Worst Mommy

In general, I think I'm a pretty good mommy.  I feed our little bugger any time he asks, hold him, talk to him, change him, take him on walks, protect him from the elements, and give him too many kisses.  But last night, for about half an hour, I was the worst mommy.
George was on an overnight shift, and Drakeson fell asleep around 20:00.  Had George been home, he would have convinced me to go to sleep immediately, but on my own, I took advantage of the opportunity and called an old friend I had been meaning to catch up with.  We had been talking for about two hours when Drakeson started stirring.  I got off the phone to take care of him, but he had already fallen back asleep.  As I brushed my teeth, I convinced myself that I should change his diaper since it had been a couple hours.  And since changing his diaper would wake him up anyway, I decided to feed him first so he would have a nice, full belly.  There is nothing Drakeson loves more than milk, so in a tired daze, he ate.  And he ate and he ate.  I was looking down and admiring my happy little angel when he startled us both by hurling milk all over the bed.  Now he was fully awake in a cold, wet nightie with vomit in his mouth and a dirty diaper on his ass.  I scooped him up and went into his room to pick out clean clothes, which gave him enough time to panic and get congested.  Because he was congested, he couldn't breathe unless he was screaming, so I put him down and cleaned out his nose with saline solution and a suction bulb.  Nobody likes being on either end of that process.  I changed his diaper, which made him cold.  I took off his wet nightie, which made him colder.  So imagine you were fast asleep when some giant person force-fed you until you threw up, put salt water up your nose, and took off all your clothes as you shivered.  That person would be the worst mommy.
After his new nightie was on, I wanted to bounce him on the exercise ball, which always calms him down.  Strangely enough, it wasn't in our room.  I put Drakeson down and ran out to the living area.  Drakeson screamed (and rightly so), for now on top of everything else, he had been abandoned.  The ball wasn't there, so I came back in the bedroom and looked again, to no avail.  After a few minutes of running around, I realized George had stolen it, locked it in the garage, and convinced me to turn on the house alarm.  So I ran back out, messed with the stupid alarm, and finally got the ball back into our room.  Drakeson and I were both totally pissed.

Earlier that Day (24 Feb 13)

Generous

When George and I started planning for our dragon baby, we didn't think about presents.  During the pregnancy, I bought Drakeson a pumpkin hat and a package of white socks.  Little did we know, I could have held off.  At one month in, we've written no fewer than 45 thank-you notes, most of which address multiple gifts.  Add a few sources of hand-me-downs in perfect condition, and we've easily accumulated thousands of dollars of spectacular baby gear: clothing, dishes, electronics, towels, toys, etc.  And let's not leave out the food and visits we've had the pleasure to receive.  We've given away an extra tummy time gym, and sling carrier, and exersaucer because we had duplicates.  We have a (new) hamper that's filled with blankets that won't fit in our extra blanket drawer.  In fact, we've been receiving gift cards due to the fact that we have everything.
Then my friend (Drakeson's girlfriend) and her husband came to visit from France.  Of course, she had brought about ten onesies, a hat, mittens, booties, and two stuffed dragons for her boyfriend.  She and I have known each other for the past 25 years.  After a couple of days in our house, she asked me why I don't have a rocking chair.  As it turns out, Drakeson already liked being bounced on the exercise ball, rocked in his vibrating chair, and swung in his electric swing.  I wasn't sure we needed another piece of furniture just to move him around.  Gliders are wonderful to use, but they're big and bulky.  Rocking chairs are pretty, but don't look very comfortable.  There was only one rocker I was interested in, but I could get a nice glider for half the price, so I didn't commit to it.  I was thinking about letting Drakeson's girlfriend talk me into buying it, when she and her husband did a crazy thing - they bought it behind my back.  With the matching ottoman.
George and I are overwhelmed by everyone's generosity.  With how spoiled Drakeson is, you would think only a few special humans started out as babies.  So to everyone in our lives, whether you have sent a card, dropped by for a visit, or bought us a rocking chair, thank you for your interest in our little Drakeson.  And don't worry; we won't expect a thing for our second baby.  We already have everything anyway.

Best Smile

There was a man at the church I play for who had the best smile.  He and his wife were two of a small number of regulars who came every Sunday.  On Monday, during a triple bypass surgery, he died.

The man's wife requested that I play one of his favorites, Mark Hayes' arrangement of "I'll Fly Away" by Albert Brumley, during his funeral this morning.  Sundays will never be the same.