A Rude Awakening

Last night at 3:30 am I heard Francesca crying, screaming really.  Now you might think, if you are not a parent or are an uncommonly compassionate parent, that I jumped up out of bed to see what was wrong.

I did not.

I waited.  First I waited to see if it would continue.  I prayed for God to wrap His arms around her so I would not have to, I prayed that he would calm her....so I would not have to, I prayed for the screaming to please, God, please stop.  It stopped for a moment.

Then it continued.

This time I waited to see if my dear husband would get up.  However, I did remember that he was up late grading for school and I was the one in bed snoring at 10 pm.  I also remembered that the kids would be going to my parents tomorrow night and that I would have the three of them only until 4:00 pm and then TOTAL RELAXATION (again, if you are a parent, I assume you understand looking forward to being without your children and basing all decision making on the fact that you will be without responsibility for 12-14 hours).  Plus my husband usually bears the brunt of nighttime wakings (much to the amazement of some of our friends - sometimes I feel they think he is the saint in this marriage and how on earth did he get stuck with this lazy woman who will not have anything to do with her children between the hours of 8 and 5 when he is the one working all day long...........sometimes I wonder myself and then other times I think I am going to drop all my kids, my laundry and the chore list off at their house one morning at 7am and then come pick them up at 4:30 and then see what they think :)  Back to the matter at hand.....I went to see what on earth could cause such angst at 3:30 in the morning when momma was trying to get some dang sleep.

Oh.

There was vomit all over her bee pillow.

It was matted in her hair and all down her jammies.

I guess that would cause me to scream too.

Into the bathtub she went, still screaming.  The sheets, the bedspread, the pillow went down to the wash.  New jammies were put on.  And here is where once again it is proven that my husband is a better person than I am.  He heard the screaming, the bath water running and he appeared in the doorway.  (Do you hear the chorus of angels?  The shining light beaming from behind him? Because at 3:30 in the morning when you are combing the vomit out of your screaming 2 year olds hair angels do indeed appear in the form of bleary-eyed, hairy men in boxers)  This wonderful man got out of bed and took our baby and held her and cuddled her and eventually fell asleep on the couch with her where she vomited one more time and then wanted to go back to bed.

I am not sure I would have done the same thing.  I would like to think I would have gotten up and helped him but part of my thinks I might have just feigned sleep and heard all about it in the morning.

This is kind of the look he had going on at 3:30 but he wasn't smiling..............such a good looking man,
 even with his eyes partially closed.

Every day I think......thank the Good Lord I married someone who is nicer than I am and needs less sleep than I do.