On being a Mom and other blessings

A typical day/week:

Alarm #1 goes off at 5:30. Hit snooze for 10 minutes repeatedly until alarm #2 goes off. Hit snooze repeatedly until husband says “honey you HAVE to get up” [at least an hour has passed since first alarm].

Drag myself to shower; husband brings me fresh coffee (Starbucks, of course).

Depending on how many times I hit snooze, I may go to work with wet hair and no makeup, or perfectly coiffed but running late. Well, either way, I’m always running late.

Breakfast: Comfort food at its finest… in a Tupperware, to reheat and eat when I get to work: Oatmeal (not instant) with a little brown sugar, almonds, and cinnamon. Mid-morning (which for me is 11:30ish since I had my oatmeal at 10), fat-free yogurt. Lunch (2ish) salad consisting of romaine, tomatoes and all or some carrots, sugar snaps, broccoli, no dressing, a little low fat feta. Sometimes I add leftover grilled chicken or a tuna packet and a piece of whole wheat pita. I won’t bore you with more details… my dinner is another similar low fat, usually high carb, healthy non-meat item(s).

All this to bring into contrast TODAY:

Rise with first alarm at 5:15. Get dressed quickly (showered last night before bed), light makeup and flat-iron hair, coffee and pack a bag and out the door before 7 with Lisa and Demitri in tow headed for Pittsburgh to visit my sad baby girl.

Power bagel and coffee on way. Stop around 9:30 and have diet Pepsi, WHITE English muffin, and greasy hash brown patty.

Get lost. Arrive at Sandie’s an hour late. SO HAPPY TO SEE HER! Lunch was Sandie’s homemade grilled chicken with white rice and sautéed peppers and onions (okay pretty healthy). I ask Sandie for a banana so I can have a healthy snack on the way back home (ha! The banana is sitting on my kitchen counter now).

Hang out. Go to park/playground. Great day to be outdoors with my girls and grandson. Leave Sandie’s at 4. Stop at Starbucks and get a soy cappuccino and cinnamon chip scone. Get on PA Turnpike. Miss exit for Breezeway and come home on PA turnpike, which turns out to be a very nice drive. Exit Turnpike and not sure if going right way, so stop at SHEETZ to ask directions. Going right way. Oh, let’s stay and have DINNER AT THE WENDY’S WITHIN SHEETZ! Have greasy chicken nuggets and French fries and another soda. Night falls, and drive rest of way home bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Arrive home 9:15 p.m.

Back to “normal” Merc… Have a very strong gin and tonic, download pictures and videos from today and record this.

Long story short: My baby was hurting and I went to be with her. It didn’t matter that I only had one day, that I ate unhealthy food most of the day, that I drove four and a half hours, got lost for an hour, visited for a VERY SHORT three hours only to turn around and come back home without her. It didn’t matter because my baby needed me and I’m her Mama. That’s what it’s all about.

And on the fringes: My husband who scraped every ounce of cash he could get his hands on for gas and food (did I mention the wad of singles?); my Lisie who came with me and kept me entertained with her stories the entire way up and back; my little grandson who kept calling me Hahney all day and was SO AMAZINGLY GOOD the entire trip. This kid was in his car seat from 7 to 1, and then from 4 to 9 and did not complain one single bit (he did pluck out a bunch of keys from the laptop keyboard where he was watching Bee Movie, but that was pure boredom/entertainment/little boy being a little boy. I thought it was hilarious).

God is good. I am so very grateful.

Goodnight.