Martyrdom or Motherhood?

Why is that a Mom can't be sick for more than 24 hours? What if after 24 hours, I still don't feel good? Who will take care of everything and everyone? Is it fair to ask someone to alter his schedule? (I am hearing a resounding "YES" in my mind as you read this.) Here is a better question...Why can't I ask for what I want? Do I feel like a "champion" if I am a martyr, or is it truly a quilty feeling for asking someone to change there plans to help me. ( I feel like Dr. Phil here.)
Well, here is what happened...Thursday night, Uncle Eric and Aunt Stacey were spending their last evening here in Jax. Larry and Cindy took us out to dinner at one of Nathan's and my favorite restaurant, Eleven South. On our way there, I wasn't feeling 100%. I had a head ache and was a little achy as the dinner started. Well, the yummy wine made all that go away! :) I love natural medicine. Then while in bed, around 1:00am, I started to feel it...that churning feeling everytime I rolled over. Even though I didn't feel so great, Eli still wanted fed. Ugh. I pulled myself out of bed and got him his late night snack, then crawled back into bed, only to feel a stronger churning in my belly. "I am not going to puke, I am not going to puke." I was willing myself to be a well-person. Finally, after getting up 3 times to soothe Eli, I had to ask Nathan to do it, because I was surely going to lose my lunch. By now, I am trembling with the chills. I finally convince myself that I will actually feel better if I just give in to the inevitable and go toss my cookies. And I did.
A few hours later, Nathan had to get up for work. What to do, what to do? Larry was taking Eric and Stacey to the airport, Cindy had 2 assignments to do for her Masters course, and Nathan had to work. I was in NO shape to be caring for 2 needy children. AAAAAAAAYYYYYYY! Then it happened...Nathan offered to take Mac to work with him. YES, I know, I couldn't believe it either. Not only did he have work to do at the office, but he also had to go out and look at a building, but was still willing to take Mac. What a relief. But, then there was the afternoon. Nathan had a golf tee time with Larry. All I wanted to do was sleep. But I also didn't want him to miss his time with his Dad, even though I felt as though Hell had opened up and I had entered. Instead of insisting he stay home, I was willing to gamble on the boys taking simultaneous naps for a few hours which would be tolerable. HAHAHAHAHA!!! I was DREAMING. How many times have they actually napped at the same time since we've been here? Maybe 4 times, and yesterday wasn't one of them.
So finally, Nathan gets home. "Please take them! I need to be horizontal." At 6:30pm I slipped into bed and promptly fell asleep until around 9:45, when the boys got home. Then at midnight, 3:00am, and 6:00am, Eli needed his snacks. And, last I checked, Nathan had not sprouted mammary glands, so once again, I was up. And this morning, Nathan had another tee time. "Ugh, my head aches. I am weak, and I am hungry." I am thinking "please don't go." He even asks me, "do you want me to stay?" And once again, "Emily the Martyr" says, "no, I don't want you to miss time with Larry." And off he went, but not before getting breakfast for us all. What a sweetie.
I actually mustered up the energy to go to the beach club pool to take Mac swimming, banking on the fact that Eli would sleep (and he did). Mac was such a big boy. He was swimming all by himself (with his floatie on), but I was still wearing out fast. I don't know if I was denying to myself that I had just had the stomach flu, or if I was just being a martyr again for my boys. After swimming with Mac and feeding Eli, I had to go home. I currently have a raging headache, but am waiting for Nathan to come home so we can go look at furniture. No, i am not sleeping like I should be. I am off to tackle the next thing on my list...Just like a Mom does. Is that martyrdom or motherhood. Wow, those words look similar.

BTW, the babysitter did not hurt or kidnap our kids and they were both asleep when we got home around 9:45pm. I don't think anything was stolen or broken, so maybe we'll hire her again. :)