sick

All the kids are down with a nasty cold. So far it's just a cold, but we are searching for any signs of scary super virus. This particular cold has a fair amount of junk hanging out in little chests making them feel like they are choking at night when they are trying to sleep. Each time a little one wakes up - usually crying, coughing and muttering nonsense - I climb into their bed and wrap my arms around them. Just the act of holding them close to my body instantly soothes them. As they drift back into sleep and I listen to the steady hum of their breath (and gurgle in their chest), I marvel how they used to fit in my belly. Then my mind drifts to the future. Some day they will be grown and I won't know about every little cold or cough they have. As tiring and filled with worry as these days can be, I know they are numbered. So I will spend the night lulling them back to sleep and the days playing quietly in the house until the coughing stops, and regular life resumes.