Cough, Cough

This morning I lay in bed listening to Quinn call for her Grammy to get her our of bed. I wasn't tired anymore, but I wanted to give Grammy and Quinn some time together since we only have one more morning here in LA before we head home and wait for McKenna to come.

And then I heard it, "Cough, Cough."

I knew Grammy would panic. And I panicked too.

Remember last year when Quinn suddenly found herself in the Hospital with croup and wheezing? It was too close. I jumped out of bed. I could tell by the look on my mom's face, she was glad I heard it so she wouldn't have to describe it to me or bare bad news. I held Quinn while she got her breath back. She was wheezing for sure. Poor thing.

Grammy and I jumped into "mom" mode and started planning, "It's Sunday. What's open? What Doctors do we know? What time does Urgent Care open? Do they see kids? How long should we wait." And on and on. Remember that last time Quinn jumped from zero to 60 in about 3 hours, and neither grammy or I wanted to see that again. And so we stood there and planned.

Well, it looks like she is doing Ok. She is not breathing as loudly as she did this morning. But I am dreading her waking up from her nap because that is when it all started last time. After a nap. But I think she'll be fine.

It is just interesting how people get so conditioned to react in times like that. And if anyone is good at getting the job done and thinking fast in a crisis it is MY mom. I think I get it from her in some cases. Other times, though, I just stand there stunned, and I guess I just wait for the spirit to move me like it did last time when all I remember is pulling Quinn in Grandpa John's wagon last year and then next thing I knew we were racing to the ER after I felt a strong prompting to GO! I don't even know how we got in the car or down the street.

As much as I hate when my little one is sick, there is something about the feeling a Mama gets to sooth and fix that is really bonding. Caring for someone else is so beautiful. It's a quiet thing, and it makes all the difference in the world.

Have I ever mentioned that I had the most amazing mom ever. Now, I know a lot of people think their mom rocks the house. But my sister and I are in agreement that our mom was the best. She raised us with patience and kindness, communication and example, hard work and love and the list goes on and on.

My mom and I went to a workout class together on Friday morning. The last 20 minutes of the class was yoga. Since I was in the middle of the room, the teacher turned everyone's focus to me and my growing baby and asked them to think and remember the great love their mothers had for them and try to give themselves that much love in the present moment. It was cool to be there lying down as a mother with a baby inside me with my own mother just two feet away. The sensation was almost too much to bare. Lots of Love. So much Love. Puddles of Love.

I think that is what I love most about motherhood. Yeah, we all have our, "I am going to ring your neck" moments (like yesterday when I was neatly wrapping a baby gift for a shower and Quinn ripped it open just as I was finishing.) But for the most part there is so much peace in motherhood even within those moments when the "cough, cough" makes us jump a mile high. It really is in us to succeed at this.

We are women. We are -- with in our souls -- mothers at every stage of the game -- before, during and forever after our babies are babies.