My Sunshine & A Flannel Blessing

Motherhood is not glamorous.

Take today, for instance. It started around 3AM. Our little Elizabeth had fallen off the bed. Her whimpers propelled me towards the girls room, where I stubbed my toe walking in. It being dark, and me not wanting to wake the other two girls, I left the lights out while I searched for Elizabeth.

About the time the screeches in my head died away from having rammed my toe into the doorjamb, I realized there was a stench in the room. I finally found Elizabeth, snuggled her in close to me, and asked if she was okay.

'I fell off da bed.' *Sniff, gulp, sniff*

'It's okay, Sunshine, Mama's here,' I crooned as I smoothed her hair out of her face.

The smell was overpowering. I chalked it up to Anna and a nasty teething diaper. After I got Elizabeth tucked back into the bed, I hoisted Anna from the crib and started off with her, only to realize she was not the guilty party.

Carrying her back to the crib, I asked Elizabeth if she'd had an accident.

'No-wuh,' she replied, somewhat offended. I double checked, just to be sure.

By then, Sarah Grace was awake, so I asked her, too. Just in case. Nope, not her. I reluctantly admitted it must be some terrible gas and started to leave. I got about halfway back to the bed when my Mommy's Conscience kicked in. I knew there was more to this story.

I went back to the girl's room, flipped on the light, and started searching. Somewhere in the back of my head, I surmised that Elizabeth must have not been fully awake and done her business somewhere other than the bathroom. I checked the floors, the closet, then finally looked up on the bunk bed, where Elizabeth had started the night sleeping.

And there it was. The culprit of the foul odor that was assaulting my delicate sense of smell. My little girl had been sick all over the bed. Amazingly, she was clean. And true to Elizabeth form, ready to forget it and get on about her business. Which was sleeping.

So my day started super early with three extra loads of laundry. And a smell that 14 hours later has barely dissipated. I have no idea how to deal with it. I have searched out every nook and cranny, and it just stinks in there. Knowing Elizabeth, she could have been sick hours earlier and never mentioned it to anyone. And to be perfectly candid, it looked as though that were the case.

After we finally got everyone situated and settled back in for the night, I slept super lightly, waiting to hear if my baby was sick again. I finally dragged myself out of bed and showered. I washed my hair, I dried it, I fixed it. Then I went to my closet, pulled out a pair of comfy jeans and an old Gap flannel shirt that has certainly seen a lot of wears and definitely some better days. No sense overdoing it with the clothes today...our event schedule had just been cleared out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day has dragged by. The parade of dirty diapers has been especially long today, and my Sunshine girl is still way under the weather. It's tough to see her like this. She is our Sunshine. Every family has one: A child that simply has a sunnier disposition, who rarely complains, who always tries to muster a smile.

Her illness has been felt by all of us. Thomas and Sarah Grace spent the morning making her get well cards and coloring pictures for her. They brought books to her, refilled her water cup, kept her covered up with blankets, and propped her up on pillows to make her comfortable. Sarah Grace swaddled up her baby and brought her to Elizabeth to the Little Mommy could comfort her child. Elizabeth fell asleep with the doll in her arms. She didn't even complain when the kids would wake her up to present her with another paper full of colors and random letters.

Finally, she asked to go to bed, and has been there for four hours.

I was thankful for Thomas and Sarah Grace and their willingness to care for their sister. It kept me free to do all the yucky laundry and keep meals in everyone else's bellies.

My trusty and comfy and warm flannel shirt has been there for all of us today. Anna placed her mark on my left shoulder, her favorite place to rub her nose. Thomas dried his hands on the tail of it at one point today. Why he didn't use a towel is completely beyond me. Sarah Grace worked the buttons while she sat in my lap and chatted me up about various and sundry things. And Elizabeth rested in the softness of it as she snuggled with me.

Motherhood - What it lacks in glamor it more than makes up for in rewards.