Who are the bigger babies during illness? Men or Babies?

Ah, if you are a mother you know firsthand the frenetic race each day feels like. Kind of like those timed events at the NFL combine except no signing bonus awaits you. For example, making sure everyone gets fully dressed, brushes teeth, completes  homework, has some semblance of combed hair, and is wearing shoes (hopefully matching ones) as they leave for school in the morning feels like an Olympic event minus corrupt judges. Honestly, I don't have time to feel bad. Even if I did, I doubt anyone would acknowledge my discomfort or care. Sure, if I accidentally cut my finger off cutting up an apple, I am sure one of the kids would get the "hello kitty" ice pack for me and offer me a kiss, but would also ask if I could go ahead and make them a pb&j sandwich since I was already in the kitchen. Or perhaps I could turn on iCarly? My husband? He would probably try to have himself admitted to the ICU. So why do women persevere and men turn into giant babies during pain or illness?

I was on a conference call while in labor with my oldest son. When they were performing my c-section with my daughter, the suction stopped working. I didn't mind because I was absolutely parched and couldn't wait to have some water. Right after the surgery, the pump fell out. The nurse was aghast and said , "oh my, the pump is out! you must be in incredible pain." Eh, not really. I asked if there was anyway I could have a grilled cheese sandwich.

Right before I was pregnant with Woo Woo,  I had 4 wisdom teeth extracted. 3 were impacted. Apparently this is  a big deal." You guys can just give me some laughing gas , right?' I asked the nurse. I was told absolutely no one does that. They required that I discuss my desire for minimal intervention with the dentist. "No one just gets gas,' the dentist said. " I guess I'm special. It will be fine," is what I said. Most people asked to be "put under." No thanks!. I will be "put under" soon enough so I can sweat out a little dental procedure . It's not like I was going in for a crainiotomy!  Besides, the gas was cheaper. I was back at work a day later looking like a chipmunk, but no worse for wear. When I was about 7 1/2 months pregnant with Woo Woo, I had nose surgery. Sadly, it wasn't  rhinoplasty but it wasn't for a lack of trying. I asked the dermatologist if he could make my nose look like Drew Barrymore's but it was still my nose. I was told not to bend over, sneeze, pick up anything that weighed over 10 pounds, or do housework. I  just smiled  and put on my  World Wildlife Fund band aids on my nose and went back at work. For future reference, people have a tendency not to take you seriously when you have panda bears on your nose. However, it's okay when wearing earth tones to coordinate that with a nice leopard band aid on your nose. Now don't get me wrong, I am not superwoman or anything of the sort. I am a mother. We just have to keep plugging along.Women have been giving birth in fields for hundreds of years with no break other than to wipe her other child's nose.

My husband? He had a stomach virus, threw up 3 times, and asked if he should go to the hospital and get an IV. What???? A splinter is the equivalent of a fracture and the flu is treated like the ebola virus. A paper cut? It's one step away from amputation.  I always tell him if he had been able to give birth, he would STILL be in the hospital recovering from our oldest...and that was 8 years ago. My daughter must be taking cues from him because she goes to the school nurse at least 3 times a week. If she tells them she has a sore throat or a tummy ache, she gets a Popsicle. Apparently she was unimpressed with the flavor she got the other day, because that notation was on the clinic pass. The nurse told me at the parent teacher conference that she loves her visits from Fiona. As I said in an earlier post, the kids have taken elementary school by storm.

I joke about this but at the end of the day, your health is incredibly important. Our time is short enough on the planet, so we should enjoy each day and roll with the cards we are dealt. Until next time.............