Single Mom: Sick Baby

By: Allison Norris

My sweet baby is sick. He has been sick for almost a week and I don’t think it was from too many mimosas like his mama…

Freshly bathed and warm, he fell asleep at 6:45 last night, only to awaken at 7:30 with a wheezy, sad little cry that continued for the next half an hour. Pushing my parenting strategies to the side, I went into his room and picked him up. I held him in my arms and rocked him until he drifted back to sleep. Carefully, I placed him into his crib next to his stinky babies and he screamed bloody murder.

What would a mom do? I thought.

My son really hasn’t been sick… or it hasn’t lasted more than a day or two. But almost a week and a half and he still is whiny, sad, and just looks miserable. Now, he wasn’t sleeping.

I pulled his heavy little body up and carried him into my room. I laid his warm head on my softest pillow and he didn’t fight me. Tucked in tight, I crawled in beside him and he nuzzled his head into my armpit… I hope it didn’t smell too bad.

He was asleep in seconds. Snoring like a dinosaur who just ate a running motorcycle, I wasn’t exactly sure what to do. My lights were still on, my doors unlocked, and my Hallmark movie on pause. I’d wrapped myself too tightly around him to try to make a break.

One finger at a time I peeled myself from his resting torso. Almost free, he woke up a little and only opened his eyes. He didn’t move, except to grab my hand. He pulled it to his lips and gave my finger a kiss.

My heart melted and I didn’t care if he was sick for the next week if it meant gorgeous little times like these. He snuggled my hand and then looked up at me again. I was hoping he’d really use this sweet moment and say “I love you” in his 18-month-old voice. (We’ve been working on those 3 little words.) Maybe he’d whisper that I’m the best mom in the world? Except, he doesn’t know how to say that…so nevermind.

His eyes half open taking long blinks, he sweetly whispered,

“Liz?”

Like usual, I told him Liz was sleeping in her car (it’s the only thing that makes him forget about her…) and to sleep. He understood and slept.

I transferred him back to his crib an hour later and he woke me up at 6am ready for the day. The whole night reminded me of being little and only wanting one thing –my mom. I could have hated her hours before, but when I felt really crappy, it was she who made it all feel better. Her pillow smelled the sweetest and her bed was the only place where my body didn’t hurt. I can remember commanding her to get me firm, purple grapes and a popsicle… but I definitely didn’t want Liz.