Sick Days

My little bud bud is sick. :( I hate when the kids are sick. It is in my top three worst aspects of parenting, preceded by bath time and followed by whining. Which, sidebar, when I became preggers and my mother was all, "Oh, I hope that child is just like you" in a weird evil stepmother vindictive, retribution way, I am pretty sure it was the whining about EVERYTHING that she was wishing upon me. But Natalie isn't the sick one.

It seems that when the bro gets sick he likes to make it really count. I, knock on wood - loudly, have relatively healthy children. Which is good, since I spend most days and nights of November through March worrying about stomach viruses. Colds, we get, but we are pretty lucky in terms of the flu, strep, croup, bronchitis, etc. But the bro, he's been housing something for the past two weeks or so. It started with a runny nose and a rough cough, which ran its course. But Wednesday, his birth day no less, the little man was in rare form. I mean, don't get me wrong...the kid doesn't sit still, but this day nothing occupied his attention, not even Fran Flynn the magician at dinner. If a magician can't do it, neither can I!

So, Wednesday he was all wiggly jiggly and out of sorts. Thursday, this is not for the weak of heart, he had a diaper that required all clothes to be stripped in the tub and an immediate wash down. I knew, in my mommy heart, that this was the preface to the dreaded vomit. But I will give the kid credit...he held it together at the dance studio, at Trader Joe's, Willow Books, and the car ride home. We walked in the door, up the stairs and WHAM - puke all over. Just the one time.

He went to bed at seven, awoke at ten (UNHEARD of), took a nap at twelve and puked all over at 4:30. But again held it together for the day. I hate the puke, but he kept rubbing his tummy telling me he didn't feel well (because he doesn't yet have those words) and then when it was done he was fine. But he still wanted to snuggle. And while I hate, hate, hate, the sickness it is the only time that he really wants to stay still and cuddle up next to me and be all snuggle puppy. So while I wish he felt himself, I am not so secretly happy for those few and far between (thank goodness) moments when he just needs his mommy.