Barfmageddon

Nothing like a stomach flu and barfing your guts up until your face explodes (literally—I burst blood vessels above my cheekbones from all of that excitement) to give one pause to reflect on things and gain perspective.

The week started out well enough, then DD2 came down with a sinus infection and some wheezy coughing.  She’d been coughing since the week before last week, but it hadn’t slowed her usual energizer bunny speed, until the clanging cymbals stopped—cue to pediatrician visit.  Once on her prescribed medication, she was back up to speed and we were on the road to recovery, giggling, laughing, playing with the dog, when suddenly, whilst having a pleasant conversation with my babysitter, I had a complete and overwhelming urge to throw up.  Which didn’t stop for the next 18 hours.  Which led to an ER visit and two I.V. bags full of fluids, and anti-nausea medicine, etc.

But this is where the story gets better—hubby stepped up in ways I just didn’t know he could.  (In ways I’m not used to, because in my life before, I would have been subject to anger and blame for being sick, plus having to take care of the girls, house, work, etc., too…and in a weird sense, I didn’t mind it, because I was proud to be able to take care of everyone…)

So the morning after the barfing commenced, hubby woke up and took DD1 to school, then because DD2 was still on the mend and wasn’t going to preschool, the three of us loaded into the car and he drove us to the ER.  While the nurses were checking me in and doing their thing, hubby had brought along entertainment (read movies on IPAD with headphones) for DD2, and walked her around outside and was sure she had lunch.  Once home, hubby cleaned the house from top to bottom, disinfected kitchen, bathroom, door handles, etc.  Over the next 48 hours, he took the girls on adventures to play and eat and even to the aquarium, only to return home to clean some more and cook some more and take care of the girls.  While I was lying around sleeping.  It got to the point where they would send me pictures and videos and I was all sad I couldn’t be out with them together.

And what I loved about it—was how easy the girls just slid into listening and hanging out with their A.  DD1 asked me later that night, who do I go to, mom, if I wake up and I need something?  (Hubby was sleeping on the couch downstairs so as not to contract the evil stomach flu and to avoid ‘barfing so much that my eyes explode,’ lol) and hubby, said, come downstairs, don’t bother mom.  Lo and behold, apparently at 2am there as a kerfuffle, DD2 couldn’t find her baby mermaid that Nana (hubby’s mom) had sent her for Easter.  Me, being in a barf induced coma, didn’t hear a thing, but I heard about it the next morning, how DD2 was hollering in hysterics, and DD1 was calling for A, and he had to go upstairs at 2am and figure out where the stinking mermaid was and then all was well with the world.  (Ha ha ha!  Welcome to my world of parenting!)

By Easter Eve I had rallied, and was able to put the girls (and puppy’s!) Easter baskets together and hubby had to work, so off we went to Sunday school and church, plus an easter egg hunt for all the Sunday school kids.  I made the mistake of eating real food after the service, since eating crackers and applesauce was definitely old by then, but that was a big FAIL, so I’m back on my bland diet even today.  I’m just so thankful that I’m not barfing, the kids didn’t catch it, and we’re all back at school and work and life is back on track again.  And thankful for Hubby for being such a rockstar with taking care of everyone—including me.  (So not used to that. !!)

So happy, happy Easter!  I have a lot to be thankful for.  Yay!