There is a French expression about "sleeping on one ear", which refers (among other situations) to that semi-conscious state of alertness moms have when their children are sick during the night. Since Son #2 is flying back to Cleveland this afternoon and since there is no snowstorm forecast, we were up from 3 to 6AM with me holding his head as he voted on last night's dinner. He voted no. Six times so far. Before the sun rose I was at the 7-Eleven buying ginger-ale, both warm and cold, and saltine crackers, which I remembered helped somewhat before his arrival.
When he could speak, which wasn't often, he apologized for disturbing my sleep. I tried to explain that these are the moments that mothers live for. I haven't felt this needed in years. Son #1 has the same bug, but his week at home is just beginning, and he had the sense to get ill several times between 9 and 11, and then sleep through the night. The difference in patterns was established when they were both still in diapers.
So once again, there is something to worry about as I send my baby much too far away for my taste. We are hoping to stabilize and re-hydrate him before two or so, and then I'll tuck zip-lock bags and paper towels into the outside pocket of his carry-on, just in case. Around 4 this morning we were trying to look at the bright side of all this. He came up with, "It's better this happened at home because I sleep on the upper bunk at school," whereas I thought silently to myself, "Some mothers do this too many nights with their children because of chemo therapy." I'm tired, but I'm not unaware. Or ungrateful.
When he could speak, which wasn't often, he apologized for disturbing my sleep. I tried to explain that these are the moments that mothers live for. I haven't felt this needed in years. Son #1 has the same bug, but his week at home is just beginning, and he had the sense to get ill several times between 9 and 11, and then sleep through the night. The difference in patterns was established when they were both still in diapers.
So once again, there is something to worry about as I send my baby much too far away for my taste. We are hoping to stabilize and re-hydrate him before two or so, and then I'll tuck zip-lock bags and paper towels into the outside pocket of his carry-on, just in case. Around 4 this morning we were trying to look at the bright side of all this. He came up with, "It's better this happened at home because I sleep on the upper bunk at school," whereas I thought silently to myself, "Some mothers do this too many nights with their children because of chemo therapy." I'm tired, but I'm not unaware. Or ungrateful.
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