After Birthday Blues

*WARNING:Weak tummies may be affected*

It doesn't surprise me at all.

The Birthday weekend was incredibly full and was a huge success. There is nothing like celebrating such an incredible little boy with friends and loved ones. (The only down fall was no Norford family members were there!) So it doesn't surprise me that shortly afterward there would be a let down.

This was no typical let down. It wasn't an emotional response of 'oh my boy is getting bigger' or 'we need people around us more often'. No, it was a physical let down. Tuesday night from 1am to 10am my son was ill. We spent every 20-30min infront of the white procelain throne or the small bucket by his bed. Poor boy! I moved a single mattress to his room, found a few extra blankets and planted myself right where I needed to be.

There wasn't much sleep for either of us. Between the "No Mommy's" and the dry heaving, there wasn't enough time for shut eye. Later on in the morning there was a little more time between episodes, but my mother hyper-alert hat was on and it was not falling off. You see, at 1am when I went into his room, it was fairly dark. There was only light from the hallway showing me the way. When I looked at him in his bed, all I saw was dark liquid running down his face and all over his pillow. My immediate thought was "He's vomitting blood". I rushed him to the bathroom to see that there were blueberry pieces intermingled. 'Thank goodness' I thought. Although I knew we were probably in for a looooong night.

As much as it was not the most enjoyable time with my son, it sure gave me some lovey-dovey, contemplative moments with him. After each of his episodes, all he wanted was cuddles. And those moments of quiet, staring at each other sure, made me realize that parenting is about EVERY moment. And as I realized just how big he was, there was no doubt that his growing was not over. I made the conscious (as conscious as you can be at 2am with little sleep and the stench of vomit!) that EVERY moment was going to count. 'Specially these harder moments. Whispering I love you, Momma's got you, was so precious. And I am so thankful for the strength, alertness and love that God gave me in those moments. I started to see an unselfish me-I know, don't fall off your chair! I want more of those moments, and that means more moments with those I love and care about.

Having said that, I'm not hoping more ill moments for my son or those I love. Just more of EVERY moment together! Try and take those moments today. Good or bad, hard or easy. Make them count.