Friday, April 01, 2011

remember the smiling

George drew this picture for me yesterday:

Photobucket

I love it so much for a bunch of reasons (what is not to love about a 3 year-old version of his family?), but I think mostly because it paints (draws) such an accurate portrait of what our lives have looked like for the past couple of weeks. The brown person is me, and as you maybe could guess, that is Baby Pearl sitting in my lap. George is the guy drawn in black, his hand stretched out to hold mine. And the little guy on the end is someone that George said was a "weird stranger." Not exactly sure why the weird stranger made the portrait and Daddy didn't, but we went with it, and it is hanging on the fridge proudly.

Pearl has been a sick little girl the last two weeks. It has been a very strange bout of illness; we get rid of one thing and another immediately begins. It started with some random throwing up (George and I also both threw up, but that was even more random so I don't think they were related). She struggled to have an appetite for anything other than breastmilk, and for a few days that is the only thing she ate at all. She had a low-grade fever on and off. Then the coughing and the runny nose started. She would cough so hard at night that I was sure she was going to wake herself completely up, but she always managed to stay asleep. Bless her little heart. Then last Friday she woke up absolutely screaming at about 6 AM. The grabbing at her right ear told me immediately that she had an ear infection. She has tubes in both ears, and within about an hour, sure enough, the right ear started draining. As soon as we got to the parking lot of the doctor's office that morning she threw up (random, seriously, because at this point she hadn't thrown up in 6 days). I stripped her down, wrapped her in a big blanket, and ran through the falling snow into the doctor's office where my baby immediately remembered the shots that had been administered to her just a couple weeks prior there, and was clingy and weepy anytime anyone tried to come near her. The prescription the doctor gave me started out awesome because Pearl really loved taking it, but quickly turned into a nightmare because of the yeast infection that it gave her. It was so bad, and Nystatin wouldn't touch it. I was having to rinse her little bum off after every diaper change because wiping it hurt too badly. Meanwhile her right ear is draining blood and nastiness. By day 6 of the antibiotics I had had it. I couldn't keep doing it to her-- the ear seemed to be under control, but the yeast infection was raging, so I decided to stop giving her the antibiotic. The next day she wouldn't go to sleep for more than 30 seconds if she wasn't in my arms. She would scream hysterically and then she started grabbing her left ear. I was seriously devastated at the thought that she was now getting an ear infection in her other ear. Like clockwork, the left ear started draining, and I knew. That was yesterday. I was so happy to talk to the ENT and find out that stopping the oral antibiotics a day early wouldn't have made a difference in the ear infection (well, actually, I was a little mad to find out that the yeast infection should have never happened because she should have never been on an oral antibiotic for her ear infection in the first place-- just the drops), so we started the drops in the other ear (so both ears, now), and the draining has definitely decreased. Pearl is still not herself, but she is doing pretty well, all things considered. She mostly just wants me, though yesterday she really wanted my mom to rock her to sleep, which was a nice break for a minute.

 I love that in his picture, George drew Pearl on my lap because that is pretty much where she has been every waking moment of the last two weeks. She is also portrayed with a sad face instead of a smile, and it's true-- she has been so much more sad, whiney, screamy, and needy. She doesn't feel good. Poor little baby girl. He also said that he drew her ears really big to show the ear infection (it appears that I was given big ears as well :)).

I am relieved that he drew me with a smile on my face. There have been times in the past couple of weeks that a frown would be more accurate, but I'm glad that isn't something that has really stood out to him. I am also really happy that he drew himself holding hands with me. I have been more impatient with him, and less attentive to him because of Pearl's neediness, and I've felt badly about it. He's been heard crying, "I never get to do anything fun!" because it was bedtime instead of frisbee playing time. He's had to compete for attention over Pearl's insistent screams with screams of his own, and in turn, I get frustrated. I am so happy that he still wants to hold my hand. I'm so grateful that in the car tonight he told me that I was his best friend, and that at lunch today when I told him I was the luckiest mama in the world because I have the best boy and the best girl, that his happy reply to his sister was, "That's me and you, Peng!" I'm so happy that he is still smiling, both in his picture and in life. He is my little guinea pig child, the one that I have to learn and grow and succeed and fail right along with, and I hope he always knows that my greatest desire, the purest yearning of my heart, is that he feels happy, safe, and loved.

