don't trust the shrimp

mike and i are recovering from a horrible food poisoning experience on friday night, and i have to say that i found food poisoning to be one of the most miserable experiences ever. we went to an asian food restaurant near our house that we had been to many times before, and have always liked. we didn't get sushi this time, but the chinese. it was piping hot, so unlikely to be undercooked. but 6 hours after our meal, we both got violently ill at the same time. mike had it worst than me; he actually vomited about 20+ times by the time we "got up" in the morning. i had some vomiting, but my probem was...on the other end, i guess we'll say. thank god jack slept like an angel the whole night, so we didn't have waking baby to juggle along with our misery. and thank god we have two bathrooms within running distance of our bed. needless to say, our weekend off of "no plans" turned into a weekend at home, full of fatigue, dehydration, and nausea.

on the happy side, we decided to tread into solid food territory again today for lunch at the drake diner, where i ended up receiving one of the most treasured compliments i've ever been offered. as a woman and her husband were leaving the restaurant, she stopped at our table and said she had been watching us from across the room. she said, "and i just have to tell you, i just loved watching you with your baby." she went on to say something about it being apparent how much i love him, and that his face shows he knows he's loved very much. mike thought it was a little weird; i thought it was beautiful. i've been feeling very exhausted with life in general lately, but it's hard to feel okay about talking about it. when other people complain about their jobs, it's usually seen as normal or par for the course. but when a stay-at-home parent expresses feelings of being overwhelmed or the need for a break, she or he is often the receiver of "suggestions" from others that maybe it's not for them, or maybe they should try daycare a couple times a week. of course i'm speaking from personal experience only, but it seems to me that popular perception is that a full-time parent has to love their "job" every second, or at least portray it that way, or else they are seen as falling short. like they aren't appreciating the opportunity to be at home, or that they are sending the message that it's not fulfilling. i'm starting to find that every job, even that of a parent, is overwhelming at times, and people just need a break once in awhile. i wouldn't have it any other way, and i absolutely love being jack's primary caregiver. some days are harder than others, and many are tiring. but when he runs to hug me, or looks at me in certain ways... or when a total stranger professes to see how much love i have for him, it makes it 110% worth while.