The Calling of a Mother

I'm going on night #4 without solid sleep.  Fatigued?  Exhausted? Yes, so why am I sitting up at 3:30am and blogging, right?  I guess it's a case of being so tired that I can't sleep or maybe it's because when I only work a few days a week and I have to miss more than one of those days, I get a little stressed.  But I think it's mostly because I hurt when my kids hurt.  No one can ever prepare a mom for that pain.  Nevertheless, there's no place I would rather be than right here with my sick kids. Andres started me off with the first 3 nights of no solid sleep.  Poor guy started in with a really bad cough and some congestion.  By the time Monday rolled around, he was pretty miserable, even though he can still break out smiles even when feeling his worst.  : )  We found out he has severe bronchitis and is doing three breathing treatments a day.  The hardest part is seeing him put his arms across his chest when he coughs and saying "Owie!" There's nothing I can do but hold him tight and tell him it will get better.  It will, right?  He's still not doing all that great. His low-grade fever came back yesterday and his breathing is still somewhat labored. Let's hope today, Wednesday, brings better things his way!  I prayed when I went to bed Tuesday evening (just a few hours ago) that I would get a night of solid sleep.  BUt guess what?  If there's anything that having kids has taught me, I am not in control!  I woke up at 1:30am, a few hours ago, to soft whimpers.  I thought it was Andres again.  Strike one--I was surprised to see that they were coming from Maria's room.  I stood outside her door for a minute because I thought maybe she was working through a dream.  Strike two--instead her whimpers increased and I went in to discover that she was having a horrible earache.  So what's a mom to do?  I'd already used up two strikes and didn't want to get my third.  My first reaction?  Call Mom!  I remember her giving me some home remedy when I was a little girl to help with my earaches that occurred in the middle of the night.  But reality hit--oh wait, it's almost 2am.  I can't call my mom and scare the daylights out of her!  So thank goodness for the internet and Google searches.  Now, here I sit, and wait patiently, to make sure that some Tylenol, flushing of hydrogen peroxide sitting in the ear for 10 minutes, and a few drops of warm olive oil are going to work.  So far, we've gone 10 minutes and I hear nothing from Maria's room.  Let's hope that she can get her through the night so I can take her to the doctor's office first thing.   Until then, I sit here and hurt, wishing I could administer a cure, when all I can do is fulfill the calling of being a mom and comfort her if the pain returns.  And unfortunately, I think I hear her calling. . .