Two days ago, Madi had another of her infamous vomiting episodes. Thankfully they are a lot less often than they used to be, but when they come they are miserable nonetheless. After frequent exams by all kinds of doctors and even a swallow study, the vomiting seems to be medication-related. There really is not much else we can do besides hope that it continues to lessen as time goes on.
Anyway, I am getting off the subject at hand. So Madi was in the middle of an episode and I was rushing her down the hall to the bathroom. Upon reaching the linoleum (bare, as the rugs were in the wash from another puke-fest earlier that morning), I slipped in what was coming out of Madi's mouth. Gross. To top it all off, whilst sliding across the bathroom and trying not to drop Madi in the tub, I twisted my ankle. I am sure that it was quite comical to see. What a way to start the day, huh? I wouldn't have it any other way.
Motherhood has changed me in so many ways. I can't imagine what life would be like without my girls. I have learned many lessons along the way. For instance..
Motherhood is not for sissies. Right out of the gate, it's messy and painful. From childbirth to nursing, dirty diapers and baby spit-up, it seems like you are always wiping or deodorizing something. I have officially become the mom that holds out their hands to catch vomit in order to spare the freshly cleaned carpet. I am sure my mom just sits back and laughs when I call to relate my newest experience with body fluids. She raised four kids, so she has had her share of interesting messes. (Some of which I remember vividly.)
When you have children, you learn to stop and smell the roses. And squish ants. Inspect every leaf blown across the yard, and point out every airplane, cloud, or bird. My kids have taught me to just slow down a bit and appreciate everything, to take it all in. Just the look on my daughter's face when she finds a baby toad is enough to change anyone's bad mood.
Another thing that Madi and Sydney have taught me is patience. Ok, so maybe I am not what you would call super patient but I would like to think that I have improved. It's funny how you can tune out a kid that's screaming their guts out because they want ice cream. Right. Now. In fact there have been several instances when one of the girls is having a fit because they are in trouble for one reason or another that I have had to turn away and laugh. There really isn't much that they do that can't be laughed away at some point. Of course, I can never let them see that, cause then they think that whatever they did to get them into trouble is a game.
Motherhood is the opposite of privacy. It doesn't matter what you are doing, your kids will find you. And harass you. Nothing like going to the bathroom and having the door whipped open to your four year old saying "MOM! Are peein?" Or when it's supposed to be your sleep-in day and the hubby is not paying attention and the bedroom door is flung open, rapidly propelling you from your bed and dashing all hope of sleeping any further. Consequently, most of the time when Madi does this to me, it's to tell me that she pooped. Yippee skippee. But the smiles on the faces of the girls takes away any annoyance there may be at having your potty break interrupted. You can't be mad when your child is staring at you, grinning away like nobody's business.
Perhaps the greatest lesson of all is that of unconditional love. I see this one more as a gift or reward. It doesn't matter what I weigh, how I vote, or if I was boring or grumpy that day, Madi and Sydney are always ready and willing for hugs and kisses. Madi recently told me I was her best friend and it seriously almost made me cry. I just hope that when they are older, they realize how very much they have changed my life for the better.
Vomit, dirty socks, boogers, ripped books, crayon-marked walls and all.
No comments:
Post a Comment