I hope when he is all grown up and thinking back on his childhood, the picture that he paints of himself is one where he is smiling. I hope he remembers the giggles under the covers instead of the stern counting to three to get him to obey. I hope he remembers the games of tag on trampolines where we both fall down from exhaustion and laughing instead of the times he got sent to his room to "think about it."

Mostly I just really hope he remembers that in our home there was a lot of joy, a lot of laughter, a lot of love, a lot of peace, and a lot of smiling. It's a good reminder to me that I need to be constantly aware of cultivating that atmosphere here, even when I don't really feel like it.

9 comments:

Katie said...

So sweet. I hope Pearl gets all better soon-such a bummer. I saw you at the General RS training on Tuesday. I wanted to run over and say hi but you were almost to the top of the stairs and I was sitting on the main floor. Now I wish I would have so I could have given you a hug and told you how great I think you are.

Hot Hot JJ said...

Oh wow. The last few weeks sound horrible! I love your beautiful blog and your sweet kids.

My boy is also not feeling well. Woke up this morning at 5:00 screaming. Not sure why. Breaks your heart.

I really hope Pearl starts feeling better. Sound so bad. Good luck.

Jessica

The Edwards Family said...

This story sounds all too familiar to me. Asher has tubes as well and before he got his tubes (so from months 2-9) he was the screaming, crying, grumpy, clingy, whiney, needy child that you described Pearl to be. It was awful because I was exhausted from taking care of him and listening to him scream and cry all day long that it made me very impatient with Emery. And on top of that we got minimal sleep at night and virtually no naps during the day which just added to my grumpiness. Poor Emery got the shaft a lot and I still feel so bad, but it makes me feel better to know that she still loves me and has forgiven me for that extremely tough time in our home.

Interesting about not needing the antibiotic though. Asher got an ear infection in both ears not too long ago and we still treated it with antibiotics and it was just fine. It killed the infection and it never came back and caused no other issues...

Hope Pearl feels better soon and just remember that kids are the most forgiving people ever! They forgive and forget faster than anyone else! That's why they still love you even after hard times :)

Jenny said...

You're such a good mom! What a great post. Hang in there. Pearl will be her happy self in no time. Sick kids are so exhausting!

Anonymous said...

Hi daughter. Just thought I would mention an observation about George's picture. It is interesting that I guess because Pearl is sitting on your lap, you didn't end up with the typical legs coming out of your head anatomy. So cute.

Sara said...

Oh... the first child guilt! I have been there too... actually probably daily for about the last 5 years! So sad for them! But they come more resilient I am sure of it! They have to be! Poor little Pearl! That's no fun for anyone involved!! Hope everything stays on the mend! Good Luck!

Teacher Mama said...

Blame John for the bad ear genetics! That sounds awful. Sweet little Georgie can come play frisbee with Logan and me. :)

Sassy Rachel said...

Oh Sweet Lizzy! Well, I started off reading this giggling, especially at the "weird stranger" part, then turned to sadness for sweet baby Pearl, then pure love for you and the beautiful mother you are. You are so wonderful Liz and I always love reading your thoughts and insights. G and P will forever be remembering the joy and love that radiates from your home. I can so relate with this post and those feelings you described at the end. Motherhood is so hard trying to just get everything right, and that's the hard part...we don't always...but then we do sometimes, and it is those moments that give us strength to keep going and give ourselves little boosts to keep trying because it is so worth it. Those smiles on you and G's face prove it:) Love you girl. We're coming out for Easter btw!!! Blessing Claire in Bluffdale! If you want you're totally invited! However, I'm realizing, it is Easter and I'm sure you'll be with fam, but still...you're invited! It's in the afternoon sometime. Let me know. Love you.

mandy said...

Yikes. Sick kids are noooo fun! Sounds like that is the story for so many people. Good to hear that maybe our kids are all on the "getting over it" phase. Cross our fingers, right? Anyways, cute picture George drew! I love all of Mya's little drawings!! They are so fun!