Saturday, March 1, 2008

questions

Why does the barfing always start in the middle of the night?

It was eleven o’clock and Llama Papa and I had just settled into bed when we heard baby b. crying. Llama Papa jumped out of bed, “He doesn’t sound right,” he said.

And he wasn’t.

Which brings me to my next question: When we’re dating, why do we spend so much time going out for dinner and the movies? Why don’t we care for barfy children instead? Because, honestly, I can’t think of the last time Llama Papa and I went out for dinner by ourselves. But barfing kids? We’ve done that on a fairly consistent basis.

We dated for three years and asked each other important questions in the process. Neither of us took marriage lightly, and in many ways, we went in with our eyes wide open.

I expected to make sacrifices in marriage, I really did. But self-sacrifice is so much easier in theory, isn’t it? How can any of us know how we’ll handle barfing kids in the middle of the night? How can we predict life with little sleep, and the enormous grace that will be required in order to simply survive, much less, survive without being crabby at the people we love most?

When I think back to our courtship, I’m grateful for all of the fun memories we made. When we married, I knew Llama Papa well enough to know he was, and is, a man of integrity and godly character. What I didn’t know was that he was also a man willing to get up in the middle of the night and wash vomity sheets and rock a barfy baby.

And that, my friends, is what it’s all about.

8 comments:

John Deere Mom said...

We have the barfing kids in common...the "in the middle of the night, caring husband"? Not so much. ;)

Llama Momma said...

angie -- each of us, and our spouses, have different strengths and weaknesses. This is just one slice of my marriage. Take it for what it is, and respect your own husband for who he is. Blessings to you...

FrazzMom said...

At least it was 11pm not 3am!

I wish I could say that this is like diapers or bottles and eventually your kids outgrow it, but Teenage Girl just threw up in her sleep the other night. Of course I didn't get to rock her back to sleep, but I still had to do a couple loads of barfy laundry the next day... (although she did strip the bed and bag it all up herself.)

Hope Baby B is feeling better soon and it doesn't spread through the Llama household!

Llama Momma said...

frazzmom -- unfortunately, it was 11 p.m,, 12 p.m., 1 a.m....you get the idea!! And Twin B. dropped a few hours ago....

Good times!!

Liberty said...

I share the same blessing as you. It is funny that when you are dating you think you know more and then you have kids and realize you don't know anything. God is faithful and gives us what we need before we even need it. I hope your baby is better soon. p.s. I have 3 boys too! :)

Sharon said...

Sounds like you found a keeper!

MamaToo said...

so good to see (and tell) the sweet miracles of a husband who started well - and continues to grow - in character! I hope (for all of you!) that Baby B. feels much better soon, and the barfy-ness will stop spreading through your household.
blessings, MamaToo

Craver Vii said...

Mrs. Craver and I consider it a date when we go to the grocery store together on Saturdays. We still occasionally sneak out to McDonald's for coffee, but dates today are definitely different than the dinner-and-a-movie thing we used to be able to do.

With our kids getting older, we occasionally "rent" them out so other parents can have their dates.