There are some experiences the Motherhood manual simply never mentions. Take for instance my sister-in-law Jenni's recent escapade with baby poop. Sure we can laugh because 1) it's funny, and 2) most of us have had a similar experience--Chris has heard "it's just poop" a few times in our child-rearing days. Motherhood has the amazing ability of refining character, feeling overwhelming and being gratifying all in the same moment. Take for instance this small glimpse into love from last November:
Last night I had one of those "wow" thankful moments. Kristen had fallen asleep at 6:30 pm. With church at 1 pm this year, she has missed her Sunday nap for most of the year (I am so looking forward to 9 am church in January). She woke up around 10 pm, crying, disoriented and hungry. I gave her a snack to take back to bed with her--I didn't want her to be too awake. I left her a couple of minutes to eat it and then returned hoping she would go back to sleep. You know kids, they don't always go along with the plan. So with pitiful tears threatening, I wadded a blanket up for a pillow and laid down beside her. After about a minute, I could feel her shifting off her pillow and so gently touching her head to mine. Her little hand softly touched my face, and I was so overwhelmed with gratitude to be the mom of a sweet little angel--make that three sweet little angels.
And angels they are. Even when they are supposed to be weeding in the backyard and choose to moisten the dirt using the hose to "make the weeds easier to pull." Sure it'll make them easier to pull and easier to get Kristen muddy and wet, and easier to spread mud all over your hands and feet. Motherhood teaches you when to "freak out" and when to realize that they are kids on summer break and the weeds are getting pulled.
And so to the point of my thoughts. It is unusual for me to not wake up in the middle of the night and check on my kids. Since Amy and Misha have been sleeping downstairs for the summer, I don't make the trek two flights down until after 5am when I get up to exercise. But whether it is 2am or 3am or 5am, the experience is the same. My kids kick off their blankets while sleeping. When I find them, they are often curled in a ball as much as possible trying to maintain body warmth while sleeping. I pull up their sheet first because it is invariably kicked further down the bed and then cover them with the comforter. And here's the gratification--they uncurl from their ball, snuggle in to the comforter and continue sleeping. For me, it is as though they are saying, "Thanks Mom, I needed that." That's Motherhood as it should be.
