day were to take my daughter to the hospital to have her tonsils removed because she kept getting strep throat, among other illnesses. This did happen. It was gory and gruesome and broke my heart to see her in so much pain. Then we were told she we was at an elevated risk because her tonsils were so large and damaged from the repeated episodes of infection.
After we were able to visit her in the recovery room, my husband returned to work and I was to check her out of the hospital and then take her home to sleep. But shortly after he leaves, I get notification from the school that my son is throwing up in the classroom trashcan! So, now I have one in the hospital, one puking at school,another one that has to be picked up, dogs that needed to go out, a husband that needs to return to work, and a partridge in a pear tree!
It was amazing how the story went from there. I called my husband who had to check out my son on his way back to work. He called MiMi (his mom) to wait with my son briefly, until I got home.
As the day progressed, I had a post op little girl on part of the couch and a feverish vomiting little boy sitting on the other part cuddling with his trashcan. We ended up with her sleeping on the short part of the couch, the little dude on his mattress that we pulled to the living room floor and me on the longer part of the couch for the next couple nights. This let us have plenty of room to stretch out and rest, and allowed me to be present for my son’s high fever hallucinating ninja kicks in the middle of the night!
Aside from that craziness, these days were filled with cuddles, nurturing, preparing special food, and simply taking care of my little ones. It seems so strange, but I had permission from my busy life to concentrate on their well-being. Everything else was able to be put on hold as I simply loved them. It seems so strange that I look back at this time with fond memories. Even if they were sick, we I got to camp out in the living room and just be together. I look past the gross stuff and the pain of seeing my babies suffer to bask in the idea of being able (for a short time) to let them rely on me for all the little things we have taught them to do themselves. My arms and hands can still feel me cradling them as their long extremities dangle freely because they can’t fit in the nook of my arm anymore. I took delight in giving them “custom” meals when, in healthy times, they can make their own. Being certain they would heal soon, I loved the warmth in my soul from being blessed by knowing that they are capable of so much, but in their time of pain from injured bodies, they drew close to me and let me show my love for them.
It is amazing what all you can get from a picture of a little boy hugging a trashcan full of bodily fluids. And it never ceases to amaze me that, even in rough times, the little tidbits of fondness shown in the moment can be how we remember the entire event.
Check out these links for more stories on hidden blessings and simply loving your kids for who they are!
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