Turmoil

When you have a friend who is facing one of the scariest times in her life, it's hard to find joy in your own needs or desires or ideas. I've only felt this way one other time...when my best friend birthed her second beautiful son and he was in the NICU for almost a week. Now, in the moments when my dear friend is facing her husband's second brain surgery in less than one year, I find my heart aching for her....yet, I still want to brag about M and how wonderfully terrifying it is to mother a toddler. I thought about this post long and hard...how would my friend A feel to read the blog and see that I've asked for prayer for her family, and within 24 hours, I brag about M?

Then it hit me. This is my friend A. If I called her on the telephone, she would want to know about MY day, MY daughter, MY life. That's how my friend A is...she's amazing.

So, in honor of A and all the emotional and physical upheaval in her life, here are some M stories from this evening:

1.) As soon as we walk in the door, M insists it is time to eat. Insists is a mild word. Demands. Expects. Throw-down. Far more appropriate terms. She climbs into her seat at the table and doesn't get down until she's satisfied. Sometimes all she needs is one little cracker. Other times, she needs an eight course meal. Tonight, milk, cheese, and a tiny bit of cereal served as dinner. When the pizza arrived, she only wanted a nibble. Although she did eat two pieces of pepperoni.

2.) H's worst fear is that M will topple over the foot of our sleigh bed. This evening, his worst fear came true. In all my mothering glory, I was checking my e-mail--yeah, yeah, yeah, keep those comments to yourself--and M was seated firmly in the middle of my bed reading a book. The next thing I know, I hear the dreaded sound of her falling over the foot of our bed. There were shrieks, sobbing, and then she was fine and climbed right back on the bed to finish her book. When we were eating pizza, she said, "Mommy bed huut (hurt)."

3.) After M's bath, I was putting on her diaper. She ate some of my bubble bath (Another great mothering moment. I'm pregnant. Had to use the bathroom myself. You know, because of the running water. She got her hot little hands on my bubble bath before I could swipe the bottle away from her.) during her bath and has been doing some pretty good gagging since then. So, I was putting on her diaper when she started that gagging stuff. I sat her up fairly quickly in case she actually did vomit. I guess that quick movement caused her eyes to roam to the far corner of her room where her hat stand is. She said, "Hat, Mommy!" I agreed, reminding her that she hates hats. Well, that little smarty pants started naming the colors of the hats. "Orange, Mommy!" "Blue, Mommy!" "Green, Mommy!" "Yellow, Mommy!" Wow...that's all I can say. Wow.

I miss M during the day and hate having to take her to school, but I am SO, SO, SO thankful that she's in such a great place. She learns so much there (Sorry, Dico that one thing she's learning is how to aggrevate you!) and gets so excited when we pull on the street. That makes it immensely easier to leave her each day.

So...a few M stories in honor of Andi. Andi, you are an amazing friend. You've enriched my life so much. I don't know how I would have survived Lesley without you. I'll see you Monday evening after the surgery and Tuesday with a big pot of soup for you, your girl, and your parents.