You are my Sunshine!

This post is for Rachel, who is my Sunshine. (That was the song I sang to her as a lullaby as a baby because she was my first blonde, so she became my Sunshine.)

Anyway...

So our family has been sick this past week. Thursday, March 19th, Rachel was taken to the doctor because of swollen lymph nodes and was diagnosed with Strep Throat and given antibiotics. Then Ali and James were diagnosed and put on antibiotics, and then Doug came down with symptoms and five days later was finally diagnosed with Strep (that is a whole other story.)

So this Thursday, March 26th we thought we were almost through being sick when Ali started throwing up. She threw up all night, then the next day I started throwing up, then Rachel started throwing up, then James.

But again, my story is about Rachel...

So Rachel apparently has the weakest stomach in this family. When she gets a stomach bug she throws up about every 20 minutes. Then towards the end, maybe every hour to 1 1/2 hours. But ALL THE TIME, more than the rest of us combined.

So at 4:00pm when she started throwing up we gave her a bucket to carry around everywhere with her. Then we have to empty out the bucket when she throws up, rinse it out, and give it back because she won't use it again if there is throw up in it. She must have heard Doug complain about this because at about 11:00 that night we hear her run into the bathroom to throw up. Doug goes to check on her and in her sweetest little angel voice she says "I ran to the toilet, Daddy, so you don't have to empty out my bucket. I love you Daddy." Now if that isn't the sweetest little thing to melt your heart.

But that is not all. So she continues to throw up OFTEN (always running to the bathroom now) and of course we are going to have to make her drink something so she doesn't get dehydrated, even though she knows this will just make her throw up again. So I bring her apple juice and say "You have to drink this so you won't get dehydrated." Rachel: "Okay, thank you Mommy, I love you." And everytime, after hours of throwing up over and over and over, she is willing to drink or eat anything I bring her, knowing she will keep throwing up over and over and over. And she always ends with "Okay, I love you Mommy". Her only complaint all night was at about 4:30 in the morning when she said, still in her sweetest voice, "I'm tired."

So today she wins my "Sweetest Little Angel" award. It is moments like this that makes it so rewarding to be a mom (not cleaning up the throw up, but the sweet little children who take affliction so cheerfully).