Yesterday started out like any other day. Mr. Man woke up at 6:00 for his morning feeding, my husband went and got him, I nursed him, we all rolled over and went back to sleep.
When I woke back up at 7:00, I noticed a slight scratch in my throat. My neck was also stiff and sore, but that is always the case if Mr. Man sleeps in our bed. I sleep like a piece of plywood leaning precariously close to a vase of flowers, basically my subconscious keeps me on edge so I don’t squash the baby.
But when I got up, carried Mr. Man to the bathroom and set him up standing at the windowsill looking out at the world, I realized I was in for a barrel of fun. I definitely had a sore throat, and you know what? My shoulders and ribs hurt in addition to my neck. So began a day of zombie mom.
For normal people, when you wake up feeling ill with body aches, which are bound to end up in a fever, you call out of work, make some tea, and snuggle in bed under every blanket you can find. And sleep. But when you are a mom, you have no choice but to struggle through. It doesn’t matter if you feel like an 18 wheeler did doughnuts across you torso, your kids need to be fed, potty runs need to be attended to and diapers need to be changed.
My husband was home for breakfast, so that wasn’t too bad, and in the morning we watch a little Disney Jr. while I drink coffee and get myself to feel human. The kids are used to doing their own thing at this point in our day, so that wasn’t too bad either. By lunchtime however, I found myself with my head on the kitchen table, pleading Little Miss to eat her peanut butter and jelly sandwich a little more quickly so I could go lie down. “Please. I am so sick. I just want to lay on the couch. Big bites.”
And I did end up spending the majority of the day on the couch. We watched Frozen and Pirate Fairy. I nursed and napped with Mr. Man, all lying on my side, shivering under a blanket. By dinnertime, I was near tears. Thank God my parents saved the day with Panera and childcare. They fed my kids, washed the dishes and took out the trash. My dad switched my Motrin for Tylonol, and before I knew it, my fever broke. I had survived.
I got the kids in bed. My husband came home to me passed out on the couch. I had some sort of conversation with him I remember, though I have forgotten what we talked about. I went up to bed. Mr. Man woke up at 4:00 and my husband got him back to sleep. And before I knew it, it was 6:00 again and time for the first feeding of the day. I assessed, and thankfully discovered I had had a miraculous recovery. No more fever, no more body aches, just a nagging sore throat as a souvenir of yesterday’s fun. I had managed to pack all the illness into concentrated, one- day form and woke up almost all better, just in time for Thursday swimming lessons, errands and a visit from my sister. Back to the grind.
When I woke back up at 7:00, I noticed a slight scratch in my throat. My neck was also stiff and sore, but that is always the case if Mr. Man sleeps in our bed. I sleep like a piece of plywood leaning precariously close to a vase of flowers, basically my subconscious keeps me on edge so I don’t squash the baby.
But when I got up, carried Mr. Man to the bathroom and set him up standing at the windowsill looking out at the world, I realized I was in for a barrel of fun. I definitely had a sore throat, and you know what? My shoulders and ribs hurt in addition to my neck. So began a day of zombie mom.
For normal people, when you wake up feeling ill with body aches, which are bound to end up in a fever, you call out of work, make some tea, and snuggle in bed under every blanket you can find. And sleep. But when you are a mom, you have no choice but to struggle through. It doesn’t matter if you feel like an 18 wheeler did doughnuts across you torso, your kids need to be fed, potty runs need to be attended to and diapers need to be changed.
My husband was home for breakfast, so that wasn’t too bad, and in the morning we watch a little Disney Jr. while I drink coffee and get myself to feel human. The kids are used to doing their own thing at this point in our day, so that wasn’t too bad either. By lunchtime however, I found myself with my head on the kitchen table, pleading Little Miss to eat her peanut butter and jelly sandwich a little more quickly so I could go lie down. “Please. I am so sick. I just want to lay on the couch. Big bites.”
And I did end up spending the majority of the day on the couch. We watched Frozen and Pirate Fairy. I nursed and napped with Mr. Man, all lying on my side, shivering under a blanket. By dinnertime, I was near tears. Thank God my parents saved the day with Panera and childcare. They fed my kids, washed the dishes and took out the trash. My dad switched my Motrin for Tylonol, and before I knew it, my fever broke. I had survived.
I got the kids in bed. My husband came home to me passed out on the couch. I had some sort of conversation with him I remember, though I have forgotten what we talked about. I went up to bed. Mr. Man woke up at 4:00 and my husband got him back to sleep. And before I knew it, it was 6:00 again and time for the first feeding of the day. I assessed, and thankfully discovered I had had a miraculous recovery. No more fever, no more body aches, just a nagging sore throat as a souvenir of yesterday’s fun. I had managed to pack all the illness into concentrated, one- day form and woke up almost all better, just in time for Thursday swimming lessons, errands and a visit from my sister. Back to the grind.