Nursing a Sick Baby

I wish everybody could get the chance to nurse a sick baby. It is the most wonderful feeling. There is no sweeter way to lose sleep than to snuggle next to baby whose only comfort is snuggling with Mama.

I have always kept the children in the room with me, so that I can be woken by the slightest snuffle. I know that is not the way of life for most families, but for Lee and I, it is joy. Lee is just as happy as I am to wake up to baby smiles and giggles, and that is yet another reason why I love him, and another reason why the whole thing works so well.

Last night, Goob was all snuffly and feverish. I knew he was feverish because I could feel how hot his skin was while he was sleeping, not because I needed a $50 skin thermometer (though these look amazingly helpful for those times when you really feel you need that number). He woke up several times during the night all stopped up. You wouldn't think warm milk would make someone who is stopped up feel better, but it comforted and soothed him, and I helped him change position so he would breathe more freely.

If he had been in another room, he would have had to get upset enough to cry to get comfort. Because he was right next to me, he just has to harumph enough to get my attention. It is lovely. And did I mention that comforting him is the most wonderful feeling in the world?