February 12, 2007 | Mama Smith

wawa subs

If you’ve ever been to Philly, you have most definitely passed a Wawa and maybe partaken of one of their famous subs. My dad can’t visit without having at least one or two during his stay. So yesterday afternoon we feasted on what we thought was a harmless meal of Wawa subs. Matthew’s meatball sub didn’t go down without a fight though.

I mistakingly titled the last picture in my post yesterday as the “glowing, but tired Papa”. It should have read the pre-food-poisoned Papa. A few minutes later, Matthew was in the bed with a violent stomach ache that lasted through the night. We weren’t sure if it was food poisoning or a stomach virus at first and thus Levi and I were confined to the couch for the evening and my mom to a mattress on the floor. She had decided to stick around for the night after I pleaded with her not to leave me alone with a vomiting husband, week-old baby and finicky toddler who has decided to surprise us every few evenings with a crying episode in the middle of the night. I didn’t really have to plead, her teary-eyed girl was all the convincing she needed, even though she was pooped from working her booty off for us all week. Thank you Mom!!

Matthew woke up feeling exhausted, but better…and vowing to never eat another Wawa sub again.

We said goodbye to my parents through tears, wondering when would be the next time they’d see their all-too-quickly growing grandsons. Brighton’s especially started to pour a few moments after they left. He had cheerfully waved goodbye to my parents, then wandering back to the den. Only to find the baby still asleep in his moses basket. He suddenly started sobbing saying “Baby! baby!” as if to say “Wait! They forgot the baby! Get them back here! They forgot the baby”. I knew he thought my mom brought Levi. Now it’s time for reality to sink in.

With Matthew weak and tired from his stomach issue last night, myself tired from sleeping on a wonky couch and still healing up from birthing this boy, and Brighton in major rare form today of all days…I wasn’t sure we’d make it through the day. Even though we had a few episodes – Brighton hitting me in the face, smacking Levi on the head and trying to throw the Nalgene on him in the basket – Christ came and offered us all more grace and energy than we could have hoped for. And even some pseudo-warmth (for a nasty Philly winter, that is) and sunshine to bundle up the boys and head to the park.

Today felt like our first official day as the Smith family foursome. I’m so thankful I have Matthew around for another week before he heads back to work. One more week of adjusting under B’s belt, with his dad around, should be a good thing.