Getting Through

I have not blogged for a few weeks because we have been spending time just "getting through." This is probably the first day in two weeks when all three kids have napped at the same time - a feat hard to accomplish on a regular basis to be sure, but was known to happen at least a few times a week. That was, until we all got stomach bugs that lingered in the form of the "eugurglies" (what Alex and I call it... use your imagination) for a few weeks on all fronts.

First I got sick in the middle of the night 3 weeks ago, resulting in a complete loss of all energy the next day. Fortunately it was a Sunday and by Monday and back to work - I was completely recovered.

Tuesday of that week, Magdalena got sick in the morning and had to stay home from school, but again - she was fine the next day. Lucia never got that kind of sick, but did have the other kind, and John Paul never got it. But the next weekend Alex got it, and had to stay home from school. Then Magdalena got sick the following Tuesday (evening this time) again! It was very strange - another day home from school, and this time it was accompanied by the other end that lasted for a few days.

That was two weeks ago. However, even after everyone got through the physical purges, the girls must have still had stomach rumblings because they just would not eat during the day hardly at all. My parents started "spoiling" them by offering chocolate milk (which made Lucia sick in another way the night she downed 10 oz before bed!), sweets, fruit, anything they would eat just to see them eat anything! Alex and I even indulged them to a small degree, offering graham crackers and fruit snacks instead of real lunch - just to see calories get into their little bodies. I didn't weigh them, but I'll bet both of them lost a few pounds those couple of weeks.

Last week, though, FINALLY everyone has returned to their normal appetites and stomachs. The girls started eating everything we offered (reduced the bribes right away!), and having lots of snacks all week - they were just constantly hungry! I think it was their bodies' way of getting back to their normal weights. They seem back to normal now, three meals and two snacks (morning/afternoon) as usual. Thank goodness! Between work, disgruntled kids, and my not feeling totally great either, we've had a lot of getting through to do this past few weeks!

There are a few highlights, though. The weekend that Alex got sick (after he got through it) the weather was gorgeous on Sunday afternoon and we managed to clean off the patio furniture and eat outside! The kids loved it, and even JP got into his high chair for the first time (though no solid foods yet).

John Paul turned 5 months on May 1, and continues to be a source of joy and delight to everyone in the family. Alex and I are not yet committed to whether we'll try for Baby Jones #4, but being with John Paul, I definitely feel that the time with #3 as a baby is just FLYING by and am sometimes overwhelmed by feelings of sadness to think that JP might be our last baby. We are praying a lot for God's will in our family, and also realize that "we don't need to decide that now."

To continue on that train of thought for a few minutes, though, as I find myself with some time... I often wish that I knew more about being a parent when Lucia was a baby. Not that we didn't care for her enough, but more about how fast it really does go by. And to feel more confident when she would cry at night or get sick to not worry or stress over it - those things are so fleeting in the grand scheme of things. Especially to be grateful for full nights of sleep - even being woken by one child periodically sounds like an abundance of sleep compared to triple the chances (last week each child woke me up three nights in a row - one by one! The other two did not wake, just one - but I was the lucky parent who got up each night...!!! I think by the last day of it, Alex also got out of bed when Magdalena got up for the second time having to "pee" (really she was trying to get through the diarrhea) in the middle of the night. Wow, to only have one child who just wakes up sometimes - and to be able to take turns, at least getting one full night every other day! BE THANKFUL, friends with one child!!!

However, seeing Lucia and Magdalena really play together, and both of them loving John Paul, not to mention his exuberant giggles at their antics (the other day I found Magdalena jumping over his head in the living room where I set him down where the girls were so I could use the restroom - he was laughing out loud each time she leaped, though my heart did its own leaping as I imagined her missing and landing squarely on his face!). And Lucia constantly tells me how she "loves babies!" She wants us to have another baby - clearly blissfully ignorant of the exponential number of things to consider when increasing the size of the family by just one. :-)

The thing is, when I consider why we would NOT have another baby, it all seems very selfish and superficial. First - I'd really like my body back. No pregnancy, no nursing/pumping, no more expansion and slow recovery of my belly. Second - it would be nice to be done DONE with diapers and be able to do more things like trips, activities, family events, etc - without worrying about feeding the baby and ensuring s/he has the appropriate naps (though JP has been a trooper at sleeping in the carseat, that's for sure!). Third - it is expensive (diapers, clothes, daycare/babysitting/nannies, education, food, activities, transportation - buying 6 tickets to Hawaii is much more than 4!). We plan to move at some point anyway, but if we have another child, we will definitely want a house with 5 bedrooms so that eventually they can all have their own room if necessary. Then there is work for me - having another child means another maternity leave and the slow return to work coupled with the "guilt" of leaving an infant (I use "quotes" because the guilt is sometimes more because I am RELIEVED to have somewhere else to go besides being with the kids 24x7!). These are all very real reasons. But they are also temporary and materialistic. Having another child means another human being in our family to love, cherish, nurture, and raise to be a productive member of society. That kind of wins out in the long run. However, staying sane throughout has to play some part, and that might be where we get hung up. Time will tell... the jury is still out on this one.



JP in the high chair for the first time:

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Magdalena playing basketball:

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Lucia playing basketball:

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They do look cute together!

From Blog All Seven