January 20, 2016. A new year. I feel a little late in the game this time ’round since this is our first “normal” week since Christmas. I missed the New Year hubbub in the midst of fighting a fever that lasted a few weeks. Moms aren’t supposed to get sick. I have no memory of my own mama ever getting sick despite the fact that she was constantly surrounded by snot, vomit, sore throats, and feverish kids. I mean, not constantly, but with nine kids she must have had more exposure to all sorts of things than most. But me? I get sick. I got the stomach bug a year ago. A virus or bacterial infection or something (the doctor never really did tell me what it was) this year. So what’s wrong with me that I’m a mom who gets sick? And what’s coming next year?!
There are multiple reasons why moms aren’t supposed to get sick. It’s terribly inconvenient (especially when you have little ones and you are the in-home daycare provider), The Husband loses weight because you’re not cooking which makes you look like one lousy wife, and in a few short weeks your babies grow up SO MUCH. I laid in bed for longer than I would have liked, finally got up, and so many changes!
The three-year-old talks. Like, really talks. Full sentences! Asking questions! Genuine expressions of love and gratitude without being told to express love and gratitude! How did that happen? And my baby is suddenly not a baby. He toddles about and points to show you what he would like and plays Ring Around the Rosie and thinks he should have his own plate and feed himself at every meal (have I ever mentioned how much I struggle with sticky, messy kids?!) and is generally showing us, his world, that he now has an idea of how life should go and lets us know when he’s not thrilled with us for not going along with his plan. He wasn’t doing that 4 weeks ago. 4 weeks ago he was still my easy, laid-back baby. Now I have two boys with set ideas. And I’m one mama who also has ideas for how things should go. It’s a crazy, fun home these days.
So the calendar year changed while I was spending day after day in bed. And winter also came. We all knew it would. After an incredibly warm December and start to January, these temperatures seem extra cold. I thought of last winter and how faithful I was to bundle up one toddler, strap a baby into his carrier on me, and take a walk almost every single day. Adrian asked repeatedly to go outside yesterday. We were having one of those days where the seconds seemed to be dragging by, the baby wasn’t super happy because of a cold, and the toddler wasn’t super thrilled that mom was “back” and so was order and routine, so after being asked to go out to the snow for the hundredth time, I finally agreed. Two boys bundled up and one mama somewhat bundled (I need proper gear for these single digit days!) and out we went. Two minutes later the baby was looking at me like I was torturing him and he started to whimper as the biting wind took our breath away. Three minutes after that we were inside removing all the gear and thanking Jesus for a warm house. How did I take so many walks last year?
That’s all. Hey 2016. Hi regular rhythm of life. Hello structure to our days. It’s good to be back.
Love you and yes, I did get sick. You just had the time of your life then, too, so don’t recollect anything except fun!