Things Mothers Do
I carried you for months in the uncomfortable breech position while you cheerfully kicked my bladder into submission and showed me early on who was boss.
I took fourteen staples for you, groaned my way through a stupid morphine drip that did nothing for my pain. (“Ten more minutes? What do you mean I have to wait ten more minutes? I need it now!”)
I spent weeks of nights that were more waking than not when you decided sleep was optional and ultimately undesirable, wearing a path in the floor and turning the muscles in my back into jerky as I carried, carried, carried you into a fragile, colicky sort of comfort.
And this morning, I scooped your watery poop into a tiny plastic container while you cooed contentedly at me, oblivious to how impossible it is to do so with the little claw the doctor’s office gives you to do so. I even smeared some on my finger—unintentionally, of course.
Ick.
So thirteen years from now, please don’t roll your eyes at me as if I’ve never done anything for you and I’m the most horrible mother in the world who doesn’t understand you and exists solely to ruin your life.
“Because.I.Have.Done.Stuff.” She says, as she washes poop off her fingers at the kitchen sink.
At Day's End...Are We There Yet? 
You’re so right.
But why are you having to take poop samples? Is eveything okay?
Wow, Anaise, you’re quick! That was superfast! We’re still “working out the kinks,” so to speak. Tru was sent to a specialist and has both colic (lower GI) and reflux (upper GI) issues, and has been put on Zantac and Levsin, a high-grade pain medication, because he has a pain reflex now to tense up when he eats, which just makes everything ten times worse. The doc wants to allergy test him just to be sure he’s not allergic to milk proteins or rice. He has to have rice in his formula to help with the GERD, even though he’s only 9 weeks and it messes his little gut up a bit…there’s unfortunately just no great way to deal with these things. I meant to tell you most of this in a return email, actually, but it has been a bit of a whirl of dr appts and such over the last week–poor little boy, we just haven’t been able to get him comfortable. You touched my heart with your email, though. Don’t know or need to know the particulars, but I’m thinking of and praying for you, A.
Lovely post, Lori! hope Truitt feels better soon. Hate that you both have to deal with all of this. And it is amazing the “stuff” Mothers do.
I throw this back at my teenagers all of the time. I GAVE BIRTH TO YOU!!! Nuff said.
Having a little one who is hurting and you don’t know what is wrong or how to fix it is soooo hard and wearing and draining. My heart and prayers are with you. Hope the doctors figure this out soon.
Glad you’re back. Keep it up, girl…being a mom isn’t the easiest job, but it’s awesome.
LOVED this, even though I’m so sad that your little guy is in pain and you are worn thin. Did I mention that I LOVE his name? Because I do. Very cute and original!
Hope you are both feeling better soon and I’m glad you’re blogging and technically documenting everything to regurgitate back to him as a teenager! ;o)