Some Sympathy Please

Patient:

1 : bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint

2 : manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
3 : not hasty or impetuous
4 : steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
5 a : able or willing to bear

All of the above, I greatly lack.  It's a fault of mine that I have especially noticed the past two weeks.

Baby: 1 a (1) : an extremely young child; especially : infant

Baby:  2 a : one that is like a baby (as in behavior)

You see, My dear husband had to have ankle surgery to repair a a ligament that was no longer attached.  Yes, he has been in a lot of pain.  Yes, he has needed MUCH nurturing.  And, yes, he has been a baby!  Ah, I say that in jest.  But, it certainly has felt as though I have been shoved into a world where all of a sudden I have the responsibility for three children.  Because using his crutches is a BIG pain to have to endure on a daily basis, there has been a lot of: "Ralae, I need more milk."  "Ralae, can you prop up my foot with another pillow?"  "Ralae, I have to go pee, can you find me an old bottle?"  Okay, I am joking about that last comment, but seriously, I have been not liking the sound of my own name recently. 

It's a horrible admission.  It's in my blood as a woman to nurture.  I have practiced nurturing for eons of time, and yet, when put to the test... well, I get that glass of milk with a thought of, "Again?!  How many glasses of milk does one man need?  Really?!" running through my mind.  I know I need to suck it up and use this opportunity to serve as a demonstration of the amount of love I have for Jon Mark, rather than doing it with the lack of patience that I am currently demonstrating.  After all, it is Jon Mark that holds my hair back when pregnancy causes me to puke in the toilet.  It is my sweet husband who never leaves my side throughout labor and delivery.  It is Jon Mark who so graciously waits on me hand and foot for the six weeks after birth.  (No, I am not pregnant, but I use pregnancy and childbirth as an example because those are the times I am need of nurturing the most.)  In the grand scheme of things, what it one extra bowl of cereal, one extra trip to the store because fruit snacks would get his mind off of the pain, or getting up and down several times after just starting a good book because he needs me to.  Really, it shouldn't be so hard.  So, after I conclude this post, I am off to search the cupboards for an old bottle!  HAHA!  Not really, but by golly, I think I hear my name... one more glass of milk coming up!

I have learned a few things about Jon Mark as a result of this recent surgery. 

1. He is an amazing father who helps entertain the kids when he gets home from work, and he does A LOT to help out with the bed time routine.  I have missed that since he has been couch-ridden and I have learned just how much I have taken it for granted.  Now that I have to do it all myself, I recognize just how much he has always done.

2. Every time I want to complain, I realize that he never does.  He just plain does not complain. 

3.  He is so hot that he makes sporting crutches look good!

These pictures were taken after we had our indoor skydiving adventure.  Notice the lines around our eyes from the goggles.  And, no, I am not playing with my hair.  Being in the wind tunnel made my hair so tangled that I thought I'd have to cut it because there was no way I was going to be able to untangle it all.

This is my baby girl who isn't such a baby these days.  She says "Hi, Dad." now, and waves at him.  She loves her daddy (especially at bedtime because he will let her stay up a few extra minutes if she cuddles with him).  Her hair is growing in (finally) and it is very curly while it is wet.  It's always wavy, but as it dries the ringlets disappear. 

Kind of a blurry picture, but I think she is sooooo pretty.

Here is my handsome little man.  I have caught him several times practicing, and admiring himself in the bathroom mirror.  The below picture is his "handsome face" expression that he practices most often.  Such a cutie.  He never fails to tell me in a day that when he grows up he is going to be an airplane pilot (or a train conductor depending on the day).  He loves pretending to be a train.  His prayers are always well thought out also.  The other day, Joshua got stuck between the wall and bed at my mom's house.  We knew he was jumping on the bed, and my mom told him that she didn't like him jumping on her pretty bed.  So, later that night, he prayed, "Dear Heavenly Father, I am thankful for Grandma Haws but she doesn't let me jump on the bed.  Please help me to jump on the bed."  It was really funny.