connecting

Fall brought with the unpredictable temperatures, a calendar full of visits to Lolli and Pops! We have had weekend company for 5 weekends thus far and are extremely thankful that we are retired and able to enjoy our travelers coming into town and regroup during the week. It defintely keeps me cleaning on a routine basis when I know someone is coming to stay with us. I wish I was motivated to do it otherwise but more often I need company into this house to light my fire so to speak!
The first weekend in October, precious Knoxie and Regan drive up on Thursday so they could attend the big consignment sale with me on Friday morning. Now that Regan knows Greer is a "girly Greer", it was fun to look and see what bargains we could find for both her and Knox. I think Knox racked up at this sale as "girly Greer" is already set for life with 5 girl cousins who are all dressed to the nines and just a bit older than her.
Knoxie agrees with me :) He told me to keep on remembering him as I shop and keep an eye out for the deals.
He was so good at the sale that I just had to reward him with a lollipop. He loved it of course.
We headed home and ate a delightful chick fil a lunch on the porch with perfect weather to enjoy our day. Knox took a wonderful nap as did his pregnant mother and ate a wonderful supper as he did on all 3 meals that day. The whole day was a perfect way to be together on a nice new October day.

But at 8:45 pm that night after he had been asleep several hours we heard cries from the monitor and they progressively got worse. Much to Regan's horror when she opened his bedroom door to check on him, she found him getting sick in projectile fashion and it was her first time to witness this in her 1 year old son. I know the last thing you want to read about is my grandchild getting violently sick but I have a point to tell you about from this.
Lee drove into town about 5 minutes after the first incident took place. Then the poor baby got sick every 30 minutes until 1 am that night. We had 4 adults and it took all 4 of us attending to him, to the bed, to the floor,to the area he was in, and to the laundry that resulted in this evening. I am telling you that if we had not had each other to help out, I think we each would have called 911. It was a God thing that we were together this evening.
What I witnessed in my daughter in law this night was how wretched a stomach virus can be and how wonderful pure and simple motherly love is. It brings tears to me now as I recall the evening with a heartfelt compassion for Regan as a new mother. NOTHING can prepare us as women to be ready for moments like this. It takes the life out of you when you are helpless to take away the suffering your child is experiencing during sickness. I saw a part of life in Regan during this that I am now grateful to have seen but in no way want her or Knox to go through it again. She looked at me several times during it all for reassurance and I tried my best to hold it together and give calming and loving encouragement but I wanted to cry too. She and I connected on a level that we otherwise would not have done. We connected as women and as mothers. Caring for one's child is the ultimate expression of love. We read about it, learn about it, but experiencing it is the real deal.
Knox was over it in 24 hours and back to his perky little self in a few days. We were able to enjoy that Saturday with popsycles and pedialite and gatorade.
Regan, we both knew a year ago that this beautiful baby boy would connect us in strong ways. What we did not know is how an October evening would connect us in a motherly way like no other would.