Ellie has been sick.

Since Wednesday.

With a stuffy nose that is sometimes really runny.  And I think itchy eyes (because she rubs them a lot).

And a cough.

And when you have all of that, it’s hard to nurse and it’s hard to sleep and you just feel miserable.  And you spend a lot of time in the bathroom with the shower on.  And your mama uses up a lot of cloth wipes blowing your nose.

And so I’m tired, and she’s tired, and Nik’s tired, and we’re all really looking forward to those antibodies from my milk kicking in and to her getting better really soon.

Through all of this though, Ellie has been so good-natured.  She coughs and coughs and coughs and she cries.  But then she just gives us the squinty eyes as if to say, “I’m not really crying, I’m just complaining a little bit,” and then she goes back to being basically happy.

Granted, I haven’t gotten hardly anything done for four days and she wants to be held a lot.

But who wouldn’t like to just lie in their mother’s arms when they’re sick, anyway, right?

Especially today, I’ve felt like I’ve been given a glimpse of who Ellie might grow up to be – a person strong, determined, kind, and joyful despite circumstances.

I like this glimpse and I also feel the weight of faithfully helping her grow into this girl that God has created her to be.