I am...a mommy

This is not a flattering picture of any of us, but it is a glimpse into my life at about 6:30 most every morning.

This may sound bad, but most days I feel more like a caretaker than a mommy. My days are jam-packed with providing meals, baths, clean clothes, clean diapers and band-aids. I clean up mess after mess after mess. I try to work some play time in there somewhere and on a really good day, I get a shower myself. This is not unlike any other parent, of course. It's a very tough job, at least for me, but I truly believe that any competent adult could perform these tasks if need be.

This week both babies came down with Roseola. I had never heard of this but basically it consists of 3 days of an up and down fever, lots of crankiness and then a head to toe rash that is supposed to last 4-7 days. Pretty much harmless, but tough on everyone. Thankfully, they didn't get this at exactly the same time. Rachael got us started on Monday and Jilly's fever didn't kick in until Thursday.

In the middle of the night, when your child is crying, cranky and clingy, NOBODY will do except Mommy. Very rarely do I get to snuggle with and comfort just one baby, but this week I've had the pleasure (and I do truly mean pleasure) of getting up and comforting both babies at one point or another. As I sit with them in the dark, softly singing, rubbing their backs, and letting them sleep on my chest - I am in bliss. I am the one they want. I am the one. Not any old competent adult. ME.

With your first baby, you have all the time in the world to snuggle with them and comfort them when needed. Since we went from 1 to 3, it's very hard and very rare that one kid can get my undivided attention for any length of time. All three of them had had to wait, to cry, to whine and to fuss as I desperately try to finish up with one before I can get to the other. When both babies are crying and fussing, all I can do is drop to my knees and snuggle with both of them. I don't wish them to get sick (because trust me - dealing with two sick babies is no walk in the park and we've had to do it a lot) but the time I have spent with both of them this week has been priceless and rare and it has reminded me that I am not just an unshowered, out of shape caretaker, I am a mommy and the luckiest woman in the world.