In Sickness and in Health

You know before you have kids you hear a lot of parents talking about how being a parent is a full time job. And you nod and agree and move on. Then you have kids and you realize, holy shit, having kids a full time job. Not the 40 hours/week, sick days and vacation days included kind of job. A full time, no sleeping in, no sick days, no vacations kind of job. Then you have another child and you realize, holy holy shit, this is working two full time jobs with no benefits and your actually paying your own hourly wage. What I have learned in my short time as a parent is that when the kids get sick it’s awful. Their cute little noses turn all runny and red, their sweet little chests heave with these awful coughs and they just want to cuddle up with you while simultaneously hating you at the same time. You’re their only source of comfort while also being the only source they can safely take all of their frustration at being sick and not feeling good out on. It’s a serious love/hate relationship and all you can do is fruitlessly and often endlessly try to make them feel better while sadly knowing that you can’t make them feel better. All you can do is weather the storm with no safe place to hide, because let me tell you, kids can find you anywhere! Sleep becomes as long forgotten and missed as romance and privacy as you struggle to cheer up your babies and help them get the rest you know they need, but they just don’t seem to think is as necessary. Then when your partner gets sick it’s awful. Your on your own trying to take care of your little ones, pick up the on the chores and meal making, because even though you have now lost your loyal army you still have a hell of a battle to fight. So you continue the long nights alone trying to let your partner get rest. Then the sun comes out, your children begin to feel better, sleep a little more and slightly reduce their crankiness. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel, or at least the end of endless snotty handprints on each and every pair of jeans you own. Then the unthinkable happens. The one thing that cannot happen. Because when this happens everything stops. Any mom’s reading this know what I’m about to say. That’s right, mom gets sick. Sure to a person without kids you may think, well dad can just pick up the slack like you did when he was sick. Well that’s a great idea, but it’s just not what happens. Because sure dad is fun, caring, sweet and completely capable, but he just isn’t mommy. And kids have a unique ability to sense when mommy is sick and suddenly develop a fierce and desperate desire to only want her. So this week I happen to be under the weather. And while Matt is doing great, it is difficult for him to have dinner ready before he gets out of work and brings the girls home, it’s impossible for him to breastfeed Jacy and unfortunately Jacy has decided that this is the week that she wants to wake up every hour and will NOT take a bottle. So even though Matt has tried to help me by taking a night shift, Jacy has decided that it’s just not what she wants right now. So even though I have a sinus infection, sore throat, stomach bug and slew of headaches I am still waking up every 1-2 hours to feed and cuddle Jacy, making dinners, cleaning during the day, trying to party plan, and trying as hard as I can to make happy high pitched voices while playing with Jacy throughout the day. So my goal this week is to make sure the house doesn’t fall into chaos since no matter how bad I feel our lives don’t stand still and the show must go on. Thank god for adorable kids with sweet smiles who are finally feeling better, and of course a wonderful fiance who is working his butt off to help me in any and every way he can.