Initiation

If I haven't been initiated into motherhood before last week, well I have now. Alan got home last Friday night at around midnight from his trip to Cali, and then Charlie woke us up at 12:45 (right after we fell asleep) and we were up for a few hours. Poor thing - he had so much mucus that he couldn't swallow it or breathe... He was taking so long between breaths that I thought we might need to take him to the ER (I have never done that or even thought we might need to, if that tells you how serious it was).

We finally got him settled and got a few hours of sleep before getting up pretty early that day... I took him to the doctor that morning and it ended up being a 3 hour ordeal. Ugh. Unfortunately, our doc was out of town so we saw the doctor who doesn't believe in giving medicine. He's really very nice, but he doesn't give medicine to small children. In theory (and before I had children), I thought that was also the best approach. However, as a mother with a sick child, I just wanted to FIX it and keep my child from being miserable. Capiche?

After we got home, I had to get busy making some food for a get together that night... Several of my high school friends came into town and we all got together - fun times! We ate at Christine's house and talked a while before we visited Steva at the restaurant she manages downtown. I think I got home around 1:00 am or so, and then had to get up early the next day for church. I thought we might have to substitute teach again that day, so we got there a little early (by the way - Charlie was all better, or so I thought, and seemed to have no signs of his illness. Weird.).

That evening, Charlie developed a fever that lasted a few days. And I do mean a fever - several times, it was around 104 and he was MISERABLE. One day, he wouldn't let me put him down at all. I couldn't even potty. He slept in my arms all day long, but when I tried to put him in his crib, he just screamed and wailed - it was so pitiful! I sent Carter to school Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday so I could just manage Charlie. Oh, did I forget to mention that Charlie developed some sort of motion sickness related to his congestion, and would throw up every time he was in the car? This lasted about 2 weeks (from the time his congestion began a while ago). That's a LOT of car seat washing and pulling over on the side of the road!!!

Tuesday morning, right after I took Carter to school, they called to tell me to come get him because HE had thrown up 3 times. He felt bad when I first picked him up so I thought I was going to have TWO sick children to deal with, but he ended up being fine... The next day, one of the teachers said she had seen him spinning really fast on the tire swing right before he got sick. Ha! I can laugh about this now...

I took Charlie back to the doctor on Wednesday because he was still so miserable, but our doctor was still out of town so we didn't get anything for him... However, his fever seemed to break that afternoon and he started doing much better. Although, did I mention all the terrible diaper issues (I won't go into detail, but suffice it to say we've had to change his outfits and sheets many times) due to all the congestion? Plus, I think he's teething - I can kind of see some things poking through the top, and he chews on everything and drools a lot. Let's count the number of things that have been wrong with him - allergies/cold, fever virus, motion sickness, teething, and severe lower GI issues. POOR, POOR BABY!!!

All that said, you know what I have learned over the past couple of weeks? That it's ALL worth it. Every bit of it. Sure, it wasn't pleasant, but I never resented one moment of these issues because my babies are so sweet and I sure don't deserve them, but God gave them to me for a reason. That's not to mention all the other changes that happen when you become a mother - my body will never be the same, my feet have grown 2 whole sizes, our finances have been affected, I will probably never sleep heavily or through the night again (especially after having sleep lightly enough to wake up by hearing Charlie smack his lips as a newborn, kick his legs as an infant, and babble now, because he never cries when he wakes up or is hungry), etc, etc... All of that - worth it also.

Apologies for all the ramblings here, but it's midnight and I haven't gotten much sleep lately... In addition to dealing with unusual issues with the children, we are getting ready for our first trunk show and I have been sewing in all my free time. Here's hoping our business does really well, but not TOO well so that I have to do this much sewing all the time :)

More later, and pictures to come. Good night, all!