Snot, Coughs and Cuddles

May is sick.  She has been snotty and coughing for two weeks now.  And, in true baby fashion, juuuuust when we think she's getting better (and juuuuuuust after we take her to the doctor on a good day)... BOOM, she gets worse. 

I share this because something interesting happened around here last night.  Usually the coughing doesn't wake or keep May up... this girl can sleep through a marching band in her room at night (not during naps, don't ever try that).  Until last night.  Between 9 and 10:30pm she had coughed herself awake and whined herself back to sleep 3 times.  I couldn't take it anymore... my poor little boo boo was in there coughing and whining and I felt so helpless. (Baby's can't have cold medicine, or cough medicine, or anything that would help them feel better, incase you are wondering.)

Now, let me explain that my baby has not needed mommy and daddy in the middle of the night since she was about 2 months old.  She slept all the way through the night at 5 weeks and woke up a handful of times to eat at night between 5 and 8 weeks.  And that was it... no more wake ups.  We have a magic baby. 

So, I decided at 10:30 last night that I would end the streak and go in her room for some tylenol and a snuggle.  I wasn't sure how it was going to go -- would she be mad at me for coming in and then leaving again?  So, I fetched the tylenol and snuck in there... she was on her tummy breathing so heavy through the snot and whimpering.  Poor little thing was whimpering! I rubbed her back to let her know I was there and she popped right up and started swiping the tylenol syringe out of my hands (this is super odd because she LOVES the tylenol syringe... that stuff must taste like cotton candy)... I think she was confused about what was happening.  Anyways, I scooped her up and rocked her in her chair for about 10 minutes until I literally had to FORCE myself to put her back in bed (which went down without a hitch, by the way).  I felt like I could sit there and snuggle her all night long.  It reminded me (in a good way) of rocking her back to sleep after middle of the night feedings when she was so teeny tiny.  I stroked her eyebrows (which always gets her to shut her eyes) and rubbed her back... and it was magical.  We did this again at 2am but daddy got to do the cuddling.

So, my point in writing all of this is that I couldn't help but think, "THIS is motherhood... being up at night, rocking your baby and wishing you could hold her all night..." (and, on an unrelated note, THIS is why people decide to have multiple children... remembering rocking your sweet little newborn in the middle of the night seems to magical and glamorous once you are 7 months removed, doesn't it???) -- (AND, on a related side note, NO, we are not thinking about having another baby anytime soon... just to be clear).

I am so blessed to have been given this precious gift of a little girl.