These Are Days

Two sweet Joe musings from the day that I do not want to forget. 1. While giving Joey a bath I said to him "my goodness, Joey. You have gotten so big! How did that happen?" And he saidvery matter of factly "Because you love me." 2. After being in bed for about an hour, Joey woke up crying with a stomach ache...he had the stomach flu yesterday and we spent the day at home today recovering. I rubbed his belly and watched him writhe around in the bed trying to get comfortable. I asked him if his tummy hurt and he said "yes" and I asked if he wanted me to hold him. Now, normally I am anti talking in the middle of the night and Dean is the softie who gets the boys up and nurtures them back to sleep. I usually play the roll of tough guy who sends them back to bed. But tonight I was home alone with Joe; Ben was at a sleepover, Dean was at work, and I was feeling generous! I picked up my little man and carried him into the family room where I sat in Dean's big comfy chair and slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth. Jack came and lay at the foot of the chair and he and I watched the snow fall outside and listended as Joey's breaths slowed down and became deeper and deeper. It was so peaceful and so sweet. We sat for quite awhile and when I went to put Joey back in his bed, he stirred just a little and gave me a smile and said "Thank you mommy. Thank you for making me feel better. Thank you for holding me. I love you." Good grief I love that child. The days have been long the past week, I'm not going to lie. Nursing children back to health (or really trying to manage the healthy child while comforting the sick child) is not the easiest job in the world and my patience has been running thin. But truly loving my children is the easiest job in the world; it is so very, very, very easy to fall head over heels in love with these little people each and every day. Even the interminably long, screaming, fit-throwing, fighting, vomit filled days. I love them so much and am so lucky to be their mom.