Sheinelle Jones has been part of the “Today” family since 2014 when the broadcast journalist who grew up in Wichita, Kansas and became a proud alum of Northwestern University joined “Weekend Today.” One thing every viewer among the millions who depend on Sheinelle Jones and “Today” to ease the day knows is that she is full-on genuine, and keeps her perspective very real.
When it comes to parenthood, this working mom of three isn’t shy about saying that she is no different than other moms who have difficult days.
When Sheinelle Jones saw last Friday that her sister co-host and mom-again to a newborn, Dylan Dreyer, was reaching a breaking point, suffering from more than mommy blues, she decided to rush to the rescue.
Sometimes a friend who has rocked a baby through many sleepless nights is more priceless than any guidance from a pediatrician. This morning, February 10, Sheinelle Jones explained why she considers her “conscious decision” to shift an assignment and play “Auntie Sheinelle” meant so much to Dylan Dreyer and to her.
When all the love is not enough, Sheinelle Jones has the calming touch
Dylan Dreyer is famous for her sunny disposition on the “3rd Hour of Today,” sitting beside Sheinelle Jones, Craig Melvin, and Al Roker.
Like all families, this TV Shows clan has an occasional tiff, all in good fun, usually because Mr. Roker voices a strong opinion about a particular topic.
Dreyer was beaming in bright yellow last July, and she let her husband, studio technician Brian Fichera, and their son, Calvin, now 3, break the news that finally, a baby brother was on the way. Toddler math is much different than traditional calculation, and Calvin insisted that because there were five ultrasound images, he would be getting five baby brothers.
One baby boy was more than enough for the family. Dylan and Brian publicly shared their heartbreak in struggling with secondary infertility after much effort to conceive after Calvin’s birth, and Dylan endured a procedure to remove scar tissue that enhanced the chances for conception.
Most of all, Dylan credited the support of so many who reached out to the couple and countless prayers for her second pregnancy. Oliver George arrived in early January and already had been given his name by then, according to Calvin.
The Dreyer family couldn’t have cradled Ollie with more love or provided their little “nugget” with more necessities. Fridays became the “check-in days” for Dylan and Ollie, and the first few weeks were a breeze for the seemingly always prepared mom. Tummy trouble can be a trip for an infant, and Dylan Dreyer didn't sugarcoat that she hit a “rock bottom” last week. Sheinelle Jones shifted her day just in time to give calm for a few hours.
Sheinelle Jones has been in the same mommy slippers
Dylan Dreyer didn't try to hide her fatigue last Friday during her video visit. “This week is kind of a rock-bottom week,” confessed the meteorologist mom. Calvin was having a storm of his own in his bedroom, home from school because of kicking and screaming, simply acting out his frustrations with his fussy baby brother.
Desperate parents try just about everything, and Dreyer wasn't sure exactly what the cause of her baby son's distress was, apart from being “gassy” and being up all night with the discomfort. The only language of a baby is his or her cry, and nothing is more comforting than gentle sounds of sleep or coos to any mommy.
Sheinelle Jones reflected this morning that she recalled being in the same place as Dylan “times two” after the birth of her twins, Uche and Clara.
Jones had a toddler, Dayin, at the time, too, so she truly felt the pain of not having “octopus arms” for every need. It's no wonder that she said this morning that her decision to give up a shoot and give the newest “Today” mom a much-needed break was the “best decision” she could've made for that day.
Sometimes, it only takes someone with fresh hands and some fresh patience to provide just the right touch, and Sheinelle seemed to have ample supply of both in sweet pictures with a snoozing Ollie. Hopefully, his mommy got a few winks in at the same time.
Reinforcements follow Sheinelle Jones
Sheinelle Jones described how her decision to “be a friend” gave Dylan just the right “couple of hours” to recoup some sanity.
Every parent of a colicky baby can commiserate.
Dreyer admitted that “an open bottle of wine” had been helping her through some sleepless nights, but it takes people to pat tiny backs, burp, and massage troubled tummies. Before reaching the last end of her wits, Dylan put out a call to her dad, on his way for the weekend. More relatives are ready to be summoned as needed, and even “Today” fans offered their services. Al Roker commended Dreyer in making her S.O.S. “It’s what you gotta do,” are reiterated the senior weatherman this morning.
It’s obvious that the family connection that comes through the screen on “Today” is the real deal, and Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer can prove it with puffy eyes and baby powder.