It's officially Lent! Typically I like Lent as it feels like a cold and windy spring downpour. It's unpleasant yet refreshing all the same. Today was a day that God Himself seemed to want to gift me with extra graces, and did I ever need 'em. I can't claim it to have been a bad day because I was able to roll with all of it, but if Mae were able to remember today, she'd probably demand a re-do.
First thing this morning we had a blood draw. I left the house not having eaten which required a stop to purchase coffee. Lent was not off to a great sacrificial start, but I know my limits, yo. The rain was coming down, it was a chilly 43 degrees outside, and traffic was unfortunate. Luckily my sister, La Dee called and I didn't have time to get myself in a tizzy over the whole CBC-what-if-my-baby-is-dying thing. When I got to the hospital the rain had stopped and with Little Guy strapped in the Ergo and Mae strapped in the stroller, we set off to Dr. P's office across the street to pick up her lab order. Mae charmed everyone we passed and before we knew it we had been up to the 19th floor and back down again. Off we went to the hospital lab.
When we got to the hospital the receptionist checked us in while sharing her tales of woe regarding her wedding planning and the insane amount of vendor emails she was receiving. From there we went to the lab waiting area. Mae wanted to get down from her stroller, and I, with a dose of bad judgement, let her loose. Good bye Mae, nice knowing you! I spent the next 5 minutes chasing a very determined two-year-old while a 5 month old was strapped to my thorax. They called us back before I lost my mind. This is where I strapped Little Guy into the stroller so that I could hold Mae still during her stick.
Worse draw yet.
Mae flipped out, and not your average flip out either. She lost her ever loving sense, which sent Little Guy into a panicked frenzy of cries. As I futilely attempted to calm Little Guy and Mae, the poor phlebotomist fished for a vein. This was the first time we have ever had a bad stick, and it was not helping at all. Finally I was able to put Mae into the stroller, but as I picked Little Guy up, my nose alerted my brain that a diaper change was in order. We stepped into the bathroom, where the babies cried in stereo while the bathroom acoustics blessed the entire floor with their music. After the diaper change, I sat in the waiting area and fed Little Guy a bottle. When I got into the car the clock said 10:35. Time flies when you are having fun.
We made it through lunch okay. After lunch we played a bit. Mariana received some fun gifts that we explored. While I cleaned up a little, she flounced about in her dress singing and dancing while Little Guy played in the highchair. Soon it was time for someone else to get a new diaper. At this point I discovered that there had been an attempted jailbreak from the diaper. There was, ahem, waste on the floor, on the clothing and down the legs. Being a master at prioritizing messes, I quickly buckled the Little Guy into his swing and grabbed Mae in a hazard-containment fashion. The clean up was meticulous, but certainly as speedy as possible since I still had some tiles to sanitize. Down the stairs we went only to discover. . . .nothing.
Er, we have a dog? And she kinda thinks the kids are her puppies? And if they have an accident? She might clean up while I clean up the kids? And I sorta forgot she was in the house. Instead of cleaning one or two tiles, I cleaned about ten in the hope that I killed the germs that may have lingered. Ugh.
After all that delightful activity, we went to pick up the rest of the crew, drop off the Little Guy and his sisters, and get back home. We had a pretty laid back afternoon/evening, minus a little bit of neediness from Mae, not that I can begrudge her that. She did have her blood drawn which can leave her a little lethargic.
You may be wondering where God's grace was in all of this. It was there, I promise. Not once did I feel overwhelmed or frustrated. Go back and read all that chaos. Recall what I have written about past blood draws and how my fears come alive. I can't even muster a false sense of anxiety right now. Today, the whole day, even when the babies were crying inconsolably in the bathroom, I had a view of the bigger picture. This was one moment in one day of many days. I had things to do and no one was going to be helped by my emotions becoming a factor. I wasn't dead inside, I felt horrible for those little people! However, they were best served by a calm, decisive and loving person, and God allowed me to be that person. I know for a fact I am not that person without God's grace. I'm a hot mess of loose wiring. There was even a moment, when Mae and Little Guy were sitting next to each other on the couch watching ABC Mouse on the iPad mini, that I thought to myself, "I'm so lucky to see this sight." Little Guy was playing with his toy, while Mae was holding the iPad. Mae looked at her buddy, leaned over, kissed his arm and rested her head on his.
Happy 2nd birthday Mae! Your mom may have forgotten to buy your present, but God made sure she was exactly who you needed today. Thanks for letting me catch your sweetness on camera.
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