To the Good Health of our Babies

I just watched an episode of Oprah with Celine Dion where they showcased some amazing survival stories of children and highlighted the tragic death of baby Eliot born with the non-viable condition of Trisomy 18.

Such heart-breaking and tear-jerking accounts of life are great to watch because they remind me of how fragile life is and how incredible it is to watch Jude grow and learn and become a little man. I am reminded to embrace every day with him and to know that his good health and happiness are more important than anything else on this entire planet.

This week Jude has had some trouble in the middle of the night and we've had several nights not sleeping before 2am because Jude has been upset. He's fine during the day, but something has been bothering him. It could be teething (he does have a tooth slowly pushing through), but I think he had a tummy ache last night and he did a bad poo that burned his bum.

While he was crying I took him to our bed and held him in my arms, gently rubbing his belly in the I Love You* pattern from my baby-massage guide. His little eyes searched my face and I saw him asking me why it hurt, why he was in pain and I couldn't answer him or do very much more to take the pain away.

I would have done anything to take his pain away. It is a humbling reminder of the torture that parents must experience when their child is born disabled or with an incurable disease, or even premature babies or babies with respiratory problems.

Which reminds me how horrified and completely unsympathetic I am to smokers who continue to smoke through pregnancy and around their children. It's sickening. Oh shut up about your addiction and get over it you f-ing selfish loser!!!!!! What kind of monster would jeopardize the health of their child when there is nothing more precious on the face of this Earth than the health and well being of our children?


* I Love You is spelled by gently tracing the letter I (a vertical line) down the left side of baby's tummy. Then an L shape (L for Love) is formed upside down by tracing a horizontal line from right to left across the top of baby's tummy then re-tracing the vertical line down the left side. The U (for You) is written by tracing a vertical line up the right side, across the top from right to left and then down the left side. This clockwise massage is supposed to be good for baby's digestion by following the direction of the intestine.