I've been debating about posting today. The last few days have been quite difficult around our home. Gabriel has been sick--fever, a couple of vomiting episodes, a case of the runs. He's starting to feel better and is finally fever free as of bedtime tonight.
When you read mainstream parenting magazines, or even alternative ones like Mothering the images of parent and child are so perfect, so beautiful, and so clean. Real motherhood and fatherhood isn't like that. Parenthood is dirty and gritty and sometimes it smells pretty nasty. Whether your kids is making mud pies in the garden, blowing out his diaper, or smearing his hair with a spoonful of yogurt--cleaning up their messes is a daily, sometimes hourly, part of the job.
What is amazing about being a parent is that you don't really mind it too much. Sure, vomit and messy diapers aren't exactly the most pleasant thing to smell, but when your baby is sick all you really think about is how to make them feel better.
On Friday afternoon, Gabriel and I took a nap. He wasn't feeling well and so I thought he'd like to snuggle up with Mama. We'd been at the pediatric ER late the night before so we definitely needed the extra sleep. After a couple of hours Gabriel woke up fussing and the next thing I knew he'd thrown up all over himself, me, and the bed.
I cleaned him up, comforted him, and washed the bed linens before I realized that I was still sitting in a vomit soaked shirt! Not exactly the model of motherhood photographed in magazines, but it was a real Mama moment.
So, our house is a mess, Mama and Daddy are exhausted, but thankfully our baby is doing better, God willing he continues that way.
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